Loops vs Mailchimp
Loops is a email marketing platform while Mailchimp is a all-in-one marketing platform. Mailchimp has been around since 2001, giving it a 21-year head start over Loops (founded 2022). Mailchimp is the more affordable option at $13/mo — that's $36 less per month than Loops's $49/mo entry point. Both offer free plans to get started. Mailchimp has the edge with A/B testing, landing pages, SMS marketing.
Quick Verdict
Loops wins on rating.
Mailchimp wins on price, deliverability, integrations.
Best for most users: Mailchimp (small businesses).
Loops
The email platform built for SaaS
Loops is a developer-first email platform designed exclusively for SaaS companies, combining marketing and transactional email in a single clean interface. Built by Y Combinator alumni, it features a Notion-style block editor, event-based automation triggered by user behavior like signups and upgrades, and contact-based pricing with unlimited sends. Its standout strength is letting small SaaS teams replace both their marketing email tool and transactional service (like SendGrid) with one unified platform.
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 | Loops | Mailchimp |
|---|---|---|
| Rating | 4.6/5 | 4.3/5 |
| Starting Price | $49/mo | $13/mo |
| Free Plan | 1,000 contacts, 4,000 sends/month, Loops branding | 250 contacts, 500 emails/month |
| Founded | 2022 | 2001 |
| Email Templates | 15 | 100 |
| Integrations | 24 | 300 |
| Deliverability Rate | 95% | 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 | ✕ | ✓ |
Loops: Pros & Cons
Pros
- +Clean Notion-style block editor with extremely fast email creation and minimal learning curve
- +Unified platform for both marketing and transactional emails eliminates need for separate services like SendGrid
- +Simple contact-based pricing with unlimited sends and no per-seat charges on all paid plans
- +Strong developer-focused API with direct integrations for Stripe, Supabase, Clerk, and webhook support
- +Founder-led customer support with direct access via live chat, email, and 1:1 Calendly calls
Cons
- −Limited automation logic — lacks advanced multi-branch workflows and conditional logic found in mature platforms
- −No built-in CRM or detailed contact history, requiring external tools for relationship management
- −Editor has reported bugs including no undo functionality, risking accidental content loss
- −Narrow SaaS-only focus makes it unsuitable for ecommerce, media, or non-tech industries
- −Very small integration ecosystem (24 native integrations) compared to competitors with hundreds
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
Loops edges ahead with a 4.6/5 rating compared to Mailchimp's 4.3/5. The gap comes mainly from deliverability (4.6 vs 4) and value for money (4.9 vs 4.4). On deliverability, Mailchimp reports 96% compared to 95% for Loops — a meaningful difference if inbox placement is critical for your campaigns.
| Criterion | Weight | Loops | Mailchimp |
|---|---|---|---|
| Starting Price | 30% | $49/mo | $13/mo |
| Deliverability | 25% | 95% | 96% |
| Rating | 25% | 4.6/5 | 4.3/5 |
| Integrations | 10% | 24 | 300 |
| Free Tier | 10% | Yes | Yes |
Weights determine how much each criterion counts toward the final score. See full methodology
Choose Loops if…
- + You're a saas startups
- + You're a developer first teams
- + Clean Notion-style block editor with extremely fast email creation and minimal learning curve
Choose Mailchimp if…
- + You want lower starting costs ($13/mo)
- + You need SMS marketing
- + You need ecommerce integrations
- + You need built-in landing pages