Side-by-side comparison · Marketing & Ads
Buffer vs Mailchimp vs MailerLite
Everything that matters when choosing between them, in one place: our rating, what each can do, what they cost, and the trade-offs.
Comparing 3 tools, the maximum.
At a glance
Pick it if: Small businesses, solo founders and creators who want to post regularly across several social networks without paying for an enterprise suite.
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.
Pick it if: Small businesses, creators and non-profits who want a clean, affordable email tool with automations and AI writing help.
Overview
| Attribute | Buffer | Mailchimp | MailerLite |
|---|---|---|---|
| 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. | Low-cost email marketing with an AI writing assistant, automations and landing pages. |
| Pricing model | Freemium | Freemium | Freemium |
| Starting price | $6/channel/mo | $0 | $0 |
| Free plan | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Works with Claude Code | Yes | Yes | Yes |
Rating breakdown
Our scores out of 5. The higher bar in each row is highlighted.
| Attribute | Buffer | Mailchimp | MailerLite |
|---|---|---|---|
| Overall rating | 4.2 | 4.0 | 4.2 |
| Ease of useHow quickly someone non-technical gets value from it. | 5.0 | 4.5 | 4.5 |
| FeaturesHow completely it covers its own job, and how well the pieces fit together. | 3.5 | 4.5 | 4.0 |
| Output qualityHow good the results are before you fix them. | 4.0 | 4.0 | 4.0 |
| Value for moneyWhat you get for the price, including the free plan. | 4.5 | 3.0 | 4.5 |
| Speed & reliabilityHow fast it is and how often it falls over. | 4.0 | 4.0 | 4.0 |
Feature comparison
A tick means it does this today. A dash means we haven't checked.
| Attribute | Buffer | Mailchimp | MailerLite |
|---|---|---|---|
| Access & platform | |||
| Free plan | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Mobile app | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Desktop app | No | No | No |
| Browser extension | Yes | – | – |
| API access | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Teams & business | |||
| Team workspace | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Enterprise plan or SSO | – | Yes | Yes |
| Connects to other apps | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Open source or self-hosted | No | No | No |
| AI abilities | |||
| Works with your files | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Understands images | – | – | – |
| Makes images | No | No | No |
| Makes video | No | No | No |
| Writes code | No | No | No |
| Runs agents or automations | No | No | No |
| Learns your brand or style | – | Yes | – |
| Works in many languages | Yes | Yes | – |
| Capabilities score | 8/ 17 | 9/ 17 | 7/ 17 |
Pricing
Plans as listed on each vendor's site when we last checked. Confirm before you buy.
| Attribute | Buffer | Mailchimp | MailerLite |
|---|---|---|---|
| Plans | Free Free A sole trader posting a few times a week. | Free $0 Testing Mailchimp with a tiny list. | Free $0 Trying MailerLite or a very small 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. | ComfortOur pick $12/mo, or $10.80/mo billed yearly Small businesses sending regular newsletters. | |
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. | Power $25/mo, or $22.50/mo billed yearly Frequent senders and teams. | |
Premium From $350/mo Larger lists that want phone support and advanced testing. | Enterprise Custom Lists over 200,000 subscribers. | ||
| 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. | Start on Free, then move to Comfort once you pass 250 subscribers or want the AI writer. Pick Power if you send more than 10 emails per subscriber a month or need more than 50 automations. Yearly billing saves 10%, and non-profits get 30% off. |
Key features
| Attribute | Buffer | Mailchimp | MailerLite |
|---|---|---|---|
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Pros and cons
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Who each one is for
| Attribute | Buffer | Mailchimp | MailerLite |
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Questions people ask
Which is better, Buffer, Mailchimp or MailerLite?
They tie on our overall rating (Buffer 4.2/5, Mailchimp 4.0/5 and MailerLite 4.2/5). 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. MailerLite is best for small businesses sending regular newsletters and switching from Mailchimp to save money.
Which is cheaper, Buffer, Mailchimp or MailerLite?
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. MailerLite: There's a free plan, and paid plans start at $0.
Which is easier to use, Buffer, Mailchimp or MailerLite?
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.
How we compare
Ratings are our own, from using each tool, across ease of use, features, output quality, value for money, speed & reliability.
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