Mailchimp and Constant Contact are the two most recognized email marketing platforms for small businesses. Both work. Both have tradeoffs. The right one for your business depends on your specific needs, budget, and technical comfort level. Here’s the honest comparison.
Quick Overview
Mailchimp is the most widely used email marketing platform in the world. It started as a simple newsletter tool and has grown into a full marketing platform with CRM features, landing pages, and social media tools built in.
Constant Contact has been in the email marketing space since 1995. It focuses on simplicity and support, and it’s particularly popular with small local businesses, nonprofits, and event-driven organizations.
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Feature | Mailchimp | Constant Contact |
|---|---|---|
| Free Plan | Yes (500 contacts, 1,000 emails/month) | No (60-day free trial only) |
| Starting Price | ~$13/month (Essentials) | ~$12/month (Lite) |
| Ease of Use | Moderate (feature-rich, steeper curve) | High (simpler, very beginner-friendly) |
| Email Templates | 100+ modern templates | 200+ templates |
| Automation | Strong (on paid plans) | Solid (available across tiers) |
| Customer Support | Email/chat (free plan: email only) | Phone + chat available on all paid plans |
| A/B Testing | Yes (Standard and above) | Yes (on higher tiers) |
| Landing Pages | Yes (all plans) | Yes (on higher tiers) |
| Integrations | 300+ integrations | 200+ integrations |
| Reporting | Detailed analytics dashboard | Good core reporting |
Pricing Deep Dive
Mailchimp Pricing
- Free: Up to 500 contacts, 1,000 emails/month. Basic templates, one-step automations, limited segmentation. No phone support.
- Essentials (~$13/month): Up to 500 contacts (scales with list size), unlimited emails, A/B testing, multi-step automations, 24/7 email/chat support.
- Standard (~$20/month): Advanced automations, behavioral targeting, retargeting ads, custom templates, predictive demographics.
- Premium (~$350/month): Unlimited contacts, advanced segmentation, multivariate testing, dedicated support.
Mailchimp’s pricing scales with your contact count. A 5,000-contact list on Essentials runs around $69/month. This is a meaningful consideration as you grow. For more, see What is Organic Traffic? A Plain-English Guide for Entrepreneurs.
Constant Contact Pricing
- Lite (~$12/month): Up to 500 contacts, 10x list size in sends per month, basic email and landing pages, some automations.
- Standard (~$35/month): Everything in Lite plus scheduled sending, polls/surveys, and better segmentation.
- Premium (~$80/month): Advanced automations, A/B testing, SEO tools, social media scheduling, and priority support.
Ease of Use
Constant Contact is genuinely easier for beginners. The interface is clean, the terminology is accessible, and the setup process walks you through everything step by step. Phone support is available if you get stuck, which matters for business owners who aren’t tech-savvy. For more, see What is Domain Flipping? A Plain-English Guide for Entrepreneurs.
Mailchimp has a slightly steeper learning curve because it has more features. The drag-and-drop editor is excellent once you know it, but the interface can be overwhelming when you’re starting from scratch. The documentation is good, but phone support is not available on most plans.
Automation Features
Both platforms handle the core email automations small businesses need:
- Welcome email series for new subscribers
- Abandoned cart emails for e-commerce
- Birthday or anniversary emails
- Re-engagement campaigns for inactive subscribers
- Post-purchase follow-up sequences
Mailchimp’s automation is more sophisticated on the Standard and Premium tiers, allowing multi-branch automation trees based on subscriber behavior. Constant Contact’s automation is simpler but covers most small business use cases without needing an advanced plan.
Which One Should You Choose?
Choose Mailchimp if:
- You want a free plan to start
- You’re comfortable with tech and want more advanced features
- You run an e-commerce business that needs sophisticated automations
- You want a single platform for email, landing pages, and basic CRM
Choose Constant Contact if:
- You’re new to email marketing and want the simplest possible experience
- You value phone support and want help when you’re stuck
- You’re a local service business, nonprofit, or event-based business
- You need built-in event management features
Bottom Line
Both platforms get the job done. If you’re starting out and want to test email marketing without spending money, Mailchimp’s free plan is the easiest entry point. If you want the simplest experience with real human support available, Constant Contact’s 60-day free trial gives you plenty of time to evaluate it. Either way, start now. Your list starts growing the day you start building it.
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