Mailchimp vs Zoho Campaigns
We give Mailchimp a 2.8 GPA and Zoho Campaigns a 3.0, out of 4.0. Mailchimp grades higher on ease of use. Zoho Campaigns grades higher on value for money and the free plan. They get the same grade on features and platforms.
Price, platforms and features side by side. The table says where each price was read and when.
Mailchimp
Email and SMS marketing with automations, priced by contact count
Zoho Campaigns
Email, SMS and WhatsApp campaigns that tie into Zoho's apps
How we grade them
| 2.8GPAMailchimpGood | 3.0GPAZoho CampaignsVery good | |
|---|---|---|
| Value for money | 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. | AStandard is $3 a month for 500 contacts on yearly billing, or $4 monthly, well under 60% of the cheaper quarter of email tools. Even Professional is $4.50, and Standard is $49 a month billed monthly at 10,000 contacts. |
| Free plan and trial | 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. | BForever Free covers 2,000 contacts, 6,000 emails a month and 5 users, with templates and AI writing help. That's three emails a month to a full list, which one person could live on. No automated workflows, though. |
| Features | 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. | BA drag-and-drop editor, workflows triggered by sign-ups and email actions, A/B tests, the Zia AI for copy and send times, SMS and WhatsApp campaigns, and syncs with Zoho CRM, Desk and Books. That's the whole job. Cart emails and pop-ups need Professional. |
| Ease of use | 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. | CNo App Store rating on record and no phone app. If you already use Zoho it slots right in, but otherwise it's a web app with lists, workflows and templates to set up. |
| Platforms and integrations | 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. | BWeb only, with Zoho CRM and Bigin, Salesforce, HubSpot, Shopify, WooCommerce, Eventbrite and Zapier, and an API. No desktop or phone app keeps it at a B. |
| Best for | newsletters and promo emails for small businesses | email marketing for businesses on Zoho |
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: Mailchimp and Zoho Campaigns. How we grade
Price against what you get
Mailchimp starts at $13 a month and scores 3.3 out of 4 on features, ease of use and platforms. Zoho Campaigns starts at $3 a month and scores 2.7.
Mailchimp scores higher, and starts $10 a month higher: the question is whether the extra is worth that to you. Of the other email marketing and newsletter tools on the chart, none scores higher than Mailchimp for less, and none scores higher than Zoho Campaigns 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
- Mailchimp starts at $13 per month for up to 500 contacts, billed monthly. Zoho Campaigns starts at $3 per month for up to 500 contacts, billed yearly.
- Only Mailchimp lists iOS and Android apps.
- Mailchimp also covers reports.
- Zoho Campaigns also covers business texting.
At a glance
| Mailchimp | Zoho Campaigns | |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing | Free plan | Free plan |
| Starts at | $13 per month for up to 500 contacts, billed monthly | $3 per month for up to 500 contacts, billed yearly |
| Free plan | 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. | Forever Free plan: up to 2,000 contacts, 6,000 emails a month and 5 users, with templates, generative AI and basic reports. No automation workflows. |
| Free trial | 14-day free trial of the Essentials or Standard plan | 14-day free trial, no credit card required |
| Web | ||
| iOS | ||
| Android | ||
| Made by | Intuit Mailchimp | Zoho Corporation |
| Price read from | mailchimp.com | zoho.com |
| Checked | Oct 17, 2026 | Oct 17, 2026 |
Who each one suits
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
Zoho Campaigns
- Businesses already using Zoho CRM or other Zoho apps
- Small lists that fit within the free 2,000-contact plan
- Online stores wanting cart and purchase follow-ups at a low price
Worth knowing
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.
Zoho Campaigns
- The free plan has no automated workflows and stops at 6,000 emails a month.
- Standard tops out at 100,000 contacts; larger lists need Professional, up to 500,000.
- SMS and WhatsApp are paid for with separate credits, and a dedicated IP costs $360 a year.
- Abandoned-cart, purchase follow-up and pop-up forms need Professional.
Key features
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.
Zoho Campaigns
- Drag-and-drop editor and templates
- Pre-designed templates, HTML import and dynamic content blocks; Standard adds over 120 templates, attachments and A/B tests.
- Automated workflows
- Triggered by form sign-ups, list entry, segments and email actions. Professional adds date, tag and open triggers, abandoned cart and purchase follow-ups.
- Zia AI
- Writes campaign copy from your subject line and audience, recommends subject lines and products, and times sends. You can also bring your own AI model.
- SMS and WhatsApp
- Text and WhatsApp campaigns and workflow steps on paid plans, paid for with separate credits.
- Zoho suite integrations
- Syncs with Zoho CRM, Bigin, Desk, Books, Survey and Backstage, plus Salesforce, HubSpot, Shopify, WooCommerce and Zapier.
Plans
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.
Zoho Campaigns
Forever Free$0
2,000 contacts, 6,000 emails a month, 5 users, drag-and-drop and HTML templates, and basic reports.
Standard$3
per month for up to 500 contacts, billed yearly ($4 monthly)
Unlimited emails, 10 users, A/B tests, basic workflows and priority support; up to 100,000 contacts. $49 a month billed monthly at 10,000 contacts.
Professional$4.50
per month for up to 500 contacts, billed yearly ($6 monthly)
Advanced segments, scoring, dynamic content, pop-ups, cart and purchase workflows, 20 users; up to 500,000 contacts. $81 a month billed monthly at 10,000.
Ways to pay less
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.
Zoho Campaigns
- Annual discount
Save 25% with yearly billing
Zoho Campaigns' pricing page takes 25% off paid plans billed yearly: Standard at 500 contacts is $3 a month instead of $4.
