Home Email Marketing Best Mailchimp Alternatives for Small Biz (Updated 2024)

Best Mailchimp Alternatives for Small Biz (Updated 2024)

by Stewart Gauld
Last updated on August 19th, 2024
5 Best Mailchimp Alternatives For 2024 (Free & Paid)

Looking for a list of the best Mailchimp alternatives in 2024?

Email marketing is one of the most effective ways to establish and maintain deep customer relationships.

But, successful email marketing hinges on having the right tool at your disposal.

And with over 13 million users, Mailchimp has earned the trust of countless marketers and brands as a go-to solution for email marketing.

However, there may be a better fit for your business.

Read more about how to use Mailchimp here.

Best Mailchimp Alternatives

There are plenty of Mailchimp alternatives that give the tool a run for its money.

Whether you’re thinking about diving into the world of email marketing or you’re unhappy with Mailchimp and want to see what else is out there, this article is for you.

But before we dive into my top 5 Mailchimp alternatives, you might be thinking…why should you consider using a Mailchimp alternative?

Read more: Why Use Mailchimp Instead of Gmail?

Why Should You Consider a Mailchimp Alternative?

Why Should You Consider a Mailchimp Alternative_

Don’t get me wrong, people love and use Mailchimp because it’s cost-effective, scalable, and comprehensive.

However, many complain about the platform’s pricing structure, feature set, and user experience.

Here’s a breakdown of why you should consider a Mailchimp alternative:

  • Plans come with a cap on email sends per month.
  • You can’t schedule emails using the free plan.
  • Pricing plans can get expensive for large contact lists.
  • Free plan members can’t access the full range of templates.
  • All emails sent using the free plan have Mailchimp branding, which can detract from a business’s professional appearance.
  • The website builder is quite simple and limited in terms of customization.

With that said, are there any better choices out there? Let’s dive into the top 5 best Mailchimp alternatives now.

Read more: What Is Mailchimp Best Known For?

Top 5 Best Mailchimp Alternatives

If you’re looking for an email marketing service beyond what Mailchimp can provide, you’re in the right place.

I’ve compiled what I believe are the best email marketing solutions that might serve as better substitutes for Mailchimp.

Basically, these options come with their own strengths that may better suit your email marketing needs.

Let’s get into it!

ActiveCampaign

ActiveCampaign Best Mailchimp Alternative

Best Mailchimp alternative for teams looking for both email marketing and CRM capabilities.

First up on this list of Mailchimp alternatives is ActiveCampaign.

ActiveCampaign is a hybrid email marketing and sales CRM platform that packs a punch!

It’s designed to help small businesses manage both marketing automation and customer relationships through its comprehensive set of features.

These include tools for automating marketing across several channels, tracking customer interactions (CRM), and aiding sales teams.

Regarding email campaigns, ActiveCampaign’s incredible 250+ email templates, split testing, and segmentation features let you easily send targeted campaigns to your email list.

Plus, the built-in CRM tool helps you completely take control of your contacts from the ground up.

The automation options are also extensive, offering the ability to set up multiple automated actions, conduct tests, and integrate with SMS marketing and other CRM tools.

And with hundreds of automation templates available on all plans, marketing has never been easier.

I believe ActiveCampaign is a pretty impressive marketing automation platform. But there are a couple of drawbacks.

Unlike Mailchimp, there is no free plan, and the learning curve is much steeper.

In saying that, the platform is a strong choice for teams serious about taking their marketing efforts to the next level.

Basically, ActiveCampaign is an excellent MailChimp alternative suitable for those looking for a comprehensive, all-in-one email marketing automation and CRM tool.

Read more: ActiveCampaign Review.

ConvertKit

ConvertKit Best Mailchimp Alternative

Best Mailchimp alternative for freelancers or creators.

Are you a content creator looking for a way to connect with your audience on a personal level?

Enter…..ConvertKit, a clean, modern email marketing service that simplifies setting up and running email automation workflows.

With a straightforward interface and easy-to-use features, ConvertKit is completely beginner-friendly.

But what really makes ConvertKit stand out is how well it prioritizes personal audience connections.

ConvertKit doesn’t offer fancy schmancy email templates or elements! Just simple text-based personalized campaigns that pack a punch.

So, if you’re in the market for something that offers straightforward, no-frills email campaigns with a personal touch—then ConvertKit could be a great choice for you.

Plus, thanks to their special Creator Network, you can easily grow and monetize your brand to new heights.

All plans have unlimited forms, email sends, landing pages, segmentation, and tag capabilities.

And like Mailchimp, ConvertKit has a free plan (maximum of 1000 subscribers) plus paid plans for teams looking for enhanced automation, better customer support, and more.

If you’re a freelancer, designer, musician, or creator who wants to build and nurture a devoted following and community, ConvertKit may be the best Mailchimp alternative for you!

I also recommend Convertkit for those who sell digital products or services on a subscription basis.

Read more: How To Use ConvertKit.

HubSpot

HubSpot Best Mailchimp Alternative

Best free Mailchimp alternative for teams looking for an ‘all-in-one’ solution.

HubSpot is an all-in-one sales, service, and marketing online platform that also serves as a highly efficient, versatile email marketing platform.

While HubSpot is completely capable of handling all your email marketing needs, the heart of its appeal lies in its seamless integration with the entire HubSpot CRM ecosystem.

HubSpot’s in-depth analytics tools help measure each campaign’s effectiveness, including open rates, click-through rates, and overall performance.

This integration ensures that every email sent is backed up by a deep understanding of customer interactions and preferences, resulting in higher engagement rates.

Small teams can leverage HubSpot’s drag-and-drop email builder to craft beautifully designed emails without learning any code.

But the best part about HubSpot is that it offers a feature-rich free plan that includes access to marketing, sales, service, content, commerce, and operations tools.

Additionally, you can have up to 5 users within one free HubSpot account, add a whopping 1,000,000 contacts to your account, and send up to 2000 emails monthly!

Of course, you can also upgrade to one of HubSpot’s marketing plans, which includes comprehensive email marketing tools, automation, live chat, and more.

HubSpot truly is the epitome of ‘all-in-one,’ with all tools nicely located within one centralized platform.

If you’re looking for a free Mailchimp alternative with handy sales CRM tools and features, HubSpot may be the best choice.

Check out my ultimate HubSpot CRM guide here.

Omnisend

Omnisend Best Mailchimp Alternative

Best Mailchimp alternative for sales-driven online stores.

Next up on this list of best Mailchimp alternatives is Omnisend, an email marketing service made specifically for eCommerce businesses.

Omnisend is a double-edged sword, offering top-notch email capabilities and dynamic SMS segmentation and automation features.

The platform was essentially designed to help online stores enhance their conversion rates through email marketing techniques (with minimal effort).

And thanks to its array of beautiful templates, forms, and pop-ups, it doesn’t disappoint.

The platform’s free plan, user-friendly form builder, and innovative automation tools also ensure that anyone can easily craft personalized email campaigns.

Key Omnisend offerings include:

  • A/B testing for optimizing messages.
  •  Automatic responses to engage customers.
  • Detailed email workflows.
  • Segmentation tools to target specific audience groups.
  • Emails activated by particular events.
  • In-depth analytics and reporting, and more.

Omnisend is often compared to Klaviyo, another heavyweight eCommerce email and SMS marketing platform (coming up next on this list!)

However, the standout difference lies in their strategic focuses.

Omnisend is particularly known for its sales-oriented approach, which is perfect for teams keen on accelerating sales and enhancing revenues.

If your priority involves hitting sales objectives, improving conversion rates, and increasing product sales, Omnisend is your go-to platform.

Sure, sales-driven online stores can use Mailchimp for email marketing. But do the features compare with Omnisend’s? Absolutely not!

Check out my Omnisend vs Klaviyo comparison article here.

Klaviyo

Klaviyo Best Mailchimp Alternative

Best Mailchimp alternative for online stores focused on customer-behavior.

Like Omnisend, Klaviyo is another SMS and email marketing Mailchimp alternative designed for online stores looking to deepen customer connections.

With cutting-edge AI and predictive analytics technology, Klaviyo empowers you to craft and implement marketing strategies that truly make an impact.

In addition to email campaigns, automations, sign-up forms, and newsletters, Klaviyo integrates with leading eCommerce platforms like Shopify and WooCommerce.

This allows you to take advantage of functionalities such as abandoned cart recovery to boost sales.

What’s more, Klaviyo steps up the game with its SMS marketing features, which are ideal for reaching out to text-savvy customers directly on their phones!

Klaviyo’s pricing model is thoughtfully designed to cater to various needs.

The platform boasts a free plan that includes access to email sequences, flows, and automation, ensuring businesses of any size can streamline their operations efficiently.

Additionally, Klaviyo has dedicated paid plans for email marketing and a combo plan for email and SMS marketing.

And guess what? There are no yearly contacts! Just flexible, month-to-month pricing plan options, with the cost based on your subscriber count.

However, pricing plans can be expensive if you have an extensive contact list.

Nonetheless, its seamless eCommerce integrations and superior segmentation capabilities make it a top-notch Mailchimp alternative option.

If you’re an eCommerce data-driven team eager to delve deep into customer behavior, I highly suggest Klaviyo.

Read more: Klaviyo vs Mailchimp.

Stews Final Thoughts

Sure, Mailchimp is still a practical and straightforward email marketing solution that many users know and love.

However, with so many competitors out there, some may question if Mailchimp is the best choice for them.

And the answer is…..it might not be!

While it’s difficult to single out one as ‘the best,’ each alternative has its own set of distinctive features and functionalities that cater to different business types and needs.

And the good news is that you have options!

By considering these leading alternatives to Mailchimp, you’ll open up new possibilities to elevate your email marketing strategies.

Have you explored any of these Mailchimp alternatives? I’d love to know.

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My name is Stewart Gauld. I’ve been helping small and local businesses with digital activties over the last 7 years.