MailChimp was founded in 2001 by Ben Chestnut and Dan Kurzius. It began as a paid service for its first 8 years and introduced a freemium version in 2009. Today, MailChimp is used by over 16 million people and businesses worldwide and employs over 700 people. It sends over 10 billion emails per month on behalf of its users. MailChimp remains privately-held. MailChimp partners with non-profit organizations to promote community growth in its hometown of Atlanta. It offers MBA-style courses, apprenticeship programs, and other education opportunities to its employees. In 2016, MailChimp was ranked No. 7 on Forbes’ Cloud 100 list.
Intended Customers Entrepreneurs, Digital Marketers, Small to Midsized Businesses
Free Trial No; free version available
Features
All Available Plans & Services MailChimp offers a freemium version and two subscription tiers, titled New Business, Growing Business, and Pro Marketer, respectively. Each successive subscription offers escalating functionality. Paid subscriptions offer monthly billing or pay-as-you-go plans; monthly pricing escalates according to number of subscribers. The Pro Marketer plan adds a flat monthly fee of $199.
| New Business | Growing Business | Pro Marketer | |
| Monthly Pricing | Up to 2,000 subscribers: Free | 0-500: $10 501-1,000: $15 1,001-1,500: $20 1,501-2,000: $25 2,000-2,500: $30 2,501-2,600: $35 2,601-2,700: $40 2,701-2,800: $45 2,801-5,000: $50 | 0-500: $10 501-1,000: $15 1,001-1,500: $20 1,501-2,000: $25 2,000-2,500: $30 2,501-2,600: $35 2,601-2,700: $40 2,701-2,800: $45 2,801-5,000: $50 $199 flat monthly fee |
| Number of Emails | 12,000/month | Unlimited | Unlimited |
| Pay-As-You-Go Pricing (Email Credits) | N/A | 300 credits - $9 1k credits - $30 2k credits - $60 5k cedits - $100 7.5k credits - $150 10k credits - $200 25k credits - $250 50k credits - $500 75k credits - $750 200k credits - $1000 | 300 credits - $9 1k credits - $30 2k credits - $60 5k cedits - $100 7.5k credits - $150 10k credits - $200 25k credits - $250 50k credits - $500 75k credits - $750 200k credits - $1000 $199 flat monthly fee |
| Features | •Template Design •Sign Up Forms •Campaign Builder •Marketing Automation •Analytics & Reports | Same as New Business, plus: •Enterprise Marketing Automation •Segmentation •Integrations •Improved Tracking •Google Analytics Tie-In •Mobile App •Multi-User Accounts •Send Time Optimization | Same as Growing Business, plus: •Developer API •Multi-Variate Testing •Improved Reports •Improved Automations •Transactional Email API (Mandrill) |
MailChimp is one of the more popular marketing automation platforms businesses will use. Their services cover a wide range of businesses, from large to small. Their pricing plans are well-balanced to MailChimp uses integrations, automation tools, and customizable email templates to make sending emails and promoting products easier. MailChimp's unique email designer and custom templates are one of the main features highlighted on their website, and for good reason. The email designer features a drag-and-drop feature that allows for users to fine-tune exactly where they want uploaded pictures and text to go. Pictures can also be edited and resized to fit the user's needs. Fonts and color palates are also customizable, which come in handy for specific calls to action. Each tool is broken down in easy-to-understand and accessible buttons. The custom templates can be customized based on the message a business is trying to send. For example, if a business is trying to showcase a new product with limited text, there's a template made for bigger pictures, centered and in full focus. These templates, combined with their user-friendly designer tools, make MailChimp more accessible than other marketing automation providers. Each pricing plan is specifically designed for all businesses, making MailChimp an all-around, affordable marketing automation provider. They have three reasonable price plans which are also customizable depending on the number of subscribers your business has/projects to have. They're laid out nicely on their website, which makes it easy for business owners to decide what they can afford. MailChimp's success appears to lie in its out-in-the-open, user-friendly, customizable features, pricing plans, and design tools. MailChimp's integrations with social media make it an ideal option for businesses who haven't yet taken the leap into online marketing, or for businesses who wish to simplify their marketing process. Overall, MailChimp is one of the most, if not the most, recognized marketing automation providers for good reason. They want businesses to know that their services come with no hidden fees, there are no significant gaps in features included between pricing plans, and anyone is capable of using MailChimp regardless of how tech-savy you are or aren't. MailChimp should be considered for businesses of all types and sizes.