Best Mailchimp Alternatives: 9 Options [Ranked and Reviewed]

Mailchimp is a well-known email marketing platform, but it is not the only option.

If you’re looking for a Mailchimp alternative, there are a few things to consider.

An Overview of Mailchimp

Mailchimp is a web-based email marketing service founded in 2001.

The platform has over 17 million customers in more than 200 countries and is used by small businesses and large enterprises.

Mailchimp handles the behind-the-scenes of your email marketing (e.g., managing your mailing list, creating templates, segmenting groups, etc.) and lets you see how successful your campaigns have been.

What Is Mailchimp?

Mailchimp is a tool that lets users create and send promotional emails and targeted campaigns.

It’s one of the most popular email marketing platforms and has many components, making it suitable for businesses of all sizes.

Not only can you manage your mailing lists and create custom email templates with this tool, but you can also automate your entire marketing campaign.

Where Does Mailchimp Excel?

Mailchimp excels with the following:

• Custom email template
• Great template editor
• Ease of use
• AI-powered recommendations
• Advanced reporting
• Endless integration options
• Customizable design
• Advanced testing options

Mailchimp offers many features, including automation, segmentation, and personalization.

Mailchimp is also one of the most affordable email marketing platforms.

Where Does Mailchimp Fall Short?

• Low-level automation
• Difficulty managing lists
• Doesn’t support affiliate marketing
• High-cost subscription plans
• No email scheduling on the free plan
• Difficult campaign tracking.

Mailchimp doesn’t offer some of the more advanced features that other platforms do, such as A/B testing and lead scoring.

Mailchimp’s customer support is not as responsive as some of its competitors.

Read more in this Mailchimp review.

Best Mailchimp Alternatives: Our Top 3 Options [Ranked & Reviewed]

There are several things to think about when choosing a Mailchimp alternative.

Some of the factors you may want to consider include:

• What features does the platform offer?
• How much does the platform cost?
• How easy is the platform to use?
• Does the platform integrate with other software?

Here are nine fantastic Mailchimp alternatives:

1. Sendinblue: Our Pick

Sendinblue is a comprehensive email marketing service that helps businesses increase leads through marketing automation, email campaigns, and SMS.

Its customer service team and pricing plans are well regarded by users.

The platform combines a robust suite of services within a single, user-friendly package.

Key Features of Sendinblue

Email Marketing:

• Choose a template from the library and drag and drop blocks to create a custom email design.
• Use personalization options to add contact information to emails dynamically.
• Group contacts by any criteria you can think of and target customers effectively.
• Send time optimization makes sure emails are sent at the right time.

SMS Marketing:

• Promote time-sensitive deals by sending SMS content to your contact list.
• Use transactional SMS for order and shipping updates.
• Add individual contact details like name and company.
• Measure results with analytics and reporting.

Chat:

Build a custom chat environment and begin answering questions in real-time.

Proactive chatbots make it easy to answer common questions without lifting a finger.

You can always see which page a user is on.

Marketing Automation:

Develop rules and conditions that automatically perform tasks you want to automate.

These activities include sending emails and SMS messages, arranging contacts, welcoming new users, and updating contact information in your database.

Send automated emails based on customer behavior and automate repetitive tasks like welcome emails and abandoned cart reminders.

Use data from emails to create targeted lists and social media marketing.

Segmentation:

Split your contacts into targeted groups based on interests, purchase history, and location.

Users can be dynamically sorted into lists when they perform specific actions on your emails or website.

Best For:

Companies looking for advanced automation features.

Mailchimp vs. Sendinblue: How They Compare

Mailchimp and Sendinblue are both all-in-one email marketing platforms.

Sendinblue is smaller than Mailchimp but has a loyal following.

This product features a customizable dashboard, list segmentation, intuitive automation flows, and SMS and chat campaigns.

Mailchimp is a dominant company in the email marketing industry.

This product features intuitive drag & drop templates, many third-party integration options, and detailed reporting and analytics.

Why is Sendinblue a Great Alternative to Mailchimp?

Sendinblue offers excellent functionality at a lower price point than Mailchimp.

Sendinblue also excels with automation flows, segmentation, and personalization options.

Pros of Sendinblue

• Low cost
• Price is based on emails, not subscribers
• SMS campaign
• Custom chatbot
• CRM integration
• API integration
• A/B test automation
• Customizable interface

Cons of Sendinblue

• Restrictions on the free plan
• Limited drag & drop creation options
• Only 65 predesigned email templates
• No live chat support
• Metrics are lacking

Sendinblue Pricing:

Lite and Premium plan prices scale with the number of emails.

For example, 60,000 emails cost $45 and $94 per month, respectively.

• Free: $0 per month.
  • Unlimited contacts.
  • Up to 300 emails per day.
  • One chat user.
• Lite: $25 per month.
  • Everything in Free plan.
  • Up to 20,000 emails per month.
  • No daily sending limit.
  • Email Support.
  • A/B testing.
  • Advanced statistics.
• Premium: $65 per month.
  • Everything in Lite plan.
  • Up to 20,000 emails per month.
  • Marketing automation.
  • Facebook ads.
  • Landing pages, Multi-user access.
  • Telephone support.
• Enterprise: Custom quote.
  • Everything in the Premium plan.
  • Custom volume of emails.
  • Priority sending.
  • Over twenty landing pages.
  • Access for over ten users.
  • Customer success manager.
  • Priority support.

Conclusion: Should You Choose Sendinblue Over Mailchimp?

Yes, you should only choose Mailchimp if you need an advanced landing page builder, detailed eCommerce functionality, or integration with advanced marketing tools.

Sendinblue is reliable, lower cost, transactional, and offers SMS.

Sendinblue also has great segmentation and personalization options.

2. Convertkit: Runner-Up

Convertkit is an email service provider, landing page builder, cloud-based marketing software, and visual automation builder.

It is designed for bloggers and online entrepreneurs.

Founded in 2013 by Nathan Barry, Convertkit was one of the first companies to offer visual marketing automation.

Over 15,000 customers now use it in 140 countries.

Key Features of Convertkit

• Subscribers are only counted once, regardless of how many lists they are on.
• Tags can be converted into new segments. For example, you can tag everyone who opened an email and add those people to a new segment.
• Basic automation is easy to implement.
• The original opt-in form is saved in a user’s profile. This information can be used for tagging and segment creation.
• Simple email import and migration.

Best For:

Content creators, authors, bloggers, individual sellers, those looking for custom automation, and anyone who wants to turn their blog into a business.

Companies that need more than email marketing automation but don’t want an all-in-one solution will appreciate Convertkit.

If you’re using another tool for your website or eCommerce platform, Convertkit is a great complement.

Mailchimp vs. Convertkit: How They Compare

Convertkit provides more automation options than Mailchimp, but its reporting features lack options.

Mailchimp offers many customizable templates, and reporting is detailed and robust.

Convertkit’s segments are based on actions and behavior, while Mailchimp’s segments can be created using a variety of criteria.

Convertkit also allows you to create “sequences” which are automated emails that go out over time, while Mailchimp calls these “automation workflows.”

Convertkit provides a basic email editor, while Mailchimp has a more complex drag & drop and template-building system.

Analytics & reporting provide detailed insights into your marketing campaigns.

See how many contacts were reached, how many opened your email, and how many clicked through to your website.

Both platforms offer tagging to create new segments, but Mailchimp provides more options based on user activity.

Why is Convertkit a Great Alternative to Mailchimp?

Convertkit’s tag-based contact management is powerful and easy to use.

The automation system can be set to trigger based on many detailed actions.

Paid users can access “if/then” automation logic.

Convertkit has a simple interface that allows users to easily create and manage their email list, landing pages, and marketing.

Pros of Convertkit:

• Excellent deliverability
• Easy to create landing pages
• User-friendly
• Easy to track stats
• Sales funnels are easy to implement
• Subscription-based business model support

Cons of Convertkit:

• Relatively expensive
• Doesn’t integrate with eCommerce platforms
• Not the best for multiple clients

Convertkit Pricing:

Creator and Creator Pro plan pricing scales based on the number of subscribers.

Creator Pro can cost from $29 to over $2,500 per month.

Creator can cost from $15 to over $2300 per month.

Conclusion: Should You Choose Convertkit Over Mailchimp?

Most users should not choose Convertkit over Mailchimp.

Convertkit is more expensive, and the user interface is not as intuitive.

Mailchimp offers a more robust feature set, better deliverability, and integrations.

3. Mailerlite: Budget Pick

MailerLite is an email marketing provider that makes it simple to plan email marketing campaigns.

It can help you grow your mailing list and send emails to leads automatically.

What makes it perfect for beginners is its email templates.

No coding experience is needed since you can pick from different newsletter designs.

And if you need to make changes, the email editor is drag & drop — meaning you can make changes in a matter of minutes.

Key Features of Mailerlite:

• Advanced campaigns: You can utilize regular campaigns, A/B split campaigns, Automatic resend, and RSS campaigns.
• Segmentation functionality: Create groups and segment users based on your chosen conditions.
• Create forms: Design popups and lead magnets that help you with building an email list.
• Automation: Build triggered actions based on user behavior.
• Extended support: 24/7 chat and email support options.

Best For:

Beginners, small businesses, and anyone looking for an affordable email marketing option.

Mailchimp vs. Mailerlite: How They Compare

Mailerlite does not have as many integrations as Mailchimp.

However, it still integrates with the most popular platforms.

Mailchimp is more expensive, and its free plan does not provide as many contacts and emails.

Mailchimp’s reporting options offer more features, including conversion tracking.

Mailchimp has more design options, but Mailerlite’s are more user-friendly.

Why is Mailerlite a Great Alternative to Mailchimp?

Mailerlite integrates with the most popular platforms, has a user-friendly interface, and is more affordable than Mailchimp.

It also offers A/B testing for automated campaigns, which Mailchimp does not.

This valuable tool allows you to quickly and easily convert your followers from social media, YouTube, and other platforms into email subscribers.

With landing pages and opt-in templates, it has never been easier.

Determine which marketing strategies work best by trial and error, then use the ones that succeed.

Pros of Mailerlite

• Low-cost option
• Excellent customer support with 24/7 live chat
• Generous free plan
• Beginner friendly
• Approval process filters out spam accounts

Cons of Mailerlite

• Limited templates
• Complicated landing page editor
• Lacks expert automation options
• Could use more landing page templates

Mailerlite Pricing

Free (12,000 emails per month, up to 1,000 subscribers with one user); Growing Business ($10 per month, up to 1,000 subscribers with three users); Advanced ($21 per month, up to 1,000 subscribers with unlimited users); Enterprise (Custom, over 100k subscribers).

All prices scale with the number of subscribers.

The Growing Business plan is $239 per month with 500k subscribers, and the Advanced plan is $1,881.

Conclusion: Should You Choose Mailerlite Over Mailchimp?

You should choose Mailerlite over Mailchimp if you are on a tight budget and do not need all of the features that Mailchimp offers.

Mailerlite is more affordable and has a generous free plan.

It is also beginner-friendly with its user-friendly interface and great support.

However, Mailchimp is better if you need more components and integrations.

Notable Mentions: Other Alternatives to Mailchimp

Let’s take a look at some notable alternatives to Mailchimp:

4. Hubspot

Hubspot is a comprehensive platform that offers tools to help businesses grow.

It has sales, marketing, and customer service features all in one place.

Hubspot also offers a free CRM that gives you access to limited features.

Why Is Hubspot a Great Option?

Hubspot offers email scheduling, A/B testing, granular control over contacts, delays, and conditional logic automation.

A drag & drop email editor provides custom templates, and emails can be personalized with information gathered in the CRM.

Drawbacks to Hubspot

The price scales with added features, and it is difficult to only use some of the them as opposed to all functionality.

Ongoing tech support incurs an extra charge.

The email builder is less intuitive than some other tools.

The free CRM is lacks some features, and the paid plans are expensive.

You also need to have a fairly large team to get the most out of Hubspot.

5. ActiveCampaign

ActiveCampaign is an email marketing platform offering automation, sales software, and CRM.

This cloud-based system has what you need to execute email marketing campaigns, web analytics, and customer resource management.

Why Is ActiveCampaign a Great Option?

ActiveCampaign provides access to behavior tracking and marketing segmentation features to create the most customized campaigns for every audience.

With the drag & drop email designer, you can create responsive email templates in minutes.

If you already have email templates that represent your brand, you can simply import them into the  system and they will be integrate into ActiveCampaign.

Components include:

• An advanced automation system.
• Guaranteed email delivery.
• Integrated sales tools.
• Free migration from your current software.

Drawbacks to ActiveCampaign

ActiveCampaign may be challenging for beginners, as many advanced features can be overwhelming.

Price increases with the number of contacts and components.

There is no convenient way to filter subscribers as active or inactive.

The live chat feature can be buggy and needs to be streamlined.

6. Omnisend

Omnisend is a marketing automation solution for eCommerce retailers focused on growth.

Omnisend allows you to integrate various communication channels into a single automation process, such as email, SMS, web push notifications, and more.

Omnisend allows you to construct your customer base with a drag-and-drop visual composer for emails and email capture tools (popups, landing pages).

Automation tools assist in the creation of sophisticated workflows and the customization of your message based on client information, campaign involvement, and purchasing patterns.

Omnisend integrates with the majority of eCommerce platforms and other marketing tools.

Live chat, online knowledgebase assistance, and email are services provided monthly.

Why Is Omnisend a Great Option?

The Product Picker feature makes it easy to insert product information, and the layout is user-friendly.

You can send 500 free messages monthly, and customer service is knowledgeable and responsive.

It is simple to collect post-transaction customer feedback.

Drawbacks to Omnisend

Limited design options and lack of social media automation.

Unlimited emails are only available with the Enterprise plan.

You cannot add previous customers to automation flows; only users added with the automation system already in place.

Even More Options To Check Out

Let’s take a look at three more options:

7. Klaviyo

Klaviyo is a marketing automation platform used primarily for email and SMS marketing.

Features include lead grading, custom reports, list management, and abandoned cart flows.

Klaviyo provides easy-to-use templates, drip sequences, and automated sales alerts.

Some downsides to using Klaviyo include out-of-date design and navigation, minimal Shopify integration, and lack of SMS functionality.

8. Moosend

Moosend is an email marketing platform for those who want to manage multiple campaigns, mailing lists, newsletters, and more.

With this system, companies of any size can work on email marketing campaigns with automation tools, real-time analytics, and a drag-and-drop editor.

Moosend includes personalization, lead generation, tracking & analytics, and automation workflows.

Some issues with this platform include no mobile app, lack of predesigned email templates, subpar customer support, and lack of third-party integrations.

9. GetResponse

GetResponse is an email marketing platform that develops your mailing list, e-newsletters, automated email marketing, and statistical analysis.

Webinar hosting, landing page customization, and automated sales funnels are all included in the package.

You can use the free version forever, GetResponse is cheaper than most similar companies, and you get a discount for paying up front.

The drag & drop feature for landing pages and forms is a bit unstable, and you can’t speak to customer support unless you have a higher-level plan.

Split testing with this website builder is only possible for subject lines and content, and the builder itself is pretty outdated.

Other Alternative Roundups (Similar to Mailchimp)

Let’s look at a few more alternatives:

ActiveCampaign Alternatives

Check out these ActiveCampaign alternatives:

• SendX: SendX is fairly new to the email marketing software market. The software uses simple blocks that you can move around with ease.
• EngageBay: EngageBay is a more all-round piece of software. It utilizes email marketing software. However, they have multiple marketing, service, and sales tools.

Drip Alternatives

Now, let’s look at some Drip alternatives:

• Aweber: As far as email marketing software options go, Aweber is among the more complex. The more experienced email marketer would enjoy the ability to include their own HTML code directly, rather than being limited to blocks.
• Ortto: Ortto aims to optimize your email marketing strategy by automating as much of the process as possible.

Pipedrive Alternatives

Finally, we’ll consider some Pipedrive alternatives:

• SharpSpring: Sharpspring is often used by small businesses and agencies. The tool provides basic email marketing software options and some automation advantages.
• Emarsys: Emarsys claims to take your marketing brand and apply it directly to your email marketing campaign, providing a more personalized result.

Frequently Asked Questions

Here are the answers to the most common questions regarding the best Mailchimp alternatives.

Wrapping Up

The winner of the alternative email marketing platforms is Hubspot.

Hubspot offers many features and an impressive knowledge base full of helpful content.

Hubspot is the best alternative to Mailchimp because it provides more services and better personalization at a higher cost.

Hubspot also includes more automation and analytics features than Mailchimp, making it a good choice for companies searching for a comprehensive growth platform.

The runner-up is Active Campaign.

ActiveCampaign beats Mailchimp on deliverability, automation, and list management.

Mailchimp is less expensive, offers a free plan, and is easier to use, but ActiveCampaign provides a CRM and over 250 email templates available to all users.