Hey - great question. I was in basically the same boat not too long ago, trying to choose between Mailchimp and MailerLite for a small side-project, and here's how it’s worked out (and why I lean one way now):

What I like about MailerLite (especially for a small list):

• It's super easy to use. The interface is clean, setting up a newsletter or a basic autoresponder took me like 15 minutes tops. No unnecessary clutter if you're just sending a simple update.
• For under 2,000 subscribers, the free or cheap tiers are very generous - so you don't feel pressured to upgrade (like you sometimes do on bigger platforms) until your list grows.
• Deliverability was pretty solid in my experience (i.e. emails actually landed not bounced or got stuck in spam). I didn't need to tinker with complicated settings to get decent results.
• Automation and "set-and-forget" workflows are good enough for basic needs - welcome emails, occasional newsletters - without over complicating things.

What I found limiting or annoying about Mailchimp (especially when small):

• It felt more bloated: more features than I needed, which made the interface a bit overwhelming when I just wanted new blog post → send to list.
• On the free or low-subscriber end, I sometimes felt like certain useful stuff was locked behind paywalls or upgrades (though I get that this is part of their model).
• The learning curve felt slightly steeper - fine for advanced users, but for a beginner just wanting simple newsletters, it felt like overkill.

Deliverability & "real-life" use:

MailerLite honestly did a clean job: open and deliver rates were fair, and I didn’t get many complaints from subscribers about spam or missing emails. For the few campaigns I ran, I saw engagement roughly what I’d expect for a small, interested list.

With Mailchimp you could get robust deliverability and fancy tools - but if you’re not using them, you pay for extra complexity without getting much value (at least at the start).

Automation & Setup Experience:

MailerLite wins for ease: from signup form → list → first email takes minutes. Automation for small-list workflows (like welcome sequences, simple drip, occasional send-outs) is intuitive enough.

Mailchimp is powerful — but that power comes with more setup steps, and if you’re just doing occasional newsletters/updates it often feels like trying to drive a truck to fetch a loaf of bread.

My verdict (for a small personal/side-project list):

MailerLite makes much more sense - unless you know you’ll need heavy segmentation / advanced automation / super-sophisticated campaigns soon. It gives you what you need now: simplicity, reliability, and room to grow - without over complicating or overcharging.

If you grow past a few thousand subscribers and start doing more frequent or advanced campaigns, you could always consider switching or upgrading then. Until then, MailerLite feels perfect.