Benchmark Email vs Mailchimp
We give Benchmark Email a 2.2 GPA and Mailchimp a 2.8, out of 4.0. Mailchimp grades higher on features and ease of use. They get the same grade on value for money, the free plan and platforms.
Price, platforms and features side by side. The table says where each price was read and when.
Benchmark Email
Straightforward email campaigns with every feature on every plan
Mailchimp
Email and SMS marketing with automations, priced by contact count
How we grade them
| 2.2GPABenchmark EmailFair | 2.8GPAMailchimpGood | |
|---|---|---|
| Value for money | CPro is $16 a month for 1,000 contacts on yearly billing, or $19 monthly, between the middle and the dearer quarter of email tools. It's $93 a month billed monthly at 10,000 contacts, and each extra user costs $15 a month. | CEssentials is $13 a month for up to 500 contacts, right at the middle of what email tools charge. It climbs with the list, though, to $110 a month at 10,000 contacts, and flows longer than 4 steps need Standard at $20. |
| Free plan and trial | CFree for 500 contacts and 2,500 emails a month, with every feature, 1 user and 150 AI credits. Fair for trying it out, but 500 contacts is a cap you'll hit, and emails and forms carry Benchmark's branding. | CFree for 250 contacts and 500 sends a month, with 1 seat and limited templates. You'll pass 250 contacts quickly, and then sending pauses until you upgrade or trim the list. Paid plans have a 14-day trial. |
| Features | CA drag-and-drop editor with a brand kit, an AI assistant, sign-up forms and pop-ups, lists and tags, reports and list checking on Pro. It sends good newsletters, but its pricing page lists no automated email workflows, which most rivals include. | BCampaigns, templates, popup forms, landing pages, up to 200 automated flows, segmentation, dynamic content, multivariate testing on Premium and an SMS add-on. That's the whole email marketing job. |
| Ease of use | CNo App Store rating on record and no phone app. With no workflows there's less to build, but you'll still set up lists, forms and templates in the web app. | A4.85 from 51,677 App Store ratings, the top band by a long way. The phone app can even build and send an email or scan a business card into your contacts. |
| Platforms and integrations | BWeb, with an API and native links to Zapier and Playable. Everything else, WordPress and Shopify included, goes through Zapier or the API. No desktop or phone app, so a B at most. | BWeb, iPhone and Android, with Shopify, WooCommerce, Canva, Zapier, Square, Wix, Squarespace and Stripe, and an API. No desktop app, which keeps it off an A. |
| Best for | simple newsletters with every feature free | newsletters and promo emails for small businesses |
The GPA is the average of the five grades: an A is 4 points, an F is none. The full reasons are on each tool's page: Benchmark Email and Mailchimp. How we grade
Price against what you get
Benchmark Email starts at $16 a month and scores 2.3 out of 4 on features, ease of use and platforms. Mailchimp starts at $13 a month and scores 3.3.
Mailchimp scores higher and starts $3 a month lower. Of the other email marketing and newsletter tools on the chart, 12 score higher than Benchmark Email for less, and none scores higher than Mailchimp for less.
Features, ease of use and platforms, averaged
What paid plans start at, a month (each step along is roughly double) →
- The best score at each price
- Has a free plan
- No free plan
Where they differ
- Benchmark Email starts at $16 per month for up to 1,000 contacts, billed annually. Mailchimp starts at $13 per month for up to 500 contacts, billed monthly.
- Only Mailchimp lists iOS and Android apps.
- Mailchimp also covers marketing automation and reports.
At a glance
| Benchmark Email | Mailchimp | |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing | Free plan | Free plan |
| Starts at | $16 per month for up to 1,000 contacts, billed annually | $13 per month for up to 500 contacts, billed monthly |
| Free plan | Up to 500 contacts and 2,500 emails a month, 1 user, 1 domain and 150 AI credits a month, with Benchmark branding on emails and forms. | 1 seat, 1 audience, up to 250 contacts and 500 sends a month (250 a day), limited templates and email support for the first 30 days. |
| Free trial | None listed | 14-day free trial of the Essentials or Standard plan |
| Web | ||
| iOS | ||
| Android | ||
| Made by | Polaris Software, LLC | Intuit Mailchimp |
| Price read from | benchmarkemail.com | mailchimp.com |
| Checked | Oct 17, 2026 | Oct 17, 2026 |
Who each one suits
Benchmark Email
- Small businesses sending regular newsletters to a modest list
- People who want to try every feature on a free plan first
- Teams that need sign-up forms and pop-ups more than automation
Mailchimp
- Small businesses sending regular newsletters and promotions
- Online shops on Shopify, WooCommerce or Square that want automated emails
- Teams that want email and SMS campaigns in one account
Worth knowing
Benchmark Email
- Each plan includes 1 user; extra users cost $15 a month each and need a paid plan.
- The pricing page lists no automated email workflows among its features.
- Free sends are capped at 2,500 emails a month and carry Benchmark branding.
- Native integrations are limited to Zapier and Playable; other tools connect through Zapier or the API.
Mailchimp
- The Free plan stops at 250 contacts and 500 sends a month, and sending pauses until you upgrade or trim the list.
- Paid plans bill overages automatically when you pass your contact or monthly send limit.
- Essentials caps automations at 4 flow steps; dynamic content and custom reports start at Standard.
- SMS is a paid add-on in select countries, needs an approved application, and its monthly credits expire unused.
Key features
Benchmark Email
- Drag-and-drop editor and brand kit
- Templates, blank layouts, saved blocks and an HTML editor, with your logo, colors and fonts stored in a brand kit.
- AI Assistant
- Writes copy and creates images inside the email and form builders, paid for with AI credits: 150 a month free, 1,000 on Pro.
- Sign-up forms and pop-ups
- A drag-and-drop form builder with templates, pop-ups, hosted form pages, automatic tagging and built-in reCAPTCHA.
- Contacts, lists and tags
- Store contact details and custom fields, group contacts by list or tag, filter them and send to targeted lists.
- Reports
- Contact activity feed, email reports, link activity and an engagement timeline showing when contacts respond.
- List verification
- Pro includes verification of one list up to the plan's size, to clear bad addresses before sending.
Mailchimp
- Automation flows
- Standard and Premium allow up to 200 automated flows, such as welcome series and abandoned-cart emails. Essentials is limited to 4 flow steps and Free has none.
- Templates and email builder
- Pre-built templates on every plan (a limited set on Free). Custom-coded templates can be built on any plan but only sent from Standard and Premium.
- Segmentation and dynamic content
- Standard adds advanced segmentation, pre-built segments and dynamic content; Premium adds predictive segmentation.
- Popup forms and landing pages
- Popup sign-up forms are included on every plan, and the Free plan can also build landing pages and forms.
- SMS and MMS add-on
- Paid plans can add SMS, with MMS on Standard and Premium in select countries, after an application is approved. Credits are bought in monthly blocks.
- Mobile app
- The iOS and Android app can build and send emails, scan business cards into contacts, make simple landing pages and show campaign reports.
Plans
Benchmark Email
Free$0
500 contacts, 2,500 emails a month, 1 user, 1 domain, 2 API keys and 150 AI credits, with Benchmark branding.
Pro$16
per month for up to 1,000 contacts, billed annually ($19 monthly)
Sends 10 times the list, 1 user, 10 domains, 1,000 AI credits, list verification, no branding. $93 a month billed monthly at 10,000 contacts.
EnterpriseCustom
For more than 100,000 contacts, with premium support for large senders.
Mailchimp
Free$0
1 seat, 1 audience, 250 contacts and 500 sends a month. Sending pauses when a limit is passed.
Essentials$13
per month for up to 500 contacts, billed monthly
3 seats, 3 audiences, sends of 10 times your contacts, scheduling and 4-step flows. Price rises with the list: $110 a month at 10,000 contacts.
Standard$20
per month for up to 500 contacts, billed monthly
5 seats, up to 200 automation flows, dynamic content and custom reports. Price rises with the list: $135 a month at 10,000 contacts.
Premium$350
per month for up to 10,000 contacts, billed monthly
Unlimited seats and audiences, phone and priority support, multivariate testing. Price rises with the list: $815 a month at 50,000 contacts.
Ways to pay less
Benchmark Email
- Annual discount
Lower monthly price with annual billing
Benchmark's pricing page shows Pro at 1,000 contacts for $16 a month billed annually against $19 billed monthly.
Mailchimp
- Nonprofit
15% off for nonprofits and charities
Mailchimp's pricing page offers nonprofits and charities 15% off. You sign up for a free account and then contact the Billing team with your username and website.
- Other savings
15% off the first 12 months at 10,000+ contacts
New customers on a monthly Essentials, Standard or Premium plan with 10,000 or more contacts get 15% off for the first 12 months, then the list price.
