Constant Contact vs EngageBay
Constant Contact and EngageBay are both popular choices in the all-in-one marketing platform space. Constant Contact has been around since 1995, giving it a 23-year head start over EngageBay (founded 2018). Constant Contact is the more affordable option at $12/mo — that's $2.99 less than EngageBay's $14.99/mo entry point. EngageBay offers a free plan (250 contacts, 1,000 branded emails, up to 15 users), while Constant Contact does not.
Quick Verdict
Constant Contact wins on price, deliverability, integrations.
EngageBay wins on rating, free tier.
Best for most users: Constant Contact (small businesses).
Constant Contact
Small business marketing made easy
Constant Contact is one of the most established email marketing platforms, particularly strong for small businesses and nonprofits. Its event marketing capabilities and social media integration set it apart, though its automation features lag behind newer competitors.
EngageBay
All-in-one CRM for marketing, sales & support
EngageBay is a bootstrapped all-in-one CRM platform that bundles marketing automation, sales pipeline management, helpdesk ticketing, and live chat into a single affordable package. Founded in 2018 as a cost-effective alternative to HubSpot, it serves over 150,000 businesses with a free plan supporting up to 15 users. Its strongest differentiator is delivering the full marketing-sales-support stack at a fraction of enterprise CRM pricing, making it particularly attractive to budget-conscious SMBs.
Feature Comparison
| Feature | Constant Contact | EngageBay |
|---|---|---|
| Rating | 4.1/5 | 4.7/5 |
| Starting Price | $12/mo | $14.99/mo |
| Free Plan | No free plan | 250 contacts, 1,000 branded emails, up to 15 users |
| Founded | 1995 | 2018 |
| Email Templates | 300 | 100 |
| Integrations | 300 | 30 |
| Deliverability Rate | 97% | 95% |
| 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 | ✓ | ✓ |
Constant Contact: Pros & Cons
Pros
- +Longest 60-day free trial in the industry
- +Excellent event marketing features
- +300+ templates and integrations
- +Strong brand recognition and trust
- +Social media posting included
Cons
- −No free plan
- −Automation is basic on lower tiers
- −Gets expensive with larger lists
- −Interface feels outdated in places
- −Limited advanced features
EngageBay: Pros & Cons
Pros
- +Exceptionally affordable all-in-one platform combining CRM, marketing, sales, and support — Pro plan at $119.99/mo vs HubSpot at $900+/mo
- +Generous free plan supports up to 15 team members with email marketing, CRM, helpdesk, and live chat included
- +Highly rated customer support (4.8/5 on Capterra) with live chat and real human agents available 24/5
- +Built-in landing page builder with 87 templates, web forms, pop-ups, and SMS marketing included from Basic plan
- +Strong marketing automation with visual workflow builder, lead scoring, and A/B testing on Growth plan and above
Cons
- −Limited email editor widgets and somewhat outdated email template designs compared to modern competitors
- −Reporting module offers only basic analytics — lacks advanced custom reporting depth for data-driven teams
- −Per-user pricing model becomes expensive as teams scale beyond 5-10 users, especially on Growth and Pro plans
- −Occasional performance issues including slow page loads and intermittent bugs reported by users
- −Steep learning curve for advanced features — the breadth of the all-in-one platform can overwhelm new users
The Verdict
EngageBay edges ahead with a 4.7/5 rating compared to Constant Contact's 4.1/5. The gap comes mainly from value for money (4.8 vs 4) and deliverability (4.4 vs 3.9). On deliverability, Constant Contact reports 97% compared to 95% for EngageBay — a meaningful difference if inbox placement is critical for your campaigns.
| Criterion | Weight | Constant Contact | EngageBay |
|---|---|---|---|
| Starting Price | 30% | $12/mo | $14.99/mo |
| Deliverability | 25% | 97% | 95% |
| Rating | 25% | 4.1/5 | 4.7/5 |
| Integrations | 10% | 300 | 30 |
| Free Tier | 10% | No | Yes |
Weights determine how much each criterion counts toward the final score. See full methodology
Choose Constant Contact if…
- + You want lower starting costs ($12/mo)
- + You're a small businesses
- + You're a nonprofits
Choose EngageBay if…
- + You need a free plan to get started
- + You're a small businesses on a budget
- + You're a startups replacing hubspot