Move from Mailchimp to MailerLite: what comes across, what doesn't, and what to rebuild
Use MailerLite's built-in Mailchimp importer for subscribers, tags, and simple segments, then rebuild the forms, templates, and automations that don't come across, without accidentally re-mailing people who unsubscribed.
In MailerLite, go to Subscribers → Add subscribers → Import from Mailchimp and connect your account. Pick your lists, let it create a group for each Mailchimp tag, and bring over Unsubscribed contacts too, so they stay blocked. Subscribers, tags, and simple field-based segments come across. Advanced segments (behavior, ecommerce, activity), forms, templates, and automations don't. You rebuild those. Authenticate your domain before you send anything.
What moves and what doesn't
| Mailchimp | In MailerLite after import |
|---|---|
| Audience/list contacts | Imported as subscribers |
| Tags | Groups (if you choose "Create groups for each list and tag") |
| Basic, field-based segments | Recreated as segments |
| Advanced segments (behavior, ecommerce, activity) | Not migrated. Rebuild by hand. |
| Unsubscribed / unconfirmed contacts | Optional. Imported into their own status and can't be sent newsletters. |
| Signup forms and landing pages | Not migrated. Rebuild under Forms and Sites. |
| Email templates | Not migrated. Rebuild under My templates. |
| Customer journeys / automations | Not migrated. Rebuild under Automation. |
| Changes made in Mailchimp after the import | Not synced automatically. Use Sync again. |
Steps
- Check your plan size first. Count active subscribers in Mailchimp. MailerLite's Free plan covers up to 250 subscribers. If you're over that, start the trial or pick a paid tier before importing.
- Start the importer. In MailerLite, open Subscribers, click Add subscribers, and choose the Import from Mailchimp tab. Connect with Log in using credentials (then click Allow in Mailchimp) or with an API key.
- Select lists. Tick the Mailchimp lists to bring over and click Next. Tags are handled in a later step.
- Choose field mapping. Map the fields for me works for most lists. Pick Map the fields myself if you want to keep consent evidence: map
ip_optto a custom field such as "Opt-in IP address" instead of skipping it. - Turn tags into groups. Choose Create groups for each list and tag, so the Mailchimp tags you rely on still exist.
- Bring over all possible segments. Simple field-based segments are recreated. Write down any advanced segments by name now, because they won't appear.
- Include Unsubscribed contacts. In Select additional subscriber statuses, tick Unsubscribed (and Unconfirmed if you have them). They land in their own status and can't be sent newsletters. Keep those statuses in your migration audit; do not assume an arbitrary later CSV will preserve them automatically.
- Duplicates: Update missing info only. Pick this unless you're sure. Overwrite all fields erases existing data wherever the import has an empty cell.
- Import and read the summary. Click Let's import (or Finish import after manual matching). Compare added, updated, and not-added counts against Mailchimp's numbers.
- Authenticate your domain. Do this before your first send. MailerLite's guide flags it as the step that keeps you out of spam.
- Rebuild, then switch. Recreate forms (Forms tab), landing pages (Sites → Landing pages), templates (My templates), and automations (Automation → New automation). Swap the form embeds on your site last, then run Sync again to pick up anyone who joined in the meantime.
Rebuild checklist
Before you send the first MailerLite campaign
0 of 9 done. Ticks are saved only in this browser.
What breaks
- Double welcome emails. Check both signup paths and pause the old one when replacing the embed. Two live workflows can create an unintended duplicate welcome; verify with a permitted test address.
- "Missing" people. Contacts who join Mailchimp after the import don't appear until you click Sync again (Subscribers → Import from Mailchimp).
- Behavior segments come back empty. "Opened in the last 90 days" style segments don't migrate, and MailerLite has no history of those opens yet. Rebuild them, and expect them to fill over a few sends.
- Overwrite wipes data. If you re-import a CSV with "Overwrite all fields", empty cells erase what's in MailerLite.
The importer and 14-day trial let you set everything up before you pay. The Free plan covers lists up to 250.
A local check for this task
Sources
- MailerLite: How to switch from Mailchimp to MailerLite (last edited Aug 13, 2026; read Nov 7, 2026)
- MailerLite pricing (plan limits as listed Nov 7, 2026)
Common checks
Do Mailchimp tags become MailerLite groups?
Yes, if you pick Create groups for each list and tag during import. MailerLite says subscribers in several groups still count once toward your plan.
Will my Mailchimp automations move over?
No. MailerLite's guide has you rebuild them under Automation → New automation, from scratch or from a template.
Can I import more than 250 subscribers on the free plan?
MailerLite's pricing page lists the Free plan at up to 250 subscribers and 2,500 emails a month (as of Nov 7, 2026). A bigger active list needs a paid plan, or the 14-day trial while you set up.
Published November 7, 2026. Sources last read November 7, 2026. Send a correction.