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Constant Contact vs Mailchimp: Which Is Better in 2026?

Reviewed by the SaaS Compare editorial team · Last updated: May 21, 2026

Constant Contact logo
Constant Contact From $20/mo
vs
Mailchimp logo
Mailchimp From $20/mo
Quick answer: Mailchimp wins for small businesses seeking a free tier and advanced automation. It offers a free plan supporting up to 250 contacts, while Constant Contact's lowest tier starts at $20/month. Mailchimp's G2 rating of 4.3 also edges out Constant Contact's 4.1.

Mailchimp is the better choice for cost-conscious small businesses starting email marketing. Mailchimp wins

Mailchimp's free tier removes the entry barrier for startups and solopreneurs testing email campaigns at zero cost. Constant Contact requires a $20/month commitment from day one. For teams ready to invest, Mailchimp's Growth plan ($20/month) delivers automation flows with up to 200 steps and dynamic contentΓÇöfeatures Constant Contact reserves for its $80/month Pro tier. Choose Mailchimp if budget flexibility matters; choose Constant Contact only if you prioritize simplicity over advanced features.

Key Differences at a Glance

Feature Constant Contact Mailchimp
Transactional Email & API Sending No Yes Mailchimp Transactional (formerly Mandrill) is a paid add-on starting at $20/block (25,000 emails); requires Essentials+ plan; separate from marketing plan.

Verdict Scores How we score →

Constant Contact 85/100
Mailchimp 96/100

Feature Comparison

Feature Constant Contact Mailchimp
Transactional Email & API Sending No Yes Mailchimp Transactional (formerly Mandrill) is a paid add-on starting at $20/block (25,000 emails); requires Essentials+ plan; separate from marketing plan.
A/B & Multivariate Testing Yes Subject line A/B testing on Standard+ only; no multivariate testing; engagement heat maps available on Standard+. Yes A/B testing on Essentials+; multivariate testing (up to 8 variants) on Premium only; send-time optimization on Standard+.
AI-Powered Features Yes AI copy generator and subject line recommendations on all paid plans; AI campaign builder on Standard+; no native send-time optimization. Yes Intuit Assist (generative AI) for email copy and campaign creation on Standard and Premium; send-time optimization on Standard+; predictive demographics on paid.
Audience Segmentation & Personalization Yes 1 custom segment on Lite, 10 on Standard, unlimited on Premium; engagement and behavioral segmentation on Standard+; ecommerce segmentation on Premium. Yes Behavioral targeting on Standard+; predictive segmentation (purchase behavior forecasting) on Standard and Premium; dynamic content blocks on Standard+.
Contact & List Management Yes List-based architecture; CSV import and 300+ integrations including Shopify; web sign-up forms on all plans; send limits at 10xΓÇô24x contact count. Yes Audience-based architecture (up to 1 audience on Free, 3 on Essentials, 5 on Standard, unlimited on Premium); CSV import and 300+ integrations; tags and segments.
Deliverability & Spam Tools Yes 97% inbox delivery rate; DKIM/SPF authentication support; SafeUnsubscribe on all emails; inbox preview as $10/mo add-on. Yes >99% delivery rate; DKIM/SPF/DMARC guidance; inbox placement testing via third-party; no built-in dedicated warm-up tools on standard plans.
E-Commerce & CRM Integrations Yes Native Shopify integration; 300+ integrations including WooCommerce via Zapier; abandoned cart and ecommerce automation templates on Premium. Yes Native Shopify, WooCommerce, Squarespace Commerce integrations; purchase-triggered automations; revenue attribution per campaign on Standard+; built-in Marketing CRM.
Email Builder & Templates Yes Drag-and-drop editor with 300+ industry-specific templates; AI content recommendations and BrandKit on Standard+; dynamic content blocks on Premium only. Yes Drag-and-drop builder plus custom-coded HTML editor; 100+ pre-built industry templates on paid plans; branded templates with auto-apply colors/logo on Standard+.
Landing Pages & Signup Forms Yes Web sign-up forms on all plans; landing page builder is not explicitly listed as a native feature ΓÇö events and payment pages available instead. Yes Native landing page builder on all paid plans; customizable popup forms on all plans; custom domain support for landing pages on paid plans.
Marketing Automation & Workflows Yes 1 automation template on Lite; 3 templates plus AI campaign builder on Standard; unlimited custom automations and ecommerce templates on Premium. Yes Automation Flows with up to 4 steps on Essentials; up to 200 steps with branching on Standard and Premium; pre-built flow templates available on all paid plans.
Multi-Channel Campaigns (SMS, Push, Social) Yes SMS campaigns available as add-on from $10/mo on Lite and Standard; 500 SMS/mo included on Premium; native social posting and scheduling on all plans. Yes SMS marketing available as credit-based add-on to paid US plans only; retargeting ads (Google, Facebook, Instagram) on paid plans; no native push notifications.
Reporting & Analytics Yes Basic open/click reporting on Lite; advanced drilldown reporting and engagement heat maps on Standard+; revenue reporting on Premium. Yes Open, click, and unsubscribe reporting on all plans; engagement heatmaps and custom reports on Standard+; revenue attribution on Standard+ via ecommerce integrations.

Highlighted rows indicate features where the tools differ.

Pros & Cons

Based on G2 reviews. Source: our review methodology.

Constant Contact

Pros
Users find Constant Contact's ease of use invaluable for creating and managing engaging email campaigns effortlessly.
Users enjoy easy creation of email marketing campaigns with Constant Contact, facilitating engagement and customization for small businesses.
Users appreciate the user-friendly email builder of Constant Contact, making campaign creation quick and efficient.
Users value the ease of creating newsletters and social media posts, enhancing client engagement effectively.
Cons
Users find the missing features in Constant Contact frustrating, especially regarding search, editing, and relevance to their needs.
Users express frustration over limited customization options, feeling restricted by the lack of design and functionality choices.
Users find the limited features of Constant Contact make it feel less valuable and cost-effective for their needs.
Users express dissatisfaction with limited templates, wishing for more design options and stock photo availability.

Mailchimp

Pros
Very easy and intuitive for creating effective email campaigns
User-friendly interface and editing tools enhance email marketing effectiveness
User-friendly interface with robust features
Easy creation of emails with intuitive builder and templates
Cons
Pricing quickly escalates with growing contact lists, challenging for small businesses
Limited features, especially for advanced testing and integrations
Steep learning curve due to complicated advanced features and confusing layout
Missing advanced features for scaling and complex integrations

Pricing

Constant Contact

PlanMonthlyAnnual
Starter $12/mo $10/mo
Growth $35/mo $30/mo
Pro $80/mo $68/mo

Mailchimp

Free tier available
PlanMonthlyAnnual
Free Free Free
Starter $13/mo $13/mo
Growth $20/mo $20/mo
Pro $350/mo $350/mo

Ratings & Reviews

Constant Contact

4.1/5 G2 · 7,265 reviews
4.3/5 Capterra
Users consistently praise the ease of use and intuitive design of Constant Contact, which simplifies email marketing and campaign management. Many appreciate its ability to create professional-looking emails quickly, along with effective list segmentation and analytics that enhance communication strategies. However, some users note that the platform can feel slow at times, particularly when handling larger campaigns.

Mailchimp

4.3/5 G2 · 12,920 reviews
4.5/5 Capterra
Users consistently praise the user-friendly interface and powerful automation features of Intuit Mailchimp Email Marketing, which simplify the process of creating and managing email campaigns. Many appreciate the ease of use, allowing even beginners to design professional emails quickly. However, a common concern is that pricing can become expensive as contact lists grow, which may limit accessibility for smaller businesses.

Who Should Choose Which?

Choose Constant Contact if…

You are a solo founder or nonprofit staffer launching your first email campaign on a tight budget. You need to test whether email marketing drives engagement before committing funds. Mailchimp's free tier lets you manage up to 250 contacts and send 500 emails monthly at no cost, with access to basic templates and email support during your first 30 days. Once you're ready to scale, the Growth plan ($20/month) unlocks automation flows, dynamic content, and predictive segmentationΓÇöall critical for personalized outreach. Constant Contact's $20 entry point forces an immediate financial commitment that may not suit early-stage validation.

Choose Mailchimp if…

You are a marketing manager at a growing service-based firm with 500ΓÇô1,000 contacts and a need for straightforward campaign creation without complex automation. Constant Contact's Starter plan ($12/month) and Growth plan ($35/month) offer drag-and-drop simplicity and social posting that your team can master quickly. The interface prioritizes ease over feature depth, which reduces onboarding friction. However, if your team later needs advanced segmentation, multivariate testing, or sophisticated automation workflows, Mailchimp's Standard and Premium tiers provide those capabilities at comparable or lower price points. Constant Contact's limited automation templates may feel restrictive as your campaigns grow more sophisticated.

Bottom Line

Mailchimp is the better choice for budget-conscious teams and those requiring advanced automation at scale.

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