Mailchimp vs Pardot
Marketing Automation pricing comparison · 2026
Mailchimp pricing ranges from $0–$350/month, while Pardot ranges from $1250–$15000/month. Mailchimp is typically 99% more affordable, though your actual cost depends on tier and team size.
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Mailchimp and Pardot both operate in the marketing automation category. This page compares their list pricing.
Plan-by-Plan Pricing
| Plan | Mailchimp | Pardot |
|---|---|---|
| Free | Free /month | $1.3K /month (up to 10k contacts) |
| Essentials | $13 /month | $2.8K /month (up to 10k contacts) |
| Standard | $20 /month | $4K /month (up to 10k contacts) |
| Premium | $350 /month | $15K /month (up to 75k contacts) |
Cost at Scale
Total cost of ownership — licenses, implementation, and hidden costs included.
Mailchimp
6 scenarios$45/month ($540/year)
Small Business (2,500 Contacts)
Standard plan at 2,500 contact tier with 30,000 monthly sends
$230/month ($2,760/year)
Growing Business (25,000 Contacts)
Standard plan at 25,000 contact tier with 300,000 monthly sends
$0/month
Micro Business on Free Plan
Pardot
4 scenarios$1,250/month
Starter Setup
$2,750/month
Growing Business
Custom pricing — typically negotiated annually, contact sales for quote
Enterprise (100+ users)
Market Intelligence
Mailchimp
- Median annual cost
- $500
- Based on
- 410 deals
Pardot
- Median annual cost
- $6,000
- Based on
- 27 deals
Contract Terms
| Term | Mailchimp | Pardot |
|---|---|---|
| Auto-renewal | Yes | Yes |
| Cancellation | Cancel anytime; no refunds for unused portion of billing period | 30 days before renewal |
| Minimum commitment | None; month-to-month by default | 1 year |
| Price escalation | 15-30% of license costs | Standard renewal increases apply; users report difficulty canceling or modifying contracts |
| Can downgrade | — | No |