There are many outstanding email marketing platforms nowadays, and they provide various features that can help you improve your marketing strategy. Learn more about two of the most popular and efficient tools of this kind in this MailerLite vs Mailchimp comparison.
Written By Jason Rowse - Digital Marketing Expert Updated: 09/02/2021 |
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Score | 8.1/10 | 8.4/10 |
Summary | MailerLite features a generous set of advanced features and it is suitable for marketers of any level, even for beginners. | Mailchimp is a fast and straightforward tool that provides numerous design options and good integrations and reporting. |
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Cons |
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Key Features |
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Pricing |
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Support |
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Ease of Use |
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Best fit for | Small businesses, beginner marketers. | Marketers of any level, people who need in-depth reports. |
Email templates are a must if you invest in a marketing platform. These templates allow you to build beautiful campaigns with minimum effort.
MailerLite offers a large variety of email templates, more than 70 to be precise. Although they are rather simple, the advantage is that they are very easy to use and personalize.
With the help of this platform’s user-friendly email editor and numerous customization features, you can create a unique email in a few minutes. Moreover, these templates are professionally designed and have been tested to meet the highest performance standards.
Mailchimp provides a great selection of templates. They are easy to use and personalize according to each brand’s identity. The drag-and-drop editor enables you to set up your email campaigns using these ready-made emails.
There are approximately 100 options you can choose from and they are divided into several categories including newsletter templates and promotional emails. Furthermore, you also get blank templates you can personalize.
This is a pretty tight battle since both platforms offer a similar number of email templates. We consider it a tie.
Forms are a great addition any powerful email marketing tool should provide. They help you gather leads and valuable customer data.
MailerLite provides a wide variety of different form templates and implementation options. These forms are also easy to set up. Whether you choose embedded forms or pop-up forms, you get different automation that allows you to choose the interval after which the forms will appear on the website or the specific amount of time you want them to be shown.
Mailchimp provides an impressive array of different forms. Almost any type of form you might need for your business is available on this platform, and you can easily embed these customizable templates on your website.
You can also implement these forms as pop-ups. Due to the large number of integrations Mailchimp offers, you can also easily implement forms through other plugins, for example, from WordPress through MailOptin. However, for some users, the form-building process might be less intuitive on this platform.
Although both platforms offer similar form-building processes, we choose MailerLite this time because the forms are easier to build here.
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These tools allow you to divide your contacts into several lists based on your audience’s interests so that you can focus your email marketing efforts accordingly.
MailerLite allows you to divide your subscribers’ list into different categories by using a dynamic tags system. You can apply several types of tags to your subscribers and even merge different tags.
By using this tag system, you can segment your list into different groups according to criteria such as the sign-up source, date, or campaign. You can also automatically remove a subscriber from a group once they joined another segment.
Mailchimp’s segmentation process means creating different lists of subscribers. There is the possibility to have duplicate contacts on different lists, however, you should remember that you will be charged for these duplicates. Mailchimp’s powerful list segmentation features are based on machine-learning algorithms that predict, for example, the likelihood of a new purchase based on a customer’s previous actions.
Thanks to its advanced segmentation algorithms, we give this trophy to Mailchimp.
Deliverability rates are extremely important for a successful email marketing campaign. They refer to how many subscribers actually get your emails in their main inboxes.
According to statistics from the past 2 years, this platform manages to provide deliverability rates of up to 94.8%. Tests performed in April 2021 show that out of approximately 6,600 emails sent with MailerLite, more than 5,300 emails reached recipients’ main inboxes, which means more than 80% of the total number of emails.
Mailchimp is also a reliable choice in terms of deliverability. Tests carried out in the same period, April 2021, show that out of approximately 6,700 emails sent with this platform, 80.5% managed to end up in the recipients’ main inboxes. 15% of the remaining emails reached subscribers’ spam folders.
Both email platforms have been developing their deliverability rates in the past years and they managed to obtain similar results, so it’s a tie once again.
Once your email marketing platform account is active, the next step is configuration. Some platforms offer a faster setup than others. Let’s see if MailerLite and Mailchimp fall into this category.
MailerLite was designed for marketers of any level. Therefore, ease of use is one of the main strong points this tool offers. When you first start using it, you might find it a bit time-consuming to be able to send your first campaign. This is mainly due to the number of approvals you need to get.
For example, if you import more than 1,000 subscribers, the platform requires you to provide some sort of evidence of where you got them from.
Mailchimp also emphasizes ease-of-use as one of its main characteristics. There are numerous guides and resources you can use to learn how to create your first campaign and the contacts can be imported easier, without having to provide so many justifications, especially if you only have a limited subscribers’ list.
This time the difference between the two services is obvious, we choose Mailchimp.
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Price is one of the main factors to consider when deciding which email marketing platform to work with. Here are the pricing options you get with each software.
MailerLite provides different pricing plans and a 14-days free trial that also grants you access to the platform’s premium features. The first tier is free and you can use it for up to 1,000 subscribers and a maximum of 12,000 emails per month. The next plan costs $10/month. It can support up to the same number of subscribers, but there is an unlimited number of emails.
The second plan costs $15 and is available for up to 2,500 subscribers. The third tier costs $30 and can support up to 5,000 subscribers, and the advanced plan costs $50 and can be used for up to 5,000 contacts. For all these tiers, there is no limit to the number of emails you can send. The superior tiers also include advanced features such as promotion pop-ups, custom domains, dedicated IP, click maps, or unlimited landing pages.
Mailchimp also has different pricing options. The free tier is available for up to 2,000 contacts and it grats you access to a limited number of features. For their first tier, the Essential plan, the price starts at $9.99 per month for up to 500 contacts and increases based on the number of contacts you’ve got. It includes some basic features such as email or landing page forms, custom branding, A/B testing, and 24/7 support.
The Standard plan’s price starts at $14.99 and it also includes customer journey builder tool and branching points, send-time optimization, customized templates, dynamic content features, or behavioral targeting. The most advanced plan is the Premium plan, the prices start at $299 and some of the extra features it includes are advanced segmentation features, comparative reports, multivariate tests, or phone support.
Comparing MailerLite vs Mailchimp from a pricing perspective is a bit tough because, although Mailchimp’s price is higher, the upper tiers also include multiple advanced features. However, if you’re on a limited budget, MailerLite can provide you all you need, for a reasonable price. Therefore, we consider it a tie.
A reliable email marketing platform should provide a decent level of intuitiveness. Find out how user-friendly the two platforms are.
MailerLite is one of the most intuitive email marketing tools you can come across these days. This platform features a simple interface where the main functions are nicely displayed and easy to access.
It also has a drag-and-drop email builder that will help you build your email campaigns with ease and plenty of guides to help you out, as well as round-the-clock customer support.
Mailchimp is also a straightforward tool that helps you create beautiful email campaigns with the help of a drag-and-drop editor. The intuitive checklist-style interface can help you get started easily. There are numerous guides and other resources on the platform’s knowledge base. However, some features are harder to use on this platform, for example, the list segmentation or reporting tools.
MailerLite is the winner in this category thanks to its simplicity.
Integrations help connect your email marketing account to different third-party applications to transfer data and manage multiple accounts from one dashboard. Here are the integrations you get with MailerLite vs Mailchimp.
MailerLite provides approximately 100 useful integrations with other marketing tools and different applications. For example, you can connect it to Google Analytics to be able to track your links. You can also integrate the platform with WordPress. Other tools you can integrate with MailerLite include Shopify, Zapier, WooCommerce, Facebook, Prolific Works, OptinMonster, and plenty more.
Mailchimp is hard to beat when it comes to integrations. This platform can provide you with approximately 250 integrations. Mailchimp allows you to integrate multiple social media platforms, marketing tools, or eCommerce platforms. Some of the most popular integrations include Google Analytics, Unsplash, Zendesk Activity, WordPress, Mixpanel, Linkedin, Vimeo, Shopware, WooCommerce, etc.
If we judge by the numbers, it’s only fair to say that Mailchimp is the winner this time.
A reliable email marketing platform should also provide you advanced reports and analytics. Here is a short MailerLite vs Mailchimp reporting and analytics comparison.
MailerLite offers a robust set of reporting features to help you understand how well your email campaigns are going. These features can be accessed from the dashboard, and they include data about: click rates, deliverability, open rates, spam complaints, unsubscriber, clicked links, bounces, and plenty more. Moreover, the reports are easy to export.
Mailchimp offers a robust set of reporting and analysis capabilities. You get all the regular insights most email marketing platforms offer, such as clicked links, open rates, or bounce reports, but you can also access more in-depth analyses such as demographic statistics or conversion insights.
These can be extremely helpful in helping you determine the ROI each campaign brings. Mailchimp also offers a unique feature - comparative reports, which enables you to compare your current campaign to the average campaign statistics.
Both platforms offer similar reports and analytics. However, since Mailchimp also boasts a unique comparison tool, it deserves to be the winner.
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Customer support is an important factor to consider when you purchase an email marketing platform as there will certainly be questions and extra info you might need along the way.
MailerLite is ready to support you 24/7. No matter what pricing plan you opt for, you can access their live chat round the clock. The same goes for the email support they offer. This platform’s customer support is available in multiple languages including English, French, Russian, Spanish, Polish and plenty more.
Furthermore, MailerLite also has a vast array of resources in its knowledge base, as well as guides that will show you how to set up your account and video tutorials.
Mailchimp also offers different customer support options. You can reach out to their team by email, 24/7 with the Essential plan and all the other tiers that go beyond this plan. The same goes for the live chat support option, which is available with the paid plans only.
For the Premium plan, you can also access phone support. Mailchimp’s customer support is only available in English. This platform also offers numerous training and educational resources.
Since its customer support is available for any plan and in different languages, we consider MailerLite the winner this time.
Each one of the platforms we compared in this article has its set of advantages and drawbacks. Here is a short overview.
MailerLite has a reliable set of email marketing templates and they are easy to select, style, and use thanks to the intuitive drag-and-drop editor. It’s precisely this level of intuitiveness that makes this platform great. MailerLite also offers an easy segmentation process based on tags and the array of automation such as the auto-resend messages are good. This tool also allows you to easily test your campaign’s efficiency through A/B testing.
Nonetheless, MailerLite also has its drawbacks. For example, there are no templates for the free tier, which means you have to spend more time designing your emails. The approval process you need to go through to be able to set up your campaigns is also time-consuming and a bit confusing.
There are numerous features we admire in Mailchimp. This tool has gradually evolved over the past years, and it now offers an all-in-one marketing platform. The amount and complexity of their automation are really impressive, and you can easily connect multiple other tools with this platform.
Whether you want to use an integrated CRM, or schedule social media posts or set up advertisements from your dashboard, you can do this and save time without having to switch to another tool. The reports you get from this Mailchimp are detailed and reliable, and the deliverability rates are also good. However, Mailchimp could bring some improvements to its templates and provide more modern options. Also, its customer support possibilities are still limited for the lower tiers.
Both platforms are more suitable for a particular audience. Find out which one is better for you.
MailerLite is a good choice for small businesses. In fact, approximately 90% of this platform’s customers are small companies. MailerLite is a good option for small companies because it offers affordable pricing plans and sufficient features to get started with your email marketing campaigns.
Another reason why we recommend this tool for small businesses is the fact that it is straightforward, with a simple dashboard anyone can learn to use. You also get sufficient email and form templates with this tool, as well as auto resend emails, segmentation, and testing features. The customer support service is also reliable and accessible with any plan.
Mailchimp is a good choice for marketers who already have a certain level of experience and are looking for a tool that does more than automating email campaigns. This is an all-in-one email marketing solution for companies of any size. It is suitable for any field, including eCommerce, given the different integrations with eCommerce platforms it offers.
You can easily connect other marketing, sales or customer management tools to your Mailchimp account and manage different marketing processes directly from its dashboard. When it comes to testing features, this tool won’t let you down. The variety of reports is also excellent, which is another plus for those who are used to analyzing metrics and statistics.
If this Mailerlite vs Mailchimp comparison hasn’t convinced you to opt for one of these two platforms, there are plenty of other similar services out there. Here are just two of them:
Both Mailerlite and Mailchimp have their pros and cons. For this reason, it’s useful to check the specific features you’re looking for before you decide which platform to use. From our perspective, Mailchimp beats MailerLite because it offers more advanced segmentation and reporting tools, a larger number of integrations, and an easy initial setup and migration process.
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