Constant Contact is usually the simpler buy, while Mailchimp is usually the cheaper starting point. If you want a free plan, Mailchimp wins. If you want phone support, events, and a beginner-friendly email workflow, Constant Contact can justify its higher monthly cost for many small businesses.
TLDR: Mailchimp is best for tiny lists and low budgets because it offers a free plan and paid plans that start around the low teens per month. Constant Contact starts with paid plans only, but its support and easier setup can save time for teams that do not want to tinker. For example, a shop with 500 contacts might pay about $13/month on Mailchimp Essentials or about $12/month on Constant Contact Lite, but the better value depends on automation, support, and send limits. At 2,500 contacts, expect the gap to grow, so compare plans before importing every old contact.
Email pricing looks simple until you actually try to buy a plan. Then you get contact tiers, send limits, add-ons, overage fees, audience rules, SMS extras, and features locked behind higher plans. The catch is that the cheapest sticker price is rarely the real cost.
Here is the practical answer: Mailchimp is better if price is your main concern at the start. Constant Contact is better if you want help, a cleaner beginner experience, and stronger support for local businesses, nonprofits, and event-heavy marketing.
Constant Contact cost at a glance
Constant Contact pricing is based mostly on your number of contacts and the plan level you choose. Its common plan structure includes Lite, Standard, and Premium. Prices rise as your list grows.
- Lite: Best for basic newsletters, simple templates, and core email sends.
- Standard: Better for growing brands that need segmentation, subject line testing, and stronger automation.
- Premium: Built for larger teams that want advanced features, more automation, and higher sending needs.
At the lowest contact tier, Constant Contact often starts around $12/month for Lite, with Standard around $35/month and Premium around $80/month. These figures can shift by region, promotion, billing term, and list size, so treat them as a useful starting point, not a quote carved in stone.
The main cost advantage is predictability. Constant Contact feels less fussy for a small team that just wants to send newsletters, collect signups, and promote events. It drives me crazy when software makes a five-minute newsletter feel like a tax form. Constant Contact is less guilty of that than many rivals.
Mailchimp pricing at a glance
Mailchimp also prices by contacts, plan level, and monthly send limits. Its major advantage is that it has a Free plan, which is useful for testing email marketing before paying anything.
- Free: Good for very small lists and light sending.
- Essentials: Adds more templates, support, and basic paid-plan features.
- Standard: A strong choice for automation, customer journeys, and better targeting.
- Premium: Expensive, but aimed at large teams with advanced segmentation and reporting needs.
Mailchimp paid plans often start around $13/month for Essentials, $20/month for Standard, and much higher for Premium, which can start around $350/month. The Free plan may sound perfect, but it has tight limits. Once your list or sending frequency grows, you will likely move to a paid tier.
Expect to waste time checking contact status if your list is messy. Mailchimp may count contacts in ways that surprise new users, especially when unsubscribed, non-subscribed, or archived contacts are involved. If you upload a stale list from five years ago, your bill can punish you for bad housekeeping.
Constant Contact vs Mailchimp: price comparison
| Category | Constant Contact | Mailchimp |
|---|---|---|
| Free plan | No full free plan, trial may be available | Yes, with limits |
| Lowest paid entry | Often around $12/month | Often around $13/month |
| Best budget choice | Good if you need support | Best for the lowest upfront cost |
| Automation value | Strong on higher plans | Strong on Standard and above |
| Ease of use | Very beginner-friendly | Powerful, but can feel busy |
For a business with 500 contacts, the price gap may be small. Mailchimp Free could cost nothing if your needs stay basic. Mailchimp Essentials and Constant Contact Lite are often close in price. That changes when you need automation, segmentation, or more support.
For a business with 2,500 contacts, small monthly differences become real money. A $15 monthly gap becomes $180 per year. A $40 monthly gap becomes $480 per year. That is enough to pay for ad tests, design help, or a seasonal campaign.
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Where Constant Contact is worth the cost
Constant Contact makes sense when your team values speed and help over endless customization. A local gym, church, restaurant, school, or charity may not need complex behavioral journeys. They need a polished email sent by Friday.
Constant Contact is especially strong for:
- Beginners who want fewer confusing settings.
- Small service businesses that send newsletters and promotions.
- Event marketing, including signups and announcements.
- Teams that want phone support instead of only chat or help docs.
- Nonprofits that need simple campaigns and donor updates.
If one employee spends two extra hours each month fighting with a cheaper platform, the “cheaper” tool may not be cheaper. At $30 per hour, that is $60/month in hidden labor. This is where Constant Contact can quietly win.
Where Mailchimp is the better deal
Mailchimp is attractive for startups, creators, ecommerce sellers, and anyone testing email before making a bigger commitment. The Free plan is a real advantage. Even after upgrading, Mailchimp Standard can be a strong value for automated customer journeys.
Mailchimp is often better for:
- New brands that want to start without a monthly bill.
- Online stores that need product-based targeting.
- Marketers who like testing subject lines, flows, and segments.
- Teams with clean lists and a clear contact strategy.
- Users who can solve problems through documentation and chat.
Mailchimp can feel more flexible, but that flexibility adds clutter. There are more knobs to turn. Some users love that. Others just want to send the coupon code and move on.
Hidden costs to watch
The monthly price is only part of the story. Before picking either platform, check these cost factors:
- Contact count: Remove duplicates, inactive subscribers, and old imported names.
- Send limits: A large list with frequent campaigns may need a higher tier.
- Automation access: The plan you want may not include the automation you need.
- SMS marketing: Text messaging often costs extra.
- Users and permissions: Larger teams may need higher plans.
- Support level: Phone support can matter when a campaign breaks before a sale.
A common mistake is importing every contact from a CRM without cleaning it first. If 30% of those contacts are cold, bounced, duplicated, or uninterested, you are paying to store people who will not buy. Clean first. Upload later.
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Which one should you choose?
Pick Mailchimp if you want the lowest starting cost, a free plan, and strong automation once you move into paid tiers. It is the better choice for budget-first marketers and ecommerce brands that want more control.
Pick Constant Contact if ease, support, and quick campaign creation matter more than having the cheapest plan. It is a smart fit for small teams that do not have a dedicated email marketer.
The best pricing move is simple: count your real active contacts, decide how many emails you send per month, then compare the exact tier you need. Do not compare Mailchimp Free against Constant Contact Premium. Compare the plan you would actually use.
Bottom line: Mailchimp wins on entry price. Constant Contact wins on simplicity and hand-holding. If your list is small and your budget is tight, start with Mailchimp. If email marketing already feels like one more chore, Constant Contact may be worth the extra spend.