Mailchimp Transactional (formerly Mandrill)
Mailchimp Transactional (formerly Mandrill): A paid transactional email service with API, SMTP, templates, and volume pricing. Ranked #3 of 38 in Transactional Email Software by our editors (8.3/10); pricing: From $20; best for high-volume transactional sending with predictable blocks.
At a glance
- Editor score8.3 / 10
- PricingFrom $20
- Best forHigh-volume transactional sending with predictable blocks
- Free planNo
- Delivery methodsBoth
- Facts checked20 Sep 2026
Where it wins
- Supports both transactional API and SMTP sending
- Includes templates, dynamic content, webhooks, and inbound processing
- Per-block pricing falls from $20 to $10 at 161+ blocks
Where it doesn't
- No permanent free plan
- Requires a Mailchimp account
- Email content is retained for 30 days
Our verdict on Mailchimp Transactional (formerly Mandrill)
Mailchimp Transactional, formerly Mandrill, is a cloud email delivery service for developers sending personalized, event-driven messages. Its use cases include password resets, order confirmations, welcome emails, and outage alerts. Messages can be sent through a transactional API or SMTP, with stored HTML templates and dynamic content using Handlebars and Mailchimp merge language. It is available through the web and API, and requires a Mailchimp account.
Pricing is organized around monthly blocks of 25,000 emails. The 1–20 blocks tier costs $20 per block, followed by $18 for 21–40 blocks, $16 for 41–80, $14 for 81–120, and $12 for 121–160. The 161+ blocks tier costs $10 per block. There is no permanent free plan; a limited offer allows up to 500 sends to a verified domain. This structure suits teams that can forecast recurring transactional volume, especially when sending needs reach the higher tiers.
The feature set covers core delivery and operational tracking: delivery, open, and click reporting; event webhooks; inbound email processing; dedicated sending IPs; and tags and metadata for message tracking. Email content is retained for 30 days, while overall statistics are stored indefinitely. Mailchimp Transactional is a practical fit for developer-led teams that need both API and SMTP delivery with reusable templates and volume-based pricing. Teams seeking a permanent free plan or a service that does not require a Mailchimp account should consider alternatives.
Mailchimp Transactional (formerly Mandrill) pricing
All 6 Mailchimp Transactional (formerly Mandrill) plans and prices →
Mailchimp Transactional (formerly Mandrill) fact sheet
| Free plan | No |
|---|---|
| Paid from | Not verified |
| Delivery methods | Both |
| Template options | Both |
| Event webhooks | Yes |
| Delivery log retention | 30 days |
| Dedicated IP option | Yes |
| Monthly send limit | 25000 emails/mo |
| Deployment | Cloud |
| Platforms | Web |
| Support | Docs |
| Built for | Small business, Mid-market, Enterprise (editorial estimate) |
| Pricing | From $20 (source) |
| Website | mailchimp.com |
| Facts checked | 20 Sep 2026 |
Alternatives to Mailchimp Transactional (formerly Mandrill)
- Twilio SendGridA developer-focused email service with APIs, SMTP, templates, webhooks, and inbound parsing.9.3
- PostmarkA focused email delivery service for teams separating transactional and broadcast traffic.8.6
- MailgunA mature API-first platform for transactional sending, routing, tracking, and deliverability.7.7
See all Mailchimp Transactional (formerly Mandrill) alternatives →
Mailchimp Transactional (formerly Mandrill) vs the competition
- Mailchimp Transactional (formerly Mandrill) vs Twilio SendGrid
- Mailchimp Transactional (formerly Mandrill) vs Postmark
- Mailchimp Transactional (formerly Mandrill) vs Mailgun
- Mailchimp Transactional (formerly Mandrill) vs Infobip Email API
- Mailchimp Transactional (formerly Mandrill) vs Plunk
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Compare Mailchimp Transactional (formerly Mandrill) with any tool side by side →
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Reviewed by iTechGuides Editors · Editorial team · Updated Sep 2026
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