by Didem Kiran · Last updated: 2026-08-20

Mailchimp vs Constant Contact: A Third-Party Verdict

For most growing businesses, Mailchimp wins on price under 5,000 contacts and on automation depth, while Constant Contact wins on phone support and event tools. Choose Mailchimp if you want features and lower entry cost. Choose Constant Contact if you value live human help and run a nonprofit or event business.

We build email software, so we have no affiliate stake in either brand. That means we can give you a real verdict per use case instead of the fence-sitting you get on affiliate roundups. Below, every price is pulled from official pricing pages and verified, with the tiers and complaints buyers actually run into.

Comparing options? See our full roundup of the best email marketing services for the complete picture.

Quick context: Mailsoftly offers transparent pricing, free hands-on migration, and human support. 500 contacts and 2,000 emails per month, no credit card.
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Which is better, Mailchimp or Constant Contact?

Neither wins outright. It depends on what you optimize for. Mailchimp is the better pick for feature depth, automation, and a lower cost of entry. Constant Contact is the better pick for teams that want to call a human, run events, or avoid a steep learning curve.

The fastest way to decide is to match the platform to your priority. Use the table below to see who each tool is built for at a glance, then read the section that matches your situation.

Read enough? Try Mailsoftly free with 500 contacts and 2,000 emails per month, no credit card.Start free with Mailsoftly →

How much do Mailchimp and Constant Contact cost at real list sizes?

Mailchimp is cheaper below 5,000 contacts, then the two converge. All figures below are official published prices (as of 2026-04-15). One important catch: Mailchimp charges for every contact you store, including unsubscribed and inactive ones, so your bill can climb faster than your active audience does.

The pattern is clear. At 500 and 5,000 contacts the two platforms are within a few dollars of each other, but at 1,000 contacts Mailchimp Essentials is roughly half the price of Constant Contact Lite. Constant Contact prepay saves 15 percent annually, and Mailchimp discounts monthly plans when you commit to a year.

Which is easier to use?

Constant Contact is easier for a first-time sender, while Mailchimp is easier once you need power. Constant Contact keeps the interface simple and linear, which suits volunteers and growing teams who send a newsletter and little else. The tradeoff is a dated editor and fewer modern design options.

Mailchimp has a slicker editor and far more templates, but the abundance of menus, tags, audiences, and automation settings can overwhelm beginners. The distinction that matters is not visual polish but whether a real user can finish a task without help. Usability research from the Nielsen Norman Group has long shown that fewer, clearer paths beat more features for first-time users, which is exactly where Constant Contact holds an edge.

Which has better support?

Constant Contact wins on support access. It offers phone support across plans plus chat and email, which is a genuine reason nonprofits and older organizations stay. Mailchimp restricts phone support to its top Premium tier and pushes lower-tier users toward chat and self-serve articles.

The complaints are predictable. Mailchimp users commonly report slow chat responses and frustration that email support is time-limited on cheaper plans. Constant Contact users commonly report difficulty cancelling and slower resolution during peak periods. Support quality drives retention as much as features do, and industry benchmarks compiled by HubSpot on email marketing performance underline how much sender responsiveness shapes long-term results. If reaching a human quickly matters to you, that alone can settle the choice.

Which has better deliverability?

Deliverability is close to a tie. Both are established, reputable senders with mature infrastructure, authentication support, and inbox placement that lands well when you follow list hygiene basics. Neither platform gives you a meaningful deliverability advantage on its own.

What actually moves inbox placement is your own behavior: authenticating your domain, sending to engaged contacts, and pruning dead addresses. Guidance from Litmus research on email deliverability consistently shows that sender reputation and list quality outweigh the platform brand. On both Mailchimp and Constant Contact, the biggest deliverability risk is paying to store and mail inactive contacts, which drags engagement rates and, over time, your reputation.

Which has better automation?

Mailchimp wins on automation. Its journey builder, conditional logic, e-commerce triggers, and deep integration catalog outclass Constant Contact for anyone running behavior-based campaigns or connecting a store. If automation is central to your strategy, Mailchimp is the stronger tool.

Constant Contact does offer automation, including welcome series, resends to non-openers, and list-triggered sends, but the workflows are simpler and less flexible. That simplicity is fine for a straightforward newsletter or an event reminder sequence. It becomes a ceiling once you want branching logic, product recommendations, or tight CRM syncing. Match the tool to the complexity you truly need rather than the longest feature list.

Which is better for nonprofits?

For nonprofits, Constant Contact is usually the safer default because of its phone support and event tools, but Mailchimp can be cheaper on smaller lists even after discounts. Both offer nonprofit pricing that you should confirm on their official nonprofit pages before you commit.

• Mailchimp: a 15 percent discount for verified nonprofits and charities, applied to your standard plan.
• Constant Contact: prepay discounts for nonprofits, historically around 20 percent for a six-month prepay and 30 percent for twelve months.

The deciding factor is rarely the discount percentage. It is whether your team of staff and volunteers can get help fast and manage events without buying a second tool. Constant Contact bundles registration and RSVP features that most nonprofits genuinely use. If your nonprofit is small and automation-light, though, Mailchimp discounted can still come out cheaper.

Who should pick Mailchimp?

Pick Mailchimp if you have a small list, want a real free plan, and plan to lean on automation and integrations. It is the stronger choice for e-commerce brands, marketers who want detailed reporting, and anyone comfortable navigating a busier interface in exchange for more capability.

Be honest about two things before you commit. First, the contact-count billing means a messy list gets expensive fast. Second, if you expect to need phone help, you will pay for the Premium tier to get it. If those tradeoffs give you pause, it is worth scanning a few strong contenders before signing up.

Who should pick Constant Contact?

Pick Constant Contact if live support, simplicity, and event tools matter more than automation depth. It is the natural fit for nonprofits, associations, faith groups, and local businesses that want to send a clean newsletter, run an event, and call a human when something breaks.

The honest caveats: there is no free plan, only a trial of 14 to 30 days depending on region, and prices climb steeply as your list grows. The editor also feels dated next to newer tools. If cost at scale or cancellation friction worries you, compare it against a couple of alternatives before you renew annually.

What if both feel expensive or under-supported?

If both platforms feel too expensive or too hands-off, that is a common enough complaint to justify a third option. Many teams land on Mailchimp or Constant Contact by default, hit a support wall or a pricing jump, and only then discover they had cheaper choices with real human help. Mailsoftly is built for exactly that reader.

Mailsoftly starts free with 500 contacts and 2,000 emails per month, then $39 per month annually for 5,000 contacts, and it includes free hands-on migration and human support on every plan. If you want the direct head-to-head details, read the Mailchimp vs Mailsoftly comparison and the Constant Contact vs Mailsoftly comparison. You can also review the full Mailsoftly pricing plans to see where you land at your list size.

For the broader landscape, see our full comparison of best email marketing services covering every major platform.

Frequently Asked Questions

Which is cheaper, Mailchimp or Constant Contact?

Mailchimp is cheaper at small list sizes. At 1,000 contacts, Mailchimp Essentials is $26.50 per month versus Constant Contact Lite at $50. By 5,000 contacts the two converge, with Mailchimp Essentials at $75 and Constant Contact Lite at $80. Remember that Mailchimp bills for unsubscribed contacts, which can raise your real cost.

Which is better for nonprofits, Mailchimp or Constant Contact?

Constant Contact is usually the safer nonprofit default thanks to phone support and built-in event tools, and it offers nonprofit prepay discounts. Mailchimp gives a 15 percent nonprofit discount and can be cheaper on small lists. Confirm both discounts on each vendor’s official nonprofit page before choosing.

Is there a free version of either?

Only Mailchimp has a free plan, covering up to 250 contacts and 500 sends per month with branding. Constant Contact has no free plan, only a free trial of 14 to 30 days depending on region. If a lasting free tier matters, Mailchimp or a free-plan alternative fits better.

What is a good alternative to both?

Mailsoftly is a strong alternative for teams that find both too pricey or too hands-off. It starts free with 500 contacts, includes free hands-on migration and human support, and costs $39 per month annually at 5,000 contacts. You can also browse dedicated lists of Constant Contact alternatives and Mailchimp alternatives to compare more options.

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Didem Kiran

Content Strategist at Mailsoftly

Didem is a Business Development Specialist at Mailsoftly, based in San Ramon, California. She has focused on building partnerships and helping businesses grow with AI-powered email and marketing automation.