Mailchimp vs Ortto
Mailchimp and Ortto are both popular choices in the all-in-one marketing platform space. Mailchimp has been around since 2001, giving it a 14-year head start over Ortto (founded 2015). Mailchimp is the more affordable option at $13/mo — that's $156 less than Ortto's $169/mo entry point. Mailchimp offers a free plan (250 contacts, 500 emails/month), while Ortto does not. Mailchimp has the edge with landing pages.
Quick Verdict
Mailchimp wins on price, deliverability, free tier.
Ortto wins on rating, integrations.
Best for most users: Mailchimp (small businesses).
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.
Ortto
All-in-one CDP, marketing automation, and analytics platform for lifecycle marketing
Ortto (formerly Autopilot) is an all-in-one marketing platform that combines a Customer Data Platform, visual journey-based automation, and built-in analytics into a single solution. Founded by Australian brothers Michael and Chris Sharkey, it features AI-powered content tools, lead scoring, SMS and email campaigns, and pre-built playbooks for common marketing workflows. Best suited for mid-market teams running lifecycle marketing at scale, with plans starting at $509/month for 10,000 contacts.
Feature Comparison
| Feature | Mailchimp | Ortto |
|---|---|---|
| Rating | 4.3/5 | 4.4/5 |
| Starting Price | $13/mo | $169/mo |
| Free Plan | 250 contacts, 500 emails/month | No free plan |
| Founded | 2001 | 2015 |
| Email Templates | 100 | 80 |
| Integrations | 300 | 800 |
| Deliverability Rate | 96% | 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 | ✓ | ✓ |
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
Ortto: Pros & Cons
Pros
- +Unified platform combining Customer Data Platform, marketing automation, and analytics — no need for separate tools
- +Visual journey builder is intuitive with drag-and-drop for building complex multichannel automations
- +Excellent segmentation and lead scoring capabilities based on real-time behavioral data
- +Consistently praised customer support with quick response times across all plan tiers
- +Pre-built playbooks and automation templates significantly reduce setup time for common workflows
Cons
- −High entry price at $509/month with no starter tier — prohibitive for small businesses and solo marketers
- −Transactional emails locked behind the $1,999/month Enterprise plan
- −Business and Enterprise plans require annual commitment with no monthly option
- −Steep learning curve for the CDP and advanced reporting features
- −Pricing scales aggressively as contact lists grow beyond the base 10,000 contacts
The Verdict
Mailchimp and Ortto are closely matched — both score within 0.1 points of each other in our overall rating. Your decision should come down to specific needs rather than overall quality. On deliverability, Mailchimp reports 96% compared to 95% for Ortto — a meaningful difference if inbox placement is critical for your campaigns.
| Criterion | Weight | Mailchimp | Ortto |
|---|---|---|---|
| Starting Price | 30% | $13/mo | $169/mo |
| Deliverability | 25% | 96% | 95% |
| Rating | 25% | 4.3/5 | 4.4/5 |
| Integrations | 10% | 300 | 800 |
| Free Tier | 10% | Yes | No |
Weights determine how much each criterion counts toward the final score. See full methodology
Choose Mailchimp if…
- + You want lower starting costs ($13/mo)
- + You need a free plan to get started
- + You need built-in landing pages
- + You're a small businesses
Choose Ortto if…
- + You're a mid market saas and e commerce companies running lifecycle marketing at scale
- + You're a marketing teams wanting a unified cdp with automation and analytics in one platform
- + Unified platform combining Customer Data Platform, marketing automation, and analytics — no need for separate tools