Constant Contact vs Mailchimp: Which email marketing software is better in 2025?

Choosing your email marketing platform is one of the most important decisions an SMB will make. This software is the direct line to your customers—it’s how you build relationships, nurture leads, and drive sales. The right choice can be a revenue-generating machine. The wrong one is a costly, time-consuming headache.

For most small businesses, this decision boils down to a head-to-head battle between two of the most well-known names in the industry: Constant Contact vs Mailchimp.

This email marketing software comparison reveals a deep, philosophical difference between the two platforms.

Mailchimp, now owned by Intuit (the makers of QuickBooks), is a data-driven, e-commerce, and automation-first platform. It grew famous for its generous free plan and has evolved into a sophisticated marketing “brain” for businesses that want to use AI and complex automations to drive sales.

Constant Contact is a service-oriented, all-in-one marketing suite. It has built its brand on one killer feature: real, live phone support. It’s designed for the small business owner, non-profit, or event manager who values simplicity and wants to talk to a human expert when they need help.

This definitive, data-driven Constant Contact vs Mailchimp article will break down every key feature, the critical pricing differences, and the real-world scenarios to help you make the right choice for your business.

Key points (quick summary)

Here’s the high-level breakdown of the Constant Contact vs Mailchimp matchup.

• Mailchimp is best for… E-commerce stores, tech-savvy marketers, and bloggers who need advanced automation, deep analytics, and a powerful free plan to start.
• Constant Contact is stronger in… Customer support (especially phone support), event management, and simplicity for non-technical users.
• The main difference in pricing is… The free plan. Mailchimp offers a Free plan (up to 500 contacts/1,000 sends), which is perfect for new businesses. Constant Contact does not have a free plan, only a long 60-day free trial.
• The key feature that separates them is… Support vs. Automation. Constant Contact‘s main selling point is its award-winning phone support. Mailchimp‘s main selling point is its “Customer Journeys” builder—a powerful, multi-step automation tool.
• The ideal audience for Mailchimp is… The data-driven marketer or e-commerce store that wants to build complex, automated sales funnels.
• The ideal audience for Constant Contact is… The small business owner, non-profit, or beginner who wants a simple, reliable tool and the peace of mind that comes with real human support.

Head-to-head comparison: A full Constant Contact vs Mailchimp breakdown

We’ll now dive deep into the specific features to compare Constant Contact and Mailchimp side-by-side.

Market position & ideal use cases

• Constant Contact: Targets non-profits, event-based businesses, and “Main Street” small businesses (like restaurants, realtors, or consultants). Its platform is built around simple newsletters, social media posting, and powerful event management tools. Its core value proposition is human guidance.
• Mailchimp: Is the dominant player for e-commerce, tech startups, and content creators (bloggers, authors). Its platform is built to be a data-driven “marketing brain” that integrates deeply with online stores (like Shopify and WooCommerce) to trigger automated emails based on customer behavior.

Platform & ease of use

• Constant Contact: Offers a straightforward, simple drag-and-drop editor. While some users find its interface slightly more dated than Mailchimp’s, it’s very functional and easy for a true beginner to learn. Its focus is on “guided simplicity.”
• Mailchimp: Features a sleek, modern, and fast interface. Its drag-and-drop editor is excellent and offers slightly more creative flexibility. However, its advanced features (like automation and segmentation) are more complex and can be overwhelming for non-technical users.

Core features & capabilities (Email, Landing Pages, & Forms)

• Email & templates:
  • Constant Contact: Wins on quantity, offering over 200+ pre-designed templates for specific holidays, events, and industries.
  • Mailchimp: Wins on modern design. It has fewer templates (100+), but they are generally more modern and creatively flexible.
• Landing pages & forms:
  • Both platforms offer robust builders for landing pages and sign-up forms.
  • Mailchimp‘s are more powerful, especially for e-commerce, allowing you to create “shoppable” landing pages that connect directly to your store.

Reporting, analytics & insights

• Constant Contact: Provides good, solid, basic reports: open rate, click-through rate, bounces, and unsubscribes It’s easy to understand but lacks depth.
• Mailchimp: This is a major win for Mailchimp. It offers deep, e-commerce-focused analytics, A/B testing (on subject lines, content, and send times), and predictive segmentation, which uses AI to tell you which customers are likely to buy.

Integrations & connected tools

• Mailchimp: Has a massive marketplace with over 900+ integrations. It connects to almost everything, including deep integrations with QuickBooks, WooCommerce, and hundreds of other apps. Note: Its direct integration with Shopify is no longer supported, requiring a third-party connector.
• Constant Contact: Has a smaller but still robust marketplace of over 500+ integrations. It covers all the essentials and does have a direct, official integration with Shopify.

AI, automation & smart features

This is a critical Constant Contact vs Mailchimp difference. Both use AI, but for very different purposes.

• Constant Contact (AI Content Generator):
  • What it is: A powerful AI writing assistant built into the editor.
  • Key features: It’s excellent for creating content. You can use it to:
    • Write entire emails from a simple prompt.
    • Generate engaging subject lines and headlines.
    • Draft social media posts to accompany your email.
  • Automation: Its automation is more basic, perfect for simple “autoresponder” sequences like a welcome series or birthday email.
• Mailchimp (Intuit Assist & Advanced Automation):
  • What it is: A deep, AI-powered marketing “brain” backed by Intuit.
  • Key features (AI): It’s focused on data and optimization.
    • Generative AI for writing email copy.
    • Predictive Segmentation: AI that identifies high-value customers or those at risk of churning.
    • Send-Time Optimization: AI that determines the exact time to email each individual contact for the highest open rate.
  • Automation: This is Mailchimp’s killer feature. Its “Customer Journey Builder” is a visual, multi-step, multi-branch workflow tool. You can build complex funnels like, “Send email > If they click link A, tag them and send email B > If they don’t click, send email C in 3 days.”

Verdict: Constant Contact gives you a great AI writer. Mailchimp gives you a full AI marketing strategist and a far more powerful automation engine.

Pricing & fee comparison: Which is cheaper?

This is a key question in the Constant Contact vs Mailchimp debate. Their pricing models are both “contact-based” (price increases with your list size), but the plans are very different.

Pricing summary:

• For starting out (0-500 contacts): Mailchimp is the clear winner. Its Free plan is a game-changer for new businesses. Constant Contact has no free plan, only a trial.
• For growing businesses: Mailchimp’s Standard plan (at ~$20/mo) offers more advanced automation and AI features than Constant Contact’s Plus plan (~$45/mo).
• Overall: Mailchimp is generally the cheaper and higher-value option, unless you need the one feature Mailchimp charges a premium for: phone support.

Support, reliability & customer experience

This is the most dramatic Constant Contact vs Mailchimp difference.

• Constant Contact: This is their #1 selling point. They offer award-winning, live phone support and chat support for all paying customers. For a non-technical business owner who is frustrated and just “wants to talk to a person,” this is invaluable.
• Mailchimp: This is their #1 weakness. Mailchimp does not offer phone support except on its most expensive Premium plan (which starts at $350/mo). Support on Free, Essentials, and Standard plans is limited to email and chat, which is notoriously slow.

Scalability & growth potential

• Mailchimp: Is built for e-commerce and data-driven scaling. Its advanced segmentation and automation tools are designed for businesses that want to grow revenue from their list.
• Constant Contact: Scales well for event-based or service businesses (e.g., non-profits managing large donor lists and events). Its lack of deep automation can be a ceiling for complex e-commerce.

Real-world scenarios: Who should use Constant Contact vs Mailchimp?

Example 1 – New author or blogger

New creators building an online presence typically need a simple, no-cost way to collect email subscribers and send occasional updates. The priority is getting started quickly without committing to a paid plan while still having enough functionality to publish consistent monthly newsletters.

Best fit: Mailchimp Free Plan, which supports up to 500 contacts and offers an easy, risk-free way to begin growing an audience.

Example 2 – Local restaurant or non-profit

Local organizations often send weekly updates, promote events, and rely on dependable support when something goes wrong. Managing RSVP lists for fundraisers or community gatherings requires tools that simplify event logistics and provide real-time assistance during critical moments.
Best fit: Constant Contact Core or Plus, thanks to its phone support and strong event-management features that help teams stay on track during time-sensitive campaigns.

Example 3 – Growing Shopify store

E-commerce brands expanding on Shopify need advanced automation, detailed customer segmentation, and machine-learning tools that identify high-value buyers. Effective abandoned-cart flows and targeted messaging play a major role in driving repeat purchases and increasing overall revenue.

Best fit: Mailchimp Standard, built for sophisticated e-commerce automation with Customer Journey Builder and predictive segmentation designed to help online stores scale.

Final verdict & recommendation table

FAQ: Constant Contact vs Mailchimp

How is Constant Contact different from Mailchimp?

The main difference is support vs. automation. Constant Contact is an easy-to-use platform with award-winning phone support for all paid users. Mailchimp is a more advanced, data-driven platform with a powerful free plan and a much more complex automation builder for e-commerce.

Which is cheaper, Constant Contact or Mailchimp?

Mailchimp is cheaper to start because it has a Free Forever plan for up to 500 contacts. Constant Contact only has a 60-day free trial. For paid plans, Mailchimp’s Standard plan (with advanced automation) is often a better value than Constant Contact’s comparable Plus plan.

How to migrate from Mailchimp to Constant Contact?

Migration is a simple, manual process. You export your audience (contacts) from Mailchimp as a CSV file. Then, you go to the “Contacts” section in Constant Contact and choose “Upload from file” to import that CSV. You will need to re-create your email templates and automations manually.

How to import data from Constant Contact to Mailchimp?

The process is identical. You go to your “Contacts” section in Constant Contact, select the lists you want to export, and export them as a CSV file. Then, you go to the “Audience” section in Mailchimp and click “Import contacts” to upload that CSV file.

Does Constant Contact have phone support?

Yes. This is its single biggest advantage over Mailchimp. All paying Constant Contact customers have access to live phone support.

Does Mailchimp have a free plan?

Yes. The Mailchimp Free plan includes up to 500 contacts and 1,000 email sends per month, making it a popular choice for new businesses and startups.

Which is better for e-commerce?

Mailchimp, by a large margin. Its platform is built around e-commerce, with deep integrations, abandoned cart automations, and predictive segmentation based on purchase history.

Which has better AI?

Mailchimp has more advanced AI. While both platforms have a great AI content/email writer, Mailchimp’s AI (Intuit Assist) goes further, offering predictive analytics to find your best customers and send-time optimization to increase open rates.