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The Verdict
Mailchimp wins overall due to its better value proposition, comprehensive free plan, and extensive feature set.
While Campaign Monitor excels in design, Mailchimp's pricing and functionality make it the smarter choice for most businesses.
Before making your final decision, check my Campaign Monitor Pricing and Mailchimp Pricing pages for the latest plan details and features included per tier.
If neither feels like the perfect fit, explore Campaign Monitor alternatives or Mailchimp alternatives.
Choose Campaign Monitor if
- +Agencies focused on beautiful email design
- +Businesses prioritizing template aesthetics
- +Companies with budget for premium design tools
- +Teams needing advanced template management
Choose Mailchimp if
- +Small businesses starting with email marketing
- +E-commerce stores needing automation
- +Companies wanting comprehensive marketing tools
- +Budget-conscious marketers
- +Businesses needing extensive integrations
Pricing
Which one costs more?
Here's how the pricing breaks down across comparable plans: For the full plan-by-plan breakdown with annual discounts, see my Campaign Monitor Pricing and Mailchimp Pricing guides.
| Plan / Tier | Campaign Monitor | Mailchimp | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Free Plan | Very limited | $0/mo | Mailchimp includes 250 contacts and basic features |
| Entry Level | $21/mo | $13/mo | Basic email marketing with templates and automation |
| Mid-Tier | $29/mo | $20/mo | Enhanced features and unlimited sends |
| Premium | Custom pricing | $350/mo | Advanced features for larger businesses |
Buddy's Take on Pricing
Mailchimp wins decisively on pricing with its generous free plan and lower costs across all paid tiers. Campaign Monitor's pricing starts higher and lacks a meaningful free option, making it less accessible for small businesses and startups. Keep in mind that the cheapest plan is not always the best value.
Consider which features you actually need and how pricing changes as your subscriber list grows. My Campaign Monitor Pricing and Mailchimp Pricing pages have the complete tier-by-tier breakdowns.
Features
Capability comparison
Two email marketing veterans with very different trajectories. Mailchimp expanded into a full marketing platform with social scheduling, e-commerce tools, and a website builder. Campaign Monitor stayed focused on email with premium templates and agency-friendly brand management. The feature gap widens as Mailchimp keeps adding channels.
| Capability | Campaign Monitor | Mailchimp |
|---|---|---|
| Free Plan | ○ | ● |
| Email Templates | ★ | ● |
| Drag-and-drop Editor | ★ | ● |
| Marketing Automation | ● | ★ |
| AI Features | ● | ★ |
| Analytics & Reporting | ● | ★ |
| A/B Testing | ✓ | ✓ |
| SMS Marketing | ✗ | ✓ |
| E-commerce Integration | ○ | ★ |
| Customer Support | ● | ● |
| Mobile App | ○ | ● |
Campaign Monitor excels in email design with its professional template library and intuitive drag-and-drop builder. The platform offers beautiful, mobile-optimized templates that look great out of the box. However, its feature set remains focused primarily on email marketing. Mailchimp takes a broader approach with comprehensive marketing automation, detailed analytics, SMS marketing capabilities, and extensive e-commerce integrations.
While its templates aren't as visually striking as Campaign Monitor's, they're still professional and highly functional. Mailchimp's AI features are more advanced, offering predictive analytics and automated optimization tools that Campaign Monitor lacks. The platform also provides better value with its generous free plan that includes 250 contacts, compared to Campaign Monitor's very limited free offering.
Want to master email marketing fundamentals? My comprehensive email marketing guide covers deliverability, automation, and list-building strategies.
Who It's For
Who should choose which?
Choose Campaign Monitor if you...
- +You prioritize beautiful, professional email designs above all else
- +You're an agency creating emails for multiple clients
- +You need advanced template management and brand control
- +You have budget for premium design-focused tools
- +You primarily need email marketing without other channels
Choose Mailchimp if you...
- +You're starting with email marketing and want a free plan
- +You need comprehensive marketing automation
- +You want to combine email and SMS marketing
- +You run an e-commerce business needing deep integrations
- +You want the best value for money
- +You need extensive third-party integrations
Final recommendation
The bottom line
For most businesses, Mailchimp is the better choice. Its combination of a generous free plan, comprehensive features, and competitive pricing makes it ideal for small to medium businesses. The platform's automation capabilities, e-commerce integrations, and omnichannel approach provide more growth potential than Campaign Monitor's email-focused offering.
However, Campaign Monitor deserves consideration if email design is your top priority. Its templates are beautiful and the interface is more design-focused. Agencies and businesses where email aesthetics directly impact brand perception might find the higher cost worthwhile.
But for the majority of users seeking the best overall value and feature set, Mailchimp's comprehensive approach and better pricing make it the clear winner. If neither Campaign Monitor nor Mailchimp feels like exactly what you need, browse my best email marketing software roundup for a wider look at the market.
I also have dedicated pages for Campaign Monitor alternatives and Mailchimp alternatives if you want to explore platforms that compete directly with either option.
For similar head-to-head matchups, check out beehiiv vs Mailchimp, Campaign Monitor vs ActiveCampaign, Campaign Monitor vs beehiiv.
FAQ
Frequently Asked Questions
Campaign Monitor is better for design-focused email marketing, but Mailchimp offers better overall value with more features and better pricing.
Mailchimp is significantly cheaper with a generous free plan and lower pricing across all tiers.
Yes, both platforms offer migration tools and support to help you transfer your contacts and email templates.
No, Campaign Monitor has superior template design and customization options, though Mailchimp's are still professional.
Mailchimp is much better for e-commerce with deeper integrations, abandoned cart recovery, and revenue tracking features.
Yes, but Mailchimp offers more detailed automation workflows and triggers than Campaign Monitor.
Both offer good support, with Campaign Monitor including phone support and Mailchimp focusing on email and chat support.
More on these tools
Joonas Rotko
Author & founder of That Marketing Buddy
I score marketing software for AI-stack fit (MCP, API, agent-readiness), backed by 10+ years in digital marketing. This comparison is based on structured data from 60+ tools in the marketing software category.
This page may contain affiliate links. I earn a commission at no extra cost to you. This never influences the comparison.
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