E-commerce · head to head
FastSpring vs Mailchimp
FastSpring
E-commerce
Merchant-of-record commerce platform for global payments, subscriptions, and tax compliance
- 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: FastSpring pricing is not published and requires contacting sales for a quote, making cost comparison difficult upfront.; Mailchimp the free plan allows 250 contacts and 500 sends a month, with a 250 daily cap
- They diverge on capability: FastSpring covers Global online payments, Mailchimp covers Email campaigns.
Where they differ
Only the attributes on which FastSpring and Mailchimp actually diverge.
| Attribute | FastSpring | Mailchimp |
|---|---|---|
| Starting price | On request | Free |
| Pricing model | transaction | Unknown |
| Free tier | No | Yes |
| Platforms | web, api | Web, iOS, Android |
| Founded | 2006 | 2001 |
Identical on both: user rating (Not yet rated), category (E-commerce).
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 FastSpring
- Global online payments
- Subscription billing
- Branded checkout
- Tax compliance
- Fraud prevention
- Digital invoicing and quotes
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.
FastSpring
- Selling software or SaaS internationally without a local tax entitynot Mailchimp
- B2B invoicing and custom quotes for enterprise SaaS dealsnot Mailchimp
- Recurring subscription billing for digital productsnot Mailchimp
- Reducing fraud and chargebacks on digital purchasesnot Mailchimp
Mailchimp
- Email newslettersnot FastSpring
- E-commerce marketingnot FastSpring
- Lead generationnot FastSpring
- Customer engagementnot FastSpring
- Marketing automationnot FastSpring
Where each one falls short
Documented limitations, not opinions. Every one is a constraint you would hit in normal use.
FastSpring
- Pricing is not published and requires contacting sales for a quote, making cost comparison difficult upfront.
- As a merchant-of-record, FastSpring takes on more control of the checkout and payment relationship than a pure payment gateway like Stripe.
- Revenue share pricing can become more expensive than flat per-transaction gateway fees at very high volumes.
- Primarily targeted at software/digital goods sellers, so it is less suited to physical product e-commerce.
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 $20 prices are for 500 contacts, not a flat rate
Pricing, plan by plan
FastSpring
On request- Custom$undefined/mo
- All-in-one transaction-based pricing based on sales volume
- No subscription fees or per-feature charges
- Discounted rates for ACH and wire transfers
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 FastSpring if
- You need global online payments.
- You work on web, api.
- You also want subscription billing.
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 FastSpring or Mailchimp better?
- Neither clearly leads. FastSpring 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, FastSpring or Mailchimp?
- Mailchimp has a free tier; the other does not. Paid plans start at On request for FastSpring and Free for Mailchimp.
- Does FastSpring or Mailchimp run on more platforms?
- FastSpring runs on web, 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. FastSpring starts at On request.
- What is FastSpring best used for?
- FastSpring is most often used for selling software or saas internationally without a local tax entity, b2b invoicing and custom quotes for enterprise saas deals, recurring subscription billing for digital products, reducing fraud and chargebacks on digital purchases. Of those, selling software or saas internationally without a local tax entity and b2b invoicing and custom quotes for enterprise saas deals are not what Mailchimp is typically brought in for.
- What can FastSpring do that Mailchimp cannot?
- FastSpring covers Global online payments, Subscription billing, Branded checkout, Tax compliance. Mailchimp covers Email campaigns, Marketing automation, Landing pages, Forms & popups.
Answered from the vendors’ own pages
FastSpring: What does FastSpring cost?
FastSpring uses flat-rate, all-in-one pricing based on transaction volume, with fees withheld from payouts. There is no minimum volume or subscription fee, and pricing is typically quoted based on expected sales volume after contacting their sales team.
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.
SourceFastSpring: Is there a free plan?
FastSpring does not offer a free plan; instead pricing is transaction-based with no upfront subscription cost, and merchants only pay a commission on completed sales.
SourceMailchimp: What email features does Mailchimp include?
Mailchimp provides email campaign builder, automation sequences, segmentation, contact management, and A/B testing for email marketing.
SourceFastSpring: What does FastSpring integrate with or include compared to a payment gateway like Stripe?
FastSpring bundles international payments, subscription management, tax compliance, fraud prevention, reporting, and B2B invoicing into one price, whereas gateways like Stripe charge separately for many of these features.
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.
SourceRelated pages
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