Softwr

E-commerce · head to head

Mailchimp vs VWO

Mailchimp logo

Mailchimp

E-commerce

Turn emails into revenue

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
VWO logo

VWO

Marketing & Analytics

Experience Optimization Platform

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; VWO growth plan restricted to 1 workspace and 0 custom attributes
  • They diverge on capability: Mailchimp covers Email campaigns, VWO covers A/B testing.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Mailchimp and VWO actually diverge.

Attributes where Mailchimp and VWO differ
AttributeMailchimpVWO
Pricing modelUnknownusage-based
PlatformsWeb, iOS, AndroidWeb, iOS, Android, Server-side
CategoryE-commerceMarketing & Analytics
Founded20012007

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 VWO

  • A/B testing
  • Multivariate testing
  • Heatmaps
  • Session recordings
  • Slack
  • SSL encryption
  • Cloud deployment
  • Web support

Both cover

  • Analytics
  • Google Analytics

What people use each for

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

Mailchimp

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

VWO

  • A/B testing and multivariate testingnot Mailchimp
  • Conversion rate optimisationnot Mailchimp
  • Behavioural analytics and session recordingsnot Mailchimp
  • Feature experimentation and progressive rolloutsnot 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

VWO

  • Growth plan restricted to 1 workspace and 0 custom attributes
  • Single Sign-On (SSO) and API access limited to Enterprise tier only
  • Growth plan offers only 8-hour first response time for support

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

VWO

Free

No published plan breakdown. See the VWO 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.
Mailchimp review

Choose VWO if

  • You need a/b testing.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You work on Web, iOS, Android, Server-side.
  • You also want multivariate testing.
VWO review

Questions people ask

Is Mailchimp or VWO better?
Neither clearly leads. Mailchimp starts at Free and VWO at Free, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Mailchimp or VWO?
Mailchimp starts at Free and VWO at Free.
Does Mailchimp or VWO run on more platforms?
Mailchimp runs on Web, iOS, Android. VWO runs on Web, iOS, Android, Server-side.
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 VWO is typically brought in for.
What can Mailchimp do that VWO cannot?
Mailchimp covers Email campaigns, Marketing automation, Landing pages, Forms & popups. VWO covers A/B testing, Multivariate testing, Heatmaps, Session recordings. Both handle Analytics, 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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Related pages

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