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Nonprofit & Fundraising · head to head

Constant Contact vs Stripe

Constant Contact logo

Constant Contact

Nonprofit & Fundraising

Email marketing and event management

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
S

Stripe

E-commerce

Financial infrastructure for the internet

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

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); Stripe requires developer setup and API integration for most use cases
  • They diverge on capability: Constant Contact covers Email marketing, Stripe covers Payment processing.

Where they differ

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

Attributes where Constant Contact and Stripe differ
AttributeConstant ContactStripe
Pricing modelsubscriptionUnknown
PlatformsWeb, Mobile-responsiveWeb, iOS, Android
CategoryNonprofit & FundraisingE-commerce
Founded19952010

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
  • Analytics
  • Google Analytics
  • Facebook
  • Web support

Only in Stripe

  • Payment processing
  • Subscription billing
  • Invoicing
  • Terminal (in-person payments)
  • Fraud prevention
  • 3D Secure
  • Global payouts
  • Financial reporting

Both cover

  • Salesforce
  • Zapier

What people use each for

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

Constant Contact

  • Business operationsnot Stripe
  • Productivitynot Stripe
  • Automationnot Stripe

Stripe

  • Online paymentsnot Constant Contact
  • Subscription managementnot Constant Contact
  • Marketplace paymentsnot Constant Contact
  • Global expansionnot Constant Contact
  • Platform monetizationnot 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)

Stripe

  • Requires developer setup and API integration for most use cases
  • Dispute fee of $15 per chargeback is standard industry cost
  • Limited offline payment capabilities

Pricing, plan by plan

Constant Contact

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

Stripe

Free

No published plan breakdown. See the Stripe review.

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.
Constant Contact review

Choose Stripe if

  • You need payment processing.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You work on Web, iOS, Android.
  • You also want subscription billing.
Stripe review

Questions people ask

Is Constant Contact or Stripe better?
Neither clearly leads. Constant Contact starts at Free and Stripe at Free, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Constant Contact or Stripe?
Constant Contact starts at Free and Stripe at Free.
Does Constant Contact or Stripe run on more platforms?
Constant Contact runs on Web, Mobile-responsive. Stripe 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 Stripe is typically brought in for.
What can Constant Contact do that Stripe cannot?
Constant Contact covers Email marketing, Event management, Contact management, Automation. Stripe covers Payment processing, Subscription billing, Invoicing, Terminal (in-person payments). Both handle Salesforce, Zapier.

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

Stripe: What are Stripe's transaction fees?

Standard US rates are 2.9% plus 30 cents for online card payments, 2.7% plus 5 cents for in-person, 3.4% plus 30 cents for keyed/phone transactions, and 0.8% capped at $5 for ACH payments.

Source
Stripe: How many currencies and countries does it support?

Stripe accepts 135+ currencies and supports payment acceptance in 40+ countries through Stripe Connect, enabling sellers to onboard and receive payouts in minutes.

Source
Stripe: What payment methods are supported?

Stripe supports dozens of payment methods including credit/debit cards, ACH transfers, and local payment options, with additional support through partnerships with Meta and Google.

Source
Stripe: Are there monthly fees or contracts?

No. Stripe charges no monthly fees or contracts, only per-transaction fees and dispute fees, making costs fully transparent and variable.

Source
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