Mailchimp’s current free-plan limits
Mailchimp’s official pricing-plan documentation currently lists up to 250 contacts, 500 monthly email sends and 250 daily sends on the Free Marketing plan. If the account exceeds the contact limit, a hold can be placed on live and test sends until the account upgrades or reduces the counted total.
Those limits took effect in February 2026 for affected free accounts. They make the plan suitable for product evaluation and very small audiences, but two full-list campaigns to 250 contacts consume the monthly allowance.
| Limit | Published allowance | Practical meaning |
|---|---|---|
| Contacts | Up to 250 | Exceeding can pause sends |
| Monthly sends | Up to 500 | Two full sends to 250 contacts |
| Daily sends | Up to 250 | One full-list campaign per day |
Who can still use the free plan effectively?
A consultant testing a first signup form, a local group with fewer than 250 active subscribers or a startup prototyping a newsletter can still learn the workflow without a monthly bill. The limit encourages a focused, engaged audience rather than a large inactive database.
The plan becomes restrictive when a team needs multiple announcements, automated journeys or room for rapid list growth. Map the next six months before building forms and integrations around the free tier.
How contacts are counted
Mailchimp’s pricing-tier documentation explains that subscribed, non-subscribed and unsubscribed contacts can count toward paid contact totals. Free-plan handling and archive behavior should be checked in current account documentation.
Do not erase unsubscribe information merely to make a list smaller. Preserve suppression data so an opted-out address cannot be accidentally imported and contacted again.
Alternatives when 250 contacts is too small
Sender advertises a free plan for up to 2,500 subscribers and 15,000 monthly emails. Brevo offers 300 free sends per day. MailerLite’s current official free page lists up to 250 subscribers and 2,500 monthly emails. Each option has its own feature and branding restrictions.
FreeEmailSender offers a three-day, 100-email no-card trial and then campaign pricing at $0.001 per email, with a $1 minimum below 500. It is not a forever-free substitute, but it avoids paying according to a stored contact tier.
Should you upgrade or migrate?
Upgrade when Mailchimp’s integrations, templates, automation and audience workflow already deliver enough value to justify the paid tier. Migrate when another model materially lowers total cost and still covers required capabilities.
Before moving, export lawful contact data, preserve permission and suppression fields, authenticate the new sender and test with a small segment. Price pressure does not justify a rushed migration that loses unsubscribe history.
Frequently asked questions
How many contacts are allowed on Mailchimp Free in 2026?
Mailchimp’s official documentation lists up to 250 contacts.
How many emails can Mailchimp Free send?
The current published allowance is 500 sends per month and 250 per day.
What happens if I exceed 250 contacts?
Mailchimp states that live and test sending can be placed on hold until the account upgrades or reduces the counted contact total.
Sources and further reading
These official product, pricing, policy, or methodology pages were reviewed for the factual claims in this article. Features and prices can change, so confirm current terms before making a decision.