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 starts at $13/mo, while Ortto has custom pricing. Their pricing is not measured the same way, so we don't rank them on price. 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 deliverability, free tier.
Ortto wins on rating, integrations.
It's a close call — your choice depends on your specific needs.
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. Pricing is quote-only.
Feature Comparison
| Feature | Mailchimp | Ortto |
|---|---|---|
| Rating | 4.3/5 | 4.4/5 |
| Starting Price | $13/mo | Custom |
| 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 | Yes | Yes |
| A/B Testing | Yes | Yes |
| Landing Pages | Yes | No |
| Segmentation | Yes | Yes |
| Drag & Drop Editor | Yes | Yes |
| SMS Marketing | Yes | Yes |
| Ecommerce Features | Yes | Yes |
| API Access | Yes | Yes |
| Multi-Language | Yes | Yes |
| Web Push Notifications | No | No |
| Live Chat | No | Yes |
| Advanced Analytics | Yes | Yes |
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
- − No public pricing and no starter tier: every plan is quoted by sales, which rules out most small businesses
- − Transactional emails are Enterprise-only
- − Business and Enterprise plans require annual commitment with no monthly option
- − Steep learning curve for the CDP and advanced reporting features
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 | Custom |
| Deliverability | 25% | 96% Winner | 95% |
| Rating | 25% | 4.3/5 | 4.4/5 Winner |
| Integrations | 10% | 300 | 800 Winner |
| Free Tier | 10% | Yes Winner | No |
Weights determine how much each criterion counts toward the final score. See full methodology
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
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