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E-commerce · head to head

Blackbaud Raiser's Edge vs Mailchimp

Blackbaud Raiser's Edge logo

Blackbaud Raiser's Edge

E-commerce

Enterprise-grade donor management system

From
On request
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
Mailchimp logo

Mailchimp

E-commerce

Turn emails into revenue

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Only Mailchimp has a free tier, so it costs nothing to try first.
  • Each has a real cost: Blackbaud Raiser's Edge pricing is not published and requires a sales conversation; Mailchimp the free plan allows 250 contacts and 500 sends a month, with a 250 daily cap
  • They diverge on capability: Blackbaud Raiser's Edge covers Donor management, Mailchimp covers Email campaigns.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Blackbaud Raiser's Edge and Mailchimp actually diverge.

Attributes where Blackbaud Raiser's Edge and Mailchimp differ
AttributeBlackbaud Raiser's EdgeMailchimp
Starting priceOn requestFree
Pricing modelsubscriptionUnknown
Free tierNoYes
PlatformsWeb, Desktop, MobileWeb, iOS, Android
CategoryUnknownE-commerce
Founded19812001

Identical on both: user rating (Not yet rated).

What each one covers

Drawn from each product's published feature list. An absence here means we hold no record of it - not that the product lacks it.

Only in Blackbaud Raiser's Edge

  • Donor management
  • Gift tracking
  • Prospect research
  • Campaign management
  • Advanced reporting
  • Stripe
  • PayPal
  • QuickBooks

Only in Mailchimp

  • Email campaigns
  • Marketing automation
  • Landing pages
  • Forms & popups
  • Audience management
  • Content studio
  • Analytics
  • Social media

Both cover

  • Salesforce

What people use each for

The jobs each tool is most often brought in to do.

Blackbaud Raiser's Edge

  • Donor management and gift processing for nonprofitsnot Mailchimp
  • Major gift portfolio management for fundraisersnot Mailchimp
  • Campaign and appeal trackingnot Mailchimp
  • Prospect research and wealth screeningnot Mailchimp
  • Fundraising reporting for boards and fundersnot Mailchimp

Mailchimp

  • Email newslettersnot Blackbaud Raiser's Edge
  • E-commerce marketingnot Blackbaud Raiser's Edge
  • Lead generationnot Blackbaud Raiser's Edge
  • Customer engagementnot Blackbaud Raiser's Edge
  • Marketing automationnot Blackbaud Raiser's Edge

Where each one falls short

Documented limitations, not opinions. Every one is a constraint you would hit in normal use.

Blackbaud Raiser's Edge

  • Pricing is not published and requires a sales conversation
  • Aimed at mid-sized and large nonprofits with dedicated development teams rather than small charities

Mailchimp

  • The free plan allows 250 contacts and 500 sends a month, with a 250 daily cap
  • Price is driven by contact count, so the list growing raises the bill regardless of how much you send
  • Send allowances are a multiple of contacts, 10x on Essentials and 12x on Standard, so a large list with heavy sending forces a tier change
  • Essentials allows 3 seats and Standard 5; unlimited seats need Premium at $350 a month
  • The headline $13 and $20 prices are for 500 contacts, not a flat rate

Pricing, plan by plan

Blackbaud Raiser's Edge

On request
  • Standard$200/month
    • Donor database
    • Gift tracking
    • Reports
  • Premium$500/month
    • Advanced analytics
    • Prospect research
    • Custom reporting

Mailchimp

Free
  • FreeFree
    • 250 contacts
    • 500 sends per month
    • Basic email campaigns
  • Essentials$13/month
    • 500+ contacts
    • Email campaigns
    • Basic automation
  • Standard$20/month
    • Advanced automation
    • Segmentation
    • Landing pages

Which should you pick?

Choose Blackbaud Raiser's Edge if

  • You need donor management.
  • You work on Web, Desktop, Mobile.
  • You also want gift tracking.
Blackbaud Raiser's Edge review

Choose Mailchimp if

  • You need email campaigns.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You work on Web, iOS, Android.
  • You also want marketing automation.
Mailchimp review

Questions people ask

Is Blackbaud Raiser's Edge or Mailchimp better?
Neither clearly leads. Blackbaud Raiser's Edge starts at On request and Mailchimp at Free, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Blackbaud Raiser's Edge or Mailchimp?
Mailchimp has a free tier; the other does not. Paid plans start at On request for Blackbaud Raiser's Edge and Free for Mailchimp.
Does Blackbaud Raiser's Edge or Mailchimp run on more platforms?
Blackbaud Raiser's Edge runs on Web, Desktop, Mobile. Mailchimp runs on Web, iOS, Android.
Can I use Mailchimp for free?
Yes. Mailchimp has a free tier, so you can try it without paying. Blackbaud Raiser's Edge starts at On request.
What is Blackbaud Raiser's Edge best used for?
Blackbaud Raiser's Edge is most often used for donor management and gift processing for nonprofits, major gift portfolio management for fundraisers, campaign and appeal tracking, prospect research and wealth screening. Of those, donor management and gift processing for nonprofits and major gift portfolio management for fundraisers are not what Mailchimp is typically brought in for.
What can Blackbaud Raiser's Edge do that Mailchimp cannot?
Blackbaud Raiser's Edge covers Donor management, Gift tracking, Prospect research, Campaign management. Mailchimp covers Email campaigns, Marketing automation, Landing pages, Forms & popups. Both handle Salesforce.

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

Mailchimp: Does Mailchimp offer a free plan?

Yes, Mailchimp's free plan supports up to 250 contacts and 500 sends per month with a 250-per-day cap.

Source
Mailchimp: What email features does Mailchimp include?

Mailchimp provides email campaign builder, automation sequences, segmentation, contact management, and A/B testing for email marketing.

Source
Mailchimp: Can Mailchimp integrate with e-commerce platforms?

Yes, Mailchimp integrates with Shopify, WooCommerce, Squarespace, and other e-commerce platforms for customer sync and abandoned cart automation.

Source
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