All-in-one alternative
for Mailchimp
Mailchimp was built for marketing teams. Bitelio was built for the developers behind them — total control, a modern API, and billing tied to emails sent rather than contacts stored. Same capabilities, far better DX.
Billing That Follows Sending, Not Storage
Your list can grow; your invoice doesn't have to
Free to start, plans that scale
Plans priced by emails sent, not contacts stored. Store as many contacts as you like on every plan.
- Free plan: 1,000 emails/month, unlimited contacts
- Pro $19/mo: 15,000 emails included
- Then $1.20 per extra 1,000 — no contact-based pricing
Pay per contact stored
Every name on your list adds to the bill — emailed or not.
- Dormant contacts cost the same as active ones
- A bigger list automatically means a bigger bill
- Duplicates are each billed separately
Why Developers Land on Bitelio
Transparent Pricing
Plans keyed to emails sent, never list size. Free to begin, Pro at $19/mo, and a flat $1.20 per extra 1,000 emails past your allowance.
API-First
A REST API that treats developers as the primary audience — integration takes a fraction of the effort Mailchimp's marketing-oriented API demands.
5-Minute Setup
Sending within minutes of signup. No audience setup, no list plumbing — call the API and go.
Unlimited Contacts
Hold your entire audience free of charge; only outgoing email counts toward your bill. Mailchimp meters every stored contact.
All-in-One
Product emails and marketing sends share one platform — no separate Mandrill account to wire up.
Event-Driven
Kick off workflows from real user actions — automation depth Mailchimp doesn't reach.
Feature comparison
Frequently asked questions
When should I choose Mailchimp over Bitelio?
Mailchimp is the right call for marketers who live in drag-and-drop builders and want a marketing-first interface — it's genuinely strong for visual design and non-technical teams. Bitelio wins for developers: API-first architecture, transactional and marketing email in one product, and code where Mailchimp offers click-through wizards.
What is the difference between Bitelio and Mailchimp pricing?
Mailchimp charges per contact stored, regardless of how many emails you send. Bitelio prices by sending volume instead: a free plan with 1,000 emails/month, Pro at $19/mo with 15,000 emails included, and Scale at $99/mo with 100,000 — plus a flat $1.20 per extra 1,000 emails. Contacts are unlimited on every plan, so with Mailchimp your cost increases as your list grows, while with Bitelio it only grows with what you send.
Can Bitelio handle both transactional and marketing emails?
Yes — and it's a core reason teams switch. Receipts and password resets share a platform with newsletters and campaigns. Mailchimp splits transactional email off into Mandrill, a separate add-on service, which means one more integration to maintain.
Is Bitelio's API easier to use than Mailchimp's?
Substantially, yes. Bitelio exposes a modern REST API built with application developers in mind. Mailchimp's API grew out of its marketing product, so you inherit concepts like "audiences," "campaigns," and "merge fields" before you can send anything. Developers routinely describe integrating Bitelio as an order of magnitude simpler.
Does Bitelio have a visual email builder like Mailchimp?
Bitelio ships a lightweight editor, but most customers bring their own HTML templates — which unlocks version control, testing, and reuse. Need true drag-and-drop? Mailchimp does it better. Prefer writing beautiful, responsive emails in code? That's exactly what Bitelio is built for.
Ready for a better developer experience?
Developers keep moving from Mailchimp to Bitelio for the cleaner DX — and for pricing that never penalizes a growing list.