Mailchimp vs Constant Contact: Which is Better in 2026?
Constant Contact and Mailchimp are the two most recognizable names in small-business email marketing, and they now sit on opposite sides of a real philosophy split. Constant Contact has no permanent free plan but keeps its paid tiers simple. Mailchimp, owned by Intuit since 2021, keeps a free plan alive but has shrunk it and raised legacy prices twice already in 2026. Read this if you are choosing where to run your email list.
Bottom line: Mailchimp wins this matchup. Our overall Email Marketing pick is ActiveCampaign. Our free Email Marketing pick is SendPulse. 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:
Mailchimp
Grow your business with email, SMS, and AI marketing
Best for you if:
- • You want intuitive drag-and-drop editor accessible to non-technical users
- • You want comprehensive free plan to get started with basic email marketing
Constant Contact
Established email marketing for small businesses
Best for you if:
- • Small businesses that want dependable, easy email marketing plus SMS and basic e-commerce tools, and are willing to pay from day one instead of starting free
- • You want easy to use
- • You want good for beginners
| At a Glance | Mailchimp | Constant Contact |
|---|---|---|
Starts at | FreeFree tier available | FreeFree tier available |
Best For | Email Marketing | Email Marketing |
Rating | 3.9/5 | 4.2/5 |
Free plan | Yes | Yes |
Choose Mailchimp or Constant Contact?
Choose Mailchimp if
Grow your business with email, SMS, and AI marketing
- You want intuitive drag-and-drop editor accessible to non-technical users
- You want comprehensive free plan to get started with basic email marketing
Choose Constant Contact if
Established email marketing for small businesses
- Small businesses that want dependable, easy email marketing plus SMS and basic e-commerce tools, and are willing to pay from day one instead of starting free
- You want easy to use
- You want good for beginners
- Budget matters (Free vs Free)
| Feature | Mailchimp | Constant Contact |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing Model | Freemium | Freemium |
| User Rating | ★3.9/5 31,997 reviews | ★4.2/5 10,413 reviews |
| Categories | Email MarketingMarketing Automation | Email MarketingMarketing Automation |
In-Depth Analysis
Mailchimp
Strengths
- +Still offers a genuine, indefinite free plan, letting a very small list send real campaigns at zero cost, something Constant Contact does not offer at all
- +Automation depth is a real differentiator, with over 100 workflow templates versus Constant Contact's roughly 3, which matters for anyone running lifecycle or abandoned-cart email
- +Integrates with more than 300 apps including Shopify, WooCommerce, and Salesforce, plus AI-powered content generation and predictive analytics for segmentation
- +Undercuts Constant Contact at most contact tiers past the entry point: roughly 27 dollars a month at 1,000 contacts on Essentials versus about 50 dollars a month on Constant Contact Lite
Weaknesses
- -The free plan has been cut twice recently, from 500 contacts and 1,000 monthly sends down to 250 contacts and 500 sends as of February 2026, part of a pattern of shrinking the free tier since Intuit's 2021 acquisition
- -Legacy customers on plans from before May 2019 who never migrated saw prices rise roughly 11 to 13 percent starting with billing cycles after April 13, 2026
- -Since April 2024, unsubscribed and non-subscribed contacts still count toward your plan's contact limit and price until you manually clean the list, which can push accounts into a higher tier without warning
Best For
Growing businesses and ecommerce sellers that need deep automation, wide app integrations, and are comfortable managing list hygiene to avoid surprise tier upgrades.
Mailchimp is the stronger pick for automation and integration depth, but budget time to manage list cleanliness and expect its free and legacy pricing to keep shifting.
Constant Contact
Strengths
- +No confusing free-tier bait: pricing starts at 12 dollars a month for the Lite plan at 500 contacts, with no permanent free plan to unexpectedly outgrow
- +Prepaying annually cuts the entry price to 10.20 dollars a month for Lite, 29.75 dollars a month for Standard, and 68 dollars a month for Premium, with nonprofits saving up to 30 percent
- +Built-in SMS messaging, a website builder, and e-commerce payment tools go beyond core email, features most competitors charge extra for or omit
- +Deliverability benefits from one of the longest sender track records in email marketing, since the company predates most of its current competitors
Weaknesses
- -Automation is comparatively basic: reviews consistently point to around 3 workflow templates versus over 100 on Mailchimp, a real gap for anyone building lifecycle campaigns
- -Cost scales fast with list size: Standard jumps from 35 dollars a month at 500 contacts to 110 dollars a month at 5,000 contacts, and Premium rises from 80 to 200 dollars over the same range
- -There is no permanent free plan, only a trial, so a very small list or hobby sender has no zero-cost option to stay on long-term
Best For
Small businesses that want dependable, easy email marketing plus SMS and basic e-commerce tools, and are willing to pay from day one instead of starting free.
Constant Contact is the simpler, more dependable choice for a small business that wants proven basics and does not need deep automation.
Head-to-Head Comparison
Pricing at entry
TieAt 500 contacts, Constant Contact Lite is 12 dollars a month and Mailchimp Essentials is 13 dollars a month, essentially the same. The real difference shows up as your list grows past 1,000 contacts, where Mailchimp pulls ahead on cost.
Pricing at scale
Mailchimp winsAt 1,000 contacts, Constant Contact Lite runs about 50 dollars a month while Mailchimp Essentials runs about 27 dollars a month, and the gap persists at higher tiers: Constant Contact Standard hits 110 dollars a month at 5,000 contacts versus 100 dollars on Mailchimp Standard.
Free plan availability
Mailchimp winsMailchimp still offers an indefinite free plan, now capped at 250 contacts and 500 monthly sends after a February 2026 cut. Constant Contact has never offered a permanent free plan, only a no-card trial.
Automation depth
Mailchimp winsMailchimp ships over 100 workflow templates against roughly 3 on Constant Contact, a meaningful gap for anyone running multi-step or abandoned-cart sequences.
Ease of use and support
Constant Contact winsIndependent comparisons consistently rate Constant Contact ahead on ease of use, template variety, and customer support, making it the better fit for a first-time email marketer.
Integrations and channels
TieMailchimp connects to over 300 apps including Shopify and Salesforce with AI content tools built in. Constant Contact bundles SMS, a website builder, and e-commerce payment tools directly into its plans instead of relying on third-party connections.
Pricing stability
Constant Contact winsMailchimp changed its pricing twice in the first four months of 2026 alone, cutting free-plan limits and raising legacy-plan prices 11 to 13 percent. Constant Contact's plan structure has stayed comparatively stable, which matters if you want predictable costs.
Migration Considerations
Moving from Mailchimp to Constant Contact means accepting no permanent free tier, so budget for at least the Lite plan from day one. Most list-import tools handle the contact transfer cleanly, but recreate your automations manually since Constant Contact's workflow templates are far more limited. Moving from Constant Contact to Mailchimp means auditing your list for unsubscribed and non-subscribed contacts before you migrate, since Mailchimp counts them toward your plan limit and price unless you clean the list first.
Pricing: Mailchimp vs Constant Contact
| Plan | Mailchimp | Constant Contact |
|---|---|---|
| Tier 1 | Free Free | $12 month Lite |
| Tier 2 | $13 month Essentials | $35 month Standard |
| Tier 3 | $20 month Standard | $80 month Premium |
| Tier 4 | $350 month Premium | N/A |
Pricing verified from each vendor's public pricing page. Compare in detail on Mailchimp pricing and Constant Contact pricing.
Who Should Use What?
On a budget?
Both are freemium. Compare plans on their websites.
Go with: Mailchimp
Want the highest-rated option?
Mailchimp: 3.9/5 (31,997 reviews). Constant Contact: 4.2/5 (10,413 reviews).
Go with: Constant Contact
Value user reviews?
Mailchimp: 31,997 reviews (3.9/5). Constant Contact: 10,413 reviews (4.2/5).
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 (31,997 reviews)
- Free tier available
- Our pick for this comparison
Constant Contact
- Higher user rating: 4.2/5 vs 3.9/5
The Bottom Line
Choose Constant Contact if you are a small business sending straightforward campaigns, want SMS and basic e-commerce tools bundled in, and value a stable price and dependable support over deep automation. Choose Mailchimp if you run lifecycle or abandoned-cart automation, need integrations with tools like Shopify or Salesforce, and are willing to actively manage list hygiene and watch for pricing changes. A hobbyist or very early-stage sender with under 250 contacts should start on Mailchimp's free plan, since Constant Contact has no equivalent.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does Mailchimp or Constant Contact have a free plan?
Mailchimp does, though it was cut to 250 contacts and 500 monthly sends as of February 2026. Constant Contact has never offered a permanent free plan, only a trial that requires no credit card to start.
Which is cheaper as my list grows?
Mailchimp, in most cases. At 500 contacts the two are within a dollar of each other, but by 1,000 contacts Mailchimp Essentials runs roughly 27 dollars a month versus about 50 dollars a month for Constant Contact Lite, and Mailchimp keeps that edge at higher tiers.
Which tool has better automation?
Mailchimp. It ships over 100 workflow templates compared to roughly 3 on Constant Contact, which matters for lifecycle emails, abandoned-cart sequences, and multi-step nurture campaigns.
Why did Mailchimp's pricing change twice in 2026?
In January 2026 Mailchimp cut its free plan from 500 contacts and 1,000 sends down to 250 contacts and 500 sends. In April 2026 it raised prices roughly 11 to 13 percent for legacy customers still on pre-May-2019 plans who never migrated to a current tier.
Is Constant Contact or Mailchimp easier for a beginner?
Constant Contact. Independent reviews consistently rate it ahead on ease of use, template variety, and customer support, which is why it remains a common recommendation for small businesses sending their first campaigns.