Mailchimp vs Substack
The ultimate side-by-side head-to-head analysis for 2026.
Short answer
- Price: not directly comparable — Mailchimp is from $13/user/mo, Substack is usage-based pricing.
- How to start: Mailchimp is from $13/user/mo, Substack is usage-based pricing.
These lines are generated from the pricing we track, not from a paid placement. We do not publish a quality score, because we do not have one we can stand behind. They cannot tell you which tool fits your workflow — the sections below are there for that. How we score tools.
Mailchimp
Substack
Category
Marketing
Marketing
Base Price
$13/user/mo
Usage-based
Public API
Yes
No
Mobile app
Yes
Yes
Open source / self-hostable
No
No
SSO (SAML)
Yes
No
Choose Mailchimp if:
E-commerce Brands, Bloggers, and Small Marketing Teams.
Choose Substack if:
Writers, Journalists, and Thought Leaders.
Mailchimp: pros & cons
- Ease of Entry: The most user-friendly interface for starting with email marketing.
- Ready Templates: Includes hundreds of professional designs for every industry.
- AI Support: Benefit from an AI assistant for design and copywriting advice.
- Huge Integration: Speaks directly with Shopify, WordPress, and hundreds of other apps.
- Price Hikes: Costs rise quite aggressively as your subscriber list grows.
- Advanced Automation: May not be as deep as ActiveCampaign for very complex funnels.
- Free Tier Shrinkage: Sending limits on the free plan have been reduced in recent years.
Substack: pros & cons
- Zero Upfront Cost: No fixed fees regardless of subscriber count (takes a 10% cut).
- Data Ownership: You own your subscriber list and can move it elsewhere anytime.
- Organic Growth: Its internal recommendation network helps you find new readers.
- Simplicity: Focus strictly on writing without worrying about design or tech details.
- Personalization: Your site's design is nearly identical to thousands of other Substack pages.
- Commission: High-earning writers may find the 10% cut more expensive than Ghost.
- SEO: Using your own custom domain requires a one-time fee to set up.
Our verdict on Mailchimp
The go-to choice for those seeking a reliable, stylish, and popular email marketing solution.
Our verdict on Substack
The world's easiest and most popular way to build an audience and earn from writing.