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E-Commerce · head to head

Mailchimp vs Printful

Mailchimp logo

Mailchimp

E-Commerce

Turn emails into revenue

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
Printful logo

Printful

E-Commerce

Print on demand dropshipping service

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Each has a real cost: Mailchimp the free plan allows 250 contacts and 500 sends a month, with a 250 daily cap; Printful the Growth plan is $24.99 a month and only becomes free once a store reaches $12,000 a year in sales
  • They diverge on capability: Mailchimp covers Email campaigns, Printful covers Print on demand.
  • Prices and features above were last checked on 30 August 2026.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Mailchimp and Printful actually diverge.

Attributes where Mailchimp and Printful differ
AttributeMailchimpPrintful
Pricing modelUnknownfreemium
PlatformsWeb, iOS, AndroidWeb
Founded20012013

Identical on both: starting price (Free), free tier (Yes), user rating (Not yet rated), category (E-Commerce).

What each one covers

Drawn from each product's published feature list. An absence here means we hold no record of it - not that the product lacks it.

Only in Mailchimp

  • Email campaigns
  • Marketing automation
  • Landing pages
  • Forms & popups
  • Audience management
  • Content studio
  • Analytics
  • Social media

Only in Printful

  • Print on demand
  • Custom products
  • Dropshipping
  • Automated fulfillment
  • Quality control
  • Inventory sync
  • Bulk orders
  • Designer tool

What people use each for

The jobs each tool is most often brought in to do.

Mailchimp

  • Email newslettersnot Printful
  • E-commerce marketingnot Printful
  • Lead generationnot Printful
  • Customer engagementnot Printful
  • Marketing automationnot Printful

Printful

  • Print on demand fulfilment for apparel and merchandisenot Mailchimp
  • Attaching a fulfilment backend to an existing online storenot Mailchimp

Where each one falls short

Documented limitations, not opinions. Every one is a constraint you would hit in normal use.

Mailchimp

  • The free plan allows 250 contacts and 500 sends a month, with a 250 daily cap
  • Price is driven by contact count, so the list growing raises the bill regardless of how much you send
  • Send allowances are a multiple of contacts, 10x on Essentials and 12x on Standard, so a large list with heavy sending forces a tier change
  • Essentials allows 3 seats and Standard 5; unlimited seats need Premium at $350 a month
  • The headline $13 and $20 prices are for 500 contacts, not a flat rate

Printful

  • The Growth plan is $24.99 a month and only becomes free once a store reaches $12,000 a year in sales
  • Product discounts of up to 33% are tied to that paid plan, so the lowest unit costs are unavailable to small sellers
  • The free plan allows one sample order a month, capped at 3 items
  • Shipping and taxes are calculated separately from the quoted product price

Pricing, plan by plan

Mailchimp

Free
  • FreeFree
    • 250 contacts
    • 500 sends per month
    • Basic email campaigns
  • Essentials$13/month
    • 500+ contacts
    • Email campaigns
    • Basic automation
  • Standard$20/month
    • Advanced automation
    • Segmentation
    • Landing pages

Printful

Free
  • Free PlanFree
    • Access to 548 custom products
    • Unlimited stores
    • 10 Quick Stores
  • Growth Plan$24.99/month
    • All Free features
    • Up to 33% off product pricing
    • 9% off branding
  • Growth Plan (Alternative)Free
    • Free at $12K/year in sales
  • Enterprise Plan$null/month
    • All Growth features
    • Dedicated Success Manager
    • Custom solutions

Which should you pick?

Choose Mailchimp if

  • You need email campaigns.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You work on Web, iOS, Android.
  • You also want marketing automation.
Mailchimp review

Choose Printful if

  • You need print on demand.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You also want custom products.
Printful review

Questions people ask

Is Mailchimp or Printful better?
Neither clearly leads. Mailchimp starts at Free and Printful at Free, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Mailchimp or Printful?
Mailchimp starts at Free and Printful at Free.
Does Mailchimp or Printful run on more platforms?
Mailchimp runs on Web, iOS, Android. Printful runs on Web.
Can I use Mailchimp for free?
Both have a free tier, so you can try either at no cost before committing.
What is Mailchimp best used for?
Mailchimp is most often used for email newsletters, e-commerce marketing, lead generation, customer engagement. Of those, email newsletters and e-commerce marketing are not what Printful is typically brought in for.
What can Mailchimp do that Printful cannot?
Mailchimp covers Email campaigns, Marketing automation, Landing pages, Forms & popups. Printful covers Print on demand, Custom products, Dropshipping, Automated fulfillment.

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

Mailchimp: Does Mailchimp offer a free plan?

Yes, Mailchimp's free plan supports up to 250 contacts and 500 sends per month with a 250-per-day cap.

Source
Printful: Does Printful have a free plan?

Yes, Printful offers a free plan with access to 548 custom products, unlimited stores, 10 Quick Stores, free design tools, and 24/7 support. Subscribers get 20% off sample orders.

Source
Mailchimp: What email features does Mailchimp include?

Mailchimp provides email campaign builder, automation sequences, segmentation, contact management, and A/B testing for email marketing.

Source
Printful: How much does Printful's Growth plan cost?

Printful's Growth plan costs $24.99 per month, or is free if you reach $12,000 in annual sales. It includes up to 33% off product pricing, 9% off branding, and 25% off sample orders.

Source
Mailchimp: Can Mailchimp integrate with e-commerce platforms?

Yes, Mailchimp integrates with Shopify, WooCommerce, Squarespace, and other e-commerce platforms for customer sync and abandoned cart automation.

Source
Printful: Does Printful charge for shipping and taxes?

Yes, product pricing includes the blank item, one design placement, and fulfillment. Shipping varies by product type, order size, and destination. Taxes are based on customer location. Additional charges apply for extra print placements ($0.99-$2.49 per label), embroidery digitization ($2.95-$6.50), and premium images ($1 per use).

Source
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