Connections Newsletter vs Mailchimp in 2026

Compare Connections Newsletter and Mailchimp for sending email newsletters. See what each tool does, what it costs, and how to choose.

By Uncommon Comforts · 2026-10-24

Uncommon Comforts is published by the team behind Connections, whose products are compared here alongside other tools.

Mailchimp is an email service that sells paid plans with set monthly send limits, including a Standard plan that sends up to 6,000 emails a month and a Premium plan that sends up to 150,000 emails a month ^[1] ^[1]. Connections Newsletter is a free web app for publications that can go to a public page and out by email ^[2] ^[2]. Connections Newsletter is a free web app for making publications ^[2] where a post can be published to a public page and sent by email as separate actions ^[2]. This page compares what each tool's own sources say it does, what each costs, and what to check before choosing.

Option	Own fee	Card fee
Mailchimp Standard	Dollar price not published; sends up to 6,000 emails a month ^[1]	not published
Mailchimp Premium	Dollar price not published; sends up to 150,000 emails a month ^[1]	not published
Connections Newsletter	Free to make; no paid tier ^[2]; about 300 emails a week free ^[2]	not published

The short answer

Mailchimp sells email service on paid plans with set monthly send limits, such as a Standard plan that sends up to 6,000 emails a month ^[1] and a Premium plan that sends up to 150,000 ^[1]. Its sources describe extras such as SMS as add-ons to paid plans ^[1]. Connections Newsletter is a free web app for making publications ^[2] where a post can go to a public page and out by email as separate actions ^[2]. Each publication gets a public page with its archive, an RSS feed, and an iframe form you can embed on your own site ^[2]. The needs the tools meet are the ones each source states: Mailchimp's pages point to monthly send limits and paid tiers, and Connections Newsletter's claims point to free making and sending ^[2]. The sections below compare the two on what each says.

What Mailchimp is built for

Mailchimp's own pages describe the service through its plans and limits. A Standard plan can send up to 6,000 emails each month ^[1], and a Premium plan can send up to 150,000 emails each month ^[1]. Its pages say businesses with 10,000 or more contacts can save 15% on their first 12 months ^[3], and that Mailchimp offers a 15% discount to nonprofits and charities ^[1]. SMS is available as an add-on to paid plans in select countries and requires application and approval before purchase ^[3]. Overages apply if the contact or email send limit is exceeded ^[3]. Customers can cancel or downgrade to the basic Free plan at any time ^[3]. Its pages say customers see up to 27x ROI using the Standard plan with a 14-day trial, a figure whose conditions are given in a footnote on the source page ^[3].

What Connections Newsletter is built for

Connections Newsletter is made by the team that publishes this site. It is a free web app for making publications ^[2], and each publication gets a public page with its archive, an RSS feed, and an iframe form you can embed on your own site ^[2]. A post can go to the public page and out by email as separate actions ^[2]. New subscribers start as pending and become active through double opt-in ^[2], and you can download your subscriber list as a CSV whenever you need to take it elsewhere ^[2]. After sending, you can see that post's live numbers and refresh them ^[2]. You can turn on a welcome email with a subject and message that goes to new subscribers ^[2]. When you send, you can choose everyone or only subscribers with any of some tags ^[2]. The send API accepts an optional start time, so a send can be scheduled ^[2]. A postal address is required before your first send ^[2].

Pricing and fees

Mailchimp's cited pages give plan limits rather than dollar prices. ^[1] A Standard plan sends up to 6,000 emails each month ^[1], and a Premium plan up to 150,000 ^[1], and the dollar price of neither is published on those pages. Its pages note a 15% saving on the first 12 months for businesses with 10,000 or more contacts ^[3] and a 15% discount for nonprofits and charities ^[1]. Overages apply if a contact or email send limit is exceeded ^[3], and SMS is a paid add-on to paid plans in select countries whose cost is not published ^[3]. Connections Newsletter charges nothing to make a publication, with no paid tier ^[2], and free sends are about 300 emails a week ^[2]. No other price for Connections Newsletter is published.

Getting started

Mailchimp offers a basic Free plan that customers can cancel or downgrade to at any time ^[3], and a Standard plan trial of 14 days ^[3]. Its cited pages do not describe the steps of the first send, so check what is needed before sending. Connections Newsletter requires a postal address before the first send ^[2]. New subscribers start as pending and become active through double opt-in ^[2], and you can embed an iframe form on your own site to collect them ^[2]. You can turn on a welcome email with a subject and message for new subscribers ^[2]. When you send, you choose everyone or only subscribers with some tags ^[2], and the send API accepts an optional start time for scheduling ^[2]. A published post can go to the public page and out by email as separate actions ^[2].

Things to check before you choose

Ask what monthly send volume is typical, since Mailchimp caps sends at set monthly numbers ^[1]^[1] and Connections Newsletter sends about 300 emails a week free ^[2]. Ask how each tool treats a limit you pass; Mailchimp applies overages when a limit is exceeded ^[3]. Ask whether SMS matters, since Mailchimp offers it as a paid add-on in select countries ^[1] and Connections Newsletter's claims do not describe SMS. Ask what the ongoing cost is, since Mailchimp's dollar prices are not published in its cited pages ^[1] and Connections Newsletter is free to make with no paid tier ^[2]. Ask how new subscribers are confirmed, since Connections Newsletter uses double opt-in ^[2].

How to choose

For a person who runs things, the needs and the tools whose sources say they meet them line up as follows. If the need is a high monthly send limit, Mailchimp's plans name their limits at up to 6,000 ^[1] and 150,000 emails a month ^[1]. If the need is a low or no cost, Connections Newsletter is free to make with no paid tier ^[2] and sends about 300 emails a week free ^[2]. If the need is a public home for each post, Connections Newsletter gives every publication a public page with its archive and an RSS feed ^[2]. If the need is to keep subscribers confirmed, Connections Newsletter uses double opt-in ^[2]. If the need is SMS marketing, Mailchimp offers it as an add-on to paid plans ^[1].

Frequently asked questions

Is Connections Newsletter free to use?

Connections Newsletter is free to make a publication, with no paid tier for creating one ^[2]. Free sends are about 300 emails a week ^[2]. No other price is published. If a person needs to send more than that volume, the way forward is to check whether the volume fits the free weekly limit before choosing.

Can Mailchimp be used on a free plan? [[f:mailchimp-b232a3e0]]

Mailchimp offers a basic Free plan that customers can cancel or downgrade to at any time ^[3]. A Standard plan trial runs 14 days ^[3]. Its cited pages give send limits, such as up to 6,000 emails a month on Standard ^[1], and note that overages apply if a limit is exceeded ^[3]. The dollar price of each plan is not published on those pages.

Does Connections Newsletter let people subscribe on a website?

Yes. Every publication in Connections Newsletter gets a public page with its archive, an RSS feed, and an iframe form you can embed on your own site ^[2]. New subscribers start as pending and become active through double opt-in ^[2]. A postal address is required before the first send ^[2].

Does Mailchimp offer SMS marketing?

Mailchimp says SMS is available as an add-on to paid plans in select countries and requires application and approval before purchase ^[3]. Its pages also say SMS is available as an add-on to paid plans in select countries ^[1]. The cost and country list are not published on the cited pages, so a person choosing it should check which countries and approvals apply.

Can a person switch away from either tool later?

Mailchimp customers can cancel or downgrade to the basic Free plan at any time ^[3]. Connections Newsletter lets you download your subscriber list as a CSV whenever you need to take it elsewhere ^[2]. For each tool, it is worth checking what is needed to move a list before signing up.

Making publications is free; there is no paid tier for creating a publication. ^[2] Free sends about 300 emails a week. ^[2]

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