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Software · head to head

Donorbox vs Mailchimp

Donorbox logo

Donorbox

Software

Online fundraising platform for nonprofits

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
Mailchimp logo

Mailchimp

Software

Turn emails into revenue

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Each has a real cost: Donorbox standard plan charges 2.95-3.95% platform fee per donation on top of payment processor fees (2.2-2.49% + card processing); Mailchimp the free plan allows 250 contacts and 500 sends a month, with a 250 daily cap
  • They diverge on capability: Donorbox covers Custom donation forms, Mailchimp covers Email campaigns.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Donorbox and Mailchimp actually diverge.

Attributes where Donorbox and Mailchimp differ
AttributeDonorboxMailchimp
Pricing modelfreemiumUnknown
PlatformsWebWeb, iOS, Android
Founded20162001

Identical on both: starting price (Free), free tier (Yes), user rating (Not yet rated), category (Unknown).

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 Donorbox

  • Custom donation forms
  • Peer-to-peer fundraising
  • Payment processing
  • Donor management
  • Stripe
  • PayPal
  • Mailchimp
  • Zapier

Only in Mailchimp

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

What people use each for

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

Donorbox

  • Small to mid-sized nonprofits needing affordable donation processing in 96+ countriesnot Mailchimp
  • Organisations seeking integrated event ticketing and peer-to-peer fundraisingnot Mailchimp
  • Multi-channel giving strategies including text-to-give and membership programmesnot Mailchimp

Mailchimp

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

Where each one falls short

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

Donorbox

  • Standard plan charges 2.95-3.95% platform fee per donation on top of payment processor fees (2.2-2.49% + card processing)
  • Premium plan pricing requires contacting sales, not displayed publicly
  • Pro plan limited to growing organisations; larger nonprofits must upgrade to Premium with custom pricing

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

Donorbox

Free

No published plan breakdown. See the Donorbox review.

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 Donorbox if

  • You need custom donation forms.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You also want peer-to-peer fundraising.
Donorbox 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 Donorbox or Mailchimp better?
Neither clearly leads. Donorbox 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, Donorbox or Mailchimp?
Donorbox starts at Free and Mailchimp at Free.
Does Donorbox or Mailchimp run on more platforms?
Donorbox runs on Web. Mailchimp runs on Web, iOS, Android.
Can I use Donorbox for free?
Both have a free tier, so you can try either at no cost before committing.
What is Donorbox best used for?
Donorbox is most often used for small to mid-sized nonprofits needing affordable donation processing in 96+ countries, organisations seeking integrated event ticketing and peer-to-peer fundraising, multi-channel giving strategies including text-to-give and membership programmes. Of those, small to mid-sized nonprofits needing affordable donation processing in 96+ countries and organisations seeking integrated event ticketing and peer-to-peer fundraising are not what Mailchimp is typically brought in for.
What can Donorbox do that Mailchimp cannot?
Donorbox covers Custom donation forms, Peer-to-peer fundraising, Payment processing, Donor management. Mailchimp covers Email campaigns, Marketing automation, Landing pages, Forms & popups.

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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Related pages

More on Donorbox

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