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Software · head to head

Mailchimp vs Squarespace Commerce

Mailchimp logo

Mailchimp

Software

Turn emails into revenue

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
Squarespace Commerce logo

Squarespace Commerce

Software

All-in-one website builder and ecommerce platform

From
$14/month
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; Squarespace Commerce the entry plan charges a 2% transaction fee on online store sales on top of payment processing
  • They diverge on capability: Mailchimp covers Email campaigns, Squarespace Commerce covers Website builder.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Mailchimp and Squarespace Commerce actually diverge.

Attributes where Mailchimp and Squarespace Commerce differ
AttributeMailchimpSquarespace Commerce
Starting priceFree$14/month
Pricing modelUnknownsubscription
Free tierYesNo
PlatformsWeb, iOS, AndroidWeb
Founded20012003

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
  • Social media
  • Shopify

Only in Squarespace Commerce

  • Website builder
  • Ecommerce platform
  • Mobile optimization
  • Email marketing
  • Domain registration
  • SSL certificate
  • Customer accounts

Both cover

  • Analytics

What people use each for

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

Mailchimp

  • Email newslettersnot Squarespace Commerce
  • E-commerce marketingnot Squarespace Commerce
  • Lead generationnot Squarespace Commerce
  • Customer engagementnot Squarespace Commerce
  • Marketing automationnot Squarespace Commerce

Squarespace Commerce

  • Running a store on a hosted website builder with managed hostingnot Mailchimp
  • Selling products, services and memberships from one sitenot 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

Squarespace Commerce

  • The entry plan charges a 2% transaction fee on online store sales on top of payment processing
  • Digital content and membership sales carry their own fee, up to 7% on the lowest tier
  • The entry plan is limited to 2 contributors
  • Reaching a 0% transaction fee requires moving up from the entry plan

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

Squarespace Commerce

$14/month
  • Personal$14/month
    • Website builder
    • Free domain
    • Analytics
  • Business$23/month
    • All Personal features
    • Ecommerce functionality
    • Inventory management

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 Squarespace Commerce if

  • You need website builder.
  • You also want ecommerce platform.
Squarespace Commerce review

Questions people ask

Is Mailchimp or Squarespace Commerce better?
Neither clearly leads. Mailchimp starts at Free and Squarespace Commerce at $14/month, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Mailchimp or Squarespace Commerce?
Mailchimp has a free tier; the other does not. Paid plans start at Free for Mailchimp and $14/month for Squarespace Commerce.
Does Mailchimp or Squarespace Commerce run on more platforms?
Mailchimp runs on Web, iOS, Android. Squarespace Commerce runs on Web.
Can I use Mailchimp for free?
Yes. Mailchimp has a free tier, so you can try it without paying. Squarespace Commerce starts at $14/month.
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 Squarespace Commerce is typically brought in for.
What can Mailchimp do that Squarespace Commerce cannot?
Mailchimp covers Email campaigns, Marketing automation, Landing pages, Forms & popups. Squarespace Commerce covers Website builder, Ecommerce platform, Mobile optimization, Email marketing. Both handle 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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