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E-Commerce · head to head

Mailchimp vs Salsa CRM

Mailchimp logo

Mailchimp

E-Commerce

Turn emails into revenue

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
Salsa CRM logo

Salsa CRM

Nonprofits

Integrated CRM and email marketing for nonprofits

From
On request
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

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; Salsa CRM no longer sold as Salsa. salsalabs.com redirects to Bonterra, which absorbed it alongside EveryAction
  • They diverge on capability: Mailchimp covers Email campaigns, Salsa CRM covers Contact management.
  • Prices and features above were last checked on 30 August 2026.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Mailchimp and Salsa CRM actually diverge.

Attributes where Mailchimp and Salsa CRM differ
AttributeMailchimpSalsa CRM
Starting priceFreeOn request
Pricing modelUnknownsubscription
Free tierYesNo
PlatformsWeb, iOS, AndroidWeb, Mobile-responsive
CategoryE-CommerceNonprofits
Founded20012000

Identical on both: 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 Salsa CRM

  • Contact management
  • Email marketing
  • Fundraising tools
  • Advocacy campaigns
  • Stripe
  • PayPal
  • Web support
  • Mobile-responsive support

Both cover

  • Analytics
  • Salesforce
  • Google Analytics

What people use each for

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

Mailchimp

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

Salsa CRM

  • 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

Salsa CRM

  • No longer sold as Salsa. salsalabs.com redirects to Bonterra, which absorbed it alongside EveryAction
  • Pricing is not published

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

Salsa CRM

On request
  • Essential$85/month
    • Contact management
    • Email marketing
  • Advanced$200/month
    • Fundraising tools
    • Advocacy campaigns
    • Reporting

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 Salsa CRM if

  • You need contact management.
  • You work on Web, Mobile-responsive.
  • You also want email marketing.
Salsa CRM review

Questions people ask

Is Mailchimp or Salsa CRM better?
Neither clearly leads. Mailchimp starts at Free and Salsa CRM at On request, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Mailchimp or Salsa CRM?
Mailchimp has a free tier; the other does not. Paid plans start at Free for Mailchimp and On request for Salsa CRM.
Does Mailchimp or Salsa CRM run on more platforms?
Mailchimp runs on Web, iOS, Android. Salsa CRM runs on Web, Mobile-responsive.
Can I use Mailchimp for free?
Yes. Mailchimp has a free tier, so you can try it without paying. Salsa CRM 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 Salsa CRM is typically brought in for.
What can Mailchimp do that Salsa CRM cannot?
Mailchimp covers Email campaigns, Marketing automation, Landing pages, Forms & popups. Salsa CRM covers Contact management, Email marketing, Fundraising tools, Advocacy campaigns. Both handle Analytics, Salesforce, Google Analytics.

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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