How to Cancel Mailchimp in 2026 — Export Your Contacts First
Updated March 3, 2026 • 6 min read
⚡ Quick Summary
Go to Account → Billing → Downgrade or Pause to switch to free. To permanently delete: Account → Settings → Permanently Delete Account. Export your contacts first — deletion is irreversible.
Mailchimp Pricing (What You're Paying)
- Free: 500 contacts, 1,000 sends/month, 1 audience
- Essentials: $13/month (500 contacts) — scales with list size
- Standard: $20/month (500 contacts) — most popular tier
- Premium: $350/month — advanced segmentation, phone support
The gotcha: Mailchimp charges based on total contacts, not active subscribers. Unsubscribed and bounced addresses still count against your limit unless you archive or delete them.
💸 The Hidden Cost Trap
A 5,000-contact list costs $75/month on Essentials or $100/month on Standard. At 50,000 contacts: $385-$450/month. Mailchimp's pricing scales aggressively — and they count unsubscribed contacts toward your limit.
Step 1: Export Your Data (Critical)
Before making any changes, export everything:
- Export contacts: Audience → All Contacts → Export Audience → Export as CSV
- Export campaigns: Campaigns → select campaigns → Replicate (to save templates) or screenshot results
- Export reports: Reports → select campaign → Export as CSV
- Save automation workflows: Screenshot or document your automation sequences
- Export templates: Email Templates → select each → Export as HTML
Your email list is your most valuable asset. Don't lose it.
Option A: Downgrade to Free Plan
If you have 500 or fewer contacts and send under 1,000 emails/month, the free plan might be enough:
- Log in to Mailchimp
- Go to Account → Billing
- Click Change Plan or Downgrade
- Select the Free tier
- Confirm the downgrade
You keep your contacts, campaigns, and account — just with reduced sending limits.
Option B: Pause Your Account
Mailchimp lets you pause for up to 3 months if you're not sure:
- Go to Account → Billing
- Click Pause
- You can't send emails while paused
- Your data and contacts are preserved
- After 3 months, it automatically resumes at your previous plan
Option C: Permanently Delete Account
If you want everything gone:
- Export all data first (see Step 1 above)
- Go to Account → Settings
- Scroll to Permanently Delete Account
- Enter your password and confirm
- All data is permanently deleted within 30 days
🚨 No Undo
Account deletion is permanent and irreversible. All contacts, campaigns, reports, automations, and templates are destroyed. Mailchimp cannot recover a deleted account.
Cheaper Alternatives to Mailchimp
Mailchimp has become expensive since Intuit acquired it. Better options at every scale:
- Beehiiv: Free up to 2,500 subscribers, excellent for newsletters — $42/month at 25K subs vs Mailchimp's ~$230
- MailerLite: Free up to 1,000 subscribers, $10/month for 500-1,000. Clean interface, great automation
- Kit (ConvertKit): Free up to 10,000 subscribers (limited features). Built for creators
- Brevo (Sendinblue): Free up to 300 emails/day (unlimited contacts). Good for transactional email
- Buttondown: Free up to 100 subscribers. Minimal, markdown-first newsletter tool
💡 Cost Comparison at 25,000 Contacts
- Mailchimp Standard: ~$230/month
- MailerLite: ~$100/month
- Beehiiv: ~$42/month
- Kit (ConvertKit): ~$166/month
- Brevo: ~$25/month (based on sends, not contacts)
Migration Checklist
If switching to another platform:
- Export contacts as CSV from Mailchimp
- Import into new platform (map fields: email, first name, last name, tags)
- Recreate key automations (welcome series, etc.)
- Update signup forms on your website
- Update DNS records if using a custom sending domain
- Send a test campaign from the new platform
- Cancel Mailchimp after verifying everything works
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Upload your bank statement to JustCancel and we'll find every SaaS subscription charging your account — Mailchimp, Canva, Zapier, and dozens more.