Constant Contact vs Mailchimp: Which is Better in 2026?
Choosing between Constant Contact and Mailchimp comes down to understanding what each tool does best. This comparison breaks down the key differences so you can make an informed decision based on your specific needs, not marketing claims.
Bottom line: Mailchimp is our overall pick for email marketing workflows. Pick Constant Contact if you need a free tier to start with.
Short on time? Here's the quick answer
We've tested both tools. Here's who should pick what:
Constant Contact
Established email marketing for small businesses
Best for you if:
- • Affordable email marketing for small businesses
- • Drag-and-drop email builder with templates
Mailchimp
Grow your business with email, SMS, and AI marketing
Best for you if:
- • Leading email marketing platform with AI-powered automation, used by millions of businesses worldwide
- • Free plan supports up to 250 contacts and 500 emails/month; paid plans offer various tiers
| At a Glance |  Constant Contact |  Mailchimp |
|---|---|---|
Starts at | FreeFree tier available | FreeFree tier available |
Best For | Email Marketing | Email Marketing |
Rating | 4.2/5 | 3.9/5 |
Free plan | Yes | Yes |
Choose Constant Contact or Mailchimp?
Choose Constant Contact if
Established email marketing for small businesses
- Easy to use
- Good for beginners
- Event marketing
- Budget matters (Free vs Free)
Choose Mailchimp if
Grow your business with email, SMS, and AI marketing
- Intuitive drag-and-drop editor accessible to non-technical users
- Comprehensive free plan to get started with basic email marketing
- Powerful automation workflows rivaling dedicated automation platforms
| Feature | Constant Contact | Mailchimp |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing Model | Freemium | Freemium |
| User Rating | ★4.2/5 11,849 reviews | ★3.9/5 31,952 reviews |
| Categories | Email MarketingMarketing Automation | Email MarketingMarketing Automation |
In-Depth Analysis
Constant Contact
Established email marketing for small businesses
Strengths
- +Easy to use
- +Good for beginners
- +Event marketing
- +Templates
- +Phone support
Weaknesses
- -Expensive for features
- -Limited automation
- -Dated interface
- -Competitors better value
- -Per-contact pricing
Key features
Value 65/100. Constant Contact's pricing is on the higher side compared to some market alternatives, especially for the Lite tier at $12/month which offers limited features and contacts.
Watch out: Pricing scales significantly with contact list size.
Mailchimp
Grow your business with email, SMS, and AI marketing
Strengths
- +Intuitive drag-and-drop editor accessible to non-technical users
- +Comprehensive free plan to get started with basic email marketing
- +Powerful automation workflows rivaling dedicated automation platforms
- +Extensive template library with mobile-responsive designs
- +Strong deliverability rates backed by Intuit infrastructure
Weaknesses
- -Free plan capped at just 250 contacts and 500 sends per month
- -Pricing scales steeply as contact lists grow beyond initial tiers
- -Advanced segmentation and multivariate testing require higher tiers
- -Phone support only available on the highest tier
- -Removing Mailchimp branding requires a paid plan
Key features
Value 50/100. Mailchimp was once the default email marketing tool for small businesses, and its free tier was legendary.
Watch out: ALL contacts count: subscribed, unsubscribed, non-subscribed, and 'cleaned' contacts all count toward your plan limit. You pay for contacts who unsubscribed last year unless you manually archive them. This inflates costs by 20-40% for most lists
Pricing: Constant Contact vs Mailchimp
| Plan | Constant Contact | Mailchimp |
|---|---|---|
| Tier 1 | $12 month Lite | Free Free |
| Tier 2 | $35 month Standard | $13 month Essentials |
| Tier 3 | $80 month Premium | $20 month Standard |
| Tier 4 | N/A | $350 month Premium |
Pricing verified from each vendor's public pricing page. Compare in detail on Constant Contact pricing and Mailchimp pricing.
Who Should Use What?
On a budget?
Both are freemium. Compare plans on their websites.
Go with: Constant Contact
Want the highest-rated option?
Constant Contact: 4.2/5 (11,849 reviews). Mailchimp: 3.9/5 (31,952 reviews).
Go with: Constant Contact
Value user reviews?
Constant Contact: 11,849 reviews (4.2/5). Mailchimp: 31,952 reviews (3.9/5).
Go with: Mailchimp
3 Questions to Help You Decide
What's your budget?
Both are freemium. Pricing won't help you decide here.
What's your use case?
Both are email marketing tools. Compare their specific features to decide.
How important are ratings?
Constant Contact is rated higher: 4.2/5 vs 3.9/5.
Key Takeaways
Mailchimp
- Larger review base (31,952 reviews)
- Free tier available
- Our pick for this comparison
Constant Contact
- Higher user rating: 4.2/5 vs 3.9/5
The Bottom Line
Mailchimp is our pick.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Constant Contact or Mailchimp better?
Mailchimp is rated in our evaluation. Both are freemium.
What are Constant Contact and Mailchimp used for?
Constant Contact: Established email marketing for small businesses. Mailchimp: Grow your business with email, SMS, and AI marketing.
What does Constant Contact cost vs Mailchimp?
Constant Contact is freemium (free tier + paid plans). Mailchimp is freemium (free tier + paid plans). Visit their websites for detailed pricing.