Constant Contact vs MailChimp vs GetResponse, which is the best email marketing service provider? Here is a comparison to help your search for the best email marketing solutions.
When thinking of a service to patronize or a product to purchase, some people like to weigh the options available to them. If you are one of those who prefer to compare the product offerings of various brands before deciding which one to spend your money on, then you are in the right place.
Here is a video, if you are wondering what is email marketing:
Key Criteria to Select the Best Email Marketing Tool
It is important to discuss GetResponse VS MailChimp VS Constant Contact with standard points. In doing so, we will be using key criteria for comparing each service. For clarity, the contrasting can be done between 2 or 3 of the services depending on the criterion. For example, it can be a discussion about GetResponse VS Constant Contact, or it can be a criterion difference between Constant Contact and MailChimp.
In comparing Constant Contact VS MailChimp VS GetResponse, we will be looking at 10 important criteria which are given below.
- Autoresponders
- Pricing
- Limits
- Free plans and trials
- Email templates
- Split testing
- Reporting
- Integrations
- Landing pages
- Webinars
- Autoresponders
This feature entails the automated sending of e-newsletters at preset times in response to the actions and inactions of subscribers.
For example, autoresponders can be sent to new subscribers immediately after they sign up for your mailing list. Other examples include autoresponder triggers such as page visits, link clicks, completed purchases, etc.
- Pricing
You may want to consider this factor based on your budget. Pricing is a very important criterion in the GetResponse VS MailChimp VS Constant Contact differentiation.
What will it cost per month or per subscriber? You should also consider the email CPM (cost per mile)—which is also called CPT (cost per thousand). This simply refers to the cost of sending a thousand emails.
- Limits
Some email marketing service providers have all-in-one packages, while some do not offer all the functionalities that their bigger competitors provide. Some individual features may have their own limits depending on the provider. Here, the limit is referring to the number of emails that can be sent in a particular time frame (usually per month).
- Free Plans and Trials
It is a good thing if you are able to test the features of the service provider for free (for a period). A free trial plan gives room for practical comparison and choosing the best email marketing service provider for your business. You can also use a free trial plan to learn how to use the email marketing tool before switching to a paid plan.
This is a very crucial criterion in the Constant Contact versus MailChimp versus GetResponse comparison—just as pricing and autoresponders. Note that some free plans may not offer all the tool’s features, and some may come with some undesirable elements such as the embedded ads in emails.
- Email Templates
Imagine being able to choose from a variety of templates made available by the service provider—making your business email writing task easier and faster. Although you may have to purchase some templates.
- Split Testing
Some service providers enable split testing of email templates and landing page variations. You can test the effectiveness of various subject headers and/or content on a small percentage of your target emailing list. Doing this will help you choose the best drafts for future automated dissemination. However, this feature may not be relevant to businesses that have relatively small lists.
- Reporting
Many email marketing service providers can provide reports based on the compilation of statistics related to your email marketing campaigns. For example; new subscribers, unsubscribes, open rates, click-throughs, forwards, inactive subscribers, etc.
- Integrations
Being able to link your email marketing tool with other services has its advantages. Some of the merits include linking with eCommerce stores, payment sites, social media accounts, etc. The number of services that can be integrated depends on your chosen platform. You will be able to share and reconcile data across your integrated channels efficiently.
- Landing Pages
You can create landing pages with these tools using the available templates or HTML editors. Landing pages help businesses boost their emailing list sign-up rates. The landing page editor may have a “drag and drop” functionality that simplifies the creation process. As mentioned earlier, landing page templates can be split-tested.
- Webinars
This is the last on the list, but it is still as important as the others. That is why the GetResponse VS MailChimp VS Constant Contact discussion is not complete without it. The ability to host webinars may be available depending on the tool you are utilizing.
Lead generation can be done through webinars. How? You can decide to enable access to a webinar in exchange for a potential subscriber’s email address.
Constant Contact VS MailChimp VS GetResponse
Now, it is time to compare Constant Contact versus MailChimp versus GetResponse based on the aforementioned 10 criteria. Depending on the availability of certain functionalities, the comparison may be done in any of these ways: Constant Contact VS MailChimp, MailChimp VS GetResponse, or GetResponse VS Constant Contact.
- Autoresponders
GetResponse emails at the optimal local time to ensure open rate maximization. It has the best functionality. On the other hand, MailChimp autoresponder is less comprehensive. The upside is that the feature is included in all plans free of charge. It also features triggered behavioral automation. For Constant Contact, the autoresponder is quite smart with automation functions similar to that of MailChimp.
- Pricing
GetResponse pricing is on a monthly and per-contact (email CPM) basis. An enterprise-level plan is available for companies that have over 100,000 employees. Non-profit organizations are given a 50% off “forever” discount on all prices. When looking at GetResponse VS Constant Contact, it is clear that GetResponse pricing is more affordable than that of the latter. Constant Contact pricing is on a monthly basis.
For MailChimp, the pricing is suitable for those that are on a strict email marketing budget. It offers “pay as you go” pricing for those that want more features than the free plan can offer. The tool offers monthly pricing.
- Limits
You can send an unlimited number of emails on GetResponse. With MailChimp’s free plan, you get 2,000 subscribers and 10,000 emails monthly. What is even more amazing is that it is free forever! The pro plan will give you an unlimited number of emails. Constant Contact is good for running a mass email marketing campaign.
- Free Plans and Trials
GetResponse offers a 30-day free trial to new customers with no need for credit cards to register. However, the platform does not offer any free plan. Its merit is that the basic plan has most of the platform’s automation features.
With Constant Contact, you can be sure of a 30-day money-back guarantee. Also, you have to upgrade from the basic plan for you to have access to additional features. Plus plans are compulsory when you have more than one registered user. New customers are offered a 60-day free trial period.
Looking at GetResponse VS MailChimp VS Constant Contact, it is apparent that only MailChimp has a free plan. Its basic plan comes with so many features. As implied earlier, the “pay as you go” plan is important for occasions that require you to send more emails than the free plan can offer. It lets you purchase email credit packages that can be utilized like postage stamps.
- Email Templates
For GetResponse, the email creation functionality is intuitive with over 200 professional-looking templates available. Those on the advanced plan will have access to a full HTML editor. On Constant Contact, there are over 100 customizable newsletter templates available for you to draft your emails quickly. You can also make your own custom templates with the HTML editor.
In template number comparison based on a MailChimp versus Constant Contact versus GetResponse differentiation, MailChimp is believed to have fewer templates than the other two service providers. However, the former has the most modern-looking templates. Users of the platform will find the HTML templates easy to utilize.
- Split Testing
GetResponse conducts split A/B testing. Constant Contact also enables split testing in real-time, but you will have to upgrade your plan to the highest. The split testing features in MailChimp are more comprehensive than those in GetResponse—provided that you are on the standard plan or higher. However, you cannot do A/B testing for the landing pages in MailChimp.
- Reporting
Thankfully, GetResponse has an inbuilt stats tracking feature coupled with email intelligence and enhanced reporting features. You will get in-depth reports about recipients. For example, reports about those who opened sent emails and those who did not. For Constant Contact, users can take advantage of its reporting and analytics functionality too, though the feature is not comprehensive.
MailChimp lets you track the origin of your sign-ups with its advanced reporting features. You will be able to know the percentage of your very active subscribers automatically (GetResponse can only do this manually). The pro plan provides analytics tools to help with business growth.
- Integrations
GetResponse links to your social media accounts (LinkedIn, Facebook, Pinterest, Twitter, etc.), so it can help you connect well with your target audience. It also integrates with over 100 software applications. Constant Contact has over 370 linkable software applications. You can also integrate with your social media accounts on the platform.
MailChimp provides native integrations with many online platforms (over 800). It is believed to integrate better than GetResponse and Constant Contact.
- Landing pages
You can create landing pages with GetResponse. The functionality is comprehensive in the sense that you can also conduct split testing with it. Constant Contact also offers this feature, but it is not as good as the former (no split testing). For MailChimp, you have to make shoppable landing pages and limited functionality.
- Webinars
GetResponse’s multimedia center allows you to create audio and video files that you can use for webinars—that it hosts. MailChimp and Constant Contact do not host webinars. You would have to do so with the aid of third-party software applications.
Comparison Table
This comparison table for GetResponse VS Constant Contact VS MailChimp will help you understand the above one better and faster. The table will lead you to our verdict on the best service among the 3 platforms.
| Criteria | GetResponse | Mailchimp | Constant Contact |
| Autoresponder | Comprehensive | Available in all plans | Available |
| Pricing | Monthly and per contact (email CPM`) Best price offers | Monthly and pay as you go | Monthly |
| Limits | Unlimited | Unlimited for pro plan only | Mass marketing campaigns enabled |
| Free Plans and Trials | 30-day free trial No free plan | Free plan The basic plan has many features | 30-day money-back guarantee 60-day free trial |
| Email Templates | Over 200 Full HTML editor | About 100 templates The most modern-looking templates | Over 100 templates Limited HTML editor |
| Split Testing | For emails and landing pages | For emails only Most comprehensive email testing | For emails only |
| Reporting | Comprehensive | Comprehensive | Limited functionality |
| Integrations | Many integrations | The most integrations | Many integrations |
| Landing Pages | Comprehensive | Limited functionality | Limited functionality |
| Webinars | Enabled | Third-party apps | Third-party apps |
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The Verdict
In a 2020 report, it was revealed that emailing was the most preferred business communication channel for over 70% of customers. This is why companies need to choose the best email marketing tools for business communication and/or customer relationship management.
Based on the Constant Contact VS MailChimp VS GetResponse comparisons above, our verdict is that GetResponse is the best email marketing tool partly because it offers so many features (especially advanced ones) at no extra charge. Also, GetResponse pricing/email CPM makes it the cheapest when compared with the offerings of others.
When it comes to MailChimp VS Constant Contact, the former would be the preferred service in terms of affordability. Also, if you are focused on getting a cheap autoresponder feature, then the MailChimp autoresponder is the best choice for you—since it is available on all plans.
In the MailChimp versus Constant Contact comparison, the former wins in most categories, especially pricing in relation to features. Lastly, in view of the GetResponse VS Constant Contact discussion, the former wins in almost all categories.