Constant Contact vs Mailchimp
We give Constant Contact a 2.6 GPA and Mailchimp a 2.8, out of 4.0. Mailchimp grades higher on value for money. They get the same grade on the free plan, features, ease of use and platforms.
Price, platforms and features side by side. The table says where each price was read and when.
Constant Contact
Email, SMS and social marketing for small businesses
Mailchimp
Email and SMS marketing with automations, priced by contact count
How we grade them
| 2.6GPAConstant ContactGood | 2.8GPAMailchimpGood | |
|---|---|---|
| Value for money | DLite is $10.20 a month on yearly billing, which looks cheap. But it can't schedule a send and has 1 automation template. Scheduling and subject-line tests need Standard at $29.75, more than twice what a typical email tool charges, and custom automations need Premium at $68. | 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 | CNo free plan. There's a 30-day trial with up to 100 email sends, and it ends on its own rather than rolling into a plan. Enough to try the editor, not to run a real campaign to your list. | 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 | BEmail with AI writing help, automations, segments, landing pages, sign-up forms, surveys, event pages and posting to Facebook, Instagram and LinkedIn. That's the whole job and a bit more. SMS is a separate monthly add-on. | 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 | A4.76 from 10,653 App Store ratings for its iPhone and iPad app, the top band. You can check campaigns, contacts and reports from your phone. | 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 plus an iPhone and iPad app, and it posts straight to Facebook, Instagram and LinkedIn. No Android or desktop app, though, and no API or other integrations on record. | 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 | email, social posts and events for a small business | 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: Constant Contact and Mailchimp. How we grade
Price against what you get
Constant Contact starts at $10.20 a month and scores 3.3 out of 4 on features, ease of use and platforms. Mailchimp starts at $13 a month and scores 3.3.
They score the same, and Constant Contact starts $2.80 a month lower. Of the other email marketing and newsletter tools on the chart, none scores higher than Constant Contact 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
- Constant Contact starts at $10.20 per month and up by contact count, billed annually (Lite). Mailchimp starts at $13 per month for up to 500 contacts, billed monthly.
- Mailchimp has a free plan. Constant Contact does not, though it has a free trial.
- Only Mailchimp lists an Android app.
- Constant Contact also covers business texting.
- Mailchimp also covers reports.
At a glance
| Constant Contact | Mailchimp | |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing | Free trial | Free plan |
| Starts at | $10.20 per month and up by contact count, billed annually (Lite) | $13 per month for up to 500 contacts, billed monthly |
| Free plan | None | 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 | 30-day free trial with up to 100 email sends; it ends on its own | 14-day free trial of the Essentials or Standard plan |
| Web | ||
| iOS | ||
| Android | ||
| Made by | Constant Contact, Inc. | Intuit Mailchimp |
| Price read from | constantcontact.com | mailchimp.com |
| Checked | Oct 17, 2026 | Oct 17, 2026 |
Who each one suits
Constant Contact
- Small businesses that want email, social posts and events in one account
- Owners who want phone support from a live person
- Agencies managing marketing for several small clients
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
Constant Contact
- The US pricing page shows yearly-billed prices, 15% below paying monthly; the monthly figures and the contacts each starting price covers were not shown.
- Monthly sends are capped at 10 to 24 times the contact tier, by plan; extra emails cost $0.002 each.
- The bill follows the highest contact tier reached; once you send at a higher tier, it cannot be lowered.
- SMS marketing is sold as a separate monthly add-on to an email plan.
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
Constant Contact
- Email campaigns with AI
- Branded templates and AI content generation for newsletters and promotions, with actionable blocks for RSVPs, social follows and feedback.
- Automations and Campaign Builder
- Lite includes a welcome automation; Standard adds Campaign Builder for AI-made multi-channel campaigns; Premium adds custom automations.
- Segments and testing
- Standard and above add automated segments based on campaign engagement, scheduled sending and A/B subject line tests.
- Landing pages, surveys and events
- Build landing pages, sign-up forms, survey pages and event pages to collect contacts and registrations.
- Social posting
- Post to Facebook, Instagram and LinkedIn at once and track engagement next to email results.
- Ads and SEO on Premium
- Premium adds advanced reporting, Facebook lookalike targeting, Google ad management and SEO recommendations.
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
Constant Contact
Lite$10.20
per month and up by contacts, billed annually
Email and social posting, 1 automation template, basic reports and 1 custom segment. The price rises with contacts and sends.
Standard$29.75
per month and up by contacts, billed annually
Adds scheduling, subject-line tests, 3 automation templates, an AI campaign builder and open and click reports. Marked recommended.
Premium$68
per month and up by contacts, billed annually
Adds dynamic content, unlimited and custom automations, SEO tips, Google ads, priority support and 500 text messages.
Multi-AccountCustom
For teams that need 5 or more accounts across locations. Sold through sales.
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
Constant Contact
- Annual discount
Save 15% with yearly billing
Constant Contact's pricing page says prepaying for 12 months saves up to 15%, and nonprofits that prepay save up to 30%.
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.
