A Mailchimp Alternative That Lives in WordPress

Mailchimp is a hosted service, priced by how many contacts you keep. PrimoCRM is a plugin: your contacts stay in your own WordPress database, the free version has no contact limit, and your email goes out through the SMTP server or email provider you choose.

At a Glance

Mailchimp vs PrimoCRM

Mailchimp details are from mailchimp.com/pricing in October 2026; check there for current plans and offers.

Compare	Mailchimp	PrimoCRM
Where it runs	Mailchimp’s servers	Your WordPress site
Where your contacts are stored	Mailchimp’s cloud	Your WordPress database
Free plan	Up to 250 contacts and 500 emails a month	Unlimited contacts
What sets the price	Number of contacts	Number of sites
How paid plans are billed	Monthly subscription	Pro: one-time payment from $79
Who sends your email	Mailchimp	Your own SMTP or email provider
Import your Mailchimp audience	–	CSV import with Undo

Switching

Bring Your Mailchimp Audience

Export your audience from Mailchimp as CSV, then open Contacts and Import in PrimoCRM. Map the columns, pick the lists and tags to apply, and import.

Email, names and any other column map to contact fields or custom fields
Assign lists and tags to everyone in the file
Import unsubscribed contacts with the Unsubscribed status, so they stay suppressed
Existing contacts are matched by email, never duplicated
No confirmation email goes out on import
Undo the whole import if something looks off

Sending

Your Domain, Your Reputation

With PrimoCRM you choose who delivers your email, so you pay your provider’s sending rates instead of a plan sized by your list. That also means setting up your domain’s SPF and DKIM records with that provider.

Any SMTP server, or an email service provider of your choice
Pro connects SES, SendGrid, Mailgun, Postmark and Brevo by API
A background send queue that respects your provider’s limits
One-click unsubscribe headers on every marketing email
Unsubscribed, bounced and complained contacts are excluded from sends
Open and click tracking on every campaign

Free Plugin

A Complete CRM Before You Pay

The free plugin has no contact caps, no locked screens and no trial period. Pro adds features on top; it never unlocks limits on what you already have.

Unlimited contacts, lists, tags and custom fields
Campaigns designed in the WordPress block editor
Multi-email drip sequences
A drag-and-drop automation builder with If/Else branches
Opt-in forms with double opt-in and spam protection
Open and click tracking on every campaign
A background send queue that respects your provider’s limits
One-click unsubscribe headers on every marketing email

QUESTIONS

Switching from
Mailchimp

What you need, what moves across,
and what it costs.

Do I need an email provider?

Yes. PrimoCRM sends through an SMTP server or email service provider that you connect, such as Amazon SES, Brevo or your host’s mail server. Many have free or low-cost tiers, and you pay them for what you send, not for how many contacts you keep.

Will my unsubscribed contacts stay unsubscribed?

Yes, if you import them that way. Mailchimp exports unsubscribed contacts separately; import that file with New Contact Status set to Unsubscribed and PrimoCRM will never email them.

Do my campaigns and automations move across?

No. The import brings your audience. Email designs and automations are rebuilt in PrimoCRM, where campaigns are designed in the WordPress block editor and automations on a drag-and-drop canvas.

What does PrimoCRM cost?

The plugin is free on WordPress.org with unlimited contacts. Pro is a one-time payment from $79 with lifetime updates. Your email provider charges for sending on its own terms.

Your List, Your WordPress

Install the free plugin from WordPress.org, import your Mailchimp audience, and send your next campaign from your own site. Pro is there when you want it, for one payment.

Download Free

See Pricing

Contacts stored in your own database
No per-contact pricing
30-day money-back guarantee on Pro
CSV import with Undo