An easy alternative to Mailchimp
Mailchimp is built for marketing across more than email, with templates, flows, ads, and a CRM. But is it easy to run a simple newsletter? We think XOXO might be a better fit.
How easy is it to set up?
Getting your first newsletter out without extra steps or long waits.
Mailchimp: Easy
Set up your sender and audience, then create an email campaign.
XOXO: Easy
Sign up, import your audience, and send.
How easy is it to learn?
Are there new concepts you have to figure out.
Mailchimp: Hard
Separate audiences, groups, tags, and segments add layers to organizing one newsletter audience.
XOXO: Easy
Write emails and organize subscribers with groups, fields, and tags.
How easy is it to focus?
Keeping newsletters free of sales funnels, SMS, and other distractions.
Mailchimp: Hard
Sales automations, social posts, and other marketing tools crowd the newsletter workspace.
XOXO: Easy
Just emails, subscribers, and forms.
How easy is it to write a nice email?
Writing and designing a simple newsletter.
Mailchimp: Easy
A drag-and-drop email editor with templates you can customize as you write.
XOXO: Easy
A simple block editor for writing and designing your newsletter.
How easy is it to understand your stats?
Will you need an advanced math degree.
Mailchimp: Easy
Opens, clicks, bounces, and unsubscribes in each email's report.
XOXO: Easy
Opens, clicks, and likes in each email's report.
How easy is it to keep your list clean?
Will your subscriber list get stale and problematic.
Mailchimp: So-so
Unsubscribes stop future sends automatically. You still need to archive them to stop paying for them.
XOXO: Easy
Unsubscribes, complaints, and undeliverable addresses are removed from your audience automatically.
How easy is it to manage consent?
Signup confirmation and unsubscribe handling that work without extra setup.
Mailchimp: So-so
Signup confirmation needs enabling where single opt-in is the default. Unsubscribe links are automatic.
XOXO: Easy
Double opt-in is built in, and unsubscribes are handled.
How easy is it to respect privacy?
Useful email stats without tracking location, devices, or external activity.
Mailchimp: So-so
Email tracking estimates location and email client. You can turn open and click tracking off.
XOXO: Easy
Email opens and clicks without storing subscriber IP addresses, location, device details, or activity from other platforms.
How easy is it to predict your bill?
Will you know when your price is going up.
Mailchimp: Hard
Unsubscribed and non-subscribed addresses still count toward your bill until you archive them.
XOXO: Easy
Your bill follows subscriber count, with automatic adjustments as your audience grows or shrinks.
How easy is it on your budget?
What it costs to run a typical newsletter.
Mailchimp: So-so
Subscriber pricing with feature limits and sending allowances. More features mean a higher-priced plan.
XOXO: Easy
Free to start, with every feature included. Pay for audience growth, without add-ons.
| Subscribers | Mailchimp* | XOXO |
|---|---|---|
| 100 | $13 | free |
| 500 | $13 | $8 |
| 1,000 | $27 | $14 |
| 2,500 | $45 | $30 |
| 5,000 | $75 | $50 |
| 10,000 | $110 | $80 |
| 25,000 | $270 | $175 |
| 50,000 | $385 | $300 |
| 100,000 | - | $500 |
Mailchimp Essentials, with Mailchimp's badge removed. We chose this option as the closest match to XOXO's newsletter features, including branding removal. Monthly USD prices cover a weekly newsletter. Mailchimp pricing checked September 2026. XOXO prices apply after early access.
Ready to switch from Mailchimp?
Join the waitlist. We can help you move your subscribers when you get access.
Send nice emails
The best emails are thoughtfully composed. They're beautiful without being a brochure, and respect the recipient's time and inbox.
Build your audience
Growing an audience takes work. We make it easier with tools to add, organize, and understand your subscribers.
Keep it simple
You don't need an enterprise marketing platform to have a newsletter. In fact, our best feature may be the features we left out.
- No workflow automations
- No drip campaigns
- No SMS or social
- No sales funnels
- No add-ons or upsells
- No invasive tracking
Don't break the bank
You shouldn't be paying for features you don't need, or stuck on a free plan missing the ones you actually do.
Want early access to XOXO?
Free during early access, every feature included.