Mautic vs Mailchimp

Self-host swap-in for Mailchimp. · Self-host Mailchimp · Mautic on os-alt

Mautic is one of the open-source self-host replacements for Mailchimp — license GPL-3.0, 30min (docker-compose with MariaDB + the Mautic image) to stand up, and $10 vps — php + mariadb; cron must be wired correctly or campaigns silently stall. Compare against Mailchimp's $13-20/mo at small list sizes; scales steeply by contact count below.

	Mauticopen-source	Mailchimppaid SaaS
Category	Email marketing / newsletters	Email marketing / newsletters
License / pricing	`GPL-3.0`	$13-20/mo at small list sizes; scales steeply by contact count
Starting price	$0 self-host	$13/user/mo
GitHub	mautic/mautic ★ 9.65k · last commit 1d agoalive	closed source
Setup time	30min (docker-compose with MariaDB + the Mautic image)	SaaS — sign up + bill
Monthly cost	$10 VPS — PHP + MariaDB; cron must be wired correctly or campaigns silently stall.	from $13/user/mo ($13-20/mo at small list sizes; scales steeply by contact count)

Switching from Mailchimp to Mautic

Mautic ships a CSV importer at Contacts → Import. Map Mailchimp columns (email, name, tags). For multi-step automations, recreate Mailchimp Customer Journeys as Mautic Campaigns — there is no auto-translation.

Good fit for: Marketing teams that want full automation (lead scoring, segmentation, multi-step journeys), not just newsletters.
Weak at: Heavier than Listmonk; cron + queue plumbing is the source of most ops pain.

Other open-source self-host alternatives to Mailchimp

Listmonk
AGPL-3.010min docker-compose$5 VPS for the app; sending costs sit with whichever SMTP relay you point at (Amazon SES at ~$0.
Keila
AGPL-3.010min docker-compose$5 VPS for the Elixir app + Postgres; SMTP cost is again external.

Mautic also replaces

ConvertKit (Kit)— Creator email marketing
HubSpot— CRM + marketing automation

In a terminal? npx os-alt mailchimp prints Mailchimp's self-host options — how the CLI works →

FAQ

Is Mautic a free alternative to Mailchimp?

Yes — Mautic is open source under GPL-3.0. Self-host cost: $10 VPS — PHP + MariaDB; cron must be wired correctly or campaigns silently stall.. Mailchimp starts at $13/user/mo ($13-20/mo at small list sizes; scales steeply by contact count).

How long does Mautic take to set up vs Mailchimp?

Self-hosting Mautic: 30min (docker-compose with MariaDB + the Mautic image). Mailchimp is a hosted SaaS — sign up and you're in.

What is Mautic good at, and what is it weak at?

Good fit for: Marketing teams that want full automation (lead scoring, segmentation, multi-step journeys), not just newsletters.. Weak at: Heavier than Listmonk; cron + queue plumbing is the source of most ops pain..