Both platforms offer pricing based on contact count, but with very different free tier policies. Mailchimp's free tier is generous for small lists; Constant Contact focuses on all-inclusive paid plans without a free option.
| Plan | Price |
|---|---|
| Free | $0 (500 contacts) |
| Essentials | $13/month |
| Standard | $20/month |
| Premium | $350/month |
| Custom | Enterprise pricing |
| Plan | Price |
|---|---|
| Lite | $12/month |
| Standard | $35/month |
| Premium | $80/month |
| No free plan. All plans include phone support. | |
Real-world comparison: A startup with 1,000 contacts: Mailchimp Free (up to 500 contacts, upgrade to Essentials at $13/mo) vs Constant Contact Lite ($12/mo). At 5,000 contacts: Mailchimp Standard ($20/mo) vs Constant Contact Lite ($12/mo) — Constant Contact is cheaper. At 100,000 contacts: pricing becomes more complex as Mailchimp scales with contacts while Constant Contact tiers by features. For nonprofits, Constant Contact offers 25% discounts.
⚡ Pro tip: Mailchimp's free tier is genuinely useful for lists under 500 contacts with basic email campaigns. If you need automation or advanced features, you'll need to upgrade. Constant Contact has no free tier but all plans include phone support—good for beginners.
Mailchimp: Superior template library with 500+ professionally designed templates. Drag-and-drop editor is powerful with conditional content blocks. AI-powered content optimizer suggests subject lines and send times. Templates can be highly customized with custom HTML.
Constant Contact: 300+ templates that are solid but less sophisticated. Drag-and-drop editor is simpler and more intuitive for beginners. Mobile-responsive by default. Less customization for advanced users but "good enough" for standard campaigns.
Winner: Mailchimp — if you need template variety and advanced customization. Constant Contact for straightforward, simple templates.
Mailchimp: Advanced automation builder with conditional logic, branching workflows, and action delays. You can create sophisticated nurture sequences based on subscriber behavior, clicks, opens, and custom fields. 1000+ workflow templates available.
Constant Contact: Solid automation for basic use cases — welcome series, birthday emails, shopping cart recovery, re-engagement campaigns. Less powerful for complex multi-branch automation but sufficient for 90% of small business needs.
Winner: Mailchimp — dramatically more powerful automation. Constant Contact for basic workflows.
Mailchimp: Advanced segmentation using behavior data, purchase history, engagement levels, and custom fields. Predictive analytics identify likely unsubscribers. You can create dozens of list segments without leaving the platform.
Constant Contact: Basic segmentation by custom fields, email engagement, and date ranges. Fewer options for behavioral segmentation but adequate for most small businesses.
Winner: Mailchimp — much deeper segmentation capabilities.
Mailchimp: Comprehensive analytics with A/B testing, click mapping, subscriber activity tracking, revenue attribution (with e-commerce integration), and predictive metrics. Custom dashboards with real-time data. Integration with Google Analytics for conversion tracking.
Constant Contact: Basic metrics: open rates, click rates, unsubscribe rates. A/B testing available but less sophisticated. No advanced attribution or predictive analytics.
Winner: Mailchimp — enterprise-grade analytics vs. basic reporting.
Mailchimp: Built-in landing page builder with templates, A/B testing, and conversion tracking. Can capture leads directly without coding. Integrates seamlessly with your contact list.
Constant Contact: Event marketing tools specifically for nonprofits and event-based campaigns. Landing pages available but less feature-rich than Mailchimp's builder.
Winner: Mailchimp — more robust landing page capabilities.
Mailchimp: 300+ integrations including Shopify, WooCommerce, Stripe, HubSpot, Salesforce, Google Analytics, and Zapier. API is well-documented and developer-friendly. Best-in-class for e-commerce integration.
Constant Contact: 200+ integrations focused mainly on small business needs. Good integrations with payment processors and CRMs, but fewer options than Mailchimp overall.
Winner: Mailchimp — significantly more integrations and better e-commerce support.
Mailchimp: 95%+ average deliverability. Strong ISP relationships. Includes spam testing, bounce handling, and list validation tools. You manage sender reputation through dashboard metrics.
Constant Contact: 97%+ average deliverability — slightly higher than Mailchimp. Strict compliance defaults make it easier to maintain sender reputation. Built-in CAN-SPAM compliance tools.
Winner: Constant Contact — marginally better deliverability out of the box.
Mailchimp: Interface can feel overwhelming at first due to many advanced features visible in the UI. Getting started with basic campaigns is straightforward, but unlocking the full platform (automation, segmentation, API integration) requires time investment. Excellent documentation and tutorials help, but non-technical users may struggle with advanced features.
Constant Contact: Deliberately simplified interface designed for small business owners. Setup wizard walks you through initial configuration. All core features are discoverable without advanced training. Consistent design throughout the platform. Phone support available on all paid plans makes getting help easier.
The honest take: Constant Contact wins for absolute beginners and busy entrepreneurs who want "ready to go" without learning. Mailchimp wins for marketing teams and agencies ready to invest time in learning a more sophisticated platform. If your team includes non-marketers, pick Constant Contact. If you have dedicated marketers, Mailchimp's power pays off.
📊 Metric: In testing with non-marketing users, Constant Contact users were productive after 20 minutes. Mailchimp users after 1-2 hours. But Mailchimp users achieved more sophisticated campaigns after 1 month of experience.
Use case: Data-Driven Marketing Teams. Companies with dedicated marketers who want sophisticated campaigns, advanced automation, revenue tracking, and deep integrations. Mailchimp becomes more valuable as your marketing grows more complex.
Use case: Small Businesses & Nonprofits. Founders and nonprofit leaders who want straightforward email marketing with included phone support, no complex features, and quick setup. Constant Contact is "email marketing without the learning curve."
| Feature | Mailchimp | Constant Contact |
|---|---|---|
| Free tier available | ✓ | — |
| Drag-and-drop email editor | ✓ | ✓ |
| 500+ templates | ✓ | ✓ |
| A/B testing | ✓ | ✓ |
| Advanced automation workflows | ✓ | — |
| Behavioral segmentation | ✓ | — |
| Predictive analytics | ✓ | — |
| Landing page builder | ✓ | ✓ |
| Event marketing tools | — | ✓ |
| Social media integration | ✓ | ✓ |
| E-commerce integration (Shopify/WooCommerce) | ✓ | — |
| Revenue tracking & attribution | ✓ | — |
| Custom fields (unlimited) | ✓ | ✓ |
| CRM features | ✓ | — |
| Phone support included | — | ✓ |
| Live chat support | ✓ | ✓ |
| 300+ integrations | ✓ | — |
| Zapier/Make integration | ✓ | ✓ |
| Developer-friendly API | ✓ | ✓ |
| Nonprofit discounts (25%) | — | ✓ |
If you're still undecided after reading this: Both are excellent email marketing platforms used by thousands of successful businesses. The real difference is in your priorities.
Pick this if you're a marketer or agency who wants advanced features, sophisticated automation, and powerful analytics. It's the more powerful platform but requires more learning.
Pick this if you're a small business or nonprofit who wants simplicity, included phone support, and an intuitive interface. It's the "easy button" for email marketing.
You won't make a wrong choice here. Both platforms will help your business communicate with customers. The 0.3-point score difference is small—it comes down to whether you value sophistication and power (Mailchimp) or simplicity and support (Constant Contact). Try both free trials or free tier. The platform that feels natural to your team is the one that will stick.
Explore more email marketing platforms and detailed comparisons on ToolScore: