TechRadar Verdict
A combination of comprehensive support options and a robust data security framework makes it easy to recommend Mailchimp for businesses- both large and small.
Pros
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Multiple pricing options
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Multivariate testing
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Advanced analytics and reporting
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Free plan available
Cons
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Premium plans are expensive
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Slightly inflexible platform
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Limited personalization
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Phone support limited to top plan
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When it comes to email marketing, Mailchimp is the first name that many folks think of. This platform is one of the most well-known providers of digital marketing services, and this is well deserved, as Mailchimp is an affordable provider. It has plans and options to suit all businesses- no matter what the requirements.
In this Mailchimp email marketing services review, we flesh out the platform’s strengths and weaknesses, while comparing it to competitors at both ends of the spectrum- freemium and upper end. When we are done, you’ll gain an understanding of whether Mailchimp is the best email marketing service for you and your business.
MailChimp: Plans and pricing
Mailchimp has a free tier but with limited features. This free plan lets you send a maximum of 2,500 monthly emails to 500 contacts. You’ll need a premium plan to use the platform best and Mailchimp offers three such plans; Essentials, Standard, and Premium.
The Essentials plan starts at $13 / £13 / AUD$19 per month for 500 contacts, and the price increases according to the number of contacts. For instance, 5,000 contacts on this plan will cost $69 / £65 / AUD$105 per month and 50,000 contacts will cost $350 / £320 / AUD$525 per month.
The Standard plan starts at $20 / £20 / AUD$30 per month for 500 contacts and increases according to the number of contacts. For example, 10,000 contacts on this plan will cost $135 / £120 / AUD$200 per month and 100,000 contacts will cost $700 / £660 / AUD$1050 per month.
The Premium plan starts at $350 / £320 / AUD$525 per month for 500 contacts and increases according to the number of contacts like the other plans. For example, 50,000 contacts on this plan will cost $815 / £780 / AUD$1250 per month and 100,000 contacts will cost $955 / £950 / AUD$1500 per month. Mailchimp offers a 10% discount on your first month if you add two-factor authentication to your account and a 15% discount to verified nonprofits and charities.
Mailchimp also offers an alternative to a monthly recurring plan called pay-as-you-go, which involves buying email credits. Each email sent costs one credit and the credits you buy expire after 12 months. You can always top up your account if you run out of credits or switch to a monthly recurring plan at any time.
MailChimp: Features
Mailchimp’s premium plans are thoroughly feature rich, to enable a successful email marketing strategy for all businesses.
When just starting out, Mailchimp’s audience-building features will lend a hand to grow your database and increase the number of reachable potential customers. Features worth mentioning include custom sign-up forms and landing pages, digital advertising options, and a lookalike audience finder. We also like the integrations with launching an online store, dynamic content to personalize to the audience, and a subject line helper.
With your audience attracted, Mailchimp offers features to engage customers and foster interaction with your business. Designing emails that engage your audience is a snap via Mailchimp’s range of templates and drag-and-drop content studio.
Unlike the competition, Mailchimp also provides a website builder with built-in marketing tools, and a custom domain service. These are unique additions to justify Mailchimp’s claim as the all-in-one digital and email marketing solution.
Finally, Mailchimp has a suite of features tailoring your marketing to the targeted audience down to a strategy for each and every contact. Tools for this include list segmentation, custom tags, and predicted demographics to make every contact in your database unique.
MailChimp: Interface and In Use
Just like most other email marketing services, Mailchimp is a web-based platform or SaaS. With your account created, the next step is to log in on any device for immediate access to all of your Mailchimp campaigns, analytics, and other tools.
Configuration for role-based access is reserved for the highest pricing plan. For those not familiar, this means that different members of your team will log in using their own Mailchimp credentials, but then will only be able to access features and data relevant to their position. Think about role-based access as a powerful feature, making Mailchimp ideal for a medium or large-sized business, or for a business with a strong need for customer privacy.
MailChimp: Support
Mailchimp offers direct customer support through email, live chat, and telephone, but the ones available to you depend on the plan you pay for. Users on the free plan have access to email support for the first 30 days of their use. Users on the Essentials and Standard plans have access to 24/7 email and live chat support, while only users on the Premium plan can access phone support.
Apart from direct support, Mailchimp offers many other support resources that every customer can access. There's the official Help Center where you can find articles and tutorials concerning all the platform's features. If you're having an issue with any feature, you’ll likely find an article or a step-by-step video tutorial that’ll help you solve it.
Mailchimp offers a separate Marketing Library, which contains articles, podcasts, and videos that teach users how to market effectively. If you need help with your marketing efforts, you can also hire a vetted expert from the company’s directory.
MailChimp: The competition
Sendinblue and MailerLite are two popular alternatives to Mailchimp. Sendinblue is a much more affordable email marketing platform and offers more automation and list management features, but Mailchimp is way easier to use.
MailerLite is also a more affordable tool than Mailchimp. However, Mailchimp offers more sophisticated analytical and reporting features and a broader selection of email templates.
MailChimp: Final verdict
In our analysis, we think that Mailchimp is simply one of the best email marketing services available.
The choice of four tiered plans means that there is a digital marketing solution for businesses of all shapes and sizes. With Mailchimp’s large range of features, it almost guarantees your business will thrive when empowered by Mailchimp’s email marketing tools.
Also factoring in the comprehensive support options, and the robust data security framework makes us even more confident in our recommendation of Mailchimp for businesses of all sizes.
