Mailchimp

Count records and preserve suppression

Mailchimp distinguishes subscribed, unsubscribed, non-subscribed and cleaned contacts. Its pricing guide excludes archived, cleaned and deleted contacts from the contact total. Include unsubscribed and non-subscribed records when estimating the audience; a marketing unsubscribe is not a deletion. Mailchimp notes that paid plans created before May 15, 2019 may follow different contact-limit rules; check legacy terms.

Audiences are separate: duplicates, bounces and unsubscribes are not automatically visible across audiences. Before combining or migrating, export each audience and its statuses, including suppression records, and reconcile duplicates and permissions. Mailchimp recommends backups because some data is lost when audiences are combined.

Archiving removes contacts from the current total but does not reduce a peak already recorded in the current billing period. Keep the records and permission evidence needed to prevent an accidental re-subscription.

Price the actual flow

Mailchimp’s flow guide lists conditional splits and up to three triggers on Standard or higher. It says Essentials supports up to four steps and Standard up to 200. A separate conversion guide says Essentials has up to three steps. Confirm the current limit with Mailchimp for the intended account before buying.

Map the trigger, waits, messages and branches of one real journey. Ask which plan supports every step and test entry, exit and repeat behavior with permitted sample records before enabling it.

Separate marketing sends from transactional service

Mailchimp offers some automation-based transactional messages within Marketing. Its Transactional add-on guide requires Standard or higher on a monthly plan; transactional pricing also lists a legacy Monthly Plan and a limited free demo. Paid blocks contain 25,000 emails, are purchased each monthly cycle and expire without rollover. Confirm eligibility, integration and the quote for your account.

List receipts, password resets and marketing messages separately. Check which system sends each, what happens when an allowance is exhausted and who owns its templates and suppression settings.

Compare the alternatives

Consider Brevo if a send allowance paired with contact storage fits your volume, and ActiveCampaign for a more involved automation evaluation. Compare the same stored contacts, monthly sends, workflow and transactional requirements across quotes.

• Mailchimp vs Brevo

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Common questions

Does the Free plan have a daily limit?

Yes. Mailchimp lists 250 sends per day and 500 per month, with up to 250 contacts.

Are unsubscribed contacts free to retain?

Mailchimp counts unsubscribed and non-subscribed contacts toward plan limits. Archived, cleaned and deleted contacts are excluded. Older paid plans created before May 15, 2019 may have different contact-limit rules.

Is transactional email included?

Some transactional messages are supported by Marketing. The separate Transactional add-on requires Standard or higher monthly plans; pricing also lists a legacy Monthly Plan and a limited free demo. Paid blocks are additional.

Sources and scope

We read the linked vendor pricing and documentation on November 5, 2026. Prices, plan limits and eligibility can change; confirm the terms for your account and region.

We have not tested these products, sent messages or connected accounts. The suggested checks are evaluation steps, not results.

Inclusion and corrections are free; sponsorship does not determine our conclusions. Editorial order is independent of paid placements.

Quillwell LLC also builds Adswell, a paid-media product.

Sponsorship never changes this page. How we research.