Softwr

E-commerce · head to head

Mailchimp vs Constant Contact

Mailchimp logo

Mailchimp

E-commerce

Turn emails into revenue

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
Constant Contact logo

Constant Contact

Nonprofit & Fundraising

Email marketing and event management

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Each has a real cost: Mailchimp the free plan allows 250 contacts and 500 sends a month, with a 250 daily cap; 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)
  • They diverge on capability: Mailchimp covers Email campaigns, Constant Contact covers Email marketing.

Where they differ

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

Attributes where Mailchimp and Constant Contact differ
AttributeMailchimpConstant Contact
Pricing modelUnknownsubscription
PlatformsWeb, iOS, AndroidWeb, Mobile-responsive
CategoryE-commerceNonprofit & Fundraising
Founded20011995

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 Mailchimp

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

Only in Constant Contact

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

Both cover

  • Analytics
  • Salesforce
  • Google Analytics
  • Facebook

What people use each for

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

Mailchimp

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

Constant Contact

  • Business operationsnot Mailchimp
  • Productivitynot Mailchimp
  • Automationnot Mailchimp

Where each one falls short

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

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

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)

Pricing, plan by plan

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

Constant Contact

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

Which should you pick?

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

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

Questions people ask

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

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More on Constant Contact

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