Constant Contact and Mailchimp both run email campaigns for small businesses, so the real choice is about how you like to work. Constant Contact is known for phone support and event tools. Mailchimp is known for its templates, its automations and a free plan. I'd choose on support style and on how much automation you'll need, not on feature counts.
If you've landed here, you probably have a list of customers, a handful of things to announce, and a nagging worry that you're about to pick the wrong tool. Take a breath. Both platforms are mature, both are built with small businesses in mind, and you can export your contacts from one and bring them into the other if you change your mind. What matters more is which one fits your week.
Mailchimp is owned by Intuit, the company behind QuickBooks. Constant Contact has long been the tool that local shops, clubs, classes and service businesses reach for. I'm sticking to well-known facts about what each product is for, because plans and features change often. Look at the current plan pages before you commit to either.
Pick Constant Contact if... pick Mailchimp if...
Pick Constant Contact if you:
- like knowing you can pick up the phone and talk to a person when something goes wrong
- run events, classes, fundraisers or workshops and want event tools sitting close to your email
- prefer a guided tool and don't enjoy digging through settings
- run a local or service business whose main job is staying in touch with people who already know you
Pick Mailchimp if you:
- want a big library of templates to start from and tweak
- plan to build automations such as a welcome email or a follow-up after a purchase
- would like to start on a free plan while your list is very small, then move up when you need to
- don't mind a tool with plenty of menus in return for more flexibility
Notice that none of those reasons says one tool is better. Each one describes a person. If you read both lists and recognise yourself in one of them, you've probably already made the decision.
The two tools side by side
| Area | Constant Contact | Mailchimp |
|---|---|---|
| Best known for | Phone support and event tools | Templates, automations and a free plan |
| Built for | Small businesses, local services and clubs | Small businesses and growing online brands |
| Where you use it | Cloud, in a browser | Cloud, in a browser |
| Ownership | Independent email marketing company | Part of Intuit, the QuickBooks company |
| Free plan | Check the current plan pages | Yes, a free plan exists |
| Learning curve | Guided and fairly simple | More options, so more to learn |
| Support style | Phone support is a selling point | Help articles and online support; check what your plan includes |
| Event tools | A known strength | Not the main focus |
Both have paid plans, and the right one depends on the size of your list and the features you need. Compare the current plan pages side by side rather than trusting any old review, including this one.
Templates and the editor
Both tools give you a drag-and-drop editor, a set of ready-made layouts and a way to add your logo, colours and images. For most small businesses, the editor isn't where the decision gets made. You'll be able to send a clean, readable email from either.
Mailchimp has a reputation for choice. There's a large template collection, plenty of content blocks and room to fiddle if you enjoy that. Constant Contact tends to feel more guided: you pick a layout, drop in your words and pictures, and send. If you're someone who gets lost in options, the simpler path can be a relief. If you like control, Mailchimp gives you more to play with.
Whichever you pick, my advice on design is the same. Use one template, keep it plain, and put your most important link where it can't be missed. A plain email with a clear message beats a fancy one that nobody finishes reading.
Automations
This is where Mailchimp is the name most people connect with the word. Welcome emails, birthday messages, follow-ups after someone buys, a reminder when someone leaves something behind: that's the territory it's known for. Constant Contact offers automations too, but the sense I get from the way people talk about each is that Mailchimp is where you go to build more elaborate flows.
Be careful here, because automation features often sit on certain plans only. Before you sign up, write down the two or three automated emails you'd like to run in your first six months. Then check each plan page to see whether those emails are included. That one exercise will save you from a nasty surprise later.
If your business is an online shop and revenue from email matters more than anything else, it's also worth reading this comparison of Klaviyo and Mailchimp, because ecommerce senders sometimes outgrow both of these tools.
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Support
Support is the quiet reason many people choose Constant Contact. If you aren't confident with technology, being able to ring someone and talk through a problem is worth a lot. It turns a stressful afternoon into a ten-minute chat.
Mailchimp leans more on its help library and online support, and what you get can depend on your plan. For plenty of people that's perfectly fine, especially if you're happy searching for an answer yourself. But if you know you'll want a human voice when your first campaign doesn't look right, factor that in now.
A tip that applies to both: before you send to your whole list, send a test to yourself and one friend, and open it on a phone. Most email problems show up there first, and you'll be glad you looked.
A few things to check before you decide
- Where your contacts are now, and how easily you can export them from your current tool
- Whether you want landing pages, sign-up forms or event pages as well as emails
- How you want to be helped: phone, chat or a help centre
- Which automated emails you'd like to run in your first year
- Whether you'd rather grow into paid plans slowly from a free start
If you can answer those five points, you can pick in a single sitting. If you can't, start a free account where one is available, build one real campaign and see which tool you enjoy using.
Other options worth a look
- MailerLite: a clean editor and simple landing pages, popular with solo owners and small teams. Here are more alternatives to MailerLite if you want to widen the search.
- Brevo: email together with text messages and other channels, which suits businesses that talk to customers in more than one way.
- Kit (formerly ConvertKit): built around creators, writers and course sellers. I've compared it with Mailchimp here.
- Buttondown: a small, independent newsletter tool for people who just want to write and send plain emails.
Make an email marketing tool? See how to get it featured on this list.
Frequently asked questions
Is Constant Contact or Mailchimp easier for beginners?
Constant Contact tends to feel more guided, and phone support helps if you get stuck. Mailchimp has more options, which some beginners love and others find overwhelming. Try the first steps of each and see which feels calmer.
Does Mailchimp have a free plan?
Yes, Mailchimp has a free plan aimed at very small lists. Free plans change over time, so check the current limits on its plan page before you rely on one.
Which one is better for events?
Constant Contact is known for its event tools, so it's a natural fit for workshops, classes and fundraisers. If events are central to your business, look at that side of the product first.
Can I switch from one to the other later?
Yes. You can export your contacts as a file and import them into the new tool. Your old templates and automations won't move across, so keep a record of any you want to rebuild.
