Email · Head-to-head
Mailchimp vs Substack
Side-by-side review of Mailchimp and Substack for one-person businesses. Pricing, ratings, pros, cons, and which to pick.
Quick verdict
Pick Substack.
Substack edges ahead in our review (3.5/5 vs 2.5/5). The right pick for most one-person businesses unless you specifically need Mailchimp's strengths.
Benchmarks
compareDetail.benchmarksHeading
Five axes that matter for a one-person business. Each score is editorial, 1–10, higher is better. A tool that maxes every axis doesn't exist; the shape of the chart is the signal.
| Price | 4.0 | 8.0 |
| Solo fit | 5.0 | 9.0 |
| Learning curve | 5.0 | 10.0 |
| Lock-in | 4.0 | 4.0 |
| Support | 6.0 | 5.0 |
The grandfather of email marketing. Still works, still has the integrations, but the pricing has gotten steep and the UX has not kept up.
The case for
- Brand recognition: every CMS, e-commerce platform, and form builder integrates with it
- Free tier covers up to 500 contacts, fine for testing
- Lots of templates and a familiar editor if you used it years ago
The case against
- Pricing climbs aggressively past 500 contacts: 1,500 contacts is roughly $30/mo Essentials
- Counts unsubscribed contacts toward your tier limit (yes, really)
- UX feels dated next to Beehiiv, Kit, or even Substack
The easiest way to start a newsletter. Also the most expensive long-term, since they take 10% of every paid subscription forever.
The case for
- Genuinely the simplest way to start: write, hit send, you have a newsletter
- Built-in network: Substack Reader can recommend your work to readers of similar publications
- No upfront cost, no subscriber tiers, just write
The case against
- Takes 10% of every paid subscription, forever, on top of Stripe fees
- Limited customisation: every Substack looks like a Substack
- Lock-in is real: exporting subscribers is allowed but their address book is on Substack servers
At a glance
| Mailchimp | Substack | |
|---|---|---|
| Rating | 2.5/5 | 3.5/5 |
| Pricing | Free up to 500 contacts; Essentials from $13/mo; Standard from $20/mo | Free to start. Substack takes 10% of paid subscription revenue + Stripe fees |
| Free tier | Yes | Yes |
| Best for | Tiny lists with no growth ambition, or businesses already deeply integrated everywhere with Mailchimp who would rather not migrate. | Writers starting a newsletter today who want to publish in 10 minutes and figure the rest out later. |
| Last reviewed | March 19, 2026 | April 30, 2026 |
Bottom line
Mailchimp
Tiny lists with no growth ambition, or businesses already deeply integrated everywhere with Mailchimp who would rather not migrate.
Bottom line
Substack
Writers starting a newsletter today who want to publish in 10 minutes and figure the rest out later.
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