Choose Constant Contact if:
- You’re a DIY marketer who needs different digital marketing tools in one platform.
- You want a simple and intuitive email campaign tool with lots of templates.
- You need basic email and SMS automation.
Constant Contact vs. Mailchimp
The Best Choice for Your Email Marketing
Constant Contact is an all-in-one digital marketing platform built for growing businesses. It offers an intuitive drag-and-drop builder with over 200 templates, plus contact management, segmentation, event management, forms, and landing pages. However, it lacks the automation depth and omnichannel capabilities Mailchimp offers.
Mailchimp is a marketing automation platform built for more complex use cases, especially for large teams with intricate strategies. It includes powerful reporting and analytics, store integrations, advanced Marketing Automation Flows with multiple starting points, and a full website builder.
Both platforms offer broad feature sets, but they can feel overwhelming if you’re only sending simple email campaigns, and they get expensive at higher sending volumes.
Looking for Something Simpler?
Meet Benchmark Email.
Constant Contact and Mailchimp both do a lot. But if your main job is sending great email campaigns, you end up paying for (and clicking past) tools you’ll never use.
Benchmark Email is built for busy marketers who want to get email done fast. You get a clean drag-and-drop builder, AI help on every plan, and pricing based on your contacts, not on which features you unlock.
Email Builder
Benchmark Email
Intuitive drag-and-drop builder with essential content blocks, an HTML editor, and a built-in image editor, plus an AI Assistant that writes copy and creates images on every plan, including Free.
Constant Contact
Simple and intuitive email builder with 200+ templates, extensive content blocks, and an AI copy generator.
Mailchimp
Advanced email builder with lots of customizations and email content block options, plus embedded services like Instagram, Yelp, and Playable.
Contact Management
Benchmark Email
Simplified dashboards with easy list-based segmentation, tags, powerful filtering, and bulk actions, all available on every plan.
Constant Contact
Advanced segmentation based on audience lists, tags, and complex rules.
Mailchimp
Advanced dashboards with tags and segments; full segmentation on higher plans.
Analytics & Reports
Benchmark Email
Simple yet comprehensive reporting, including campaign performance, link activity, engagement timelines, and a real-time contact activity feed.
Constant Contact
Basic reports on email campaign performance and audience engagement. Shows trends based on past performance and average industry performance.
Mailchimp
Advanced reporting with customizable reports, revenue tracking, click maps, and Google Analytics integration.
Advanced Features
Benchmark Email
Focuses on the essentials: drag-and-drop sign-up forms, popup forms, and hosted form pages, plus list verification on paid plans. No automation workflows to set up, just what most email marketers need.
Constant Contact
Basic automation paths with email and SMS, conditional splits, and branching logic. Offers sign-up forms, Facebook and Instagram Lead Ads, and a drag-and-drop landing page builder.
Mailchimp
Advanced Marketing Automation Flows with multiple triggers, branching paths, 100+ templates, and AI content generation. Forms, landing pages, surveys, and full website builder.
Pricing & Plans
Benchmark Email
Free plan and straightforward contact-based pricing, with every feature included on every plan.
Paid plans start at $19/month for 1,000 contacts and scale up to $499/month for 100,000 contacts.
With Benchmark Email’s free plan, you get:
- Up to 500 contacts
- 2,500 email sends per month
Constant Contact
Tiered pricing model with three plans that scale by contact count and user seats. No free plan; a 30-day free trial (up to 100 email sends). Paid plans start at $12/month for up to 500 contacts. The Lite plan costs $430/month for up to 50,000 contacts and 500,000 emails sent.
Mailchimp
Free plan plus subscriptions with scalable features, generous team seats, and a pay-as-you-go option. Paid plans start at $13/month for 500 contacts and 5,000 emails (an introductory price for the first 12 months).
The Essentials plan costs $385/month for 50,000 contacts and 500,000 emails.
With Mailchimp’s free plan, you get:
- Up to 250 contacts
- 500 email sends per month (max 250 per day)
How Benchmark Email Compares
| Feature | Benchmark Email | Mailchimp | Constant Contact |
|---|---|---|---|
| Free plan | 500 contacts, 2,500 sends/month | 250 contacts, 500 sends/month | None (30-day trial) |
| Pricing Model | Every feature on every plan; Pro from $19/month (1,000 contacts) | Features split across 4 plans | Features split across 3 plans |
| AI writing and images | AI Assistant for copy and images on every plan, including Free | Generative AI on Standard and Premium | AI copy generator on every plan |
| Email Scheduling | Every plan, including Free | Paid plans only | Standard plan and up |
| Segmentation | Lists, tags, and filters on every plan | Advanced segmentation on Standard and up | 1 custom segment on Lite, 10 on Standard |
| Automation | Not available | Included | Included |
| Best for | Busy marketers who want simple, effective email | Large teams with complex automation | DIY marketers who want an all-in-one toolkit |
Pricing shown is for reference only. Visit Benchmark Email Pricing: All Features, Plans from $0 for current plans and rates.
If you need automation workflows
SMS, or events, Constant Contact or Mailchimp will serve you better. If you want to create and send great campaigns without the learning curve, Benchmark Email is the simpler choice.
Try Benchmark Free
Final Verdict: Which Is Best for You?
Choose Mailchimp if:
- You require advanced automation or transactional emails.
- You manage complex omnichannel marketing strategies.
- You’re part of a larger marketing team.
Choose Benchmark Email if:
- You want a clean, simple email marketing platform without extra features you won’t use.
- You’re a small business or marketing generalist managing large contact lists.
- You need fast email creation with AI-powered text and image assistance.
FAQs
Which is easiest to use: Constant Contact, Mailchimp, or Benchmark Email?
Constant Contact is beginner-friendly, with a simple drag-and-drop builder and 200+ templates. Mailchimp offers more customization and advanced tools, but that depth comes with a steeper learning curve. Benchmark Email is built for simplicity: a clean drag-and-drop builder with just the essentials and an AI Assistant to help with copy and images, so you can create a campaign without a tutorial.
Which is the most affordable?
It depends on your list size and the features you need. At 500 contacts, Constant Contact’s Lite plan is $12/month, Mailchimp’s Essentials plan is $13/month (an introductory price for the first 12 months), and Benchmark Email is free. At 50,000 contacts, Constant Contact Lite is $430/month, Mailchimp Essentials is $385/month, and Benchmark Email Pro is $299/month, with every feature included. Constant Contact and Mailchimp both bill extra if you go over your plan’s limits; Benchmark Email notifies you and never auto-upgrades your plan. Check each pricing page for current rates.
Do Constant Contact, Mailchimp, and Benchmark Email offer free plans?
Constant Contact doesn’t have a free plan. It offers a 30-day free trial with up to 100 email sends, after which you’ll need a paid plan to keep sending. Mailchimp’s free plan includes up to 250 contacts and 500 email sends per month (max 250 per day). Benchmark Email’s free plan includes up to 500 contacts and 2,500 email sends per month, plus email scheduling and the AI Assistant.
Which platform has the best automation?
Mailchimp. Its Marketing Automation Flows support multiple starting points and branching paths, with full flows on the Standard and Premium plans. Constant Contact offers simpler email and SMS automation, with one automation template on Lite, three on Standard, and custom automations on Premium. Benchmark Email doesn’t offer automation workflows; it focuses on helping you create and send great campaigns quickly.
How does customer support compare?
Constant Contact includes live phone and chat support on every plan. Mailchimp includes 24/7 email and chat support on paid plans, with phone support reserved for Premium, and its free plan includes email support for the first 30 days only. Benchmark Email includes live support from real people on all plans.
Which platform is right for me?
Choose Constant Contact if you’re a DIY marketer who wants email, SMS, events, and social tools in one platform. Choose Mailchimp if you’re part of a larger team with advanced automation or omnichannel needs. Choose Benchmark Email if you want a clean, simple platform for sending great email campaigns, without paying for features you won’t use.
Can I switch to Benchmark Email from Mailchimp or Constant Contact?
Yes. Our support team will help you make the move, and our step-by-step guides show you how to bring over your contacts and email templates.
