Software · head to head
Mailchimp vs Gumroad
The short version
- Only Mailchimp has a free tier, so it costs nothing to try first.
- Each has a real cost: Mailchimp the free plan allows 250 contacts and 500 sends a month, with a 250 daily cap; Gumroad charges a 10 percent plus $0.50 transaction fee on direct sales, rising to 30 percent on sales made through its Discover marketplace
Where they differ
Only the attributes on which Mailchimp and Gumroad actually diverge.
Identical on both: 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 Mailchimp
- Email campaigns
- Marketing automation
- Landing pages
- Forms & popups
- Audience management
- Content studio
- Analytics
- Social media
Only in Gumroad
Nothing recorded that Mailchimp does not also cover.
What people use each for
The jobs each tool is most often brought in to do.
Mailchimp
- Email newslettersnot Gumroad
- E-commerce marketingnot Gumroad
- Lead generationnot Gumroad
- Customer engagementnot Gumroad
- Marketing automationnot Gumroad
Gumroad
No use cases recorded yet. See the Gumroad review.
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
Gumroad
- Charges a 10 percent plus $0.50 transaction fee on direct sales, rising to 30 percent on sales made through its Discover marketplace
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
Gumroad
On requestNo published plan breakdown. See the Gumroad review.
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.
Choose Gumroad if
Nothing in the data separates Gumroad from Mailchimp on the points above - pick on price and on how each one feels to use.
Questions people ask
- Is Mailchimp or Gumroad better?
- Neither clearly leads. Mailchimp starts at Free and Gumroad at On request, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
- Which is cheaper, Mailchimp or Gumroad?
- Mailchimp has a free tier; the other does not. Paid plans start at Free for Mailchimp and On request for Gumroad.
- Does Mailchimp or Gumroad run on more platforms?
- Mailchimp runs on Web, iOS, Android. Gumroad runs on Web.
- Can I use Mailchimp for free?
- Yes. Mailchimp has a free tier, so you can try it without paying. Gumroad starts at On request.
- 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 Gumroad is typically brought in for.
- What can Mailchimp do that Gumroad cannot?
- 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.
SourceMailchimp: What email features does Mailchimp include?
Mailchimp provides email campaign builder, automation sequences, segmentation, contact management, and A/B testing for email marketing.
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.
Source