With so many marketers using email marketing programs, it's important to know the pros and cons between MailerLite vs. Mailchimp in order to find which one is best for your business needs!
We’ve reviewed both of these so that you can decide for yourself which one will suit your business the best.
MailerLite and Mailchimp are two popular email marketing platforms. We’ve rounded up some of the key differences between them to help you determine which one is best for your business needs. If you want to see more reviews, check out our Mailerlite vs ConvertKit review here.
User Experience
Mailchimp and MailerLite are major players in the email marketing software market. They both have features that make them stand out among other competitors, but which is simpler to use?
MailerLite provides a more user-friendly experience when getting started. Unlike most email platforms, MailerLite requires your account to be verified before you can start using it which is not a common practice within the industry.
The approval procedure is important to make sure that you get above average deliverability rates and helps to keep spammers at bay. It can take three or four days to get an approval, so you’ll need to wait before sending your first email.
Once your account has been approved, you’ll find that the user interface is clean-cut and simple.
The navigation bar is uncluttered with links to your dashboard, your subscribers, your sites, your forms, your campaigns and automation.
The Mailchimp interface can be a little intimidating to new users. For example, adding an opt-in for signups is not as intuitive and some might find it hard to locate that option in the first place. I find that Mailchimp’s interface doesn't make things easier.
Mailchimp is a little more complicated so there is a bit of a learning curve In the “Create” tab alone, eight options are available.
Mailchimp has extended its reach and added features like creating websites and posting on social media, so that means there’s more you can do but more that you need to learn as well.
That said, if you're looking to set up a new campaign and want something quick but professional-sounding, both of these are great options.
Integrations With Third Parties
Mailchimp has almost 250 integrations with third-party software and apps, letting you connect the platform to just about any tool.
MailerLite has been around for a while and it is no surprise that they have nearly 100 integrations with all of the top marketing platforms.
Automation Options
There are numerous automation triggers in Mailchimp, however, I do not love the automation editor. Sadly, it is not as visual and user-friendly as some of the other tools.
Creating nested automations becomes difficult and confusing because there is not a workflow view that helps you to see the funnel and the different avenues you want to lead them on.
To use the automation features within Mailchimp, you need to be on a paid plan.
Mailerlite, on the other hand, is easier to use and more visual. Depending on the actions and triggers that you set, you can see the journey of your subscriber by creating workflows. The ecommerce triggers are lacking when it comes to advanced workflows.
The MailerLite software is perfect for small and medium-sized businesses who are looking to grow their business. With the free plan, users can start using this automation software right away!
Analytics
A crucial component of any Mailchimp vs. MailerLite comparison is the amount of data that’s available. Mailchimp uses data from their analytics and machine-learning to generate suggestions that will help you segment your email list more efficiently. You'll be able to tap into the data of a large software provider with ease.
Both options give you access to basic data about your campaign. You can see the number of people who opened your email, the number of people who left without clicking on anything, and much more.
A/B testing is available from both email marketing platforms and you can quickly access all of your analytics.
Mailchimp gives you the ability to compare the emails you want against the average statistics of your campaigns and they offer this even with the free accounts
Price
Both MailerLite and Mailchimp offer free versions of their software. The free version of MailerLite is good for 1,000 subscribers and a maximum of 12,000 emails each month. Mailchimp's free version is good for 2,000 subscribers and then a max of 10,000 emails each month.
Mailchimp and MailerLite have different pricing structures. Mailchimp has three tiers and MailerLite has just one pricing model that is based on subscribers.
MailerLite offers a few useful add-ons such as getting your own account manager for $100 per month. They know that their simple and fair pricing (especially when compared to other companies) is important to their customers.
MailerLite's free plan comes with marketing automation and you can have unlimited user accounts and as many lists as you want. Plus with their paid plan, you can send as many emails per month as you need to.
If you want to use Mailchimp's automation workflows, an upgrade to the Standard plan is necessary ($75/month for 5,000 subscribers). To get more advanced features like segmentation, premium support and comparative reporting, you need the Pro plan ($299/month for 10,000 subscribers).
Support
It is important to have self-service support for today's workforce. They do not want to spend a lot of time being trained on software or reading a long manual.
Both MailerLite and Mailchimp have a database for users to access tutorials and FAQs. New users will be up and running in less than an hour.
The team at MailerLite is always there to help you out with the latest updates and new features. They have compiled a lengthy list of articles that can answer questions or provide guidance for your organization as well, so take some time to explore their Help Center!
MailerLite offers a wealth of marketing insight that rivals the best in-depth Marketing 101 courses. But getting to these articles is not as easy, since you first have to dig through their Help Center and then contact someone for more information.
MailerLite has a free plan that gives you access to email support. All of their paid plans include 24/7 live chat and phone support so no matter what time it is or day of the year, your business will be taken care off by some highly trained professionals who know MailerLite inside and out!
For an extra $100 tacked to your monthly plan, you can get a dedicated account manager and the ability to move right up front for live chat so you’ll never be left stranded in customer service limbo again.
Mailchimp actually has a great self-service support option that provides articles and screenshots to help you resolve your problem.
Mailchimp's customer service team is difficult to contact, even if you are reporting a bug or when you are experiencing an urgent problem. You need to scroll way down the bottom of their guides and tutorials just to get any sort of contact information from them.
Among the paid plans offered by Mailchimp, customers have access to live chat support Monday through Friday with phone support available for the most expensive plan.
Mailerlite vs Mailchimp? Depends on Your Needs
It really depends on your personal business and needs as to which service is best for you. Following are my personal impressions and insights based on my use of Mailerlite vs Mailchimp.
MailerLite is an intuitive tool for those who are looking to grow their list and have a simple way of building landing pages. It’s perfect for solopreneurs, freelancers, bloggers, independent contractors or small businesses. It's also the perfect option if you're looking to scale your business or just want an easy-to-use system that still offers room for growth.
If you're looking for a more enterprise-level system, Mailchimp would be an excellent choice. Additionally, with their AI and machine learning capabilities they are at the forefront of this innovative technology in comparison to other competitors.
Mailchimp might be great for many people but not everyone. I found that this email service was too complicated and expensive when it came to my own needs. I switched over to MailerLite because for me, they offer a more affordable solution with all of the subscriber-building tools that I need.
It is important to know your business needs before deciding on the right email marketing service for you. Mailerlite and Mailchimp are both great options that can help get your customer’s attention, but they have different features so it will depend on what works best for you.
