Choosing the right email marketing platform can make or break your business communication strategy. With dozens of options available, two names consistently rise to the top: Mailchimp and Constant Contact. Both platforms have been industry leaders for over two decades, each carving out their own niche in the crowded email marketing landscape.
In this comprehensive comparison, we will dive deep into every aspect of these two platforms - from pricing and features to automation capabilities and customer support. Whether you are a small business owner just starting out, an established enterprise looking to switch platforms, or a nonprofit seeking the best value, this guide will help you make an informed decision.
By the end of this 6,000+ word analysis, you will understand exactly which platform aligns with your specific needs, budget, and marketing goals.
Introduction to Email Marketing Platforms
Email marketing remains one of the most effective digital marketing channels available today. With an average ROI of $42 for every $1 spent, it consistently outperforms social media, paid search, and other digital marketing methods. This remarkable return on investment explains why businesses of all sizes continue to prioritize email marketing in their overall strategy.
The right email marketing platform serves as the backbone of your communication strategy. It handles everything from collecting subscriber information and managing contact lists to designing beautiful emails and tracking campaign performance. More advanced platforms also offer automation, segmentation, A/B testing, and integration with other business tools.
Mailchimp and Constant Contact have been competing for market dominance since the early 2000s. While both platforms offer core email marketing functionality, they have evolved in different directions. Mailchimp has positioned itself as a comprehensive marketing platform with advanced automation and analytics, while Constant Contact has focused on simplicity, customer support, and additional marketing channels like events and social media.
Understanding the fundamental differences between these platforms is essential before diving into specific features. Mailchimp targets experienced marketers who need sophisticated automation and deep analytics. Constant Contact appeals to beginners who prioritize ease of use and hands-on customer support.
Company Backgrounds and History
Mailchimp: From Bootstrapped Startup to $12 Billion Acquisition
Mailchimp was founded in 2001 by Ben Chestnut and Mark Armstrong in Atlanta, Georgia. The company started as a side project of their web design agency, Rocket Science Group. Initially, they built Mailchimp as an alternative to the oversized, expensive email software of the early 2000s, targeting small business owners who needed affordable digital marketing tools.
What makes Mailchimp remarkable is its bootstrapped journey. Unlike most tech startups, the company never raised external venture capital funding, allowing the founders to maintain complete control over the company direction and culture. This independence shaped Mailchimps quirky, creative brand identity - from their famous chimp mascot Freddie to their unconventional marketing campaigns.
Mailchimp began as a paid service but added a freemium option in 2009. This strategic move proved transformative - within a year, the user base exploded from 85,000 to 450,000 users. The free tier became a powerful growth engine, introducing countless small businesses to email marketing.
On November 1, 2021, Intuit completed its acquisition of Mailchimp for approximately $12 billion - $5.7 billion in cash, $6.3 billion in common stock, and 573,000 restricted stock units. This marked one of the largest acquisitions of a bootstrapped company in tech history. Under Intuits ownership, Mailchimp has expanded its integration with QuickBooks and other Intuit products, positioning itself as part of a broader small business ecosystem.
Today, Mailchimp serves over 13 million users worldwide and processes billions of emails monthly. The company has offices in Atlanta (headquarters), Brooklyn, Oakland, Vancouver, London, and Santa Monica.
Constant Contact: The Email Marketing Pioneer
Constant Contact has an even longer history, having been founded in 1995 by Randy Parker. The company started as Roving Software in an attic in Brookline, Massachusetts. It launched its email marketing tools in 2000 and rebranded to Constant Contact in 2004.
The company went public on September 30, 2007, trading on NASDAQ under the ticker symbol CTCT. During its growth phase, Constant Contact made several strategic acquisitions to expand its capabilities. In May 2008, they acquired e2M Systems, an event management system. In May 2010, they purchased NutshellMail, a tool for monitoring social media accounts through email.
In April 2014, Constant Contact launched Toolkit, an all-in-one online marketing platform integrating email, social, mobile, and web marketing with 15 different campaign types and real-time reporting metrics.
November 2015 brought significant change when Endurance International Group acquired Constant Contact for $1.1 billion. The acquisition was controversial - days later, EIG laid off 15% of their workforce. In November 2020, Clearlake Capital Group and Siris Capital Group acquired EIG for around $9.5 billion. As part of this transaction, Constant Contact spun out as a standalone business.
Today, Constant Contact remains under the ownership of Clearlake Capital and Siris Capital. The company has refocused on its core strengths: ease of use, customer support, and integrated marketing tools beyond just email.
Pricing Comparison: All Tiers in Detail
Pricing is often the deciding factor when choosing between email marketing platforms. Both Mailchimp and Constant Contact base their pricing primarily on the number of contacts in your database, though their tier structures differ significantly.
Mailchimp Pricing Plans (2025)
Free Plan
- Up to 500 contacts
- 1,000 monthly email sends
- 1 user seat
- Basic email templates
- Mailchimp branding on emails
- Limited customer support (email only for first 30 days)
Essentials Plan
- Starting at $13/month for 500 contacts
- 5,000 monthly email sends (10x contact limit)
- 3 user seats
- Remove Mailchimp branding
- A/B testing
- 24/7 email and chat support
- Basic automation flows (single trigger, up to 3 steps)
- Approximately $45/month for 2,500 contacts
Standard Plan
- Starting at $20/month for 500 contacts
- 12x contact limit for monthly sends
- 5 user seats
- Up to 100,000 contacts capacity
- Advanced automation (up to 3 triggers, 200 steps, split paths)
- Content Optimizer AI
- Send Time Optimization
- Custom branding
- Approximately $110/month for 10,000 contacts
Premium Plan
- Starting at $350/month for 10,000 contacts
- 15x contact limit for monthly sends (150,000 emails for 10,000 contacts)
- Unlimited user seats
- Up to 200,000 contacts capacity
- Multivariate testing (up to 8 variations)
- Advanced segmentation
- Priority phone support
- Comparative reporting
- Scales up to $1,600/month for 200,000 contacts
Important Mailchimp pricing notes: Mailchimp charges for unsubscribed contacts unless you manually archive them. Duplicate contacts across multiple audience lists count as separate billable contacts. The platform offers a 15% discount for nonprofits and charities.
Constant Contact Pricing Plans (2025)
As of June 2025, Constant Contact restructured its pricing into three tiers, eliminating its free plan entirely in favor of a 14-day free trial.
Lite Plan
- Starting at $12/month for up to 500 contacts
- 1 user
- Basic email editor and templates
- Contact management
- Phone and chat support
- No A/B testing
- No advanced segmentation
- $30/month for 501-1,000 contacts
- $50/month for 2,501 contacts
Standard Plan
- Starting at $35/month for up to 500 contacts
- 3 users
- Email automation series
- Advanced segmentation
- Dynamic content
- Online surveys
- A/B subject line testing
- $45/month for 501-2,500 contacts
Premium Plan
- Starting at $80/month for up to 500 contacts
- Unlimited users
- Advanced automation workflows
- Google Ad Manager integration
- SEO tools
- 500 SMS messages included
- Role-based access controls
- Dedicated support
Constant Contact pricing notes: Exceeding your send limit incurs a fee of $0.002 per additional send. SMS marketing add-on starts at $10/month for Lite and Standard users. Annual prepayment earns a 15% discount, and nonprofits receive up to 30% off with prepayment.
Pricing Comparison at Different Scales
At 500 contacts: Mailchimp Essentials costs $13/month while Constant Contact Standard costs $35/month. Mailchimp is clearly more affordable at entry level.
At 2,500 contacts: Mailchimp Essentials runs approximately $45/month while Constant Contact Standard costs around $50/month. The gap narrows significantly.
At 10,000 contacts: Mailchimp Standard costs approximately $110/month while Constant Contact Premium runs around $120/month. Both platforms become comparable at this scale.
Winner: Mailchimp for budget-conscious users, especially at smaller contact counts and for those who can leverage the free plan.
Free Plan Comparison
One of the most significant differentiators between these platforms is their approach to free offerings.
