Recent changes to the Mailchimp service make it a less attractive option for email marketing. We look at a few popular alternatives.
If you’ve heeded the advice of just about any marketing expert of the last ten years, then at some point you probably started an email newsletter list. (Whether you kept up with it or still use it—that’s another matter.) Arguably the most well-known and often recommended email marketing service is Mailchimp. One reason why: the service is “forever free” until you reach 2,000 names.
Earlier this month, Mailchimp announced changes to its service, driven by a desire to become a full-service CRM (customer relationship management) system. Without getting into the weeds about what all of this means (especially since Mailchimp may keep adjusting its new service plans), we’ll just say that the changes likely means higher costs and fewer features for the forever-free users, current and future. How legacy paid customers might fare is unclear, but so far it’s business as usual. (Full disclosure: Hot Sheet uses Mailchimp’s free plan for delivery of this newsletter; Jane has been Mailchimp paid user for many years and is also an affiliate.)
In the most in-depth post we’ve seen on the matter, David Gaughran breaks down why the Mailchimp changes are bad and suggests next steps. If you haven’t yet signed up for an email marketing service, he recommends you avoid Mailchimp entirely. (We would agree, given that the service will not be as suitable in its features or pricing for the average author.) He suggests those currently on a free Mailchimp plan should evaluate alternatives and jump before they have to pay. Existing paid users may want to take a wait-and-see approach; however, as Gaughran points out, Mailchimp could change the terms and pricing on you at any time.
So what are the best alternatives to Mailchimp? It’s not an easy question to answer, as every author’s needs are different. However, after studying author discussion groups and comment threads, we’ve compiled the following list of services appropriate for most professional authors, based on pricing and features.
- MailerLite. This is probably the most popular alternative and has been for some years, due to its competitive pricing and a feature set similar to Mailchimp (at least before Mailchimp decided it was a CRM). Based in Vilnius, Lithuania, the company offers a free plan until you reach 1,000 names. Drawbacks? Last August, it experienced some problems with deliverability; that was upsetting enough that some users decided to leave. That said, many experts in the author community still strongly recommend it and believe its problems are in the past. Cost for 2,500-name list: $15/month.
- ConvertKit. This is a pricier option than MailerLite, but it’s popular with people seeking more advanced marketing features at a price that remains affordable for most. (Joanna Penn and Kirsten Oliphant use and recommend it; it helps that it offers an affiliate program that pays handsomely.) If you depend on email to sell, this might be the right option for you. One caution: if you like sending visual-heavy or highly designed emails, this probably isn’t the service for you. Here’s an example of what ConvertKit considers a fancy template. Cost for a 2,500-name list: $49/month. There is no free plan.
- ActiveCampaign. Email marketing expert Tammi Labrecque uses this one, but it can cost more than the other options depending on the plan you choose. Cost for a 2,500-name list: $49/month on the Lite plan or $125/month on the Plus plan with more advanced features. There is no free plan.
- Mad Mimi. This cost-effective service is an offshoot of GoDaddy, and we know some advanced marketers, such as Amy Lynn Andrews, who use it. Cost for a 2,500-name list: $16/month. There is no free plan.
- Sendy. Warning: this is for the truly tech-savvy people out there, as you’ll be hosting your own email service. If you don’t already host your own website, read no further. But for those who do—and who are no stranger to the command line and are willing to use AWS—Sendy might fit the bill, especially on pricing. The software will cost you a one-time fee of $59, and after that, you’re paying only for email sends via AWS to the tune of $1 per 10,000 emails.
Bottom line: While some authors will choose an email service provider based strictly on pricing or features, don’t forget that one of the most important factors is whether your emails get reliably delivered. This report from January 2019 offers insights on deliverability of emails by service provider. Interestingly, Mailchimp doesn’t look at all favorable in the lineup—perhaps yet another reason to jump ship.
Jane Friedman has spent her entire career working in the publishing industry, with a focus on business reporting and author education. Established in 2015, her newsletter The Bottom Line provides nuanced market intelligence to thousands of authors and industry professionals; in 2023, she was named Publishing Commentator of the Year by Digital Book World.
Jane’s expertise regularly features in major media outlets such as The New York Times, The Atlantic, NPR, The Today Show, Wired, The Guardian, Fox News, and BBC. Her book, The Business of Being a Writer, Second Edition (The University of Chicago Press), is used as a classroom text by many writing and publishing degree programs. She reaches thousands through speaking engagements and workshops at diverse venues worldwide, including NYU’s Advanced Publishing Institute, Frankfurt Book Fair, and numerous MFA programs.
