MailerLite vs Mailchimp ecommerce plugins: pricing, features

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Compare MailerLite and Mailchimp ecommerce plugins on cost, features, and limits to pick the best fit for your small online store.

The differences at a glance

MailerLite and Mailchimp both offer ecommerce plugins primarily focused on integrating with popular platforms like Shopify and WooCommerce. Their pricing models, feature sets, and free plan limits differ significantly, impacting small ecommerce businesses.

Mailerlite targets simplicity with generous subscriber and email limits on its free plan. Mailchimp provides wider marketing features and integrations but restricts free plan ecommerce use and charges more for higher tiers.

The table below summarizes their core differences relevant to small ecommerce sites using plugins.

The user interface and setup process also vary notably. MailerLite’s ecommerce plugins emphasize quick installation and minimal configuration, which benefits users with limited technical experience. Mailchimp offers more customizable setup options but can be overwhelming for newcomers due to many advanced settings. The other half of this decision is boosting small team productivity.

Another difference lies in customer support and educational resources. MailerLite provides email support even on free plans and extensive tutorials focusing on ecommerce use cases. Mailchimp reserves live chat and phone support for higher tiers, and its help content covers a broader marketing scope beyond ecommerce, sometimes lacking depth for plugin-specific questions.

Price differences for ecommerce plugins

MailerLite offers a free plan supporting up to 1,000 subscribers and 12,000 monthly emails, including ecommerce features like product campaigns and basic automation. Paid plans start affordably, with prices scaling mainly by subscriber count.

Mailchimp’s free plan caps at 500 contacts and 1,000 emails, limiting ecommerce plugin utility. To access full ecommerce features, you must upgrade to paid plans, which tend to be more expensive than MailerLite’s tiers. The other half of this decision is combine videos free online.

Costs depend strongly on subscriber numbers and email volume. Mailchimp’s pricing jumps significantly at 2,000 contacts, while MailerLite maintains lower per-contact rates. This matters if your list grows quickly.

For small ecommerce shops aiming to keep marketing costs low, MailerLite usually offers a better value on pricing and feature coverage in lower tiers.

Core ecommerce features each plugin supports

Both MailerLite and Mailchimp support integration with Shopify and WooCommerce via dedicated plugins. These connections allow syncing customers, purchase data, and sending targeted product campaigns. We cover enhance communication workflows in its own article.

MailerLite covers essentials: abandoned cart emails, product recommendations, and order notifications through automation workflows. Its interface keeps these straightforward and accessible.

Mailchimp offers a wider feature set including advanced segmentation, multi-step automation sequences, and more detailed purchase behavior tracking. It also supports more ecommerce platforms, such as BigCommerce.

For shops needing simple product email campaigns without complex automation, MailerLite provides sufficient functionality. Larger or multi-channel stores may benefit from Mailchimp’s expanded tools. For the detail, see our notes on time cost trade off freelancer.

Both platforms allow creating personalized product recommendations based on customer purchase history but differ in sophistication. Mailchimp’s AI-driven product recommendations analyze multiple customer behaviors and browsing patterns, whereas MailerLite uses simpler rules-based suggestions.

A practical example: a Shopify store using MailerLite can set up an abandoned cart email that triggers 1 hour after cart abandonment, including product images and discount codes. Mailchimp can create a sequence of 3 follow-up emails over 48 hours with different messaging per customer segment, potentially increasing recovery rates but requiring more setup time.

Free plan ecommerce limits

MailerLite’s free plan stands out by allowing ecommerce features with up to 1,000 subscribers and 12,000 emails monthly. This includes syncing product catalogs and sending automated abandoned cart emails, which many small sellers need.

Mailchimp’s free plan restricts ecommerce workflows and limits contacts to 500 and sends to 1,000 monthly, reducing practical use for store owners before upgrade.

The difference in free tier limits means MailerLite lets you test ecommerce email marketing more fully without upfront cost. Mailchimp’s free tier may require paying sooner.

If cost and early-stage ecommerce functionality matter, MailerLite’s free plan clearly wins.

A notable limitation on Mailchimp’s free plan is the inability to automate order notifications, which MailerLite supports. This means Mailchimp free users must manually send shipping updates or rely on ecommerce platform notifications, potentially reducing customer engagement.

Also, MailerLite’s free plan includes access to email templates optimized for ecommerce, helping small sellers create attractive campaigns quickly. Mailchimp’s free tier provides fewer ecommerce-specific templates, requiring users to build designs from scratch or upgrade for premium templates.

Which fits small business ecommerce needs better

For small ecommerce businesses focused on straightforward marketing and tight budgets, MailerLite’s affordable plans and generous free limits make it the better fit.

Its ease of use and essential ecommerce plugin features cover the common use cases: product campaigns, abandoned cart reminders, and basic automation.

Mailchimp suits businesses requiring more advanced marketing tools, multi-platform integrations, and CRM capabilities, at a higher cost. Smaller shops may find those extras unnecessary and complex.

Choosing depends on your required feature set and growth plans; simple shops should pick MailerLite, while more complex needs justify Mailchimp.

MailerLite vs Mailchimp for ecommerce plugin

Examining MailerLite vs Mailchimp for ecommerce plugins reveals MailerLite’s strengths in affordability and simplicity, with support for Shopify and WooCommerce and useful automation at low cost.

Mailchimp’s ecommerce plugin support is broader and more feature-rich, but comes with higher prices and steeper learning curves, making it less suitable for early-stage small ecommerce sites on tight budgets.

If you want a no-frills ecommerce plugin to get campaigns and automations going quickly, MailerLite is the choice. If your business needs deeper marketing integrations and can afford more, Mailchimp might be worth it.

Ultimately, MailerLite provides a more practical, low-cost stack for small business ecommerce owners focusing on essentials.

Which should you buy?

Choose MailerLite if you: need a low-cost, straightforward ecommerce plugin; have fewer than 1,000 subscribers; prioritize easy setup and essential ecommerce email features.

Choose Mailchimp if you: require advanced marketing automation; use multiple ecommerce platforms; want deeper customer insights and CRM features; can handle a higher budget.

If you are uncertain, start with MailerLite’s free plan to test ecommerce features and upgrade only if you outgrow it.

Consider also managing ecommerce email manually via platform-native tools or a free CRM if budgets are very tight and your list is very small.

• MailerLite– best for small budgets and simple ecommerce needs
• Mailchimp– suited for complex marketing and larger businesses
• Test free plans before committing
• Manual email marketing an alternative for tiny shops

How to connect MailerLite or Mailchimp with your ecommerce store

Integrating MailerLite or Mailchimp with your ecommerce store typically involves installing their plugins or apps available for Shopify or WooCommerce.

After installation, authorize the app to access your store data. This syncs customers and purchase history for targeted campaigns and automations.

You then build email campaigns or automation workflows using the platform’s tools, selecting ecommerce triggers like abandoned cart or purchase follow-up.

Monitor campaign performance and adjust messaging accordingly to improve sales conversions.

1. Sign in to MailerLite or Mailchimp account.
2. Install the ecommerce plugin for Shopify or WooCommerce.
3. Authorize connection between plugin and store.
4. Sync product and customer data.
5. Create and schedule ecommerce email campaigns.
6. Set up basic automation workflows (e.g., abandoned cart).
7. Track performance and optimize emails.

Alternatives and complements to MailerLite and Mailchimp for ecommerce email

Besides MailerLite and Mailchimp, you can explore platform-native email tools like Shopify Email or WooCommerce’s extensions.

These options often have no additional subscription cost but might lack advanced automation and analytics.

For affiliate marketers, tools like Ama Affiliate Pro (soft fit) help automate content and track affiliate links but aren’t full ecommerce email solutions.

Combining a simple email platform with manual workflows or a CRM can sometimes be more cost-effective for very new stores.

• Shopify Email– low cost, basic email campaigns
• WooCommerce extensions– native store email tools
• Ama Affiliate Pro– automates affiliate content, not full ecommerce email
• Manual email + CRM– flexible but labor-intensive

Questions people still ask

As a small business marketer, I’ve tested both platforms and found MailerLite’s affordability and simplicity ideal for lean ecommerce setups.