Side by side
| Mailchimp | Constant Contact | |
|---|---|---|
| Free plan | Yes. Free for up to 250 contacts with a maximum of 500 sends a month or 250 a day, 1 seat and 1 audience. Mailchimp branding stays on and generative AI is not included. | There is no free plan. You can get a full refund within 30 days of signing up. |
| Starting price | Not published. | Lite starts at $10 a month billed annually. Lite is also advertised at $20, so confirm the current price. |
| How it charges | By contact tier. Paid plans bill monthly or annually at the rate for your tier, and overages are billed automatically when limits are passed. Pay-as-you-go email credits are an alternative for infrequent senders. | By plan, with the price based on the number of contacts and email sends. Overage fees may apply. Prepaying for 12 months saves up to 15%. |
| Works with | Shopify, WooCommerce, Canva, Zapier, Square, Stripe, Salesforce, WordPress and QuickBooks, among 300+ integrations. | There are 300 integrations, including Google, Microsoft, Facebook, Canva, LinkedIn, Vimeo, Zapier, Shopify and Eventbrite. |
| AI features | Generative AI features are on the Standard and Premium plans, not on Free or Essentials. Intuit Intelligence is in beta with limited availability and can make mistakes. | An AI copy generator on all plans, and an AI campaign builder on Standard and Premium. |
Prices and plans change. We checked these figures on October 10, 2026, so confirm them before you buy.
What Mailchimp is
Mailchimp is an email and SMS marketing platform with automations, analytics and AI tools. Example users include restaurants, non-profits, ecommerce, small businesses and professional services.
A newsletter operator can use it for email campaigns, templates, popup forms, audience tools and reporting. SMS is an add-on in select countries and needs approval.
It connects with 300+ apps.
What Constant Contact is
Constant Contact is an email and social media marketing platform aimed at small businesses. It includes a drag-and-drop email editor, email templates, an AI copy generator, signup forms and reporting.
A newsletter operator would use it to design and send issues, manage a contact list and schedule social media posts beside each send.
It sells three plans named Lite, Standard and Premium, plus a Multi-Account option for teams that need five or more accounts.
Which one fits
The clearest difference is how you start. Mailchimp has a free plan for up to 250 contacts and 500 sends a month. Constant Contact has only paid plans, starting with Lite, and offers a full refund within 30 days of signing up.
Both price by contact count, so the bill grows with your list on either one. Constant Contact puts live phone and chat support and one-to-one onboarding on its entry plan. If you want to test with a small list at no cost, Mailchimp lets you. If you want a person to call from day one, Constant Contact includes that on every plan.
Does Mailchimp have a free plan?
Yes. It allows up to 250 contacts, 500 sends a month or 250 a day, 1 seat and 1 audience. Sending pauses if a limit is exceeded.
Is there a free trial of paid plans?
Yes. There is a 14-day free trial that needs valid payment information at sign-up. Canceling during the trial incurs no charge.
Does Constant Contact have a free plan?
No. There are only paid plans: Lite, Standard and Premium. You can cancel and get a full refund within 30 days of signing up.
How is Constant Contact priced?
Plan prices are based on the number of contacts and email sends, and overage fees may apply. Prepaying for 12 months saves up to 15%, and nonprofits can save up to 30%.