sendbunny vs Mailchimp: own it or keep renting?
$99 once plus SES, versus climbing contact plans. One click into your AWS if you're ready to own it.
One-time license · one-click AWS install · yours forever
You are in the right place
- Mailchimp bills by contacts, including people you rarely email.
- Your list and sending reputation sit on their servers.
- Plan tiers climb as the list grows even when send volume is flat.
What it costs at real volume
Approximate monthly send cost. sendbunny sending is raw Amazon SES. Competitor figures use publicly listed plans (verify before you buy).
| Platform | 10k emails | 50k emails | 1M emails |
|---|---|---|---|
| sendbunny (SES) | ~$1 | ~$5 | ~$100 |
| Mailchimp (approx. Standard) | ~$135/mo (10k-contact plan) | ~$450/mo (50k-contact plan) | Priced by contacts, not send volume |
Side by side
| Capability | sendbunny | Them |
|---|---|---|
| Where the list lives | Your AWS (DynamoDB) | Mailchimp servers |
| Pricing model | $99 once + SES | Per-contact monthly |
| Who can suspend sending | You (and AWS policy) | Mailchimp |
| Idle month cost | ~$0 platform + SES | Full contact tier |
| Install | One click into your AWS | Hosted signup |
What you get
- One Create stack click installs sendbunny in your AWS account.
- Basic is $99 once. Premium is $199. Use forever.
- Pay Amazon SES about $0.10 per 1,000 emails. Pay $0 when idle.
- Serverless scale from a quiet month to millions of sends.
Best for
- Teams done with contact-tier bills
- Operators who want the list in their own AWS
- Anyone who needs campaigns plus a transactional API they own
Not for
- People who refuse to use AWS at all
- Stores that need Klaviyo-depth ecommerce CDP features today
How to switch
- Export contacts as CSV from Mailchimp.
- Buy sendbunny and complete the one-click AWS install.
- Import the CSV. Re-imports enrich rows instead of wiping them.
- Point campaigns and transactional sends at sendbunny.
- Cancel Mailchimp when the new stack is live.
FAQ
- Is sendbunny cheaper than Mailchimp at scale?
- Usually yes once the list grows. You pay $99 once (or $199 Premium), then Amazon SES send costs. Inactive contacts do not raise a platform tier.
- Do I need to know AWS to switch?
- No. You click one pre-filled Create stack button. The installer provisions the platform in your account.
- Can Mailchimp still freeze my sending after I leave?
- Not on sendbunny. The platform runs in your AWS. We never hold credentials that could shut you down.
Keep reading
Own your email platform today
One click into your AWS. From $99 once. Pay $0 when idle. Scales when you send.