When it comes to selecting the right email marketing tool for your business, the comparison of Constant Contact vs Mailchimp is inevitable. Both platforms are industry leaders, offering a range of features designed to enhance your email marketing efforts. In this blog post, we’ll dive deep into the strengths and weaknesses of Constant Contact and Mailchimp, comparing them across several crucial categories to help you make an informed decision. Whether you’re a small business owner or a seasoned marketer, understanding these differences will guide you in choosing the platform that best suits your needs.
Table of Contents
Pricing Plans
When evaluating email marketing tools, pricing is a crucial factor. Both Constant Contact and Mailchimp offer a variety of plans to cater to different business needs and budgets. In this section, we’ll compare their pricing structures to help you make an informed decision.
Constant Contact Pricing
Constant Contact offers three main plans: Lite, Standard and Premium Plan.
- Lite Plan: Starts at $12 per month and includes basic email marketing features such as email templates, list management, and basic reporting.
- Standard Plan: Starts at $35 per month and includes Automation path templates, Custom segmentation and more marketing tools.
- Premium Plan: Starts at $80 per month and includes advanced features like automation, surveys, event marketing, and more robust reporting tools.
Mailchimp Pricing
Mailchimp has a more tiered pricing structure, offering four plans:
- Free Plan: Allows up to 500 contacts and includes basic email marketing features.
- Essentials Plan: Starts at $13 per month, providing additional features like custom branding and A/B testing.
- Standard Plan: Starts at $20 per month, offering advanced automations, retargeting ads, and more detailed insights.
- Premium Plan: Starts at $350 per month, including advanced segmentation, multivariate testing, and priority support.
Comparison
While Mailchimp provides a free plan, it is limited in features compared to the paid plans. Constant Contact does not offer a free plan but provides more robust features in its basic paid plan compared to Mailchimp’s Essentials plan
- For Small Businesses: Mailchimp’s Free and Essentials plans may be more appealing due to the lower cost and sufficient features for basic email marketing needs.
- For Advanced Users: Constant Contact’s pricing might be more suitable for those who require comprehensive features without a steep price jump.
Features Comparison
When deciding between Constant Contact vs Mailchimp, it’s essential to understand the features each platform offers. In this section, we’ll compare their key features to help you determine which tool aligns better with your business needs.
Email Templates
Constant Contact:
- Offers a wide range of customizable email templates.
- The drag-and-drop editor makes it easy to create professional-looking emails without any coding knowledge.
- Templates are mobile-responsive, ensuring your emails look great on any device.
Mailchimp:
- Provides a variety of pre-designed templates that can be customized.
- The editor is intuitive, allowing users to modify templates with ease.
- Like Constant Contact, Mailchimp’s templates are also mobile-responsive.
Automation Capabilities
Constant Contact:
- Offers basic automation features such as welcome emails, birthday emails, and abandoned cart reminders.
- The automation workflows are easy to set up and manage, making it suitable for beginners.
Mailchimp:
- Known for its advanced automation capabilities, including multi-step workflows, behavioral targeting, and more.
- Allows users to create complex automation sequences based on user actions and engagement.
Analytics and Reporting
Constant Contact:
- Provides basic reporting features, including open rates, click-through rates, and bounce rates.
- Reports are easy to understand and offer actionable insights for improving email campaigns.
Mailchimp:
- Offers more advanced analytics, including detailed reports on subscriber activity, sales tracking, and social media engagement.
- The platform provides predictive insights to help users optimize their email marketing strategies.
Ease of Use
Constant Contact:
- Designed with simplicity in mind, making it easy for users of all skill levels to navigate and use.
- The interface is straightforward, and the platform offers ample guidance and support.
Mailchimp:
- While also user-friendly, Mailchimp’s wide array of features can make it slightly more complex to navigate.
- The platform offers comprehensive tutorials and support to help users get the most out of its features.
Integration with Other Tools
When choosing between Constant Contact vs Mailchimp, the ability to integrate with other tools can significantly impact your email marketing efficiency and overall business workflow. Both platforms offer extensive integration options, but there are some differences worth noting.
Constant Contact Integrations
Constant Contact integrates with a wide range of third-party applications, making it easy to connect your email marketing efforts with other business tools. Some notable integrations include:
- E-commerce Platforms: Connect with Shopify, WooCommerce, and BigCommerce to manage and optimize your e-commerce marketing campaigns seamlessly.
- Content Management Systems (CMS): Integrate with WordPress, Joomla, and Drupal to easily embed signup forms and manage email lists directly from your website.
- Customer Relationship Management (CRM): Sync with Salesforce, Zoho CRM, and HubSpot to streamline customer data management and improve targeted email campaigns.
- Social Media Tools: Link with Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter to create social media ads and track their performance from within Constant Contact.
- Event Management: Integrate with Eventbrite to promote events and manage registrations through your email campaigns.
- Payment Processors: Connect with PayPal and Stripe to manage transactions and create targeted campaigns based on purchase data.
Mailchimp Integrations
Mailchimp is known for its extensive integration capabilities, allowing users to connect with a vast array of applications and services. Key integrations include:
- E-commerce Platforms: Sync with Shopify, WooCommerce, Magento, and BigCommerce to automate marketing emails based on customer purchase behavior.
- Content Management Systems (CMS): Integrate with WordPress, Drupal, and Squarespace to easily manage email subscriptions and embed forms on your website.
- Customer Relationship Management (CRM): Connect with Salesforce, Zoho CRM, HubSpot, and Pipedrive to ensure your email campaigns are informed by up-to-date customer data.
- Social Media Tools: Integrate with Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter to create and manage social media campaigns directly from Mailchimp.
- Event Management: Integrate with platforms like Eventbrite and Meetup to promote events and track attendee engagement through email campaigns.
- Analytics Tools: Sync with Google Analytics and other analytics tools to gain deeper insights into your campaign performance and website traffic.
Comparison
When comparing Constant Contact vs Mailchimp in terms of integrations, both platforms offer robust options that cater to various business needs. However, there are some distinctions:
- Breadth of Integrations: Mailchimp generally offers a wider range of integrations, making it a more flexible choice for businesses that rely on multiple tools.
- Ease of Use: Both platforms provide user-friendly interfaces for managing integrations, but Mailchimp’s extensive library and more advanced features may appeal to users who need comprehensive solutions.
- Specific Needs: Constant Contact’s integrations are more focused on small to medium-sized businesses, while Mailchimp caters to a broader audience, including larger enterprises with more complex requirements.
Customer Support
When evaluating email marketing tools, customer support is a critical factor. Reliable support can make a significant difference in how effectively you can use the platform and resolve any issues that arise. In this section, we compare the customer support offerings of Constant Contact vs Mailchimp to help you determine which service provides the best assistance.
Constant Contact Customer Support
Constant Contact is well-known for its robust customer support, offering multiple channels to assist users:
- Phone Support: Available to all customers, phone support ensures you can speak directly with a representative for immediate assistance. This is particularly helpful for resolving complex issues quickly.
- Email Support: Provides detailed responses to queries and issues, making it easy to follow up on specific problems.
- Live Chat: Available for quick, real-time assistance. This feature is convenient for addressing minor issues or questions while working on your email campaigns.
- Knowledge Base: Constant Contact offers a comprehensive knowledge base filled with articles, tutorials, and guides. This resource is excellent for users who prefer self-service options and want to learn at their own pace.
- Community Support: The user community forum allows you to connect with other Constant Contact users to share tips, solutions, and best practices.
Mailchimp Customer Support
Mailchimp also provides a range of customer support options, but there are differences in availability depending on your subscription plan:
- Email Support: Available to all users, including those on the free plan. Email support is useful for detailed inquiries and follow-ups.
- Live Chat: Available for users on the Essentials plan and higher. Live chat provides quick, real-time responses to questions and issues.
- Phone Support: Exclusive to Premium plan users. While limited to higher-tier plans, phone support can be crucial for immediate and complex issue resolution.
- Knowledge Base: Mailchimp’s extensive knowledge base includes articles, tutorials, and video guides to help users navigate the platform and troubleshoot common problems.
- Community and Resources: Mailchimp offers a robust community forum, along with various resources such as webinars, guides, and a marketing library to help users enhance their email marketing skills.
Comparison
When comparing Constant Contact vs Mailchimp in terms of customer support, consider the following:
- Accessibility: Constant Contact provides phone support to all customers, which can be a significant advantage for those who prefer direct, immediate assistance. Mailchimp reserves phone support for Premium users, which may limit access for some businesses.
- Support Channels: Both platforms offer email and live chat support, but Mailchimp restricts live chat to paid plans, while Constant Contact includes it for all users.
- Self-Service Resources: Both Constant Contact and Mailchimp have extensive knowledge bases and community forums, making it easy for users to find information and solutions independently.
Customization and Design Flexibility
When selecting an email marketing tool, the ability to customize and design emails to fit your brand is crucial. In this section, we’ll compare the customization and design flexibility of Constant Contact vs Mailchimp, helping you determine which platform offers the best options for your needs.
Constant Contact Customization and Design Flexibility
Constant Contact provides a user-friendly design experience with several customization options:
- Email Templates: Offers a wide range of pre-designed templates that can be customized to match your brand’s look and feel. These templates are mobile-responsive, ensuring your emails look great on any device.
- Drag-and-Drop Editor: The intuitive drag-and-drop editor allows users to easily add and arrange content blocks, images, and buttons without needing any coding knowledge.
- Custom Code: For users with HTML/CSS skills, Constant Contact allows for custom code input, enabling advanced design and functionality customization.
- Branding Tools: Includes features like brand colors and font choices, helping you create consistent and visually appealing emails.
- Image Library: Offers a built-in image library where you can store and manage your images. Additionally, Constant Contact integrates with stock photo services, providing access to a wide array of high-quality images.
Mailchimp Customization and Design Flexibility
Mailchimp is known for its robust design features and extensive customization options:
- Email Templates: Provides a large selection of pre-designed templates that are fully customizable. All templates are mobile-responsive to ensure optimal viewing on any device.
- Drag-and-Drop Editor: Mailchimp’s drag-and-drop editor is highly intuitive, allowing users to easily create and modify email layouts without any coding experience.
- Custom HTML: For advanced users, Mailchimp supports custom HTML, enabling the creation of highly tailored and unique email designs.
- Branding Options: Mailchimp offers extensive branding options, including custom fonts, color schemes, and brand assets to maintain consistency across all email communications.
- Content Blocks: Includes a variety of content blocks (text, images, buttons, social media links) that can be easily rearranged to fit your design preferences.
- Image and File Manager: Mailchimp’s content manager allows you to store and organize images, documents, and other files. It also integrates with stock photo libraries for easy access to high-quality visuals.
Comparison
When comparing Constant Contact vs Mailchimp in terms of customization and design flexibility, both platforms offer strong capabilities but cater to slightly different needs:
- Ease of Use: Both Constant Contact and Mailchimp provide intuitive drag-and-drop editors, making it easy for users of all skill levels to create customized emails. Mailchimp’s editor is slightly more advanced, offering more flexibility for complex designs.
- Template Options: Both platforms offer a wide range of mobile-responsive templates. Mailchimp’s library is more extensive, providing greater variety and customization options.
- Advanced Customization: For users with coding skills, both Constant Contact and Mailchimp support custom HTML. Mailchimp’s advanced design features may appeal more to users looking for extensive customization.
- Brand Consistency: Both platforms provide tools to maintain brand consistency, but Mailchimp’s comprehensive branding options give it a slight edge in this area.
Free Plan vs. Paid Plans
When considering Constant Contact vs Mailchimp, understanding the differences between their free and paid plans is essential. Each platform offers distinct advantages, catering to different business needs and budgets. In this section, we’ll compare the free and paid plans of both Constant Contact and Mailchimp.
Constant Contact
- No Free Plan: Unlike Mailchimp, Constant Contact does not offer a free plan. However, they provide a 60-day free trial, allowing you to test out their Core or Plus plans before committing.
Mailchimp
- Free Plan: Mailchimp’s free plan is a popular choice for beginners and small businesses with limited budgets. It includes basic features like email creation, customer support and Reporting & Analytics. However, it’s limited to 500 contacts and 1,000 email sends per month.
- Paid Plans: Mailchimp’s paid plans (Essentials, Standard, and Premium) offer a broader range of features, including advanced automation, A/B testing, custom branding, and increased sending limits.
Key Differences Between Free and Paid Plans
| Feature | Free Plan | Paid Plans |
| Contact Limit | Up to 500 | Varies by plan (500 – Unlimited) |
| Email Sends/Month | Up to 1,000 | Varies by plan (1000 – Unlimited) |
| Customer Support | Email only | Email and chat |
| Email Templates | Limited selection | Wider variety |
| Automation | Basic | Advanced (e.g., abandoned cart, retargeting) |
| A/B Testing | Limited | Available on higher plans |
| Custom Branding | Limited | Available |
| Segmentation | Basic | Advanced |
Conclusion
In the ongoing debate of Constant Contact vs Mailchimp, each platform brings its own set of strengths to the table, but Constant Contact emerges as the superior choice for businesses seeking a reliable, user-friendly, and comprehensive email marketing solution.
Why Choose Constant Contact?
Ease of Use: Constant Contact excels in providing an intuitive and straightforward user experience. Its drag-and-drop editor, combined with a wide range of customizable templates, makes it easy for users of all skill levels to create professional-looking emails without any technical knowledge.
Robust Customer Support: One of Constant Contact’s standout features is its exceptional customer support. Unlike Mailchimp, which reserves phone support for premium users, Constant Contact offers phone support to all customers. This ensures that you have immediate access to help whenever you need it, which can be crucial for resolving issues quickly and efficiently.
Comprehensive Features: Constant Contact offers a full suite of features designed to meet the needs of small to medium-sized businesses. From email marketing and automation to social media integrations and event management, Constant Contact provides all the tools you need to run successful marketing campaigns. The platform’s advanced features, such as detailed analytics and custom code capabilities, allow you to optimize your email marketing strategy effectively.
Reliable Performance: Constant Contact is known for its high deliverability rates and reliable performance, ensuring that your emails reach your audience’s inboxes. This reliability is essential for maintaining effective communication with your customers and maximizing the impact of your email marketing efforts.
Free Trial: While Constant Contact does not offer a permanent free plan, its 60-day free trial gives you ample opportunity to explore its features and see firsthand how it can benefit your business. This trial period allows you to experience the platform’s capabilities without any financial commitment.
By choosing Constant Contact, you’re investing in a platform that not only meets your current needs but also scales with your business as it grows. Whether you’re just starting out or looking to enhance your existing email marketing efforts, Constant Contact offers the tools, support, and reliability you need to achieve your goals and drive success.
