They say you can’t judge a book by its cover, but when it comes to email marketing software, it’s a different story. At the end of the day, your emails need to get your subscribers’ attention. They need to open the message in order for you to connect with them, and nudge them towards your desired action.
If you’re using Mailchimp for your email marketing, you can skip over this article. But if you’re looking for a Mailchimp alternative, I suggest you stick around. In this comparison guide, we’ll go over everything from pricing and features to integrations and more to help you choose the best email marketing tool based on your needs.
Email Marketing Services Comparison
When it comes to email marketing services, there are numerous options available, each with its unique features and benefits. In this section, we’ll compare some of the top email marketing services, including ActiveCampaign and Mailchimp, to help you make an informed decision.
ActiveCampaign: Known for its robust marketing automation capabilities, ActiveCampaign offers advanced features such as automation branching, split testing, and CRM integration. It’s ideal for businesses that need sophisticated tools to manage complex marketing campaigns and customer relationships.
Mailchimp: Mailchimp is a user-friendly email marketing tool that’s perfect for beginners and small businesses. It offers a free plan with basic features, making it accessible for those just starting out. While it may lack some of the advanced features of ActiveCampaign, it’s an excellent choice for straightforward email marketing needs.
Constant Contact: This platform is known for its ease of use and excellent customer support. It offers a range of features, including email templates, list management, and social media integration. Constant Contact is a solid choice for small to medium-sized businesses looking for a reliable email marketing service.
Sendinblue: Sendinblue provides a comprehensive suite of marketing tools, including email marketing, SMS marketing, and marketing automation. It’s a versatile platform that caters to businesses of all sizes, offering both free and paid plans to suit different needs.
GetResponse: GetResponse is another powerful email marketing tool that offers advanced features such as marketing automation, landing page builder, and webinar hosting. It’s suitable for businesses looking to integrate various marketing channels into one platform.
By comparing these email marketing services, you can determine which platform best aligns with your business needs and marketing goals.
Pricing and Features
The two are similar in many ways, but they do have important differences. The main areas to consider are:
Pricing: Mailchimp is cheaper than ActiveCampaign on paid plans, but ActiveCampaign offers more features with its paid plans. Mailchimp has a free plan, while ActiveCampaign does not. Mailchimp’s free plan allows users to send only 1,000 emails per month and lacks customer support.
Mailchimp’s premium plan, as the highest tier option, includes features such as unlimited contacts, advanced segmentation, priority phone support, and dedicated onboarding. This plan is particularly suitable for users managing large contact lists, offering more value compared to other plans.
Features: If you need advanced marketing automation features, ActiveCampaign offers more. Mailchimp is simpler and easier to use but does not offer as much functionality.
Email building: Both platforms offer drag-and-drop email builders and templates that are easy to use, but Mailchimp’s automation builder offers more customization options for your email content.
Mailchimp is Easier to Use as an Email Marketing Tool for Building Emails
Mailchimp is well-known as a tool for building and sending emails. It’s a great tool for that purpose, but it’s also useful for storing subscriber lists, segmenting subscribers, tracking your email marketing performance and more.
ActiveCampaign’ automation builder also offers all of these features, but it’s particularly focused on automating your email activities. For example, you can send an automated email sequence to welcome new subscribers or use other automation tools to send emails based on subscriber actions. Additionally, ActiveCampaign’s advanced AI features allow you to generate entire automation journeys, making it a standout tool compared to more basic offerings.
ActiveCampaign excels in advanced email marketing and sales automation, catering to businesses with complex marketing needs by providing sophisticated functionalities, including powerful automation tools and CRM integration.
Mailchimp is easier to use for building emails. ActiveCampaign is better suited to automation.
Mailchimp’s free plan lets you create and send emails at no cost (although it does have some limitations). ActiveCampaign has multiple paid plans with different feature sets.
Simplicity in Use: Mailchimp vs ActiveCampaign
When it comes to simplicity in use, Mailchimp is often considered the more user-friendly option. Its drag-and-drop email builder and intuitive interface make it easy for beginners to create and send email marketing campaigns. You can quickly set up your account, design your emails, and start sending them out without needing any technical expertise. This makes Mailchimp an excellent choice for small businesses or individuals who are new to email marketing.
However, ActiveCampaign’s interface has improved significantly in recent years. While it may require a bit more technical knowledge to navigate initially, its features are well-organized and easy to understand once you get the hang of it. The platform’s automation features are now more accessible to users of all skill levels, allowing you to create sophisticated email marketing campaigns with ease. If you’re willing to invest a little time in learning the ropes, ActiveCampaign can offer a more powerful and flexible solution for your email marketing needs.
Design and Flexibility
Both ActiveCampaign and Mailchimp offer a range of design templates and customization options, but ActiveCampaign stands out with its extensive design flexibility. With over 250 mobile-friendly templates and a drag-and-drop editor, ActiveCampaign’s email templates also allows you to create highly customized and dynamic emails that can capture your audience’s attention. This level of customization is particularly beneficial for businesses that want to maintain a consistent brand image across all their communications.
Mailchimp’s templates are also mobile-friendly and easy to use, but its design options are more limited, especially on Mailchimp’s free plan. While you can still create attractive emails, you might find yourself wanting more customization options as your needs grow. Additionally, ActiveCampaign’s landing page and form builder is more advanced, enabling you to create highly customized and dynamic landing pages that can significantly enhance your marketing campaigns. This feature is particularly useful for businesses looking to generate leads and drive conversions through their email marketing efforts.
Simplicity in use MailChimp Vs Active campaign
The first thing you’ll notice about the two popular email marketing platforms and services is that Mailchimp is simpler. Its interface is easier for lay users to understand, and you don’t need any technical knowledge to get started. You can easily create signup forms and customize them with your own branding.
While Mailchimp is easy to use and automated campaigns can be quickly set up, it’s not as customizable as ActiveCampaign, which has more advanced features like campaign automation, segmentation, lead scoring, and split testing.
Mailchimp is more focused on email marketing while ActiveCampaign is a comprehensive tool that also allows you to create landing pages, send SMS messages, set up automation, and more. Additionally, ActiveCampaign enhances its marketing automation capabilities with SMS marketing, allowing users to automate SMS messages alongside their email campaigns, thereby streamlining customer communication and improving engagement throughout the buyer’s journey.
However, while ActiveCampaign offers more features than Mailchimp, that’s also what makes it harder to use. You’ll need some technical knowledge and, hence a steeper learning curve to get the most out of it.
ActiveCampaign is the more powerful of the two, with complex automation features and comprehensive marketing CRM and tools, while Mailchimp is simpler, with a focus on usability.
ActiveCampaign Offers you more Features on Paid Plans
When you’re just starting out with email marketing, you may be tempted to go with a free service. While that’s certainly understandable, keep in mind that free services are often more limited than paid options.
For instance, Mailchimp — one of the most well-known email marketing platforms — offers a free plan. But even on larger plans, you’re still capped at 2,000 contacts and 12,000 emails per month.
ActiveCampaign is another popular email marketing tool. Unlike its Mailchimp alternatives, the company does not offer a free plan. Instead, its entry-level paid plan costs $9 per month for up to 500 contacts and unlimited sends.
Is mailchimp ActiveCampaign really worth it? It really depends on your needs. If you’re just getting started with email marketing, then Mailchimp may be an attractive option because of its low cost (and potential for future growth). However, if you want more features from the get-go — such as automation capabilities — then ActiveCampaign could be a better fit for your business.
ActiveCampaign is a solid email marketing tool that has nearly everything you need to manage and automate your business. Its automation features are powerful, with the ability to build out complex automation workflows, and customize them to fit your business needs. And it has integrations with hundreds of apps that can help you add more functionality to your marketing.
ActiveCampaign has more Advanced Features for Marketing Automation
ActiveCampaign is the clear winner here. ActiveCampaign offers more advanced marketing automation features than Mailchimp, including automation branching and split testing, autoresponders based on contact activity, and more.
On top of that, ActiveCampaign has way more integrations. Mailchimp does have an App Store where you can find some extra apps to add functionality to your account, but there are only about 100 apps in its store. ActiveCampaign has over 200 integrations on Zapier, including apps like Google Sheets, Asana and Facebook Lead Ads.
ActiveCampaign is the clear winner here. ActiveCampaign offers more advanced marketing automation features than Mailchimp, including automation branching and split testing, autoresponders based on contact activity, and more.
On top of that, ActiveCampaign has way more integrations. Mailchimp does have an App Store where you can find some extra apps to add functionality to your account, but there are only about 100 apps in its store. ActiveCampaign has over 200 integrations on Zapier, including apps like Google Sheets, Asana and Facebook Lead Ads.
List Management and CRM
ActiveCampaign’s list management features are more advanced, allowing users to segment their contacts based on behavior, preferences, and demographics. This level of segmentation enables you to send highly targeted emails that are more likely to resonate with your audience. ActiveCampaign’s CRM features are also more comprehensive, with a dedicated CRM add-on that allows users to manage deals and opportunities, track customer interactions, and automate follow-up tasks.
Mailchimp’s list management features are more basic but still effective for small businesses and beginners. You can segment your contacts based on simple criteria like location or engagement, but you might find the options limited as your needs become more complex. However, Mailchimp’s CRM features are improving, with the ability to manage customer relationships and track interactions. While it may not be as robust as ActiveCampaign’s CRM, it’s a good starting point for businesses looking to manage their customer relationships more effectively.
Email Deliverability and Integrations
Both Mailchimp and ActiveCampaign have good email deliverability rates, but ActiveCampaign’s rates are slightly higher. According to EmailTooltester’s deliverability tests, ActiveCampaign scored 93.4%, while Mailchimp scored 92.6%. This slight edge in deliverability can make a significant difference in the success of your email marketing campaigns, ensuring that more of your emails reach your subscribers’ inboxes.
In terms of integrations, both platforms offer a wide range of integrations with third-party apps, including CRM, e-commerce, and social media platforms. However, ActiveCampaign’s integrations are more extensive, with over 850 integrations available. This extensive range of integrations allows you to connect ActiveCampaign with almost any tool you’re already using, making it easier to streamline your marketing efforts and manage your data more effectively.
Customer Reviews and Reputation
Both Mailchimp and ActiveCampaign have excellent customer reviews and reputations, but ActiveCampaign’s customer support is often praised for its responsiveness and helpfulness. According to G2’s email marketing software comparison, ActiveCampaign’s customer support is rated 4.5/5, while Mailchimp’s customer support is rated 4.2/5. This higher rating reflects the quality of support you can expect from ActiveCampaign, which can be particularly valuable if you encounter any issues or need assistance with your email marketing campaigns.
Additionally, ActiveCampaign’s features and functionality are often praised by customers, with many reviewers noting that it is a powerful and flexible email marketing tool. The platform’s advanced automation features, extensive integrations, and comprehensive CRM capabilities make it a favorite among businesses looking to take their email marketing to the next level. While Mailchimp is also well-regarded, especially for its ease of use and affordability, ActiveCampaign’s robust feature set and excellent customer support give it an edge in the eyes of many users.
Choosing the Right Email Marketing Tool
With so many email marketing tools available, choosing the right one can be overwhelming. Here are some factors to consider when selecting an email marketing tool:
Features: What features do you need? Do you require advanced marketing automation, or are you looking for a more basic platform? For instance, ActiveCampaign offers advanced features like automation branching and CRM integration, while Mailchimp provides essential email marketing tools that are easy to use.
Ease of use: How easy is the platform to use? Do you need a user-friendly interface, or are you comfortable with more complex features? Mailchimp is known for its intuitive interface, making it ideal for beginners, whereas ActiveCampaign may require a bit more technical knowledge but offers greater flexibility.
Pricing: What is your budget? Do you need a free plan, or are you willing to pay for advanced features? Mailchimp’s free plan is a great starting point for small businesses, while ActiveCampaign’s paid plans offer more comprehensive features for growing businesses.
Integration: Do you need to integrate your email marketing tool with other platforms, such as CRM or e-commerce software? ActiveCampaign excels in this area with over 850 integrations, making it easy to connect with other tools you’re already using.
Customer support: What kind of customer support do you need? Do you require 24/7 support, or are you comfortable with email support? ActiveCampaign’s customer support is highly rated for its responsiveness, while Mailchimp offers reliable support options as well.
By considering these factors, you can choose the right email marketing tool for your business needs. Whether you prioritize advanced features, ease of use, or budget-friendly options, there’s a platform out there that can help you achieve your email marketing goals.
Mailchimp or ActiveCampaign: Which should you use?
When comparing Mailchimp and ActiveCampaign, there are several differences to take into account. The two email providers appear to offer comparable levels of performance, but in terms of cost and ease of use, ActiveCampaign is a more streamlined tool with more set-and-forget automation features for businesses and individuals looking to grow their mailing lists.
However, one downside is that ActiveCampaign’s free plan limits the number of marketing tools you can use, while Mailchimp’s free plan provides you with a bit more leeway at no charge.
If a feature-packed email management platform is what you’re looking for, then both providers have various plans to choose from. For those on a tight budget or who are just starting out with email marketing, Mailchimp is the way to go.
But if you’re after a tool that will help streamline your email campaigns, increase overall deliverability, and track activity all in one place at an affordable price point, then ActiveCampaign may be your best bet.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Mailchimp or ActiveCampaign better?
It depends on your specific needs. Mailchimp is ideal for beginners and those looking for an easy-to-use platform with basic email marketing features. In contrast, ActiveCampaign is better suited for businesses that need advanced marketing automation and CRM capabilities.
Who is ActiveCampaign best for?
ActiveCampaign is best for businesses that require sophisticated marketing automation, CRM integration, and the ability to manage complex sales processes. It is particularly beneficial for companies looking to automate their marketing efforts and improve customer engagement.
What are the disadvantages of using Mailchimp?
Mailchimp’s disadvantages include limited automation features compared to ActiveCampaign, fewer customization options for email design, and restrictions on its free plan, such as limited email sends and lack of customer support.
Can you use ActiveCampaign as a CRM?
Yes, ActiveCampaign can be used as a CRM. It offers comprehensive CRM features, including managing deals, tracking customer interactions, and automating follow-up tasks, making it an excellent choice for businesses looking to streamline their sales processes.
ActiveCampaign vs. Mailchimp: Which should you use? [2025]
In 2024, the choice between ActiveCampaign and Mailchimp will largely depend on your business needs. For those seeking advanced features and robust automation capabilities, ActiveCampaign is the preferred choice.
However, for individuals or small businesses looking for a straightforward and cost-effective email marketing solution, Mailchimp remains a strong contender. Its user-friendly interface, combined with essential email marketing tools, makes it an appealing option for those who prioritize simplicity and affordability over advanced features.
