MC4WP: Mailchimp for WordPress vs Newsletter
Updated 11 Oct 2026. 25 features compared side by side.
Connector by ibericode that adds Mailchimp sign-up forms and form-plugin integrations to WordPress; campaigns and sending stay in Mailchimp.
Long-running free newsletter plugin by Stefano Lissa with unlimited subscribers, a drag-and-drop composer and paid add-ons for automation and delivery.
Choose MC4WP: Mailchimp for WordPress if…
- You need revenue tracking
- You prefer the more widely used option
- You weigh user ratings (4.8 vs 4.6 on WordPress.org)
Choose Newsletter if…
- You need drag & drop email builder and automation workflows
- You also want new post notifications and subscribers stored in WordPress
- You want the more complete feature set (83/100 vs 42/100)
MC4WP: Mailchimp for WordPress includes 1 feature that Newsletter lacks, including Revenue tracking; Newsletter has 11 that MC4WP: Mailchimp for WordPress lacks, including Drag & drop email builder, Email templates and New post notifications. Both include 10 of the 25 features we track.
At a glance
Feature comparison
Click a screenshot to see both plugins side by side.
MC4WP: Mailchimp for WordPress NewsletterCampaigns0/54/5
Emails are designed in Mailchimp's editor; Premium can send a post to a campaign draft.
Drag-and-drop composer with 25+ blocks and live preview; extra blocks via paid add-on.
Templates come from your Mailchimp account, not the plugin.
Reusable templates and composer presets included free.
RSS-to-email runs in Mailchimp; Premium adds a post-to-campaign button in Gutenberg.
Paid Automated add-on (Professional) builds newsletters from recent posts and custom post types.
Campaign scheduling is done in Mailchimp.
Newsletters can be sent immediately or scheduled after choosing the target.
Any A/B testing depends on your Mailchimp plan.
No A/B testing in the plugin or its add-on catalogue.
Automation2/43/4
Welcome series and journeys are built in Mailchimp; the plugin only feeds contacts.
Paid Autoresponder add-on (Professional) sends follow-up email series with delays.
Premium e-commerce sync powers Mailchimp abandoned cart and purchase-based segments.
Paid WooCommerce add-on: checkout opt-in, lists by product/category; no abandoned cart.
Workflow building happens in Mailchimp's journey builder.
Automation is limited to post digests and linear autoresponder series; no workflow canvas.
MemberPress, Ultimate Member, BuddyPress sign-ups add subscribers; automations run in Mailchimp.
Paid add-ons for MemberPress, PMPro, Ultimate Member and event plugins add subscribers to lists.
Subscribers & lists6/77/7
Embedded forms via shortcode, block, widget or PHP; popups need a separate plugin.
Widget, shortcode, in-post and HTML forms free; popup and top bar via paid Leads add-on.
Double opt-in enabled by default; Mailchimp sends the confirmation email.
Single or double opt-in with a confirmation email and privacy checkbox.
Forms can apply tags and interest groups; real segmentation is done in Mailchimp.
Lists plus targeting by list combinations, custom fields and language; no tags.
Form fields map to Mailchimp merge fields; data is stored in Mailchimp.
Custom profile fields can be collected in forms and used for targeting.
Contact history lives in Mailchimp; Premium e-commerce adds purchase data there.
Subscriber edit panel shows sent emails and status with the Reports add-on; no CRM timeline.
Premium logs sign-ups with CSV/JSON export and syncs WP users; list import is in Mailchimp.
CSV import and export of subscribers in the free plugin.
Unsubscribe forms in the plugin; full preference centre is Mailchimp's hosted page.
Auto-generated profile page where subscribers edit details and choose lists.
Sending & deliverability0/54/5
Contacts and campaigns live in Mailchimp, not in the WordPress database.
Subscribers and newsletters are stored in your WordPress database.
Sending is always done by Mailchimp; you can't use your own SMTP or ESP.
Works with SMTP plugins; free SMTP/Brevo add-ons, SES/SendGrid/Mailgun on Professional.
Mailchimp sends confirmations and campaigns under your Mailchimp plan.
No vendor-run sending service; mail goes through your host or a connected provider.
Bounces are handled by Mailchimp.
Bounce Management and ESP delivery add-ons with complaint handling are in Professional.
Plugin is unlimited, but contact limits and pricing come from your Mailchimp plan.
No cap on subscribers or newsletters in the free plugin.
Reports & integrations3/43/4
Campaign reports are in Mailchimp; Premium only shows audience activity and sign-up logs.
Open and click tracking free; Reports and Retargeting add-on adds detail.
Premium sends WooCommerce orders to Mailchimp to show revenue per campaign.
Neither the Reports nor WooCommerce add-on attributes sales to newsletters.
Free integrations with CF7, Gravity Forms, WPForms, Ninja Forms, WooCommerce and more.
Paid add-ons for CF7, WPForms, Gravity, Ninja, Fluent, Formidable, Forminator, Elementor (Essential).
Agree-to-terms field and double opt-in; no local consent records or data export tools.
Privacy checkbox, double opt-in, tracking consent controls and GDPR tools in free.
Statuses: Yes Pro Add-on Partial 3rd-party No ?
Pricing compared
MC4WP: Mailchimp for WordPress Freemium
| Free | $0 |
|---|---|
| Free | Free per year, Unlimited |
| Single | $59 per year, 1 site |
| Multi | $99 per year, 5 sites |
| Agency | $249 per year, 25 sites |
Newsletter Freemium
| Free | $0 |
|---|---|
| Free | Free per year, Unlimited |
| Essential | $69 one-off, 1 site |
| Professional | $99 one-off, 3 sites |
| Agency | $299 one-off, Unlimited |
Downloads trend
MC4WP: Mailchimp for WordPress
45,402 downloads last week
Newsletter
273,588 downloads last week
Verdict
Newsletter scores higher on our feature checklist (83/100 against 42/100) and includes drag & drop email builder, automation workflows and new post notifications that MC4WP: Mailchimp for WordPress does not. MC4WP: Mailchimp for WordPress still has the edge on revenue tracking. Check the features you rely on in the table below before deciding.
Biggest differences
MC4WP: Mailchimp for WordPress: third-party. Newsletter: included. Drag-and-drop composer with 25+ blocks and live preview; extra blocks via paid add-on.
MC4WP: Mailchimp for WordPress: third-party. Newsletter: via add-on. Paid Autoresponder add-on (Professional) sends follow-up email series with delays.
MC4WP: Mailchimp for WordPress: third-party. Newsletter: via add-on. Paid Automated add-on (Professional) builds newsletters from recent posts and custom post types.
MC4WP: Mailchimp for WordPress: not included. Newsletter: included. Subscribers and newsletters are stored in your WordPress database.
MC4WP: Mailchimp for WordPress: third-party. Newsletter: included. Open and click tracking free; Reports and Retargeting add-on adds detail.
MC4WP: Mailchimp for WordPress: third-party. Newsletter: partial. Subscriber edit panel shows sent emails and status with the Reports add-on; no CRM timeline.
Written from the feature, pricing and install data on this page, not from hands-on testing. How we compare.
Which would you choose?
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FAQ
Which is better, MC4WP: Mailchimp for WordPress or Newsletter?
Newsletter scores higher on our feature checklist (83/100 against 42/100) and includes drag & drop email builder, automation workflows and new post notifications that MC4WP: Mailchimp for WordPress does not. MC4WP: Mailchimp for WordPress still has the edge on revenue tracking. Check the features you rely on in the table below before deciding.
Which has more features?
Newsletter includes 21 of the 25 features we track, against 11 for MC4WP: Mailchimp for WordPress. Feature count is only part of the picture; check which of the differences matter to you.
Is MC4WP: Mailchimp for WordPress free?
MC4WP: Mailchimp for WordPress has a free version on WordPress.org. Paid plans start at $59/yr.
Is Newsletter free?
Newsletter has a free version on WordPress.org. Paid plans start at $69.
Feature data last changed 11 Oct 2026. Spotted something wrong? Suggest an edit to MC4WP: Mailchimp for WordPress or Newsletter. Some links are affiliate links. We may earn a commission at no cost to you; it never affects our data or rankings.