Campaign Monitor vs Mailchimp
Campaign Monitor is a email marketing platform while Mailchimp is a all-in-one marketing platform. Campaign Monitor is the more affordable option at $12/mo — that's $1 less than Mailchimp's $13/mo entry point. Mailchimp offers a free plan (250 contacts, 500 emails/month), while Campaign Monitor does not. Mailchimp has the edge with landing pages.
Quick Verdict
Campaign Monitor wins on price, deliverability.
Mailchimp wins on rating, integrations, free tier.
Best for most users: Campaign Monitor (agencies).
Campaign Monitor
Beautifully crafted email marketing
Campaign Monitor is particularly well-suited for agencies and brands that need polished, branded email campaigns. Its client management features and beautiful template builder make it a popular choice for marketing agencies managing multiple client accounts.
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 | Campaign Monitor | Mailchimp |
|---|---|---|
| Rating | 4.1/5 | 4.3/5 |
| Starting Price | $12/mo | $13/mo |
| Free Plan | No free plan | 250 contacts, 500 emails/month |
| Founded | 2004 | 2001 |
| Email Templates | 120 | 100 |
| Integrations | 250 | 300 |
| Deliverability Rate | 97.5% | 96% |
| Marketing Automation | ✓ | ✓ |
| A/B Testing | ✓ | ✓ |
| Landing Pages | ✕ | ✓ |
| Segmentation | ✓ | ✓ |
| Drag & Drop Editor | ✓ | ✓ |
| SMS Marketing | ✓ | ✓ |
| Ecommerce Features | ✓ | ✓ |
| API Access | ✓ | ✓ |
| Multi-Language | ✓ | ✓ |
| Web Push Notifications | ✕ | ✕ |
| Live Chat | ✕ | ✕ |
| Advanced Analytics | ✓ | ✓ |
Campaign Monitor: Pros & Cons
Pros
- +Excellent email template builder
- +Strong agency features and client management
- +Good deliverability
- +Time zone sending optimization
- +Link review feature prevents broken links
Cons
- −No free plan
- −Lite plan caps at 2,500 emails
- −Premier plan expensive ($159/mo)
- −No landing page builder
- −Limited automation on lower tiers
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 Campaign Monitor's 4.1/5. The gap comes mainly from value for money (4.4 vs 4.1) and ease of use (4.6 vs 4.3). On deliverability, Campaign Monitor reports 97.5% compared to 96% for Mailchimp — a meaningful difference if inbox placement is critical for your campaigns.
| Criterion | Weight | Campaign Monitor | Mailchimp |
|---|---|---|---|
| Starting Price | 30% | $12/mo | $13/mo |
| Deliverability | 25% | 97.5% | 96% |
| Rating | 25% | 4.1/5 | 4.3/5 |
| Integrations | 10% | 250 | 300 |
| Free Tier | 10% | No | Yes |
Weights determine how much each criterion counts toward the final score. See full methodology
Choose Campaign Monitor if…
- + You want lower starting costs ($12/mo)
- + You're a agencies
- + You're a brands
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