Software: Mailchimp

Category: Email Marketing & Marketing Automation Platform

Primary Use: Email campaigns, automation, audience management, and marketing analytics

Developer: Intuit (Mailchimp)

Starting Price: Free plan available; paid plans from approximately $13/month (pricing varies by contacts)

Free Trial/Plan: Free plan available

Platform: Web-based (cloud), Mobile apps available

Official Website: mailchimp.com

Mailchimp is a cloud-based marketing platform primarily focused on email marketing and automation. The software enables businesses to create, send, and analyze email campaigns while managing subscriber lists and customer journeys. Over time, Mailchimp has expanded to include landing pages, social media tools, basic CRM functionality, and ecommerce integrations.

What Is Mailchimp?

Mailchimp is an email marketing and automation platform designed to help businesses communicate with audiences through email campaigns and automated workflows. Founded in 2001 and later acquired by Intuit in 2021, the platform has evolved into a broader marketing solution that includes customer segmentation, reporting, and multi-channel campaign tools.

The system allows users to design email templates, automate sequences based on triggers, manage contacts, and track performance metrics such as open rates and click-through rates. Mailchimp operates entirely in the cloud and is accessible through a web browser, with companion mobile applications for campaign monitoring.

Mailchimp is used across industries including ecommerce, publishing, SaaS, nonprofit organizations, and local businesses.

Who Uses Mailchimp?

Common User Groups

Mailchimp is used by:

  • Small and medium-sized businesses
  • Ecommerce brands
  • Content creators and bloggers
  • Nonprofit organizations
  • Marketing agencies
  • Startups and SaaS companies

The platform supports both individual users and teams managing multiple campaigns.

Typical Use Cases

Email marketing campaigns

Businesses send newsletters, promotions, announcements, and product updates.

Marketing automation

Users create automated workflows triggered by subscriber actions.

Audience segmentation

Marketers organize contacts into segments based on behavior, location, or engagement.

Ecommerce marketing

Online stores connect platforms to send abandoned cart emails and product recommendations.

Lead generation

Landing pages and signup forms collect subscriber data.

Core Features

Email Campaign Builde

What it does:

Mailchimp provides tools to design and send email campaigns.

How users typically use it:

Users choose templates or create custom designs using a visual editor.

Key capabilities:

  • Drag-and-drop email editor
  • Pre-built templates
  • Custom HTML editing
  • Image hosting
  • A/B testing functionality

The builder supports responsive design for mobile and desktop viewing.

Marketing Automation

What it does:

Automation tools allow users to create workflows triggered by subscriber behavior.

How users typically use it:

Users configure triggers such as signups, purchases, or link clicks to send follow-up emails automatically.

Key capabilities:

  • Customer journey builder
  • Behavioral triggers
  • Scheduled sequences
  • Conditional branching
  • Pre-built automation templates

Automation supports engagement and lifecycle marketing strategies.

Audience Management & Segmentation

What it does:

Mailchimp stores and organizes subscriber data.

How users typically use it:

Users create segments based on engagement metrics, demographics, or custom tags.

Key capabilities:

  • Contact database management
  • Tagging and grouping
  • Behavioral segmentation
  • Custom fields
  • Engagement scoring

These tools support targeted messaging.

Landing Pages & Forms

What it does:

Mailchimp allows users to create landing pages and signup forms for lead capture.

How users typically use it:

Users build pages to promote offers or collect email subscribers.

Key capabilities:

  • Drag-and-drop landing page builder
  • Embedded signup forms
  • Pop-up forms
  • Basic customization tools
  • Integration with email lists

Landing pages can be connected to automation workflows.

Analytics & Reporting

What it does:

The analytics dashboard provides campaign performance metrics.

How users typically use it:

Users monitor engagement rates and track campaign effectiveness.

Key capabilities:

  • Open rate tracking
  • Click-through rate monitoring
  • Revenue tracking (for ecommerce integrations)
  • Audience growth reports
  • Comparative campaign analytics

Reports are accessible via dashboard and exportable formats.

Ecommerce & Integrations

What it does:

Mailchimp integrates with ecommerce platforms and marketing tools.

How users typically use it:

Users sync customer data to automate product-based email campaigns.

Key capabilities:

  • Shopify integration
  • WooCommerce integration
  • Stripe integration
  • CRM connectivity
  • Social media ad management

These integrations allow unified marketing workflows.

Integrations and Compatibility

Native Integrations

Mailchimp integrates with numerous third-party platforms, including:

  • Shopify
  • WooCommerce
  • WordPress
  • Salesforce
  • HubSpot
  • Zapier

Integration availability may vary by plan.

API Access

Mailchimp provides API access for developers to connect external systems and automate workflows.

Platform Availability

  • Web-based SaaS platform
  • iOS and Android mobile apps
  • Browser extension tools
  • No desktop installation required

Pricing Structure

(Pricing may change — verify on the official site.)

Mailchimp pricing is primarily based on the number of contacts and feature access.

Free Plan — $0/month

Includes:

  • Limited contact storage
  • Basic email templates
  • Single-step automation
  • Mailchimp branding
  • Basic reporting

The free plan includes feature and contact limitations.

Essentials Plan — from approximately $13/month

Includes:

  • A/B testing
  • Custom branding
  • 24/7 email and chat support
  • Increased contact limits
  • Basic automation tools

Standard Plan — from approximately $20/month

Includes:

  • Advanced automation
  • Behavioral targeting
  • Customer journey builder
  • Retargeting ads
  • Advanced segmentation

Premium Plan — from approximately $350/month

Includes:

  • Advanced segmentation
  • Comparative reporting
  • Multivariate testing
  • Dedicated onboarding
  • Expanded contact limits

Higher-tier pricing increases with subscriber count.

Billing Options

  • Monthly subscriptions
  • Annual discounts available
  • Pricing scales with audience size

Advantages and Limitations

Notable Advantages

  • Free plan available
  • Wide range of integrations
  • Automation capabilities
  • Audience segmentation tools
  • Multi-channel marketing support

Potential Limitations

  • Pricing increases with contact growth
  • Advanced features require higher-tier plans
  • Some automation features limited on lower tiers
  • Free plan includes branding

Alternatives to Mailchimp

Several platforms provide similar email marketing functionality.

ActiveCampaign

Focuses on automation and CRM capabilities.

ConvertKit

Designed for creators and bloggers.

GetResponse

Includes webinars and automation tools.

Brevo (formerly Sendinblue)

Offers email marketing and transactional email services.

These platforms support similar email marketing workflows with varying feature scopes.

Frequently Asked Questions

What does Mailchimp do?

Mailchimp is an email marketing and automation platform used to create, send, and analyze campaigns.

Is Mailchimp cloud-based?

Yes. It operates as a web-based SaaS platform.

Does Mailchimp offer a free plan?

Yes. Mailchimp offers a free plan with limited features and contact limits.

Can Mailchimp integrate with ecommerce platforms?

Yes. It integrates with platforms such as Shopify and WooCommerce.

Who typically uses Mailchimp?

Small businesses, ecommerce brands, content creators, and marketing teams commonly use the platform.

Key Takeaways

Mailchimp is a cloud-based marketing platform that provides tools for email campaigns, automation workflows, audience segmentation, landing pages, and analytics. The software supports integrations with ecommerce and CRM systems and offers a free plan alongside tiered paid subscriptions. Pricing begins at approximately $13 per month and increases based on contact volume and feature access.