Mailchimp's Free Plan Got Worse: 7 Better Options (2026)

TL;DR: Mailchimp's free plan now limits you to 250 contacts with no automation—down from 2,000 contacts just a few years ago. For schools, churches, and small nonprofits who need simple email communication without the complexity, Groupmail offers the best balance of ease-of-use, human support, and a genuine 30% nonprofit discount. MailerLite and EmailOctopus are solid alternatives if you need automation features on a budget. Skip Constant Contact unless you're ready to pay enterprise prices.

If you've been using Mailchimp's free plan to send updates to your families, congregation, or donors, you've probably noticed things getting tighter. The contact limits that once made Mailchimp a go-to choice for small organizations have been quietly chipped away—and the latest changes make the free tier barely functional for most groups.

Disclosure: We're the team behind Groupmail—simple email software for organizations since 1996. We'll be upfront about where we fit and honest about alternatives.

What Happened to Mailchimp's Free Plan?

The Mailchimp you signed up for years ago isn't the same platform today. Since Intuit acquired the company in 2021, the free plan has been systematically reduced. Here's what the current free tier actually gives you:

The contact limit dropped from 2,000 to 500, then again to just 250 contacts. The monthly email cap fell to 500 sends with a daily limit of 250. There's no email scheduling. The Mailchimp logo appears on every email you send. And perhaps most painful for organizations—automation was removed entirely in June 2025.

That last change hurts the most. Welcome emails for new volunteers, thank-you messages for donors, event reminders for families—these aren't marketing gimmicks. They're how organizations stay connected with their communities. Without automation, someone has to manually send each message, which often means it doesn't happen at all.

💡 Tip: Before evaluating any email tool, list what you actually need. For most organizations: a simple editor, contact management, basic open/click tracking, and reliable delivery. Everything else is a bonus you may never use.

Why the 250-Contact Ceiling Breaks Everything

The 250-contact ceiling is too low for nearly every organization. Most PTAs have more than 250 families. Most churches have more than 250 members. Most small nonprofits have more than 250 donors and volunteers combined.

The moment you cross that line, Mailchimp locks your account until you upgrade or delete contacts. And here's the pricing math: Mailchimp's Essentials plan starts at $13/month for 500 contacts. That's $156/year for basic email. For an organization watching every dollar, that's money that could go toward actual mission work.

Making matters worse, Mailchimp now counts all contacts toward your limit—including people who've unsubscribed but remain in your system. You might be paying for contacts who can't even receive your emails.

What to Look for in Email Software for Organizations

Before diving into alternatives, here's what actually matters for schools, churches, and nonprofits:

Simplicity over features. You need to send updates to members, not run multi-channel marketing campaigns. A tool that takes 10 minutes to learn beats one with features you'll never touch.

Transparent pricing. No surprise charges for exceeding limits. No paying for unsubscribed contacts. Know what you'll spend before you commit.

Real nonprofit discounts. A 15% discount that requires enterprise pricing isn't really a discount. Look for meaningful savings on plans you'll actually use.

Human support. When something goes wrong before your annual fundraiser or back-to-school night, you need a real person—not a chatbot that sends you to help articles.

Reliable delivery. Your emails need to reach inboxes, not spam folders. Established providers with good reputations matter more than flashy features.

7 Best Email Tools for Schools, Churches, and Small Nonprofits

1. Groupmail

Best for: Organizations wanting simplicity + human support without the learning curve Pricing: Free (500 contacts) | Starter €25/month | 30% nonprofit discount Website: groupmail.io

Groupmail takes the opposite approach from Mailchimp's complexity. Built specifically for organizations sending member updates—not marketers running campaigns—the platform focuses on doing one thing well: helping you communicate with your community.

The free plan supports 500 contacts, which already doubles Mailchimp's current limit. Setup takes about 10 minutes, and the editor is straightforward enough that your church secretary or PTA volunteer can use it without training.

What sets Groupmail apart is the BYOSMTP model. Instead of using Groupmail's shared sending infrastructure, you connect your own email service (like SMTP2Go, which offers 10,000 free monthly emails through their partnership). This gives you better deliverability, lower total costs at scale, and complete control over your sender reputation.

The 30% nonprofit discount applies to all paid plans—not just enterprise tiers. The Starter plan at €25/month (about $27) drops to €17.50/month with the discount, keeping you well under typical board-approval thresholds.

Yes, there's a trade-off: fewer integrations than the big platforms, and you'll need to set up your SMTP connection. But for organizations that just want to send updates to their members without becoming email marketing experts, the simplicity is the feature.

Key Takeaway: Groupmail is purpose-built for organizations that want to send member updates without the marketing complexity. The nearly 30-year track record and human support provide peace of mind that startup tools can't match.

2. MailerLite

Best for: Organizations wanting automation on a budget Pricing: Free (500 subscribers, 12,000 emails/month) | Growing Business $10/month | 30% nonprofit discount Website: mailerlite.com

MailerLite offers one of the more generous free tiers among mainstream providers, including automation—something Mailchimp now charges for. The interface is clean and modern, making it relatively easy to learn for non-technical users.

The free plan supports 500 subscribers and 12,000 monthly emails, which handles most small organization needs. You get landing pages, signup forms, and basic automation included. The 30% nonprofit discount matches Groupmail's, making paid plans quite affordable.

However, MailerLite reduced its free plan limit from 1,000 to 500 subscribers in September 2025, following Mailchimp's lead of tightening free tiers. The free plan also includes MailerLite branding on your emails, and support is limited for free users.

For organizations that need welcome sequences or automated reminders but want to stay on a budget, MailerLite is worth considering. Just know that free tier limits can change, and the platform is designed for businesses first—you'll see terminology like "subscribers" rather than "members" throughout.

3. EmailOctopus

Best for: Budget-conscious organizations with larger contact lists Pricing: Free (2,500 subscribers, 10,000 emails/month) | Pro $9/month | 20% nonprofit discount Website: emailoctopus.com

EmailOctopus stands out with the most generous free plan in this list: 2,500 subscribers and 10,000 emails monthly. For a small church or community group that just needs to send a monthly newsletter, you might never need to pay.

The platform keeps things simple intentionally. There's no CRM, no landing page builder, no SMS marketing. Just clean email campaigns with basic automation. For organizations that want straightforward email without the feature bloat, this focus is refreshing.

The 20% nonprofit discount isn't as generous as some competitors, but with paid plans starting at just $9/month, your total cost stays low even at scale. At 10,000 subscribers, you're looking at about $44.50/month—significantly cheaper than Mailchimp's equivalent.

The trade-off is feature depth. EmailOctopus lacks advanced segmentation, sophisticated automation triggers, and some of the polish of larger platforms. But if your needs are straightforward—send updates to your list, track who opens them—it delivers excellent value.

4. Brevo (formerly Sendinblue)

Best for: Organizations with large contact lists who send infrequently Pricing: Free (300 emails/day, unlimited contacts) | Starter $9/month | 15% nonprofit discount (Enterprise only) Website: brevo.com

Brevo takes a different approach to pricing: instead of charging by contacts, they charge by emails sent. Their free plan allows unlimited contacts but limits you to 300 emails per day (about 9,000/month). If you have a large membership list but only send monthly updates, this model can save money.

The platform includes a CRM, SMS marketing, and WhatsApp messaging alongside email—features that might appeal to larger nonprofits managing donor relationships. The interface is more complex than simpler tools, reflecting this broader feature set.

The catch for nonprofits: Brevo's 15% discount only applies to Enterprise plans, which most small organizations don't need. For smaller email volumes, you'll pay standard rates. The free plan also includes Brevo branding, removable only for $12/month extra.

Brevo works well for organizations that have accumulated large contact lists over the years but don't email frequently. If you're sending weekly updates to a smaller list, the per-email pricing model may not offer advantages over per-contact alternatives.

5. Buttondown

Best for: Minimalist text-focused newsletters Pricing: Free (100 subscribers) | Basic $9/month | 50% nonprofit discountWebsite: buttondown.com

Buttondown is for organizations that want the opposite of Mailchimp—stripped-down, text-focused newsletters with minimal design options. If your pastor writes a weekly reflection or your executive director sends donor updates that are really just letters, Buttondown's simplicity is a feature.

The 50% nonprofit discount is the best in this comparison. A Basic plan that normally costs $9/month drops to $4.50 for verified nonprofits. For budget-conscious organizations, that's hard to beat.

The trade-off is significant: the free plan only supports 100 subscribers, and the platform intentionally lacks features like templates, drag-and-drop editing, and landing pages. Buttondown assumes you want to write, not design. For some organizations, that's exactly right. For most, it's too limiting.

⚠️ Watch out: Buttondown's 100-subscriber free limit is too restrictive for most organizations. You'll almost certainly need a paid plan, though the nonprofit discount helps significantly.

6. Sender

Best for: Organizations wanting maximum features at minimum cost Pricing: Free (2,500 subscribers, 15,000 emails/month) | Standard $10/month | 25% nonprofit discount Website: sender.net

Sender offers perhaps the most generous combination of free plan limits and paid plan pricing. The free tier includes 2,500 subscribers and 15,000 monthly emails, plus automation, segmentation, and email templates—features others charge for.

The 25% nonprofit discount applies to all paid plans, bringing the Standard plan from $10/month to $7.50. At scale, Sender often beats competitors on price while including features they reserve for higher tiers.

The platform is less polished than some alternatives, and it's less well-known, which means less community knowledge and fewer tutorials available. But for organizations prioritizing value—maximum capability for minimum spend—Sender delivers.

7. Constant Contact

Best for: Organizations needing phone support and event management Pricing: No free plan | Lite $12/month | Up to 30% nonprofit discount (prepay required) Website: constantcontact.com

Constant Contact is the legacy player in this space, and it shows in both their feature set and their pricing. The platform excels at event management and offers phone support—features rare among modern email tools.

For nonprofits running frequent events who want to handle registration and email in one place, Constant Contact's integrated approach can simplify workflows. The phone support matters when your annual gala is tomorrow and something breaks.

The downside is cost. There's no free plan—just a 60-day trial. The Lite plan at $12/month is basic, and the Standard plan at $35/month (where useful features start) is expensive for what you get. The 30% nonprofit discount requires prepaying for 12 months, which locks you in.

Constant Contact made sense when it was one of few options. Today, with simpler and cheaper alternatives available, it's harder to justify unless you specifically need their event tools or phone support.

Quick Comparison Table

Which Tool Is Right for You?

If you just want to send simple updates without learning a new platform: Start with Groupmail. The 10-minute setup and human support mean you'll actually use it, and the 30% nonprofit discount keeps costs reasonable as you grow.

If you need automation but have a tight budget: MailerLite offers the best combination of automation features and nonprofit pricing. The free plan covers most small organizations.

If you have a large list but send infrequently: EmailOctopus or Brevo make sense. EmailOctopus charges by contacts but has generous limits; Brevo charges by sends, which benefits infrequent senders with big lists.

If you write text-heavy letters, not designed newsletters: Buttondown's simplicity becomes a feature, and the 50% nonprofit discount makes it very affordable.

If you run events and need phone support: Constant Contact might justify its premium pricing for the integrated event management and human help when things go wrong.

If you're not sure: Start with a free plan and actually send some emails. The best tool is the one you'll actually use consistently.

Conclusion

Mailchimp's shrinking free plan isn't an anomaly—it's part of an industry trend toward reduced free tiers as platforms seek profitability. For schools, churches, and small nonprofits, the good news is that plenty of alternatives exist, often with better nonprofit discounts and simpler interfaces.

The key is matching the tool to your actual needs. If you're sending weekly parent updates or monthly donor newsletters, you don't need marketing automation or AI-powered segmentation. You need something simple that works reliably and doesn't eat into your budget.

Ready to send your first update? Try Groupmail free—set up in 10 minutes, no credit card required. Built for organizations, not marketers.