You have a growing customer list and finally want to get serious about email marketing. But which tool do you choose? Mailchimp is probably the first name you’ll come across. The platform has been around for years and is used by millions of businesses worldwide. But is it also the right choice for you?
Who is behind Mailchimp?
Mailchimp has grown into one of the biggest players in email marketing, with more than 11 million active users worldwide. Over the years, the platform has evolved from a simple email tool into a complete marketing platform with CRM, automation, and AI features.
The scale at which Mailchimp operates is impressive. With such a large user base, the platform has proven itself as a reliable partner for businesses of all sizes. From small startups to established e-commerce stores, the platform serves a wide range of marketers looking for an accessible way to professionalize their email marketing.
Who is Mailchimp for?
Mailchimp primarily targets small and medium-sized businesses, startups, and e-commerce entrepreneurs. If you run a webshop through Shopify or WooCommerce, there’s a good chance Mailchimp is a good fit for you. The integrations with these platforms make it easy to synchronize customer data and set up targeted campaigns.
For beginners, the platform is attractive because of its user-friendly interface. You don’t need a technical background to create professional-looking emails. The drag-and-drop editor and the many templates ensure you can get started quickly.
But Mailchimp isn’t suitable for everyone. Affiliate marketers need to be careful, as the platform enforces strict rules. If you primarily want to send affiliate links to third-party lists, you risk getting banned. Large enterprises with complex, custom requirements may be better off looking at specialized alternatives. Mailchimp is powerful, but remains a standard solution that isn’t built for every specific scenario.
What can Mailchimp do?
Mailchimp has evolved into an all-in-one marketing platform. The free plan offers basic functionality such as the email builder, contact management, and simple forms. For advanced features like extensive automation, A/B testing, and AI tools, you need a paid plan. Here’s an overview of what you can expect:
- Drag-and-drop email builder: You build emails by dragging and placing elements. No code needed. The system offers hundreds of templates that you can customize to match your brand identity. Useful for those who want to start quickly without hiring a designer.
- Marketing automation (Customer Journeys): Set up automated flows that respond to your contacts’ behavior. Think of welcome sequences, abandoned cart emails or birthday campaigns. You determine the triggers and the platform does the rest.
- CRM and contact management: All contact information is in one place. You see who opens your emails, which links are clicked and what the purchase history is. This way you build a complete picture of your customers.
- Landing pages and forms: Create landing pages to collect leads without needing a separate website builder. You can easily integrate the forms on your existing site to collect newsletter subscriptions.
- A/B testing and reporting: Test different subject lines, senders or content to see what works best. The reports provide insight into open rates, click rates and conversions. This way you learn what appeals to your target audience.
- AI-powered content optimization: The Creative Assistant uses AI to make content suggestions and improve your emails. The system learns from previous campaigns and helps you choose the best send time.
The platform works through a web interface and also has mobile apps for iOS and Android. Desktop apps for Windows, macOS, or Linux don’t exist, but you can access your account anywhere through the browser.
What does Mailchimp cost?
Mailchimp has a free plan, but it has been significantly restricted recently. You can manage a maximum of 250 contacts and send 500 emails per month. All emails contain Mailchimp branding and you get limited support. For many businesses, this is only suitable for testing whether the platform is right for you.
The Essentials plan costs 13 dollars per month. This gets you more contacts and emails, and removes the Mailchimp branding from your emails. The Standard plan costs 20 dollars per month and adds features like advanced automation and better reporting. For the Premium plan, you pay 350 dollars per month. This plan is designed for larger businesses that want all features, including advanced segmentation and priority support.
Note: prices increase as you have more contacts. A list of 10,000 contacts can easily cost hundreds of dollars per month. Mailchimp also charges for unsubscribed contacts, which leads to frustration among many users. If you send more emails than your plan allows, additional costs are automatically charged.
New users can try the platform free for 14 days with a trial. This allows you to test the paid features before purchasing a subscription.
What should you watch out for?
The biggest pain point is the way Mailchimp counts contacts. Unsubscribers continue to count toward your limit unless you manually delete them. This means you’re paying for people who no longer want to receive your emails. Duplicate contacts also count separately, which quickly leads to unexpected costs.
The free plan has become so limited nowadays that it’s no longer usable for most serious users. With only 250 contacts and 500 emails per month, you’ll quickly outgrow it. The step to a paid plan then feels like a forced upgrade.
Support is another bottleneck. Free users only have access to a knowledge base and have to do without personal help. Even on the lower paid plans, support is limited. Only with the more expensive plans do you get faster responses and phone support.
Prices can add up significantly as your list grows. Where some alternatives charge per email sent, Mailchimp charges per contact. For businesses that send few emails but have many contacts, this becomes expensive. Additionally, there have been regular price increases since the acquisition by Intuit, which has led to dissatisfaction among existing customers.
Mailchimp reviews
I’ve looked at a number of Mailchimp reviews to see what others think of the platform. Here you’ll find a summary of the key points from various videos.
1. Websiteplanet
Websiteplanet is very enthusiastic about Mailchimp and particularly emphasizes how user-friendly the platform is. According to the reviewer, you feel right at home immediately, even if you’re new to email marketing. The intuitive interface makes it a breeze to create, send, and track campaigns.
The review goes deep into the various features such as the drag-and-drop editor, automation capabilities, and the extensive integrations with more than 300 other platforms. The mobile app is also appreciated for busy marketers on the go. Websiteplanet discusses all pricing plans in detail, from the free plan to the premium plan for larger businesses. The analytics are also highlighted as valuable for tracking campaign performance.
Pros
- Very user-friendly and intuitive, even for beginners
- Powerful automation capabilities for welcome emails and follow-ups
- More than 300 integrations with popular platforms like Shopify and WordPress
- Convenient mobile app to manage everything on the go
Cons
- Recent pricing changes have made the free plan less generous
- Advanced features like A/B testing are only available in paid plans
Mailchimp alternatives
Mailchimp is not the only option for email marketing. Depending on your situation, other platforms may better suit your needs and budget.
- Brevo (formerly Sendinblue): Choose Brevo if you prefer to pay per email sent instead of per contact. This is more cost-effective if you have many contacts but email infrequently. Additionally, the servers are located in the EU, which is important for some businesses for GDPR compliance.
- ConvertKit: Are you a content creator, blogger or newsletter writer? Then ConvertKit is a better choice. The platform is specifically built for creators and focuses on simple, text-based emails instead of visual newsletters.
- HubSpot: If you need advanced sales and CRM features, then HubSpot offers many more possibilities. It is considerably more expensive and complex, but for businesses that want to automate their entire marketing and sales process, it’s worth the investment.
Frequently asked questions
Here I answer the most frequently asked questions about Mailchimp.
Is Mailchimp GDPR compliant?
Mailchimp offers tools to work GDPR-compliant, such as signup forms with consent and the ability to delete contacts. However, the data is stored in the United States. Mailchimp uses Standard Contractual Clauses (SCCs) for the transfer of data to the US, but for some businesses this is a point of attention.
What happens if I exceed my limit?
If you have more contacts or send more emails than your plan allows, Mailchimp automatically charges additional costs. These ‘overages’ can add up significantly if you’re not careful. It’s wise to regularly check your usage and adjust your plan if necessary.
Can I do affiliate marketing through Mailchimp?
Mailchimp allows affiliate links in your emails, but has strict rules about their use. If you primarily do affiliate marketing by using third-party lists to promote products, there’s a high chance your account will be blocked. Read the terms of service carefully before you start.
Conclusion
Mailchimp is a solid choice for small to medium-sized businesses looking for a user-friendly platform with many integrations. The drag-and-drop editor and templates make it easy to create professional emails without technical knowledge. For e-commerce entrepreneurs integrating with Shopify or WooCommerce, it’s a logical option.
But prices can quickly add up as your list grows, and the fact that unsubscribed contacts count is frustrating. The free plan is too limited for serious use. If you have many contacts but email infrequently, or if you value EU servers, then alternatives like Brevo are worth considering. For affiliate marketers, Mailchimp is not recommended due to the strict rules.
