SoftwareGlimpse
Updated 2026-08-18

Mailchimp alternatives

Approved substitutes for Mailchimp from existing SoftwareGlimpse catalogue peers and editorial assessments. This is a job-fit list, not a ranked best-of.

Looking beyond

Mailchimp logo

Mailchimp

6.8/10

Email marketing with CRM features; freemium entry (secondary category: marketing).

Read our full Mailchimp review →

Best overall alternative

HubSpot logo

HubSpot

7.8/10

HubSpot is a catalogue substitute when SMB and mid-market teams wanting free CRM now and room to expand into hubs later. Stay with Mailchimp when Marketing teams needing email + audience CRM features. Reasons come from approved editorial assessments — not a ranked best-of list.

See how we compare →

Best Mailchimp alternatives

  • 1
    HubSpot logo

    HubSpot

    Best overall

    HubSpot is a catalogue substitute when SMB and mid-market teams wanting free CRM now and room to expand into hubs later. Stay with Mailchimp when Marketing teams needing email + audience CRM features. Reasons come from approved editorial assessments — not a ranked best-of list.

    Best for
    SMB and mid-market teams wanting free CRM now and room to expand into hubs later
    Starting price
    See pricing
    View review
    Visit website
  • 2
    ActiveCampaign logo

    ActiveCampaign

    ActiveCampaign is a catalogue substitute when Marketing-led SMBs that need automation as the primary email job. Stay with Mailchimp when Marketing teams needing email + audience CRM features. Reasons come from approved editorial assessments — not a ranked best-of list.

    Best for
    Marketing-led SMBs that need automation as the primary email job
    Starting price
    See pricing
    View review
    Visit website
  • 3
    Pipedrive logo

    Pipedrive

    Pipedrive is a catalogue substitute when SMB and mid-market sales teams prioritizing pipeline visibility. Stay with Mailchimp when Marketing teams needing email + audience CRM features. Reasons come from approved editorial assessments — not a ranked best-of list.

    Best for
    SMB and mid-market sales teams prioritizing pipeline visibility
    Starting price
    See pricing
    View review
    Visit website
  • 4
    Keap logo

    Keap

    Keap is a catalogue substitute when Small businesses needing CRM + marketing automation in one platform. Stay with Mailchimp when Marketing teams needing email + audience CRM features. Reasons come from approved editorial assessments — not a ranked best-of list.

    Best for
    Small businesses needing CRM + marketing automation in one platform
    Starting price
    See pricing
    View review
    Visit website
  • 5
    GetResponse logo

    GetResponse

    GetResponse is a catalogue substitute when SMBs wanting email + automation + landing pages in one stack. Stay with Mailchimp when Marketing teams needing email + audience CRM features. Reasons come from approved editorial assessments — not a ranked best-of list.

    Best for
    SMBs wanting email + automation + landing pages in one stack
    Starting price
    See pricing
    View review
    Visit website

Compare alternatives side by side

Some links may be affiliate links — we may earn a commission at no extra cost to you. Rankings and scores are never based on commission. Affiliate disclosure

Alternative details

HubSpot

HubSpot is a catalogue substitute when SMB and mid-market teams wanting free CRM now and room to expand into hubs later. Stay with Mailchimp when Marketing teams needing email + audience CRM features. Reasons come from approved editorial assessments — not a ranked best-of list.

Better when

  • SMB and mid-market teams wanting free CRM now and room to expand into hubs later
  • Organizations aligning marketing + sales + service on one customer platform

Worse when

  • Teams that need a simple single-price sales CRM without hub/seat complexity (consider Pipedrive)
  • Buyers who want native dialer-first workflows as the primary product story (consider Close/Freshsales)

Key tradeoff: Freemium breadth and suite power vs rising seat/hub complexity at scale vs Published packaging clarity vs ecosystem depth.

ActiveCampaign

ActiveCampaign is a catalogue substitute when Marketing-led SMBs that need automation as the primary email job. Stay with Mailchimp when Marketing teams needing email + audience CRM features. Reasons come from approved editorial assessments — not a ranked best-of list.

Better when

  • Marketing-led SMBs that need automation as the primary email job
  • Email-first GTM teams comparing HubSpot or Keap on journeys

Worse when

  • Sales-only pipeline CRM buyers
  • Ecommerce brands whose primary job is catalog-aware email + SMS attribution

Key tradeoff: Automation depth vs freemium simplicity vs Published packaging clarity vs ecosystem depth.

Pipedrive

Pipedrive is a catalogue substitute when SMB and mid-market sales teams prioritizing pipeline visibility. Stay with Mailchimp when Marketing teams needing email + audience CRM features. Reasons come from approved editorial assessments — not a ranked best-of list.

Better when

  • SMB and mid-market sales teams prioritizing pipeline visibility
  • Teams standardizing activity-based selling habits

Worse when

  • Buyers who need native dialer + AI lead scoring tightly bundled like Freshsales
  • Organizations that need unlimited enterprise configurability without caps

Key tradeoff: Pipeline clarity and sales focus vs broader Freshworks-style engagement suites vs Published packaging clarity vs ecosystem depth.

Keap

Keap is a catalogue substitute when Small businesses needing CRM + marketing automation in one platform. Stay with Mailchimp when Marketing teams needing email + audience CRM features. Reasons come from approved editorial assessments — not a ranked best-of list.

Better when

  • Small businesses needing CRM + marketing automation in one platform
  • Service businesses that invoice/take payments in-CRM

Worse when

  • Buyers seeking a free forever or sub-$20/user simple CRM
  • Pipeline-first sales teams that want Pipedrive-style boards without marketing suite weight

Key tradeoff: All-in-one automation value vs higher monthly floor vs Published packaging clarity vs ecosystem depth.

GetResponse

GetResponse is a catalogue substitute when SMBs wanting email + automation + landing pages in one stack. Stay with Mailchimp when Marketing teams needing email + audience CRM features. Reasons come from approved editorial assessments — not a ranked best-of list.

Better when

  • SMBs wanting email + automation + landing pages in one stack
  • Ecommerce needing cart recovery and promo tools (Marketer+)

Worse when

  • Buyers who only need a simple newsletter with no automation/landing-page bundle
  • Enterprises needing SSO/dedicated IP without moving to Enterprise quote

Key tradeoff: Campaign/automation depth vs design simplicity vs Published packaging clarity vs ecosystem depth.

Editorial note

Stay on Mailchimp when Marketing teams needing email + audience CRM features. Move to HubSpot when SMB and mid-market teams wanting free CRM now and room to expand into hubs later. Move to ActiveCampaign when Marketing-led SMBs that need automation as the primary email job. Move to Pipedrive when SMB and mid-market sales teams prioritizing pipeline visibility. Move to Keap when Small businesses needing CRM + marketing automation in one platform. Not a ranked best-of list — affiliate relationships never set the order.

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How to choose a Mailchimp alternative

  • Define your priorities

    List must-have workflows, team size, and budget before you fall for a feature checklist.

  • Compare your options

    Use the same criteria across products — and ignore affiliate status when you weigh fit.

  • Test before you decide

    Trial the shortlist with a real workflow. We only claim hands-on testing when it happened.

Affiliate disclosure: some links may be affiliate links. We may earn a commission at no extra cost to you. Rankings and scores are never based on commission. Full disclosure

Methodology disclosure: scores and recommendations follow SoftwareGlimpse evaluation criteria (version 1.0.0). Affiliate relationships do not determine rankings.

How we recommend: product claims are tied to recorded research where available.

AI-assisted disclosure: drafts may be AI-assisted from approved facts and assessments. Humans approve publishable editorial judgments. AI does not invent live prices or claim hands-on testing.

Editorial methodology · Affiliate disclosure

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