Constant Contact vs Mailchimp 2026: Which Is Better for Small Business?

Constant Contact and Mailchimp are two of the most recognized names in email marketing. Both target small businesses, both offer drag-and-drop editors, and both have been around for over a decade. But they differ in pricing, support, event tools, and e-commerce depth.

This comparison breaks down every category to help you choose.

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Quick Comparison Table

Pricing Comparison

At 500 contacts:

• Constant Contact Lite: $12/month (5 campaigns, basic autoresponders)
• Mailchimp Essentials: $13/month (unlimited emails, basic automation)

At 10,000 contacts:

• Constant Contact Standard: $115/month
• Mailchimp Standard: $100/month

At 25,000 contacts:

• Constant Contact Standard: ~$170/month
• Mailchimp Standard: ~$230/month

Pricing nuance: At lower contact counts, the prices are similar. At higher counts, the comparison flips depending on plan tier. Constant Contact's Lite plan ($12/mo) is slightly cheaper than Mailchimp Essentials ($13/mo) but limits you to 5 email campaigns per month. Mailchimp Essentials allows unlimited emails.

Key difference: Mailchimp has a permanent free plan. Constant Contact does not. If budget is a primary concern and your list is under 500 contacts, Mailchimp's free plan is the better choice.

Free Plan vs Free Trial

Mailchimp free plan:

• 500 contacts
• 1,000 emails/month
• 1 basic automation
• Basic templates
• Mailchimp branding on emails
• No landing pages on free plan
• No A/B testing

Constant Contact 60-day trial:

• Full access to Standard plan features
• No contact or email limits during trial
• After 60 days, you must upgrade to a paid plan
• No credit card required to start trial

Verdict: Mailchimp's free plan is better for long-term use with a small list. Constant Contact's trial is better for testing full features before committing. If you need a permanent free option, Mailchimp wins. If you want to test all features (including automation and event tools) before paying, Constant Contact's trial is more generous.

Automation Comparison

Constant Contact automation (Standard plan, $35/mo):

• Visual automation builder
• Triggers: email open, link click, list signup, tag added, event registered
• Conditions: if/then branching
• Actions: send email, wait, add tag, move to list
• Pre-built paths (welcome, birthday, re-engagement)

Mailchimp automation (Standard plan, $20/mo):

• Customer Journey builder (visual)
• Triggers: signup, purchase, tag added, behavior-based
• Branching and conditions
• Pre-built journeys (welcome, abandoned cart, re-engagement)
• Up to 4 journey starting points (Standard), 200 (Premium)

Verdict: Mailchimp's automation is slightly more polished and costs less to access ($20/mo vs $35/mo). Both platforms handle basic SMB automation well. Neither matches ActiveCampaign or Klaviyo for depth.

Templates & Editor

Constant Contact:

• 300+ templates organized by industry
• Drag-and-drop editor
• Stock photo library included
• Templates feel somewhat dated

Mailchimp:

• 100+ templates with modern designs
• Drag-and-drop Content Studio
• AI content generator (all paid plans)
• Image editor with filters
• More polished, contemporary designs

Verdict: Constant Contact has more templates (300+ vs 100+), but Mailchimp's templates are more modern. Mailchimp also includes AI content generation, which Constant Contact lacks. For design quality, Mailchimp wins. For template quantity and industry-specific options, Constant Contact wins.

Event Marketing Tools

This is Constant Contact's unique advantage.

Constant Contact includes event marketing tools on the Standard plan and above:

• Create events with custom registration forms
• Send email invitations
• Track RSVPs and registrations
• Automated reminder emails
• Post-event follow-up sequences
• Event landing pages
• Payment collection (Stripe integration)
• Capacity limits and waitlists

Mailchimp does not offer event marketing tools. If you run events, workshops, or classes, you would need a separate tool like Eventbrite alongside Mailchimp.

Verdict: If events are part of your business, Constant Contact saves you from paying for a separate event registration platform.

Customer Support

Constant Contact:

• Phone support (Mon-Fri, 8am-8pm ET) — all plans
• Live chat — all plans
• Email support — 24/7
• Free 1-on-1 onboarding coaching
• 500+ knowledge base articles

Mailchimp:

• Email support — first 30 days on free plan, always on paid plans
• Live chat — Standard plan ($20/mo) and above
• No phone support on any plan
• Knowledge base and community forum

Verdict: Constant Contact wins this category clearly. Phone support on all plans is something no other email marketing platform offers at this price point. For non-technical small business owners, this is a significant advantage.

E-commerce Features

Mailchimp wins this category.

Mailchimp e-commerce:

• Deep Shopify, WooCommerce, BigCommerce integrations
• Abandoned cart automation
• Product recommendations
• Purchase-based segmentation
• Order notifications
• E-commerce analytics

Constant Contact e-commerce:

• Basic Shopify and WooCommerce integrations
• Product blocks in emails
• Basic purchase tracking
• No abandoned cart automation on Lite plan

Verdict: If you run an online store, Mailchimp is the better choice. For serious e-commerce, consider Klaviyo.

The Winner: Which Should You Choose?

Choose Constant Contact if:

• You value phone and chat support on all plans
• You run events, workshops, or classes
• You want a 60-day full-feature trial
• You are a non-technical small business owner who wants guided onboarding
• You need industry-specific templates (300+)

Choose Mailchimp if:

• You want a permanent free plan
• You run an e-commerce store
• You want AI content generation tools
• You need deeper integrations (300+)
• You want modern template designs
• You want cheaper automation ($20/mo vs $35/mo)

The bottom line:

For most small businesses, Mailchimp is the better default choice — it is cheaper, has a free plan, and offers more modern tools. Choose Constant Contact specifically if you need event management tools or phone support, which Mailchimp cannot match.

Last updated: August 2026. Pricing and features are subject to change — verify on Constant Contact and Mailchimp before making a decision.