Side-by-side comparison · Marketing & Ads

Buffer vs Mailchimp

Everything that matters when choosing between them, in one place: our rating, what each can do, what they cost, and the trade-offs.

Best overall

Buffer

4.2

From $6/channel/mo

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Mailchimp

4.0

From $0

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Comparing 2 tools. Add one more if you like.

At a glance

Buffer4.2

Best overallBest valueEasiest to use

Pick it if: Small businesses, solo founders and creators who want to post regularly across several social networks without paying for an enterprise suite.

Mailchimp4.0

Pick it if: Small businesses that want a well-known, all-round email tool with lots of templates and app connections, and are happy to pay more as the list grows.

Overview

Attribute	Buffer	Mailchimp
In one line	Schedules posts to every social network from one queue, with an AI writing helper.	Email newsletters, automations and sign-up forms for small businesses, with AI help.
Pricing model	Freemium	Freemium
Starting price	$6/channel/mo	$0
Free plan	Yes	Yes
Works with Claude Code	Yes	Yes

Rating breakdown

Our scores out of 5. The higher bar in each row is highlighted.

Attribute	Buffer	Mailchimp
Overall rating	4.2Winner	4.0
Ease of useHow quickly someone non-technical gets value from it.	5.0	4.5
FeaturesHow completely it covers its own job, and how well the pieces fit together.	3.5	4.5
Output qualityHow good the results are before you fix them.	4.0	4.0
Value for moneyWhat you get for the price, including the free plan.	4.5	3.0
Speed & reliabilityHow fast it is and how often it falls over.	4.0	4.0

Feature comparison

A tick means it does this today. A dash means we haven't checked.

Attribute	Buffer	Mailchimp
Access & platform
Free plan	Yes	Yes
Mobile app	Yes	Yes
Desktop app	No	No
Browser extension	Yes	–
API access	Yes	Yes
Teams & business
Team workspace	Yes	Yes
Enterprise plan or SSO	–	Yes
Connects to other apps	Yes	Yes
Open source or self-hosted	No	No
AI abilities
Works with your files	Yes	Yes
Understands images	–	–
Makes images	No	No
Makes video	No	No
Writes code	No	No
Runs agents or automations	No	No
Learns your brand or style	–	Yes
Works in many languages	Yes	Yes
Capabilities score	8/ 17	9/ 17

Pricing

Plans as listed on each vendor's site when we last checked. Confirm before you buy.

Attribute	Buffer	Mailchimp
Plans	Free Free A sole trader posting a few times a week.	Free $0 Testing Mailchimp with a tiny list.
	EssentialsOur pick $6/channel/mo, or $5/channel/mo billed yearly One person running a business's social accounts.	Essentials From $13/mo A small list that just needs newsletters and basic automations.
	Team $12/channel/mo, or $10/channel/mo billed yearly Small teams who need approvals.	StandardOur pick From $20/mo Small businesses that want AI help and proper automations.
		Premium From $350/mo Larger lists that want phone support and advanced testing.
Which plan to pick	Start on Free to see if you will actually post regularly. Move to Essentials once you need more than 10 posts queued per channel; Team is only worth it when someone else needs to approve posts.	Standard is the plan most small businesses should pick, because it has the AI and the automations. Essentials is fine if you only send a newsletter. Use the price calculator on Mailchimp's site with your real contact count, since prices rise with list size and vary by country.

Key features

Attribute	Buffer	Mailchimp
Standout features	Publishing queue AI Assistant Ideas board Comments inbox Analytics Start Page	Email builder and templates Automation flows Intuit Assist Forms and pop-ups Segments and testing 300+ integrations

Pros and cons

Attribute	Buffer	Mailchimp
Pros	Very easy to learn, with a clean interface Real free plan, and low per-channel prices Covers almost every network, including Threads, Bluesky and Google Business Profile AI Assistant is included on every plan Public API and official MCP server	Easy to learn, with lots of templates Connects to almost every shop and website platform Intuit Assist AI included on Standard and Premium Solid reports and A/B testing
Cons	Analytics are basic next to Hootsuite or Sprout Social Per-channel pricing climbs quickly once you manage many accounts Some users report posts occasionally failing to publish or duplicating No social listening, and the inbox is lighter than a full social suite	Gets expensive as your list grows The free plan is tiny: 250 contacts and 500 sends a month Essentials limits automations to 4 steps Intuit Assist is English-only and not in every country You pay overage fees if you go past your contact or send limit

Who each one is for

Attribute	Buffer	Mailchimp
Best for	Scheduling posts across many networks Small teams on a tight budget Turning one post into versions for each network Keeping a regular posting rhythm	Regular email newsletters for a small business Welcome and abandoned cart automations Growing a list with forms and pop-ups Shops on Shopify, WooCommerce or Square
You'll find it used by	Small business owners Solo founders Creators Small marketing teams Non-profits	Small business owners Online stores Non-profits Marketers Agencies

Questions people ask

Which is better, Buffer or Mailchimp?

Buffer scores highest overall in our ratings (Buffer 4.2/5 and Mailchimp 4.0/5). Buffer is best for scheduling posts across many networks and small teams on a tight budget. Mailchimp is best for regular email newsletters for a small business and welcome and abandoned cart automations.

Which is cheaper, Buffer or Mailchimp?

Buffer: There's a free plan, and paid plans start at $6/channel/mo. Mailchimp: There's a free plan, and paid plans start at $0.

Which is easier to use, Buffer or Mailchimp?

Buffer rates highest for ease of use in our scores. Small businesses, solo founders and creators who want to post regularly across several social networks without paying for an enterprise suite.

Ratings are our own, from using each tool, across ease of use, features, output quality, value for money, speed & reliability.

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