Is Libsyn or Mailchimp better?

Neither clearly leads. Libsyn starts at $5/month and Mailchimp at Free, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.

Which is cheaper, Libsyn or Mailchimp?

Mailchimp has a free tier; the other does not. Paid plans start at $5/month for Libsyn and Free for Mailchimp.

Does Libsyn or Mailchimp run on more platforms?

Libsyn runs on Web, Ios, Android. 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. Libsyn starts at $5/month.

What is Libsyn best used for?

Libsyn is most often used for hosting podcast audio and distributing it to apple podcasts, spotify and youtube, measuring audience with iab certified download statistics, monetising shows through advertising on enterprise plans. Of those, hosting podcast audio and distributing it to apple podcasts, spotify and youtube and measuring audience with iab certified download statistics are not what Mailchimp is typically brought in for.

What can Libsyn do that Mailchimp cannot?

Libsyn covers Reliable hosting, Advanced analytics, Monetization platform, Distribution network. Mailchimp covers Email campaigns, Marketing automation, Landing pages, Forms & popups.

Podcast & Audio Publishing · head to head

Libsyn vs Mailchimp

Libsyn

Podcast & Audio Publishing

The original podcast hosting platform since 2004

From: $5/month
Rated: -

Full review Website

Mailchimp

E-commerce

Turn emails into revenue

From: Free
Rated: -

Full review Website

The short version

Only Mailchimp has a free tier, so it costs nothing to try first.
Each has a real cost: Libsyn basic plan at $12 per month allows only 3 hours of audio upload per month; Mailchimp the free plan allows 250 contacts and 500 sends a month, with a 250 daily cap
They diverge on capability: Libsyn covers Reliable hosting, Mailchimp covers Email campaigns.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Libsyn and Mailchimp actually diverge.

Attributes where Libsyn and Mailchimp differ
Attribute	Libsyn	Mailchimp
Starting price	$5/month	Free
Pricing model	subscription	Unknown
Free tier	No	Yes
Category	Podcast & Audio Publishing	E-commerce
Founded	2004	2001

Identical on both: platforms (Web, Ios, Android), 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 Libsyn

Reliable hosting
Advanced analytics
Monetization platform
Distribution network
Custom website
Ad insertion
Apple Podcasts
Spotify

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.

Libsyn

Hosting podcast audio and distributing it to Apple Podcasts, Spotify and YouTubenot Mailchimp
Measuring audience with IAB certified download statisticsnot Mailchimp
Monetising shows through advertising on enterprise plansnot Mailchimp

Mailchimp

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

Where each one falls short

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

Libsyn

Basic plan at $12 per month allows only 3 hours of audio upload per month
Advanced IAB verified stats require the $25 per month Advanced plan; Basic gets basic stats only
Spotify video distribution requires the Advanced or Max plan
Dynamic ad insertion sits on Professional and Enterprise plans that are quoted by sales with no published rate
The top published tier, Max at $150 per month, still caps audio uploads at 55 hours per month

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

Libsyn

$5/month

Classic 50$5/month
- 50 MB monthly storage
- Basic statistics
- Podcast page
Classic 150$15/month
- 150 MB monthly storage
- Advanced statistics
- Custom website
Advanced 400$20/month
- 400 MB monthly storage
- Premium analytics
- Multiple shows
Advanced 800$40/month
- 800 MB monthly storage
- Full analytics suite
- Priority support

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 Libsyn if

You need reliable hosting.
You work on Web, Ios, Android.
You also want advanced analytics.

Libsyn 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 Libsyn or Mailchimp better?: Neither clearly leads. Libsyn starts at $5/month and Mailchimp at Free, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Libsyn or Mailchimp?: Mailchimp has a free tier; the other does not. Paid plans start at $5/month for Libsyn and Free for Mailchimp.
Does Libsyn or Mailchimp run on more platforms?: Libsyn runs on Web, Ios, Android. 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. Libsyn starts at $5/month.
What is Libsyn best used for?: Libsyn is most often used for hosting podcast audio and distributing it to apple podcasts, spotify and youtube, measuring audience with iab certified download statistics, monetising shows through advertising on enterprise plans. Of those, hosting podcast audio and distributing it to apple podcasts, spotify and youtube and measuring audience with iab certified download statistics are not what Mailchimp is typically brought in for.
What can Libsyn do that Mailchimp cannot?: Libsyn covers Reliable hosting, Advanced analytics, Monetization platform, Distribution network. 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

Libsyn vs Mailchimp

Libsyn

Mailchimp

The short version

Where they differ

What each one covers

Only in Libsyn

Only in Mailchimp

What people use each for

Libsyn

Mailchimp

Where each one falls short

Libsyn

Mailchimp

Pricing, plan by plan

Libsyn

Mailchimp

Which should you pick?

Choose Libsyn if

Choose Mailchimp if

Questions people ask

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

Related pages

More on Libsyn

More on Mailchimp

Keep looking

Other head to heads