How to Migrate from Mailchimp to MailerLite (Step by Step)

If you're reading this, you've probably hit one of Mailchimp's walls. Maybe the pricing jumped when you crossed a subscriber threshold. Maybe deliverability dropped and your emails started landing in spam. Maybe the interface got cluttered with features you don't need and you're tired of paying for them.

MailerLite solves most of these problems. It's cheaper, cleaner, and has better deliverability. The free plan goes up to 500 contacts with full automation included. Paid plans start at $10/month. And the migration takes about 2-3 hours if you follow the steps below.

What Transfers and What Doesn't

Before you start, here's what moves over and what you'll need to rebuild.

What transfers automatically: Your contact list exports as a CSV from Mailchimp and imports directly into MailerLite. Email addresses, names, custom fields, and subscriber status all come over.

What doesn't transfer: Email templates, automations, campaigns, and reporting history stay in Mailchimp. You'll rebuild automations in MailerLite (it's faster than you think) and your old campaigns stay archived in Mailchimp if you need to reference them.

Step 1: Export Your Contacts from Mailchimp

Log into Mailchimp and go to Audience > All Contacts. Click Export Audience and choose Export as CSV. Mailchimp will email you a download link (usually within a few minutes).

Download the file and save it somewhere you can find it.

If you have multiple audiences in Mailchimp, export each one separately. You'll import them as separate groups in MailerLite.

Step 2: Sign Up for MailerLite

Go to mailerlite.com/pricing and create a free account. You'll get 14 days of premium features unlocked, then drop back to the free plan if you're under 500 contacts. No credit card required.

During signup, MailerLite will ask what you plan to use it for. Answer honestly (it helps them customize your onboarding) but it doesn't lock you into anything.

Step 3: Import Your Contacts into MailerLite

In MailerLite, go to Subscribers > Import Subscribers > Upload a File. Choose the CSV you exported from Mailchimp.

MailerLite will show you a preview of your contacts and ask you to map the fields (email, first name, last name, custom fields). Match each column from your Mailchimp CSV to the corresponding field in MailerLite. If a field doesn't exist yet, create it.

Important: Make sure the email column is mapped correctly. Everything else is fixable later, but if emails don't import, you'll have to start over.

Click Import and wait. For lists under 10,000 contacts, this takes a few minutes. MailerLite will email you when it's done.

Step 4: Authenticate Your Domain

This is critical for deliverability. Without it, your emails are more likely to land in spam.

Go to Settings > Domains in MailerLite. Click Add Domain and follow the instructions. You'll add a few DNS records to your domain registrar (usually takes 5 minutes). MailerLite walks you through it step by step.

Wait 24-48 hours for DNS records to propagate. Once verified, your emails will start sending from your domain instead of MailerLite's shared servers. This improves deliverability by 30-40%.

Step 5: Rebuild Your Automations

Your Mailchimp automations don't transfer, but MailerLite's automation builder is simpler and faster to use.

Go to Automations > Create Workflow. Choose a trigger (someone subscribes to a group, fills out a form, clicks a link, etc.). Add your first email by dragging the Email block into the workflow. Write the message. Add a delay (2-3 days). Add your second email. Activate the workflow.

Start with your most important automation (usually a welcome series). Get that running, then rebuild the others one by one. Most businesses have 3-5 core automations. You can rebuild all of them in 1-2 hours.

Step 6: Send a Test Campaign

Before you send to your full list, send a test to yourself.

Go to Campaigns > Create Campaign. Pick a template or start from scratch. Write a short message. Send it to your own email address. Check that it lands in your inbox (not spam) and looks correct on desktop and mobile.

If it lands in spam, double-check that your domain is authenticated. If it looks broken, adjust the template and test again.

Step 7: Warm Up Your Sending

Don't send to your entire list on day one. Email providers (Gmail, Outlook, etc.) watch for sudden spikes in volume from new senders. If you go from zero to 10,000 emails overnight, you'll get flagged as spam.

Start small. Send to your most engaged contacts first (people who opened emails in the last 30 days). Wait a few days. Then send to a larger segment. Gradually ramp up over 2-3 weeks until you're back to full volume.

MailerLite's deliverability is strong, but warming up your sending helps you build a good sender reputation from the start.

How Long Does This Take?

The actual migration takes 2-3 hours if you follow the steps above. Most of that time is rebuilding automations. The import itself takes 10 minutes.

The domain authentication takes 24-48 hours to propagate, but you can keep working while you wait. And the warm-up period (sending to small segments before going full volume) takes 2-3 weeks, but that's not active work on your part.

Why People Switch

The three most common reasons people leave Mailchimp for MailerLite:

1. Price. Mailchimp's pricing jumps fast as your list grows. MailerLite is 50-70% cheaper at every tier.

2. Deliverability. Mailchimp's shared IP pools mean your emails get lumped in with spammers. MailerLite's deliverability is consistently higher.

3. Simplicity. Mailchimp has added so many features (websites, ads, postcards) that the core email tools got buried. MailerLite focuses on email and does it well.

The Bottom Line

Switching from Mailchimp to MailerLite is straightforward. Export your contacts, import them, authenticate your domain, rebuild your automations, and you're done. Most of the work happens in a single afternoon.

The hardest part is committing to the switch. Once you start, the process moves quickly. And the payoff (lower costs, better deliverability, cleaner interface) is worth the few hours of setup.

→ Go to MailerLite

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