In early May, MailChimp announced that it intended to expand into an all-in-one marketing platform for small businesses, following an updated tier pricing plan. With these updates, many features that were once labeled as free are now going to be anything but, and many customers, long-time and new, aren’t happy about it.
The biggest change that have users seeking out alternative platforms is that MailChimp changed how you would be charged. Pricing packages are now based on audience metrics rather than subscriber count, as is common in email services. This audience metric includes those who are subscribed and unsubscribed to your mailing list, meaning users are going to be charged for unsubscribed emails. Many users are also going to be forced to pick a monthly pricing plan rather than continue paying as they go. These changes are causing prices to be inflated for many users, and lose trust in a company they once loved. You can read more in depth about these and other changes in David Gaughran’s article here.
Due to these changes, many long-time customers are seeking out alternatives to this once-beloved email platform. Outlined below are some other options that may suit users needs—and wallets—better.
ActiveCampaign is another top contender on the list. They’re used by over 75,000 businesses and organizations, and continue to grow every day. One thing that makes them stand out from their competition is the ability to chat with customers directly on your website, and the capability of sending SMS messages directly to clients’ phones.
Unfortunately there is no free pricing option besides a free trial, but at $9 a month for the lite version with seemingly no max subscriber count, ActiveCampaign is a wallet-friendly option for small and large businesses alike.
This platform is best for those who may not be as tech-savvy and are just looking for a way to send out mass emails. With a drag-and-drop email building system and simple user interface, not to mention a pro-plan starting at as low as $11.89 per month, you can’t beat this simple system.
Arguably one of the largest email marketing services for small businesses, Constant Contact is a reliable and affordable platform. It provides you with customized marketing suggestions based on what kind of business you run, has a drag-and-drop email builder (which is often standard in email platforms today), and has a tiered pricing plan that charges you monthly based on subscriber count. Users can also use a free 60 day trial with no credit card required to sign up, and can get up to a 15% discount when they pay in advance.
Drip is a service that is best optimized for an eCommerce connoisseur. They offer multiple ways to help you stand out from the competition, including customer data, brand personalization, and analytics to help you see what is working and what isn’t. Their pricing is their only downfall, with drip being free for up to 250 subscribers, and $49+ after that. If you’re passionate about eCommerce and growing your brand, however, Drip is a viable option to consider, and may well be worth the investment.
Built with the intention of making it as easy as possible to act on customer data to provide your audience with all they need to follow through with a purchase, and to stay loyal to your company, Klaviyo offers ease of use and streamlined functionalities that allow you to get the right messages in front of the right customers.
Klaviyo is free up to 250 contacts and 500 email sends, with Klaviyo branding & double-opt in required. The pricing is tiered based on subscriber count after that, starting at $20 per month for up to 400 contacts.
MailerLite is one of the more popular alternatives on this list. They provide multiple features to optimize your mailing list, including email automation, built-in photo editing, pop outs, and more. The best part? Their service is free up to 1,000 subscribers. This makes MailerLite perfect for a small business who is looking to up their email game without breaking the bank.
For those seeking a platform that specializes in transactional emails (i.e. a user forgot their password and needs to reset it), then SendInBlue may be the one for you. They also offer full CRM, the ability to make landing pages, and more. They offer a free plan with unlimited contacts and moves up in price from there, adding more features the higher you go up in tiers.
Though some users may not be bothered by MailChimp’s changes, it doesn’t hurt to seek out other options to best fit your business’ needs. If you’re hesitating switching platforms because you don’t want to have to learn a whole new system or aren’t sure how to get started, get in touch with us! We have all the tools you may need to help you run your small business and can get your fresh account starting strong. For those seeking a platform that specializes in transactional emails (i.e. a user forgot their password and needs to reset it), then SendInBlue may be the one for you. They also offer full CRM, the ability to make landing pages, and more. They offer a free plan with unlimited contacts and moves up in price from there, adding more features the higher you go up in tiers.
