Mailchimp was once the default choice for email marketing. After removing the free plan for audiences over 500 contacts and raising prices significantly, many WordPress businesses are looking for alternatives.
7 Best Mailchimp Alternatives for WordPress
1. DoubleScale (Best Self-Hosted Alternative)
DoubleScale is a WordPress plugin that replaces Mailchimp for sites already running WordPress. All subscriber data, emails, and analytics live on your own server. You pay a flat fee for the Pro plugin, not per contact.
Key features: Drag-and-drop email builder, broadcast campaigns, lists and tags, visual automation builder, merge tags for personalisation, open and click tracking, SMTP management, WooCommerce integration, form integrations (Contact Form 7, WPForms, Fluent Forms, Gravity Forms Pro).
2. Brevo (Best Free SaaS Alternative)
Brevo offers 300 emails/day free forever with unlimited contacts. Pricing is based on email sends, not contacts — a key advantage over Mailchimp for growing lists. From $25/month paid.
3. MailerLite
Clean interface, generous free plan (1,000 subscribers, 12,000 emails/month), solid automation features. Contact-based pricing but significantly cheaper than Mailchimp at equivalent tiers.
4. ConvertKit (Kit)
Popular with creators, bloggers, and course creators. Excellent broadcast emails, sequence editor, and subscriber tagging. Free plan up to 1,000 subscribers.
5. FluentCRM
Self-hosted WordPress email marketing plugin. Like DoubleScale, keeps your data on your own server. Good email automation but lacks the broader CRM, helpdesk, and pipeline features of DoubleScale.
6. Klaviyo
The top choice for large WooCommerce stores needing deep e-commerce segmentation and predictive analytics. Not a general Mailchimp replacement — purely e-commerce focused.
7. GetResponse
Includes email marketing, automation, webinars, and landing pages. Contact-based pricing, cheaper than Mailchimp for large lists.
Cost at Scale: Mailchimp vs DoubleScale
| Contact Count | Mailchimp Standard | DoubleScale Pro |
|---|---|---|
| 5,000 | ~$75/month | Flat annual fee |
| 20,000 | ~$270/month | Same flat fee |
| 100,000 | ~$1,000+/month | Same flat fee |
DoubleScale flat pricing becomes dramatically cheaper as your list grows. Install free at WordPress.org or see Pro plans.
Part of the DoubleScale team — building the all-in-one WordPress CRM for small businesses, agencies, and WooCommerce stores.