EngageBay vs Mailchimp
EngageBay and Mailchimp are both popular choices in the all-in-one marketing platform space. Mailchimp has been around since 2001, giving it a 17-year head start over EngageBay (founded 2018). Mailchimp is the more affordable option at $13/mo, which is $1.99 less than EngageBay's $14.99/mo entry point. Both offer free plans to get started.
Quick Verdict
EngageBay wins on rating.
Mailchimp wins on price, deliverability, integrations.
Best for most users: Mailchimp (small businesses).
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.
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 | EngageBay | Mailchimp |
|---|---|---|
| Rating | 4.7/5 | 4.3/5 |
| Starting Price | $14.99/mo | $13/mo |
| Free Plan | 250 contacts, 1,000 branded emails, up to 15 users | 250 contacts, 500 emails/month |
| Founded | 2018 | 2001 |
| Email Templates | 100 | 100 |
| Integrations | 30 | 300 |
| Deliverability Rate | 95% | 96% |
| Marketing Automation | Yes | Yes |
| A/B Testing | Yes | Yes |
| Landing Pages | Yes | Yes |
| Segmentation | Yes | Yes |
| Drag & Drop Editor | Yes | Yes |
| SMS Marketing | Yes | Yes |
| Ecommerce Features | Yes | Yes |
| API Access | Yes | Yes |
| Multi-Language | No | Yes |
| Web Push Notifications | Yes | No |
| Live Chat | Yes | No |
| Advanced Analytics | Yes | Yes |
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
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
EngageBay edges ahead with a 4.7/5 rating compared to Mailchimp's 4.3/5. The gap comes mainly from support (4.8 vs 4) and deliverability (4.4 vs 4). On deliverability, Mailchimp reports 96% compared to 95% for EngageBay — a meaningful difference if inbox placement is critical for your campaigns.
| Criterion | Weight | EngageBay | Mailchimp |
|---|---|---|---|
| Starting Price | 30% | $14.99/mo | $13/mo Winner |
| Deliverability | 25% | 95% | 96% Winner |
| Rating | 25% | 4.7/5 Winner | 4.3/5 |
| Integrations | 10% | 30 | 300 Winner |
| Free Tier | 10% | Yes | Yes |
Weights determine how much each criterion counts toward the final score. See full methodology
Choose EngageBay if…
- + You're a small businesses on a budget
- + You're a startups replacing hubspot
- + Exceptionally affordable all-in-one platform combining CRM, marketing, sales, and support — Pro plan at $119.99/mo vs HubSpot at $900+/mo
Choose Mailchimp if…
- + You want lower starting costs ($13/mo)
- + You're a small businesses
- + You're a beginners