Mailchimp vs Constant Contact: lower prices or phone support?
By Jean Luc Poitier, SEO and growth marketing strategist · Campaign Monitor Reviews · Updated October 4, 2026 · Prices and review data checked October 4, 2026
Pick Mailchimp if you want to start free or keep the monthly bill low. It has a free plan, Standard costs less than Constant Contact Standard at 500 contacts, and Standard allows up to 200 automation flows.
Pick Constant Contact if you want a person on the phone without paying for a top plan. Phone and chat support come with every plan, there is a 30-day refund window after your first payment, and its organic Trustpilot reviews score well above Mailchimp's.
If you run email for clients, note that neither publishes a white-label option for email. That case, and frequent sending, are covered in the Campaign Monitor section below.
Mailchimp vs Constant Contact at a glance
| Compared on | Mailchimp | Constant Contact |
|---|---|---|
| Plan compared | Standard | Standard |
| Price at 500 contacts | $20/mo, 6,000 sends | From $35/mo (pricing page snippet), sends 12x contacts |
| Price at 2,500 contacts | $60/mo, 30,000 sends | Not published |
| Price at 10,000 contacts | $135/mo, 120,000 sends | Not published |
| Cheapest paid plan, 500 contacts | Essentials, $13/mo (5,000 emails) | Lite, from $12/mo (pricing page snippet) |
| Annual billing | Through sales, Standard and Premium at 10,000+ contacts | Prepay 12 months, save up to 15% (pricing page snippet) |
| Free plan | Yes: 250 contacts, 500 emails a month, Mailchimp branding | No |
| Free trial | 14 days; the no-card version is capped at 100 emails | 30 days, unlimited contact uploads, 100 email sends in total |
| Money-back guarantee | Not published | Refund within 30 days of first payment, base plan only, requested by phone |
| Phone support | Premium plan ($350/mo) | Every plan, plus chat |
| Automation on the compared plan | Up to 200 flows (Essentials: 4 flow steps) | 3 active paths from templates; custom paths on Premium |
| Agency accounts and white label | Mailchimp & Co partners link to separate client accounts; no white label | Partner umbrella account with sub-accounts; white label not published |
| Trustpilot, organic reviews only | 1.07 average, 29 reviews (Aug 4 to Oct 2, 2026) | 3.33 average, 24 reviews (Sep 10 to Oct 2, 2026) |
| G2 rating (reviews) | 4.3 (12,988) | 4.1 (7,237) |
| Owner | Intuit (since 2021) | Clearlake Capital-backed, based in Waltham, MA |
Figures checked against each company's published pages and review-platform listings as of 2026-10-04. “Not published” means the company does not publish that figure.
Sources: Mailchimp list prices in USD, billed monthly, from its pricing page on October 4, 2026. Constant Contact's pricing page blocked automated checks that day, so its plan prices and send limits come from a search snippet of that page and are labelled as such; its trial, refund, automation, and support details come from its own knowledge base and support pages. Constant Contact raised prices for existing customers on August 2026 invoices, so older figures may be out of date. The Trustpilot row counts only reviews Trustpilot labels organic (written without a link or invitation from the company), from our pull that day; samples are small. G2 figures come from G2's search listings. More on our methodology.
Mailchimp vs Constant Contact on price
Mailchimp is the cheaper way in. Its free plan covers 250 contacts and 500 emails a month, and Standard costs $20 a month at 500 contacts, against a Constant Contact Standard starting price of $35. Mailchimp publishes every tier: Standard is $60 at 2,500 contacts and $135 at 10,000.
Mailchimp's fine print adds to the bill in two ways. Unsubscribed contacts count toward your plan, and going over your contact or sending limit after the trial is billed automatically. Constant Contact offers a refund within 30 days of your first payment on the base plan, provided you have uploaded contacts and sent an email, and the request goes through its billing team by phone.
Automation and support
Mailchimp Standard allows up to 200 automation flows; Essentials limits each flow to 4 steps, and the free plan has none. Constant Contact Standard runs 3 active paths built from its templates, and custom paths are on Premium only. For automation on a mid-tier budget, Mailchimp gives you more room.
Support runs the other way. Constant Contact offers phone and chat on every plan, with phone lines open Monday to Friday 8am to 8pm ET and Saturday 10am to 6pm ET. Mailchimp gives 24/7 email and chat from Essentials up and phone support on Premium at $350 a month.
“The platform is easy to use, has clean templates, and allows us to create professional-looking emails without needing a designer or developer.”Danielle P., G2, Jun 2026
“When I called to fix a problem, the staff were knowledgeable, friendly and patient.”St. John's Anglican Church, Trustpilot, Sep 2026
Where Mailchimp wins
- A free plan for up to 250 contacts and 500 emails a month.
- A lower Standard price at 500 contacts: $20, against a $35 starting price for Constant Contact Standard.
- Up to 200 automation flows on Standard.
- 24/7 email and chat support from Essentials up.
- A larger G2 review base: 4.3 from 12,988 reviews.
Where Constant Contact wins
- Phone and chat support on every plan, including Saturday phone hours.
- A 30-day refund window after your first payment on the base plan.
- A 30-day trial that accepts your whole contact list (sending capped at 100 emails).
- A much higher organic Trustpilot average in our pull: 3.33 from 24 reviews, against 1.07 from 29.
When neither fits: Campaign Monitor
Two situations push buyers past both. The first is agency work. Campaign Monitor gives every paid plan client sub-accounts, client logins, private labeling, and markup billing; Mailchimp has no white label, and Constant Contact does not publish one for email.
The second is frequent sending. Campaign Monitor Essentials has no send cap, from $31 a month at 500 contacts, where Mailchimp Standard allows 12 times your contacts each month. Its reviewers single out a builder that clients and new staff learn quickly, and G2 named it Easiest To Use and Best Support (Small Business) for Fall 2026. Phone support is on Premier.
Its 30-day trial covers 500 contacts and 500 emails with no card at signup. Compare it directly: Campaign Monitor vs Mailchimp and Campaign Monitor vs Constant Contact.
Try Campaign Monitor freeMailchimp vs Constant Contact FAQ
Is Mailchimp or Constant Contact cheaper?+
At 500 contacts, Mailchimp Standard costs $20 a month and Constant Contact Standard starts from $35, according to a search snippet of Constant Contact's pricing page. The entry plans are close: Mailchimp Essentials at $13 and Constant Contact Lite from $12 (snippet). Mailchimp also has a free plan. Constant Contact's pricing page blocked our checks, so compare larger lists on its own page.
Which has better support, Mailchimp or Constant Contact?+
Constant Contact offers phone and chat on every plan, with phone lines open on weekdays and Saturdays. Mailchimp offers 24/7 email and chat from Essentials up and keeps phone support for Premium, which costs $350 a month.
Does Mailchimp or Constant Contact have a free plan?+
Mailchimp does, for up to 250 contacts and 500 emails a month, with Mailchimp branding and no automation flows. Constant Contact has no free plan; its 30-day trial lets you upload any number of contacts and send up to 100 emails.
How do Mailchimp and Constant Contact reviews compare?+
Counting only Trustpilot reviews written without an invitation (organic), Constant Contact averaged 3.33 from 24 reviews and Mailchimp 1.07 from 29 in our October 4, 2026 pull. On G2, Mailchimp is rated 4.3 from 12,988 reviews and Constant Contact 4.1 from 7,237.
What if neither Mailchimp nor Constant Contact fits an agency?+
Campaign Monitor includes client sub-accounts and private labeling on every paid plan. Mailchimp has no white label, and Constant Contact does not publish one for its email product.