February 23rd, 2023 | 3 min. read
By Kim Kovelle
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What’s the best email marketing platform for small businesses?
If you’re researching, you’ve likely come across Mailchimp and Constant Contact — two of the biggest players in the market. Mailchimp dominates with 68% of the market, while Constant Contact holds 6%, according to Datanyze.
Both offer strong features, but which is the better fit for you? At Zoe Marketing & Communications, we help clients who use both. In this guide, we’ll compare:
- Pricing plans and perks
- Limits on email sends
- Email templates
- List segmenting
- Email automation
- Reports
- Customer support
By the end, you’ll have a clearer picture of both platforms — and which one fits your needs best.
Ready to Reach More Customers?
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Comparing 7 key features of Mailchimp and Constant Contact
1. Pricing plans and perks
Both platforms offer free trials and tiered plans, but pricing depends on your contact list size and the features you need.
Mailchimp
- Free: Up to 500 contacts, 1,000 sends/month, limited features
- Essentials ($13-$350/month): Includes A/B testing, support and automation
- Standard ($20-$700/month): Adds retargeting ads and a campaign manager
- Premium ($350-$1,510/month): Unlocks advanced segmentation and priority support
Constant Contact
- Core ($9.99-$300/month): Basic email tools, signup forms and templates
- Plus ($45-$410/month): Adds automation, advanced reporting and unlimited users
🏆 Winner: It’s a tie — Constant Contact has a cheaper entry point, but Mailchimp’s higher tiers offer more advanced features.
2. Limits on email sends
A “send” = one email sent to one contact. Your limit depends on your pricing plan.
Mailchimp
- Free plan: 1,000 sends/month
- Paid plans: 10x to 15x your contact limit per month
Constant Contact
- All paid plans: 24x your contact limit per month — more than Mailchimp
🏆 Winner: Constant Contact — higher send limits across the board
3. Email templates
Both platforms offer pre-designed, mobile-friendly templates, but there’s a difference in volume.
- Mailchimp: 100+ templates (limited selection on free plan)
- Constant Contact: 200+ templates, plus industry-specific designs
🏆 Winner: Constant Contact — more templates and industry-specific options
4. List segmenting
Both platforms let you segment your audience, but Mailchimp offers deeper customization.
Mailchimp
- 30+ segmentation types, including customer behavior, demographics and location
- Advanced segmenting unlocked in Premium
Constant Contact
- Basic segmentation (tags, activity-based lists) in Core
- Engagement-based segmentation (e.g., best/recent customers) in Plus
🏆 Winner: Mailchimp — for more detailed targeting options (though Constant Contact can be easier to navigate)
5. Email automation
Automation helps streamline your email marketing.
Mailchimp
- Basic automation starts with Essentials
- Enhanced automation (e.g., retargeting emails, abandoned cart reminders) available in higher tiers
- 45+ automation options for tagging, order notifications and more
Constant Contact
- Basic welcome email included in Core
- Full automation (resends, behavioral triggers, anniversary emails) requires Plus
🏆 Winner: Mailchimp — more automation flexibility and retargeting features
6. Reports
Tracking open rates, click-throughs and engagement is crucial.
Mailchimp
- 28 report types, including social media integration and Google Analytics
- Campaign comparison tools in Standard and Premium
Constant Contact
- Basic email performance tracking in Core
- Ad conversion tracking (Google & Meta ads) in Plus
🏆 Winner: Mailchimp — its data is much more extensive
7. Customer support
Support matters, especially if you run into issues.
Mailchimp
- 24/7 live chat for paid plans
- Email support for all paid users (30 days for free users)
- Phone support only for Premium
Constant Contact
- Live chat (weekdays only) for all plans
- Phone support for both Core and Plus plans
🏆 Winner: Mailchimp — stronger self-help resources and 24/7 chat, but Constant Contact is better for phone support
Final verdict: Which platform is better?
Mailchimp won 4 categories, Constant Contact won 2, and 1 was a tie. Still, it depends on your needs.
Choose Mailchimp if you want:
✅ More automation and segmentation options
✅ Stronger analytics and reporting
✅ Retargeting features and social media integration
Choose Constant Contact if you want:
✅ Higher send limits
✅ More templates and industry-specific options
✅ Phone support at any pricing tier
Both platforms offer free trials, so test them out before committing!
What’s next for your email marketing?
Email is one of the best tools to nurture leads and drive conversions. If you’re unsure which platform to choose, we can help.
Need expert email strategy? Talk to us at Zoe Marketing & Communications — we can manage strategy, automation and reporting for you.
Still exploring email marketing? Check out:
- Best practices to keep your email marketing out of spam filters
- What targeted email marketing is and how it can work for you
Ready to Reach More Customers?
Connect with your best prospects — and drive more conversions — with a custom mix of digital ads, content, email, streaming ads, SEO, creative services and more.
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