Softwr

Nonprofit & Fundraising · head to head

Constant Contact vs Mailchimp

Constant Contact logo

Constant Contact

Nonprofit & Fundraising

Email marketing and event management

From
Free
Rated
-
Mailchimp logo

Mailchimp

E-commerce

Turn emails into revenue

From
Free
Rated
-

The short version

  • Each has a real cost: Constant Contact core plan started at $9.99 per month and Plus plan at $45 per month, both scaling by contact list size rather than a flat rate (Internet Archive capture, 2022); Mailchimp the free plan allows 250 contacts and 500 sends a month, with a 250 daily cap
  • They diverge on capability: Constant Contact covers Email marketing, Mailchimp covers Email campaigns.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Constant Contact and Mailchimp actually diverge.

Attributes where Constant Contact and Mailchimp differ
AttributeConstant ContactMailchimp
Pricing modelsubscriptionUnknown
PlatformsWeb, Mobile-responsiveWeb, iOS, Android
CategoryNonprofit & FundraisingE-commerce
Founded19952001

Identical on both: starting price (Free), free tier (Yes), 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 Constant Contact

  • Email marketing
  • Event management
  • Contact management
  • Automation
  • Zapier
  • Web support
  • Mobile-responsive support

Only in Mailchimp

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

Both cover

  • Analytics
  • Salesforce
  • Google Analytics
  • Facebook

What people use each for

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

Constant Contact

  • Business operationsnot Mailchimp
  • Productivitynot Mailchimp
  • Automationnot Mailchimp

Mailchimp

  • Email newslettersnot Constant Contact
  • E-commerce marketingnot Constant Contact
  • Lead generationnot Constant Contact
  • Customer engagementnot Constant Contact
  • Marketing automationnot Constant Contact

Where each one falls short

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

Constant Contact

  • Core plan started at $9.99 per month and Plus plan at $45 per month, both scaling by contact list size rather than a flat rate (Internet Archive capture, 2022)

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

Constant Contact

Free
  • FreeFree
    • Basic email marketing
    • Contacts up to 100
  • Plus$45/month
    • Advanced features
    • Event management
    • Automation

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 Constant Contact if

  • You need email marketing.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You work on Web, Mobile-responsive.
  • You also want event management.

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 Constant Contact or Mailchimp better?
Neither clearly leads. Constant Contact starts at Free and Mailchimp at Free, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Constant Contact or Mailchimp?
Constant Contact starts at Free and Mailchimp at Free.
Does Constant Contact or Mailchimp run on more platforms?
Constant Contact runs on Web, Mobile-responsive. Mailchimp runs on Web, iOS, Android.
Can I use Constant Contact for free?
Both have a free tier, so you can try either at no cost before committing.
What is Constant Contact best used for?
Constant Contact is most often used for business operations, productivity, automation. Of those, business operations and productivity are not what Mailchimp is typically brought in for.
What can Constant Contact do that Mailchimp cannot?
Constant Contact covers Email marketing, Event management, Contact management, Automation. Mailchimp covers Email campaigns, Marketing automation, Landing pages, Forms & popups. Both handle Analytics, Salesforce, Google Analytics, Facebook.

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

Related pages

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