Retail · head to head
Braze vs Mailchimp
Braze
Retail
Customer engagement platform built for the modern marketer
- From
- On request
- Rated
- -
The short version
- Only Mailchimp has a free tier, so it costs nothing to try first.
- Each has a real cost: Braze no free tier or monthly billing, requiring annual enterprise contracts with no flexibility; Mailchimp the free plan allows 250 contacts and 500 sends a month, with a 250 daily cap
- They diverge on capability: Braze covers Cross-channel messaging, Mailchimp covers Email campaigns.
Where they differ
Only the attributes on which Braze and Mailchimp actually diverge.
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 Braze
- Cross-channel messaging
- Customer journey orchestration
- Real-time personalization
- A/B testing
- Predictive analytics
- Audience segmentation
- Campaign analytics
- Content cards
Only in Mailchimp
- Email campaigns
- Marketing automation
- Landing pages
- Forms & popups
- Audience management
- Content studio
- Analytics
- Social media
Both cover
- Salesforce
- SOC2
- ISO27001
What people use each for
The jobs each tool is most often brought in to do.
Braze
- Customer engagement
- Marketing automation
- Personalizationnot Mailchimp
- Retention campaignsnot Mailchimp
- Cross-channel messagingnot Mailchimp
Mailchimp
- Email newslettersnot Braze
- E-commerce marketingnot Braze
- Lead generationnot Braze
- Customer engagement
- Marketing automation
Both are used for customer engagement, marketing automation, on those jobs the choice comes down to price and fit rather than capability.
Where each one falls short
Documented limitations, not opinions. Every one is a constraint you would hit in normal use.
Braze
- No free tier or monthly billing, requiring annual enterprise contracts with no flexibility
- Implementation costs of $20k-$100k+ significantly increase total cost of ownership
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 $20 prices are for 500 contacts, not a flat rate
Pricing, plan by plan
Braze
On request- Pro$undefined/month
- Core messaging channels
- Basic segmentation
- Campaign analytics
- Plus$undefined/month
- Advanced features
- Predictive suite
- Canvas Flow
- Premier$undefined/month
- All features
- Dedicated CSM
- Custom integrations
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 Braze if
- You need cross-channel messaging.
- You work on Web, Ios, Android, Api.
- You also want customer journey orchestration.
Choose Mailchimp if
- You need email campaigns.
- You want to start without paying.
- You work on Web, iOS, Android.
- You also want marketing automation.
Questions people ask
- Is Braze or Mailchimp better?
- Neither clearly leads. Braze 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, Braze or Mailchimp?
- Mailchimp has a free tier; the other does not. Paid plans start at On request for Braze and Free for Mailchimp.
- Does Braze or Mailchimp run on more platforms?
- Braze runs on Web, Ios, Android, Api. 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. Braze starts at On request.
- What is Braze best used for?
- Braze is most often used for customer engagement, marketing automation, personalization, retention campaigns. Of those, personalization and retention campaigns are not what Mailchimp is typically brought in for.
- What can Braze do that Mailchimp cannot?
- Braze covers Cross-channel messaging, Customer journey orchestration, Real-time personalization, A/B testing. Mailchimp covers Email campaigns, Marketing automation, Landing pages, Forms & popups. Both handle Salesforce, SOC2, ISO27001.
Answered from the vendors’ own pages
Braze: What is Braze's pricing model?
Braze uses a usage-based pricing model with custom annual contracts. There is no free plan or monthly billing. Typical contracts range from $60,000 to $200,000 per year for mid-market deployments.
SourceMailchimp: 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.
SourceBraze: Does Braze offer implementation support?
Implementation through a Braze Solutions Partner typically costs $20,000 to $100,000 or more, as Braze is an enterprise platform requiring custom configuration.
SourceMailchimp: What email features does Mailchimp include?
Mailchimp provides email campaign builder, automation sequences, segmentation, contact management, and A/B testing for email marketing.
SourceBraze: What messaging channels does Braze support?
Braze supports push notifications, in-app messaging, email, SMS, and web messaging across mobile apps and web platforms.
SourceMailchimp: 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