Is there a free Mailchimp alternative?

MailerLite and Brevo have free tiers, and open-source list managers like Listmonk are free to run if you handle the ops. Broadcast is a one-time $250 license, but past a few thousand contacts it's usually cheaper than a paid Mailchimp plan over time, since there's no monthly per-contact fee.

Self-hosted — one-time license

The self-hosted Mailchimp alternative

Mailchimp is the default choice, but its per-contact pricing climbs fast, and you can’t run it yourself. Broadcast runs on your own server for a one-time license: own your data, escape per-contact billing, and keep the campaigns, segmentation, and automation most senders actually use.

Buy Broadcast — $250 Calculate your savings

The short answer

The best Mailchimp alternatives in 2026 fall into three camps: cheaper hosted SaaS (MailerLite, Brevo), creator-focused platforms (Kit/ConvertKit, Beehiiv), and self-hosted/owned tools. Broadcast is the self-hosted, one-time-purchase ($250) option: it runs on your own server, supports unlimited subscribers with no per-contact billing, and sends through Amazon SES, Postmark, Mailgun, or any SMTP. Pick a cheaper SaaS to stay fully managed; pick Broadcast to own your platform and stop the per-contact meter. Mailchimp itself still wins on its free tier and breadth of native integrations.

At a Glance

Hosting

Mailchimp: SaaS only

Broadcast: Self-hosted

Pricing

Mailchimp: Monthly, per contact

Broadcast: $250 one-time

Data & residency

Mailchimp: Their US servers

Broadcast: Your server

Best at

Mailchimp: Free tier, integrations

Broadcast: Owned, focused email

Straight answer: there’s no self-hosted edition of Mailchimp—it’s SaaS only. If you want a cheaper managed tool, MailerLite or Brevo undercut Mailchimp without changing your hosting model. If your real goal is to own the platform, keep your subscriber data on your own server, and stop paying per contact, Broadcast is the self-hosted, buy-once option. Mailchimp still earns its place for teams that lean on its free tier, its huge integration directory, and a fully managed experience—this page is honest about that.

Feature Comparison

Where Broadcast and Mailchimp each pull ahead

Feature	Broadcast	Mailchimp
Self-hosted	Yes — your server	No (SaaS only)
Pricing	$250 one-time	Monthly, scales w/ contacts
Free tier	No (30-day guarantee)	Yes (limited)
Subscribers/contacts	Unlimited	Tiered by count
Campaigns & templates	Built-in	Built-in
Automations / sequences	Built-in (conditions)	Yes (tiered)
Segmentation	Tags, lists, custom fields	Advanced
Native integration directory	API + webhooks	Large
ESP choice	SES, Postmark, any SMTP	Built-in only
Data ownership / residency	Your server (EU-friendly)	US-based SaaS
Setup & maintenance	You self-host	Fully managed

Mailchimp wins on its free tier, integration breadth, and zero-setup convenience. Broadcast wins when owning your platform and dropping per-contact billing matters more. For the cost math at 10k / 50k / 250k subscribers, see the self-hosted Mailchimp cost breakdown.

Who Should Choose What

Choose Broadcast if you…

• Want to self-host and own your data (Mailchimp can’t be self-hosted)
• Are tired of per-contact pricing that climbs with your list
• Need solid campaigns, segmentation, and automation
• Care about EU data residency / GDPR control
• Prefer a one-time license to a monthly subscription

Mailchimp (or a cheaper SaaS) may be better if you…

• Want a free tier to start and a fully managed tool
• Rely on Mailchimp’s large native integration directory
• Have a non-technical team and no server to run
• Just want cheaper SaaS — look at MailerLite or Brevo

Frequently Asked Questions

It depends on your reason for leaving. For cheaper managed email, MailerLite or Brevo. For creators, Kit/ConvertKit or Beehiiv. To own your platform and stop paying per contact, Broadcast — a self-hosted, one-time-purchase alternative you run on your own server.

MailerLite and Brevo have free tiers, and open-source list managers like Listmonk are free to run if you handle the ops. Broadcast isn’t free — it’s a one-time $250 license — but past a few thousand contacts it’s usually cheaper than a paid Mailchimp plan over time, since there’s no monthly per-contact fee.

Yes. Export your audience, tags, and merge fields to CSV and import them into Broadcast, then rebuild the automations you actually use and warm up your domain. See the step-by-step migrate from Mailchimp guide.

Broadcast is $250 once, plus a sending provider (Amazon SES is ~$0.10 per 1,000 emails) and a small server. Mailchimp’s per-contact pricing climbs steeply as your list grows, so the savings widen at scale. Run your numbers on the savings calculator.