Campaign Monitor vs Mailchimp
Campaign Monitor fits brand-conscious teams prioritizing email design/templates; Mailchimp fits marketing teams needing email + audience crm features.
Campaign Monitor
Design-led email marketing by Marigold with contact-tier Lite, Essentials, Premier, and Enterprise.
Best for
- • Brand-conscious teams prioritizing email design/templates
- • Agencies needing client/subaccount tooling (higher plans)
- • Marketers wanting AI writer/booster and benchmarked campaign insights
Starting from $13.00/user/mo
No free plan
VS
Our verdict
No universal winner. Choose based on which criteria matter most for your team.
Campaign Monitor is better for
- ✓ Automation
- ✓ Landing pages
Tie
- • Templates
- • Analytics
- • Integrations
Choose Campaign Monitor if: Brand-conscious teams prioritizing email design/templates
Choose Mailchimp if: Marketing teams needing email + audience CRM features
Mailchimp
Email marketing with CRM features; freemium entry (secondary category: marketing).
Best for
- • Marketing teams needing email + audience CRM features
- • SMBs starting on freemium email marketing
- • Buyers prioritizing campaigns over sales pipelines
Starting from $13.00/user/mo
Free plan available
Quick verdict
Start here — then dig into the evidence below.
Choose Campaign Monitor if…
- Brand-conscious teams prioritizing email design/templates
- Agencies needing client/subaccount tooling (higher plans)
- Marketers wanting AI writer/booster and benchmarked campaign insights
- You prioritize automation
Choose Mailchimp if…
- Marketing teams needing email + audience CRM features
- SMBs starting on freemium email marketing
- Buyers prioritizing campaigns over sales pipelines
Overall recommendation
No universal winner. Choose based on which criteria matter most for your team.
Key trade-off
Campaign Monitor's clearest edge is automation.
Winner by category
Only dimensions with researched evidence for this pair.
| Dimension | Winner | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Automation | Campaign Monitor wins | Campaign Monitor leads on automation (6/10 vs 5/10) from approved SoftwareGlimpse editorial assessments — not hands-on lab testing. |
| Templates | Tie | Campaign Monitor and Mailchimp are close on templates (9/10 vs 9/10) from approved SoftwareGlimpse editorial assessments — not hands-on lab testing. |
| Landing pages | Campaign Monitor wins | Stronger coverage across landing pages. |
| Reporting | Tie | Campaign Monitor and Mailchimp are close on analytics (7/10 vs 7/10) from approved SoftwareGlimpse editorial assessments — not hands-on lab testing. |
| Integrations | Tie | Campaign Monitor and Mailchimp are close on integrations (7/10 vs 7/10) from approved SoftwareGlimpse editorial assessments — not hands-on lab testing. |
Side-by-side feature matrix
Normalized availability from product research — empty rows are not shown.
Campaigns
| Feature | Campaign Monitor | Mailchimp |
|---|---|---|
| Email campaigns | Strong | Not evidenced |
| Newsletter builder | Strong | Not evidenced |
| Email templates | Strong | Not evidenced |
| Drag-and-drop editor | Strong | Not evidenced |
| Landing pages | Moderate | Not evidenced |
| Forms | Moderate | Not evidenced |
Automation & targeting
| Feature | Campaign Monitor | Mailchimp |
|---|---|---|
| Automation workflows | Strong | Not evidenced |
| Segmentation | Strong | Not evidenced |
| Personalization | Strong | Not evidenced |
| A/B testing | Strong | Not evidenced |
| Transactional email | Moderate | Not evidenced |
Platform
| Feature | Campaign Monitor | Mailchimp |
|---|---|---|
| Analytics | Strong | Not evidenced |
| Deliverability tools | Strong | Not evidenced |
| AI content generation | Strong | Not evidenced |
| AI assistance | Not evidenced | Moderate |
Additional capabilities
| Feature | Campaign Monitor | Mailchimp |
|---|---|---|
| Contact management | Strong | Strong |
| Lead management | Not evidenced | Moderate |
| Pipeline management | Not evidenced | Moderate |
| Deal management | Not evidenced | Moderate |
| Custom pipelines | Not evidenced | Strong |
| Custom fields | Not evidenced | Strong |
| Email sync | Not evidenced | Strong |
| Email tracking | Not evidenced | Strong |
| Workflow automation | Not evidenced | Moderate |
| Reporting | Not evidenced | Strong |
| Mobile app | Not evidenced | Strong |
| Sales automation | Not evidenced | Moderate |
| Integrations | Not evidenced | Strong |
Pricing comparison
Pricing evidence last checked Sep 8, 2026.
Campaign Monitor
From $13.00/user/mo
- Lite$13.00/mo
- Essentials$31.00/mo
- Premier$171.00/mo
- EnterpriseCustom
Mailchimp
From $13.00/user/mo
- Free$0.00/user/mo
- Essentials$13.00/mo
- Standard$20.00/mo
- Premium$350.00/mo
Seat-count estimates
Labeled estimates from verified starting per-seat pricing — not invoices.
| Seats | Campaign Monitor | Mailchimp |
|---|---|---|
| 5 | ~$65.00/mo (5 × starting seat) | ~$65.00/mo (5 × starting seat) |
| 10 | ~$130.00/mo (10 × starting seat) | ~$130.00/mo (10 × starting seat) |
| 25 | ~$325.00/mo (25 × starting seat) | ~$325.00/mo (25 × starting seat) |
| 50 | ~$650.00/mo (50 × starting seat) | ~$650.00/mo (50 × starting seat) |
Estimate from verified starting per-seat pricing — actual total depends on plan, annual discounts, and add-ons.
Campaign Monitor researched starting price from $13/mo. Mailchimp researched starting price from $13/mo; a free plan is researched. Affiliate economics excluded.
Best for
Scenario picks from researched strengths — not a universal ranking.
- → Campaign Monitor
Best for automation
Campaign Monitor leads on automation (6/10 vs 5/10) from approved SoftwareGlimpse editorial assessments — not hands-on lab testing.
- → Campaign Monitor
Best for landing pages
Stronger coverage across landing pages.
The differences that actually matter
Pair-specific analysis for Campaign Monitor vs Mailchimp — not generic category copy.
Starting pricing
DependsStarting pricing: Campaign Monitor — Campaign Monitor researched starting price from $13/mo; Mailchimp researched starting price from $13/mo; a free plan is researched. Contact-based packaging can change the real TCO.. Mailchimp — Campaign Monitor researched starting price from $13/mo; Mailchimp researched starting price from $13/mo; a free plan is researched. Contact-based packaging can change the real TCO..
Automation
Campaign Monitor aheadOn automation, Campaign Monitor is ahead. Campaign Monitor: Campaign Monitor leads on automation (6/10 vs 5/10) from approved SoftwareGlimpse editorial assessments — not hands-on lab testing.. Mailchimp: Trails Campaign Monitor on this criterion.
Segmentation
DependsSegmentation: Campaign Monitor — Campaign Monitor vs Mailchimp on segmentation is not a scored universal winner in current research — choose by job fit.. Mailchimp — Campaign Monitor vs Mailchimp on segmentation is not a scored universal winner in current research — choose by job fit..
Analytics
TieCampaign Monitor and Mailchimp are close on analytics. Campaign Monitor and Mailchimp are close on analytics (7/10 vs 7/10) from approved SoftwareGlimpse editorial assessments — not hands-on lab testing.
Templates
TieCampaign Monitor and Mailchimp are close on templates. Campaign Monitor and Mailchimp are close on templates (9/10 vs 9/10) from approved SoftwareGlimpse editorial assessments — not hands-on lab testing.
Pros and cons
Product-specific for this pair — derived from researched outcomes and editorial notes.
Campaign Monitor
Pros
- Stronger on automation
- Stronger on landing pages
Mailchimp
Cons
- Trails on automation
- Trails on landing pages
Who should not choose each product
Decision quality improves when we say who should walk away.
Don't choose Campaign Monitor if…
- Your primary fit looks closer to: Marketing teams needing email + audience CRM features
- Your primary fit looks closer to: SMBs starting on freemium email marketing
Don't choose Mailchimp if…
- You need Campaign Monitor's stronger automation more than Mailchimp's strengths
- You need Campaign Monitor's stronger landing pages more than Mailchimp's strengths
- Your primary fit looks closer to: Brand-conscious teams prioritizing email design/templates
- Your primary fit looks closer to: Agencies needing client/subaccount tooling (higher plans)
Alternatives worth considering
When neither product is the right fit.
GetResponse is an AI-driven email marketing and lifecycle automation platform with newsletters, automation workflows, landing pages, funnels, webinars (higher plans), and ecommerce tools. Paid plans use contact-list tiers with unlimited monthly email sends; a forever-free plan an
Creator- and SMB-focused email marketing with free forever, Lite/Plus tiers, and landing pages.
Email marketing automation ESP with multi-step journeys; CRM pipelines strongest on Plus+; contact-based pricing.
AI-powered customer platform with free forever CRM, plus paid Smart CRM seats and Sales/Marketing/Service hubs for growing teams.
Final verdict
Scenario-level close — not a repeat of the intro.
Campaign Monitor wins when…
Brand-conscious teams prioritizing email design/templates
Mailchimp wins when…
Marketing teams needing email + audience CRM features
- Best for automationCampaign Monitor
- Best for landing pagesCampaign Monitor
Which one should you choose?
Choose Campaign Monitor if:
- Brand-conscious teams prioritizing email design/templates
- Agencies needing client/subaccount tooling (higher plans)
- Marketers wanting AI writer/booster and benchmarked campaign insights
Choose Mailchimp if:
- Marketing teams needing email + audience CRM features
- SMBs starting on freemium email marketing
- Buyers prioritizing campaigns over sales pipelines
Product screenshots
Real product UI from our media library — no placeholders.
Campaign Monitor
Mailchimp
FAQ
- Is Campaign Monitor better than Mailchimp?
- No universal winner. Choose based on which criteria matter most for your team.
- Which email marketing fits which team?
- Campaign Monitor: Brand-conscious teams prioritizing email design/templates Mailchimp: Marketing teams needing email + audience CRM features
- Does Campaign Monitor or Mailchimp have a free plan?
- Campaign Monitor: No free plan. Mailchimp: Free plan available.
- How does Campaign Monitor vs Mailchimp pricing compare?
- Campaign Monitor starts from $13.00/user/mo. Mailchimp starts from $13.00/user/mo. Confirm live vendor pricing before purchasing.
- How did SoftwareGlimpse compare these products?
- We map both products to the same category criteria, then evaluate trade-offs using verified product, pricing and feature evidence. Affiliate relationships never change outcomes.
- reviewCampaign Monitor review
- reviewMailchimp review
- pricingCampaign Monitor pricing
- pricingMailchimp pricing
- alternativeGetResponse alternative
- alternativeAWeber alternative
- alternativeActiveCampaign alternative
- guideWhat Is Email Marketing Software? Beginner’s Guide
- guideHow to Choose Email Marketing Software: Job-First Framework
- guideEmail Marketing Pricing Guide: Contact Tiers & First 90 Days
- categoryemail marketing hub
- finderBest email marketing software
- calculatorCost calculator
Related comparisons
- Campaign Monitorvs
GetResponseCampaign Monitor vs GetResponse
AWebervsCampaign MonitorAWeber vs Campaign Monitor
ActiveCampaignvsCampaign MonitorActiveCampaign vs Campaign Monitor
BeehiivvsCampaign MonitorBeehiiv vs Campaign Monitor
BouncervsCampaign MonitorBouncer vs Campaign Monitor
BrevovsCampaign MonitorBrevo vs Campaign Monitor
Alternatives to consider
GetResponse
GetResponse is an AI-driven email marketing and lifecycle automation platform with newsletters, automation workflows, landing pages, funnels, webinars (higher plans), and ecommerce tools. Paid plans use contact-list tiers with unlimited monthly email sends; a forever-free plan an
AWeber
Creator- and SMB-focused email marketing with free forever, Lite/Plus tiers, and landing pages.
ActiveCampaign
Email marketing automation ESP with multi-step journeys; CRM pipelines strongest on Plus+; contact-based pricing.
HubSpot
AI-powered customer platform with free forever CRM, plus paid Smart CRM seats and Sales/Marketing/Service hubs for growing teams.
Still deciding between Campaign Monitor and Mailchimp?
Use Best email marketing software for a shortlist matched to your priorities, or build another side-by-side comparison.
- Independent criterion outcomes
- No invented scores or prices
- Affiliate links never change winners
Some visit links may be affiliate links — we may earn a commission at no extra cost to you. Comparison outcomes are never based on commission.
Part of Software comparisons · Email Marketing Software hub
Try a decision tool
Interactive helpers use recommendation criteria — affiliate status never changes outcomes.