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Constant Contact vs Mailchimp: Which Is Right for Your Business?
June 25, 2025
By
Maria Fintanidou
When choosing tools for your business, it’s natural that you’ll only want to find the best.
In email marketing, Constant Contact and Mailchimp are often featured at the top of the list. And rightfully so. But each has its own strengths and weaknesses.
Constant Contact is known for its user-friendliness and strong customer support. Which makes it popular among small businesses looking for simple and easy-to-grasp solutions.
Mailchimp, on the other hand, stands out with its sleek, modern design. It's ideal for experienced users and enterprises willing to make an investment in exchange for advanced features.
But how will you know which one is the "value-for-money" option you've been looking for? We’ve reviewed and tested both platforms to help you make the right choice.
Let’s see how they compare across key categories, such as email creation, list management, growth tools, and pricing. Let the Constant Contact vs. Mailchimp battle begin!
Constant Contact is an experienced player with over 30 years in the email marketing space. On top of email essentials, the tool is known for its full suite of marketing tools, including SMS and social media.
It also offers event management and promotion features, giving event planners an extra reason to choose it. With a discount for nonprofits, it’s easy to tell why many nonprofit orgs opt for Constant Contact.
Mailchimp also goes beyond email. Its built-in CRM, strong list management tools, robust automation, and detailed reporting, make it a perfect fit for eCommerce businesses.
Here's a quick side-by-side of what Constant Contact and Mailchimp offer:
Now let’s dive deeper!
We were impressed by the wide variety of built-in newsletter templates (more than 200) in Constant Contact's library. From seasonal and promotional campaigns to feedback requests and announcements, there's a design for just about every occasion.
Templates cover all industries, too: financial services, nonprofits, law firms, real estate businesses, etc. You also have the option to create branded campaigns. The tool scans your site for your brand components and then adds them to every new email.
All templates have customization options and responsive designs. Do you want to see what your email looks like? Easy. You can preview your campaign both on desktop and mobile. During preview, you may even enter a recipient's email address and check how your design will be displayed for them.
If there's one thing Mailchimp is known for, it’s the stylish design of its ready-to-use email templates. Nothing missing from their collection: newsletters, seasonal emails, event promotions, even campaigns aimed at growing your SMS list.
What we liked the most was how easy it is to browse the templates. You can filter the templates by industry, email purpose, and style. For example, are you looking for playful and bold designs? Just tick these boxes and the platform displays the perfect templates based on your filters.
Just a heads up, though: the templates you can access depend on your subscription plan. In the free plan, you only get basic layouts. To unlock more categories and styles, you'll need to upgrade to Standard (or an even pricier option since some templates are saved for Premium plan users). This limitation is a common reason why users switch to more affordable Mailchimp alternatives that offer all templates in low-tier plans.
Definitely Constant Contact. Although some of the templates seem a bit dated, there's a wide variety that lets you find the ideal, modern template you need. With Mailchimp, you'll have to pay more to get your hands on all templates or build an email using custom code.
Constant Contact's email builder is simple and easy to use. You can start from scratch or use a ready-made, professionally looking template. You can also upload a PDF file and convert it into a beautiful email.
The drag-and-drop editor lets you add, move around, and edit content blocks with just a couple of clicks. Think of social share options, videos, feedback components, and RSVP for event promotions—to name a few. And if you need help writing your email, there's an AI assistant that helps you generate email copy using a specific tone.
One feature we particularly liked: We could pull branding elements directly from our website, save them in the editor, and use them in our campaigns. It’s a real time-saver that keeps your emails consistent and on-brand.
Mailchimp's email builder comes with many customization options. You can easily add buttons, images, videos, survey blocks, and more.
There's also an AI-powered Creative Assistant that allows you to import your brand assets. Then, the platform creates a brand kit you can use in every marketing campaign.
AI magic doesn't stop there. Mailchimp's AI tool detects trends across top-performing emails and shares recommendations so you can optimize your content accordingly.
The winner
Both email editors are user-friendly, with drag-and-drop capabilities that facilitate email creation. But Mailchimp's email editor felt easier to navigate and less cluttered. It's more stylish, too, so our vote goes there.
List management is easy with Constant Contact, allowing you to organize contacts through segments, lists, and tags. You can segment based on contact details like birthday, job title, geolocation, as well as email and SMS interactions.
We really liked the Click Segmentation feature. When you enable it on a clickable element in your email, anyone who clicks it is automatically added to a specific contact list. Then, you can target them with tailored content that matches their preferences.
Plus, Constant Contact has launched a helpful feature to quickly group subscribers based on their level of engagement. Here's what their pre-built segments look like:
When it comes to adding subscribers to your list, you can import contacts from:
The process was seamless and fast, and we didn't face any issues.
Mailchimp’s list management system allows you to group contacts based on various segmentation filters. For instance, you can use birthday, location, and VIP status. There's also the option to group subscribers based on the signup source, email engagement, and SMS interactions to create detailed segments.
Tags offer another way to move contacts to the correct email list. To save you time, Mailchimp lets you add a tag to several subscribers at once through the Bulk tag option.
You can import contacts by connecting your account to platforms like Zapier, Salesforce, or Shopify. It's pretty straightforward, helping you keep all contact data synchronized. You may choose to upload a file or copy and paste new contacts, too. And then there's the option to add subscribers directly from your phone using Mailchimp’s mobile app.
Mailchimp offers advanced list management features. But unfortunately, this strength turns into a weakness due to the multiple steps and options that cause frustration.
With Constant Contact, the same process feels less complicated yet equally effective. Also, the platform lets you connect many third-party tools to import contacts, whereas Mailchimp supports only six apps (mostly eCommerce-specific). So, our vote goes to Constant Contact.
With Constant Contact, marketers have the opportunity to use built-in automation templates for common use cases like welcome emails, birthdays, and anniversaries.
You can also trigger emails based on user actions like submitting a form, abandoning a cart, or placing an order (with the last two available through integrations). For eCommerce users, there are automated flows to re-engage dormant customers, nurture active ones, or ask for reviews.
The Automation Path Builder is easy to use, allowing you to select time delays, actions, or conditional logic. Editing or removing steps is just a 2-click process. And you can always create your own custom path.
Want to go beyond email? Constant Contact allows you to build multi-channel campaigns combining email and SMS for even more personalized targeting.
Mailchimp's automation helps you create automated paths based on certain events or actions that add subscribers to a journey. The Customer Journey Builder includes pre-built journeys, ranging from welcoming and nurturing new subscribers to re-engaging inactive customers.
The drag-and-drop builder makes it easy to insert or remove starting points, edit actions, or even replicate them. There's also an Exit condition if you want to remove specific contacts from the workflow.
And you can use Mailchimp's automated journeys to target your audience on more touch points, using Meta Custom Audience actions or SMS campaigns.
The process of setting up automation workflows was smooth in both builders. Plus, both platforms offer multichannel automation options. But along with the benefits comes a common problem: advanced automation gets pricey. Mailchimp's Essential plan limits the user to one starting point and four points per journey. Whereas Constant Contact’s Lite plan gives you access to only one automation template.
If automation is a priority and you’re on a budget, consider alternatives like Moosend or Active Campaign that don't put a limit on the number of automation templates you can use—even on low-tier plans.
Constant Contact keeps things simple with its analytics dashboard. There, you’ll find key performance indicators like opens and clicks (by device, too), shares, as well as emails sent and delivered.
To dive deeper into your audience's preferences, you can also keep track of top and low performing campaigns and links based on opens and clicks.
What we found valuable is that you can specify your industry, and the platform will show you how your emails perform compared to industry benchmarks. And there's also comparative reporting to check how your campaigns perform over time.
Regarding contacts, Constant Contact helps you check list growth and unsubscribes through dedicated reports. They help you understand why people unsubscribe and which channels bring more growth opportunities.
Mailchimp offers real-time reporting, so you can track key metrics, such as opens, clicks, bounces, forwards, and conversions. You can also view a 24-hour snapshot of your campaign performance, top locations by opens, and a click map to spot best-performing links.
The platform's unique Content Optimizer feature is a true ally, showing valuable content suggestions (e.g., on CTAs, links, and skimmability) based on industry-specific best practices.
You can use Comparative Reports to further optimize your messaging. They gather data from emails you sent (within the last 18 months) and compare it to identify patterns in subscriber behavior.
But where Mailchimp excels is its Custom Reporting feature. You can add as many metrics as you need to have an in-depth understanding of your performance. Plus, the platform allows you to download the report in CSV or PNG format.
Both options are available to Standard and Premium plan users.
Using audience analytics, you get to monitor subscriber engagement and growth data over a specific period—all in a centralized dashboard.
Constant Contact's analytics are easier to comprehend, which makes them ideal for entry-level marketers. However, Mailchimp provides deeper, more customizable analytics, perfect for experienced marketers.
Do they come at a higher cost? Yes, but it's probably worth it if you're looking for in-depth insights. We'll call this one a tie depending on your reporting needs and marketing experience.
Constant Contact takes list growth to a whole new level with its audience growth center, a dedicated section that helps you manage and optimize lead generation.
With Constant Contact's builder, you get to create landing pages and various types of signup forms including flyouts, popups, inline forms, and banners. However, you only have a basic layout and limited customization options. For instance, you can change the text and background colors, edit the description and text, or pick the right custom fields (or create a custom one).
You can direct visitors to your landing page using Facebook or Google Ads. Plus, the platform has a unique lead magnet feature. Select which information you want to capture, and the platform will create the form for you. If you need help, just add your website or social media profile. Then, the tool will provide custom survey questions to convert social media followers into subscribers.
But what really sets the platform apart is that it helps you turn in-person events into list-building opportunities. How? By sharing dedicated QR codes with attendants that bring them directly to your signup page.
With Mailchimp, you can grow your list using popups, embedded forms, and landing pages. We loved the extended library of popup form templates (currently in BETA) that address different needs, such as discounts, event or webinar registrations, and contest or giveaway signups.
Also, their design is sleek, and you have several customization options. However, the number of settings might feel overwhelming to some users. For example, the 3-step design took us a moment to get used to:
However, we appreciated advanced settings, such as the conditional visibility rules. Also, identifying and showing potential issues during form creation comes in handy.
When it comes to landing pages, things feel less frustrating. There are 9 built-in templates to use as starting points, plus flexible editing options. For instance, you can edit content blocks, upload images from Instagram or Canvas, and add products from your online store. Although the process was pretty straightforward, at times the builder was a bit slow.
Obviously Mailchimp provides users with plenty of options and professional templates, both for forms and landing pages. But there's a steep learning curve to get the handle of the builder and understand where to find each feature.
So, it all depends on your requirements. If you're looking for a basic form design with just the necessary customization options, you should turn to Constant Contact. For advanced needs and better targeting, we recommend Mailchimp.
What apps do you want to connect your email marketing platform with? Whatever you answered, chances are that Constant Contact has an integration for it. From CRM and eCommerce tools to social media and event management apps, you have a list of more than 7,000 integrations to choose from.
Here are some of the most popular third-party integrations:
The best part is that you don't need to pay more to get them since they are available on all paid tiers.
Mailchimp also connects with the top players in the digital marketplace. There are integrations from every key category, such as eCommerce, contact management, payment, forms and surveys, and social media tools.
Like Constant Contact, Mailchimp offers a wide range of third-party apps you can connect the platform with:
You can access Mailchimp's list of integrations, regardless of the plan you're using.
Both tools come with a large collection of integrations, so you can seamlessly sync audience data. However, Constant Contact's impressive integration list and category options make it stand out.
Constant Contact doesn't offer a free version, but its generous 60-day free trial gives you enough time to try out the platform. Pricing starts at $12/month with the Lite plan (500 subscribers).
It's an affordable option that doesn't lack features since you can use email templates, an AI copy generator, and some contact management and automation features. On top of that, you get all its integrations, as well as event and social media marketing tools.
The Standard plan costs $35/month. It includes advanced reporting, a social media ad manager, and more segmentation and lead generation options. Plus, you get access to the AI-powered campaign builder.
For Premium subscriptions, you have unlimited automation templates and custom workflows. It also provides you with more social media advertising options and SEO recommendations.
On all plans, Constant Contact offers live 1:1 onboarding and live chat and phone support. If you're a Premium plan user, you get priority onboarding and support.
One of the main reasons behind Mailchimp's popularity is its free plan. A decent option for marketing newbies and small businesses. Basically, for anyone who is starting out and doesn't have a big list. It offers forms and landing pages, plus limited access to reporting, pre-made templates, and the Creative Assistant. You can't send, though, more than 1,000 emails per month.
The Essentials plan starts at $13/month with basic automation features (up to 4 journey points), more templates, and 24/7 email and chat support. But sophisticated features like dynamic content and custom reports are still missing.
For the Standard plan, you'll pay $20/month. Apart from what you get in Essentials, you have extra capabilities like the Content Optimizer, one session of personalized onboarding, and custom templates.
If you choose the Premium plan, you'll be charged $350. But it gives you everything you need, especially if you own a large enterprise: unlimited users and a campaign manager, Google ads, and behavioral targeting.[CP1]
Mailchimp's free plan is its strong point. However, when you upgrade, the cost gets too high, too quickly. For instance, options like advanced segmentation and detailed reporting are only available in high tiers. Apart from that, the platform charges you for unsubscribed contacts. Which means you pay even for inactive customers.
In short, Mailchimp is a relatively cost-effective option for users with small lists and basic marketing requirements. But as you scale, it becomes a rather expensive email tool. Whereas Constant Contact is a value for money option since it scales as your needs grow, but at a reasonable cost.
Constant Contact and Mailchimp are reliable email tools that cater to both novice and experienced marketers. What you choose is a matter of priorities, must-have characteristics, and overall goals.
If what you're looking for is a range of features that go beyond email (e.g., social media, SMS, and events) at a good price, Constant Contact is the ideal solution. Also, the platform's clean and intuitive interface, stellar customer support, and extended template library make it a perfect fit for beginners.
Is email automation a basic aspect of your business roadmap? Then, Mailchimp is a better option with its sophisticated builder and built-in workflows for every scenario. And let's not forget its free plan that gives you a small taste of what you can achieve.
However, the changes in their pricing have put a limit on the features offered in each plan, making it a less attractive option compared to a few years ago.
Consider the features you need now, and any additional ones you might need along the way. To make an informed decision, sign up for a free trial. This trial period will give you the time to pick your email ally based on your audience base, and of course, your budget.
Maria Fintanidou works as a copywriter for email marketing automation software Moosend, having created the Help Articles (FAQs) and overseen the platform’s translations in Greek and Spanish. She loves exploring new cultures and ways of thinking through traveling, reading, and language learning.
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