Drip vs Mailchimp: Which Is Better in 2026?
Drip is marketing automation for small online stores. Mailchimp is the email tool most small businesses try first. Drip’s strength is ecommerce automation without Klaviyo’s complexity; Mailchimp’s is getting a small business sending good-looking email quickly.
01Pricing
Drip: paid plans start at $39/mo for up to 2,500 active people. Mailchimp: paid plans start at $13/mo for 500 contacts. Both price by the size of your list or sending volume, so the entry prices above only hold for a small audience; check each vendor’s calculator at your list size. Drip has no free plan; the trial runs 14 days. Mailchimp has a free plan (250 contacts and 500 sends a month).
| Plan | Billed annually | Billed monthly | Limits | Adds |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Drip † | n/a | $39 | Up to 2,500 active people at this price; Unlimited email sends | Every feature included at all sizes; Billed only for active people |
| Plan | Billed annually | Billed monthly | Limits | Adds |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Free | $0 | $0 | 250 contacts; 500 email sends per month (250 per day); 1 user seat; 1 audience | |
| Essentials | n/a | $13 | 500 contacts at this price; Monthly sends 10x contacts; 3 user seats; 3 audiences | Email scheduling; A/B testing; 24/7 email & chat support; Automation flows up to 4 steps |
| Standard | n/a | $20 | 500 contacts at this price; Monthly sends 12x contacts; 5 user seats; 5 audiences | Custom-coded templates; Dynamic content; Up to 200 automation flows; 4 roles |
| Premium | n/a | $350 | Starts at 10,000 contacts; Monthly sends 15x contacts; Unlimited user seats; Unlimited audiences | Phone & priority support; Dedicated onboarding specialist; Predictive segmentation; Multivariate testing |
Prices are per month on monthly billing. † marks prices taken from the vendor’s documentation or page data instead of its visible pricing page. Drip pricing and Mailchimp pricing have the full detail.
02The Two Tools
Drip
Drip is marketing automation for small online stores. It connects to store platforms, segments customers by what they bought and browsed, and runs visual workflows for carts, welcomes and win-backs. It covers much of what Klaviyo does with a simpler product.
- Best at
- Ecommerce automation without Klaviyo’s complexity.
- Falls short
- There is no free plan, the integration catalog is smaller, and it offers little to businesses that are not stores.
Mailchimp
Mailchimp is the email tool most small businesses try first. It covers campaigns, templates, basic automation, landing pages and forms, and connects to almost everything. It is a generalist: good at getting a newsletter out, less convincing once you need advanced automation, and priced by the size of your audience.
- Best at
- Getting a small business sending good-looking email quickly.
- Falls short
- The price rises with every contact you add, the free plan is small, and automation is shallower than in specialist tools.
03Which Fits Your Situation
| If you are | Better fit | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Small Business | Mailchimp | The safe default: it does what a small business usually needs and connects to the tools they already use. |
| Ecommerce | Drip | Store-driven automation for smaller shops that find Klaviyo too much. |
| Startups | Mailchimp | Familiar to almost any hire, though the price grows with the list. |
| Creators | Mailchimp | Workable and familiar, but you pay as the audience grows and get few creator-specific tools. |
| Agencies | Mailchimp | Most clients already have an account, which makes it hard to avoid. |
04Verdict
Choose Drip if you run a small online store and want automation that is easy to manage. Choose Mailchimp if you want a familiar general-purpose tool with integrations for everything.
05FAQ
Is Drip or Mailchimp cheaper?
Drip starts at $39/mo and Mailchimp at $13/mo. Both rise with the size of your list. Prices are per month on monthly billing.
Do Drip and Mailchimp have free plans?
Drip has no free plan; the trial runs 14 days. Mailchimp has a free plan (250 contacts and 500 sends a month).
Which is easier to learn, Drip or Mailchimp?
There is little between them: both are moderately involved to set up.
Which is better for small business, Drip or Mailchimp?
Mailchimp. The safe default: it does what a small business usually needs and connects to the tools they already use.