Braze vs Mailchimp
Braze and Mailchimp are both popular choices in the all-in-one marketing platform space. Mailchimp has been around since 2001, giving it a 10-year head start over Braze (founded 2011). Braze has custom pricing, while Mailchimp starts at $13/mo. Their pricing is not measured the same way, so we don't rank them on price. Mailchimp offers a free plan (250 contacts, 500 emails/month), while Braze does not. Mailchimp has the edge with landing pages.
Quick Verdict
Braze wins on deliverability.
Mailchimp wins on rating, integrations, free tier.
Best for most users: Mailchimp (small businesses).
Braze
Rewrite the rules of customer engagement with AI
Braze is a leading enterprise customer engagement platform that enables brands to orchestrate personalized, cross-channel experiences at massive scale. With AI-powered decisioning and real-time journey orchestration, it is purpose-built for large consumer brands and mobile-first companies.
Mailchimp
Turn emails into revenue
Mailchimp is the most widely recognized email marketing platform, used by millions of businesses worldwide. Acquired by Intuit in 2021, it offers a full suite of marketing tools but has become increasingly expensive compared to alternatives.
Feature Comparison
| Feature | Braze | Mailchimp |
|---|---|---|
| Rating | 4.1/5 | 4.3/5 |
| Starting Price | Custom | $13/mo |
| Free Plan | No free plan | 250 contacts, 500 emails/month |
| Founded | 2011 | 2001 |
| Email Templates | 100 | 100 |
| Integrations | 170 | 300 |
| Deliverability Rate | 97.5% | 96% |
| Marketing Automation | Yes | Yes |
| A/B Testing | Yes | Yes |
| Landing Pages | No | Yes |
| Segmentation | Yes | Yes |
| Drag & Drop Editor | Yes | Yes |
| SMS Marketing | Yes | Yes |
| Ecommerce Features | Yes | Yes |
| API Access | Yes | Yes |
| Multi-Language | Yes | Yes |
| Web Push Notifications | Yes | No |
| Live Chat | Yes | No |
| Advanced Analytics | Yes | Yes |
Braze: Pros & Cons
Pros
- + Industry-leading cross-channel orchestration across email, SMS, push, web, and WhatsApp
- + BrazeAI provides predictive intelligence and content optimization
- + 170+ turnkey integrations including data warehouses
- + Publicly traded (NASDAQ: BRZE) with proven enterprise reliability
- + Real-time data processing supports sub-second personalization at scale
Cons
- − Enterprise-only contracts typically start at $50,000+/year
- − Steep learning curve with complex setup requiring dedicated implementation resources
- − Overkill for small businesses or teams with simple email marketing needs
- − No free plan or self-serve trial available
- − Implementation timeline typically requires months, not days
Mailchimp: Pros & Cons
Pros
- + Most recognized brand in email marketing
- + Excellent drag-and-drop editor
- + 300+ integrations with third-party tools
- + Strong analytics and reporting
- + Good for beginners with guided setup
Cons
- − Free plan severely limited (500 contacts, 1,000 sends)
- − Premium plan is expensive ($350/mo)
- − Charges for unsubscribed contacts
- − Affiliate marketing restricted
- − Deliverability has declined in recent years
The Verdict
Mailchimp edges ahead with a 4.3/5 rating compared to Braze's 4.1/5. The gap comes mainly from value for money (4.4 vs 3.2) and ease of use (4.6 vs 3.8). On deliverability, Braze reports 97.5% compared to 96% for Mailchimp — a meaningful difference if inbox placement is critical for your campaigns.
| Criterion | Weight | Braze | Mailchimp |
|---|---|---|---|
| Starting Price | 30% | Custom | $13/mo |
| Deliverability | 25% | 97.5% Winner | 96% |
| Rating | 25% | 4.1/5 | 4.3/5 Winner |
| Integrations | 10% | 170 | 300 Winner |
| Free Tier | 10% | No | Yes Winner |
Weights determine how much each criterion counts toward the final score. See full methodology
Choose Braze if…
- + You're a enterprise companies
- + You're a mobile first brands
- + Industry-leading cross-channel orchestration across email, SMS, push, web, and WhatsApp
Choose Mailchimp if…
- + You need a free plan to get started
- + You need built-in landing pages
- + You're a small businesses
- + You're a beginners