Comparison Guide
Mailchimp vs Omnisend for Shopify Stores
Both free plans cap a full-size list at about two sends a month. The difference is Mailchimp excludes automation entirely, and Omnisend does not.
Quick verdict
For an ecommerce store, Omnisend's free plan is the more useful one, because a store's most valuable emails are automated: welcome sequences and abandoned cart flows. Mailchimp's free plan cannot send those at all, so a store on Mailchimp's free tier is limited to manual newsletters. Mailchimp is the better choice if you want a standalone tool that works with any platform and you mainly send newsletters.
Choose Mailchimp if
Mailchimp better fits your current workflow and budget.
Choose Omnisend if
Omnisend better fits your current workflow and budget.
Compared tools: Mailchimp vs Omnisend
Last updated: 2026-09-28
This page is based on publicly available information and editorial research. Always check current pricing, feature limits, integrations, and terms before buying.
Mailchimp vs Omnisend: quick comparison
On paper these free plans look similar and both look generous. In practice both cap a full-size list at roughly two emails a month, because the send allowance and the contact allowance multiply rather than add. Mailchimp's free plan is 250 contacts and 500 sends a month, and a campaign to 250 contacts counts as 250 sends. Omnisend's free plan is 250 billable contacts and 500 emails a month, and it cannot send a single campaign to more than 250 contacts. Where they part company is automation: Mailchimp excludes marketing automation flows from the free plan entirely, and Omnisend includes its full feature set, capped by volume instead.
| Feature | Mailchimp | Omnisend |
|---|---|---|
| Free contacts | 250 | 250 billable contacts |
| Free monthly sends | 500 | 500 emails |
| Free daily send cap | 250 | Not published as a daily cap |
| Automation flows on free | Not included at all | Included, capped by volume |
| Max recipients per campaign on free | 250 | 250 |
| Free plan needs a card | No | No |
| Cheapest paid tier | Essentials, priced by contact tier in local currency | Standard from $16/mo |
| SMS | Not a core product | On Pro only if you subscribed on or after 4 May 2026 |
| Platform requirement | Standalone, works with any site | Connects to a store platform for ecommerce features |
How to decide between Mailchimp and Omnisend
The better choice depends on your store size, selling platform, budget, workflow, and the specific problem you need to solve. Use the criteria below before committing to a paid plan.
Choose by workflow fit
Pick the tool that better matches your current store workflow, not just the one with the longest feature list.
Check pricing as you grow
Entry pricing can look similar, but costs may change as your store grows, your list expands, or you need advanced features.
Review switching costs
Before committing, consider setup time, integrations, data migration, cancellation terms, and how easy it is to move later.
Why both free plans cap out at about two sends
This is the arithmetic that most reviews skip. A 500-send allowance sounds like five campaigns to a 100-person list, but a store's list is not 100 people, it is 250, and a single campaign to 250 contacts consumes 250 sends. So the realistic free allowance is two campaigns a month to a full-size list, on either platform. Mailchimp adds a second constraint on top: a daily send limit of 250, which means a full-size campaign uses the entire day's allowance. Omnisend adds a different one: no single campaign may go to more than 250 contacts, even if you have uploaded more.
The automation gap is the real difference
Mailchimp's free plan excludes marketing automation flows entirely. For a store, that removes the two emails that usually earn the most: the welcome sequence and the abandoned cart reminder. Those are triggered by behaviour rather than sent by hand, so they cannot be worked around with manual campaigns. Omnisend includes its full feature set on the free plan and caps the volume instead, which means abandoned cart flows are available from day one as long as you stay inside 500 emails a month. If your goal is email revenue rather than newsletters, that is the deciding factor.
What each costs once you outgrow free
Omnisend's Standard plan starts at $16/month and its email credits equal your contact count multiplied by 12, so a 500-contact list gets 6,000 emails a month. Pro starts at $59/month with unlimited emails. Two details matter: SMS is not available on Standard at all if you subscribed on or after 4 May 2026, so an SMS strategy forces you onto Pro; and your tier adjusts automatically each billing cycle based on your billable contact count, which means the bill can move without you changing anything. Mailchimp prices by contact tier and shows prices in your local currency. When we checked, the 0-500 contact tier showed Essentials at HK$94/month and Standard at HK$143/month, so the USD figure depends on where you are reading from and must be checked in your own settings.
Platform fit
Mailchimp is standalone and works with any website, including a simple blog, which is why it is often the default recommendation. Omnisend connects to a store platform to unlock its ecommerce features, and its help centre lists native one-click integrations with Shopify, BigCommerce, WooCommerce, WordPress, Wix, Shoplazza, Ecwid, PrestaShop, nopCommerce, Big Cartel and SureCart, with a custom API route for anything outside that list. If you sell on a platform Omnisend does not integrate with natively, expect developer work.
Final recommendation
For a Shopify or BigCommerce store, Omnisend's free plan is more useful, because it includes automation flows and Mailchimp's does not. For a seller who mainly writes newsletters, or who wants a tool that works independently of any store platform, Mailchimp is the safer default. Either way, plan the upgrade before you hit the free ceiling rather than after: at 250 contacts you get roughly two campaigns a month on both.
Read the full reviews
This comparison only covers the differences. Each review below goes deeper on pricing tiers, free plan limits, and who the tool is actually built for.
Email Marketing Tools Review
Mailchimp Review for Ecommerce Sellers
Mailchimp's free plan is 250 contacts and 500 emails a month, with no automation flows. What that means for a small store's email.
Email Marketing Tools Review
Omnisend Review for Shopify Stores
Omnisend's free plan gives you 500 emails a month to 250 contacts. What that covers, and what it does not.
Before you subscribe
Check the current pricing, free plan limits, integrations, and cancellation policy. The best tool is the one that solves your current store problem without adding unnecessary complexity.
Related research
Continue your research with individual tool reviews, curated best tool lists, and category-level ecommerce software guides.
Tools Directory
Read individual tool reviews
Research specific ecommerce software tools in more detail, including use cases, pros, cons, pricing notes, and alternatives.
Best Lists
Browse curated best tool lists
Use best tool lists to build a shortlist before comparing two ecommerce software options side by side.
Categories
Explore tools by ecommerce task
Browse software by category, such as SEO tools, review apps, product description tools, and email marketing platforms.
Frequently asked questions
Which free plan is better, Mailchimp or Omnisend?
For a store, Omnisend's, because it includes automation flows such as abandoned cart emails. Mailchimp's free plan excludes marketing automation entirely, so those emails are not possible without upgrading.
How many emails can I actually send for free?
Both allow 500 sends a month to 250 contacts, which works out to about two campaigns a month to a full-size list, because a campaign to 250 contacts counts as 250 sends. Mailchimp also caps you at 250 sends per day.
Does Omnisend include SMS?
Not on the Standard plan if you subscribed on or after 4 May 2026. SMS requires the Pro plan plus a separate SMS credits subscription starting at $0.007 per SMS.
Is Mailchimp cheaper than Omnisend?
It is hard to compare directly. Mailchimp prices by contact tier and displays prices in your local currency, while Omnisend publishes Standard from $16/month and Pro from $59/month. Check both pricing pages with your own contact count and currency selected.