Mailchimp vs Constant Contact
Quick verdict
As of 2026-07-08, Constant Contact is the cheaper email marketing tool, starting at $12/mo versus Mailchimp at $13/mo. That's $1/mo less on the entry plan. Mailchimp has a free plan; Constant Contact does not. Mailchimp has 4 plans; Constant Contact has 3 plans.
Mailchimp starts at $13/mo and has a free plan. Constant Contact starts at $12/mo and has no free plan.
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Against the $15.5/mo median entry price across the 12 tools we track, Mailchimp's $13/mo is 16% below and Constant Contact's $12/mo is 23% below. 8 of 12 email marketing tools include a free plan.
| Mailchimp | Constant Contact | |
|---|---|---|
| Starts at | $13/mo | $12/mo |
| Free plan | ✓ | ✗ |
| Paid plans | 3 | 3 |
| Pricing model | per contacts | per contacts |
| Automation | ✓ | ✓ |
| CRM | ✓ | ✓ |
| SMS | Add-on (Essentials/Standard); included on Premium (US/CA/UK) | Included on Premium; ~$10/mo add-on lower tiers |
| Ecommerce | Shopify/WooCommerce integrations, product retargeting, abandoned cart, purchase segmentation | Basic — Shopify contact import, abandoned cart on Standard+ |
| Entry plan limit | from 500 contacts (max 50k) | up to 500 contacts |
| Integrations | 300+ | 300+ |
| Visit site | Visit site → | Visit site → |
Sources: mailchimp.com/pricing/marketing, verified · constantcontact.com/pricing, verified
Mailchimp — pros & cons
Pros
- Best-known brand, easiest on-ramp
- Huge template/integration library (300+)
- Genuine (reduced) free tier
- Strong Intuit/QuickBooks ties
Cons
- Price jumps steeply with contacts (top reason for churn)
- Bills for unsubscribed/non-subscribed unless archived
- Free plan gutted Jan 2026
- Multi-step automation locked behind Standard
Constant Contact — pros & cons
Pros
- Very easy to use
- Strong phone/live support on all plans
- Built-in event registration & surveys
- Large integration ecosystem
Cons
- No free tier
- Pricing rises steeply with contacts
- Weaker automation than ActiveCampaign
- SMS gated to Premium
Frequently asked questions
Is Mailchimp or Constant Contact cheaper?
Constant Contact is cheaper to start. Mailchimp begins at $13/mo and Constant Contact at $12/mo on their entry paid plans, a gap of $1/mo per month. Both usually bill less on an annual plan, so weigh yearly pricing before deciding.
Does Mailchimp or Constant Contact have a free plan?
Mailchimp has a free plan and Constant Contact has no free plan. So Mailchimp is the one to try first if a free plan is a must-have for you. Every figure comes straight from our maintained, dated dataset, verified on 2026-07-08.
Which has more features, Mailchimp or Constant Contact?
Mailchimp supports 3 of the 5 core features we compare and Constant Contact supports 3, so the two are evenly matched on breadth. Choose on the specific capabilities — automation, CRM, SMS, ecommerce, or landing pages — that matter most for how you plan to send.
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