Mailchimp vs GetResponse: Navigating the Email Marketing Maze

Choosing the right email marketing platform is a tough call, especially when comparing Mailchimp and GetResponse. 

While Mailchimp enjoys popularity, recent changes, including price hikes and feature reductions, may impact its cost-effectiveness since its acquisition by Intuit.

In this comparison, we delve into the details to help you make an informed decision. TLDR; GetResponse offers more value at a lower cost in various pricing tiers.

Mailchimp tends to limit customization, affecting creativity in marketing automation and audience targeting. On the other hand, GetResponse provides more features for less money. 

Explore the details or sign up for GetResponse today for a 100% free experience.

Mailchimp vs GetResponse: A Quick Feature Summary

If you're in a hurry, here's a quick rundown of key features on both platforms.

Pricing for the lowest plan:

Note: Mailchimp restricts monthly email sends on the Essentials plan to 10 times your contact list size. In contrast, GetResponse allows unlimited emails on all paid plans. 🚀📧

Pricing for the medium plan:

Note: Mailchimp limits monthly email sends on the Standard plan to 12 times your contact list size. GetResponse has no such limit. Additionally, while Mailchimp provides a single 15% nonprofit discount, GetResponse offers three discounts (18% to 50%), allowing greater savings with longer contracts! 💰📧

CHECK OUT GETRESPONSE PLANS

1. User-Friendly Interfaces

GetResponse

GetResponse boasts a speedy, modern interface that's a breeze to navigate. Even if you're new to marketing apps, you'll quickly feel at home. 

The Quick Actions widget streamlines essential tasks, making it easy to create emails, popups, add contacts, or set up marketing workflows. 

If you prefer a traditional approach, the Tools menu at the top provides access to all features.

Pro Tip: New to GetResponse? Choose the interactive tutorial for a guided tour, especially if you're new to email marketing.

Mailchimp

Mailchimp also delivers a fast, clean, and fairly intuitive interface. It has a more classic aesthetic, and its navigational menu displays features differently than GetResponse. 

While Mailchimp's immediate feature access may seem convenient, with about 40 tools listed, it can feel overwhelming, requiring some scrolling.

Verdict: Both platforms offer intuitive interfaces, allowing users to manage campaigns and access tools easily. 

While the aesthetics differ, there's no clear winner, and the display variation in tools is not a dealbreaker.

2. Email Marketing Features:

GetResponse

GetResponse stands out as a robust email marketing service with a range of features. It covers various email types, including one-off newsletters, automated drip campaigns (Autoresponders), RSS feed emails (RSS-to-email), automation-triggered messages, and transactional emails. Access these through the Tools menu, and GetResponse constantly introduces new tools for quick email creation.

The platform provides over 100 prebuilt templates, a drag-and-drop email builder, AI subject line generator, and AI email builder for speedy campaign launch. A/B testing options, Time Travel, and Perfect Timing features contribute to higher click-through rates and better deliverability. 

Autoresponders, uniquely presented in a calendar view, aid visualizing drip campaigns for lead nurturing and onboarding.

Mailchimp

Mailchimp offers regular emails, automations, and transactional emails. However, the automated RSS-to-email feature is no longer available in the new automation tool. Drip campaigns are possible but require using the Automation tool and building a Journey. 

The drag-and-drop email builder, with 100+ templates, lacks an AI subject line generator but provides practical tips.

Mailchimp's A/B testing tool covers subject lines, from name to content, and send time (up to 3 variants). While it doesn't match GetResponse in the number of variants tested, it uniquely allows selecting a winning variant based on total revenue. 

However, a limitation arises when selecting only one audience for email campaigns.

Verdict: GetResponse Excels in Email Marketing: Both platforms are robust, but GetResponse outshines in email campaign creation efficiency and flexibility. 

While Mailchimp offers strong A/B testing and optimization, its limitations in audience selection make GetResponse a preferred choice for multiple audiences in email marketing campaigns.

3. Email Builders

GetResponse

GetResponse provides an easy-to-use drag-and-drop email builder with over 100 customizable templates, saving time for your email marketing projects. The templates, praised by users on platforms like G2, cover various categories for different campaign types. 

GetResponse is an early adopter of AI-powered technology, with an AI subject line generator and a beta AI email generator reducing email creation time by an average of 85%. 

The builder allows customization, section and block reuse, mobile optimization, and features like Shutterstock and Giphy integrations for quick image embedding. 

It also offers spam check, inbox preview, dark mode preview, and mobile preview to ensure your campaigns look great across devices.

Mailchimp

Mailchimp's email builder includes 100+ templates, but free users can access only 7. The platform offers a creative assistant that scans your website for CSS and images to create a custom template. With a user-friendly interface, it provides building blocks and features like built-in surveys, apps for local businesses, and Canva integration. 

While lacking free images, Mailchimp's styles editor allows easy adjustment of individual elements' styling. However, it offers only a simple email preview, not covering dark mode or varied mailboxes.

Verdict: Tie in Email Builders: Both platforms offer good selections of templates, but accessing Mailchimp's templates requires a paid plan. 

GetResponse provides well-designed templates for all users. In terms of email builders, both Mailchimp and GetResponse have strengths and weaknesses. It's recommended to test them by signing up for a free account to see which aligns better with your email marketing needs.

4. Marketing Automation

GetResponse

GetResponse's Marketing Automation empowers you to create automated workflows for targeted communication across your audience's entire customer journey. 

Choose from over 40 prebuilt templates or craft your own from scratch. Templates cover various goals like welcome sequences, lead qualification, engagement, and retention. 

The automation builder lets you customize workflows with 19 conditions, 12 actions, and 7 filters. The dynamic segment filter and tags offer precise audience targeting. 

Simply drag and drop blocks, connect them, and customize settings. While the process may take some time due to multiple settings, the power lies in accurate targeting.

Mailchimp

Mailchimp's marketing automation mirrors GetResponse, offering about 90 templates categorized by goals like finding and welcoming new contacts, nurturing leads, re-engaging, and support. 

The focus seems to be on connecting Mailchimp campaigns with other apps, evident in templates for tasks like adding contacts from a Google sheet via Zapier. 

Mailchimp's interface is slightly more intuitive, emphasizing seamless connections with marketing apps. It allows you to create automation workflows for targeted emails, contact updates, or transitions between workflows. 

While a Webhooks beta feature extends reach to other channels, some elements may feel limiting, such as the "time delay" only specifying hours/days/weeks.

Verdict: GetResponse Excels in Customizability: Mailchimp's templates have a better presentation, but GetResponse's solution is more powerful, especially for those needing multichannel capabilities. 

GetResponse's built-in features, like web push notifications and SMS, offer a broader spectrum. 

While Mailchimp allows webhooks, some elements may be limiting, like the time delay. GetResponse's flexibility in specifying wait times allows for more intricate and better-timed automated campaigns.

Read more related content:

1. Best email marketing services of 2024
2. Best Mailchimp alternatives
3. ClickFunnels vs GetResponse
   

5. Signup Forms

GetResponse

Signup forms and popups play a crucial role in any email marketing strategy, and in this Mailchimp vs. GetResponse comparison, let's delve into their signup form builders. 

GetResponse recently upgraded its forms and popups builder, now standing strong against standalone popup tools. 

The builder offers a variety of prebuilt templates, including pop-up boxes, full-screen popups, top-bars, slide-in boxes, and embedded forms, catering to different needs like growing your list, boosting sales, staying connected, gathering feedback, and marking occasions. 

The drag-and-drop builder is modern and comprehensive, featuring various building blocks like promo codes, images, videos, countdown timers, and signup forms. 

Notably, robust targeting options enable precise popup displays based on conditions and triggers, enhancing user engagement.

Mailchimp

Mailchimp also provides a built-in solution for creating signup forms and popups. However, its form builder, like the email builder, has a limited number of templates and a slightly dated appearance. 

While the templates are functional, they lack design flexibility, making it challenging to add elements like videos, countdown timers, or social media icons. 

Additionally, Mailchimp's form builder lacks advanced targeting options, offering only a few preset display rules and no ability to target specific audiences, such as desktop users or visitors from a particular country.

Verdict: GetResponse Leads in Advanced Forms and Popups: When it comes to signup form solutions, GetResponse takes the lead. It offers a more advanced tool with a wider range of templates and robust targeting options for precise audience engagement. 

Both GetResponse and Mailchimp integrate with popular form builders like Wisepops or Optimonk, but if you're seeking an all-in-one solution, GetResponse is the preferred choice.

6. Landing Pages

Let's explore the landing page builders of Mailchimp and GetResponse. Both feature drag-and-drop editors, but how do they compare in terms of power?

GetResponse

GetResponse stands out by allowing you to create multi-page websites and standalone landing pages. Its Landing Page Creator includes numerous predesigned templates and an AI builder for automatic customization. 

The robust drag-and-drop editor offers a wide range of elements, such as text, images, buttons, galleries, videos, countdown timers, membership areas, and more. The global design tool facilitates quick customization of color palettes, typography, and button styling. 

With a live preview for desktop and mobile, you can hide elements on mobile screens. The landing page also supports SEO settings and allows you to use your own domain. Unique to GetResponse is the integration of tools like live chats and webinars directly into your landing page, eliminating the need for external tools.

Mailchimp

Mailchimp's drag-and-drop builder allows quick landing page setup with several templates and various building blocks. 

While it provides elements like text, images, buttons, and social media icons, it offers fewer options compared to GetResponse. The builder is intuitive and supports lead generation effectively. 

Mailchimp facilitates adding appointments or creating a store, although these features will be phased out in February 2023. Advanced users may miss features like a countdown timer or custom code, limiting integration possibilities with external tools. 

The styling editor simplifies customization, and a creative assistant aids in designing marketing assets. The integration with Unsplash is a plus for users lacking their own marketing assets.

Verdict: Choose Based on Needs: Both tools effectively capture email addresses and support digital marketing campaigns. 

Mailchimp provides a cleaner experience with a lower learning curve, suitable for basic marketing needs. 

On the other hand, GetResponse's Landing Page Creator offers more advanced features, making it ideal for cases where elements like countdown timers, membership areas, or custom code are crucial for lead generation efforts. 

Consider Mailchimp for simplicity and GetResponse for more advanced landing page requirements.

7. Multichannel Marketing

In the GetResponse vs. Mailchimp showdown, let's dive into their multichannel marketing capabilities.

GetResponse

GetResponse, known for its email marketing service, goes beyond with a suite of built-in tools. You can create landing pages, popups, and forms, along with advanced segments. 

The platform allows automated campaigns using emails, SMS, and web push notifications, on-page product recommendations, Facebook, Instagram, and Google ads, webinars, conversion funnels, live chats, and even social media posts. 

Access campaigns via the mobile app. Having these tools in one place is cost-efficient and eliminates the need for third-party integrations.

Mailchimp

Mailchimp also offers multichannel marketing capabilities, but with a different focus. In addition to email marketing, Mailchimp supports creating landing pages, popups, forms, segments, surveys, automated campaigns with emails and webhooks, paid ads on Facebook and Instagram, social media post scheduling, contact management in CRM, postcard creation, and mobile app access.

Verdict: Tie Based on Preferences: No clear winner emerges; the choice depends on preferred built-in tools. For businesses emphasizing conversion funnels, webinars, SMS, web push notifications, product recommendations, live chats, or Google ads, GetResponse is favored. Many B2B and D2C ecommerce companies are transitioning from Mailchimp to GetResponse. 

If your focus is on promoting through surveys, postcards, CRM, organic social media posts, and webhooks, Mailchimp is a suitable choice. Both platforms integrate with numerous applications, offering flexibility for specific tasks through plugins, APIs, or integration software like Zapier.

8. Pricing

Now, let's break down the pricing of GetResponse and Mailchimp. Both platforms provide various paid plans, each offering different features. The pricing starts at a base rate and increases as your contact list grows.

GetResponse

GetResponse offers 6 pricing plans:

• Free: $0 for 500 contacts
• Email Marketing: $20.3/month for 2,500 contacts
• Marketing Automation: $48.3/month for 2,500 contacts
• Ecommerce Marketing: $97.3/month for 2,500 contacts
• MAX & MAX2: Custom priced

Key features include essential email marketing features, forms, popups, AI subject line generator, webinars, sales funnels, ecommerce automation, and more. GetResponse provides discounts for annual (18% off), biannual (30% off), and nonprofits (50% off) plans.

>> CHECK OUT GETRESPONSE PLANS <<

Mailchimp

Mailchimp offers 4 plans:

• Free: $0 for 500 contacts
• Essentials: $45/month for 2,500 contacts
• Standard: $60/month for 2,500 contacts
• Premium: $350/month for 10,000 contacts

Key features include essential email marketing features, landing pages, forms, popups, marketing automation, premium support, advanced segmentation, comparative reporting, and multivariate testing. Mailchimp does not offer discounts for long-term plans but provides a 15% nonprofit discount.

Verdict: GetResponse is more cost-effective

Comparing individual plans side by side, GetResponse proves to be more cost-effective than Mailchimp. Here's a quick look at their pricing based on the number of contacts:

Email Marketing Plan - 500 contacts:

• GetResponse: $29/month
• Mailchimp: $45/month

Marketing Automation Plan - 500 contacts:

• GetResponse: $69/month
• Mailchimp: $60/month

GetResponse offers unlimited monthly sends on all paid plans, while Mailchimp has a monthly email sends limit on certain plans. In terms of affordability, GetResponse stands out, and the difference in cost becomes more significant as your list and requirements grow.

Additionally, it's essential to note that Mailchimp charges based on contacts, including those who haven't confirmed their subscription or unsubscribed. In contrast, GetResponse only charges for active contacts, providing a more transparent and cost-efficient approach. 

>> CHECK OUT GETRESPONSE PLANS <<

9. Customer Support

Let's dive into the customer support offered by GetResponse and Mailchimp. While opinions on support can be subjective, let's compare the assistance provided by both platforms.

GetResponse

GetResponse stands out with multiple awards for its Customer Service. The platform boasts a customer satisfaction rate above 95%, an impressive first response time of 65 seconds, and round-the-clock availability.

The level of support varies based on your plan:

• Free Plan: Live chat and email support for the first 30 days
• Email Marketing, Marketing Automation, and Ecommerce Marketing: 24/7 live chat and email support
• MAX: 24/7 live chat, email support, and specialized onboarding
• MAX2: 24/7 live chat, email support, phone support, specialized onboarding, and a dedicated customer experience manager

In addition to the expert support team, GetResponse offers an extensive Help Center filled with tutorials and video guides, along with a robust Webinar Library.

Mailchimp

Mailchimp also places importance on customer support, achieving a 92% customer satisfaction rate and providing 24/7 availability.

Support levels differ based on your plan:

• Free Plan: Email support for the first 30 days
• Essentials, Standard: 24/7 live chat, email support, and assisted onboarding
• Premium: Phone support, 24/7 live chat, email support, and dedicated onboarding

Mailchimp offers a Help Center with helpful documentation and tutorials. However, compared to GetResponse, it provides fewer video tutorials and webinars.

Verdict: In the realm of support, Mailchimp and GetResponse stand on equal ground. Key differences include:

• In the free plan, GetResponse offers live chat support, while Mailchimp does not.
• In paid plans, Mailchimp allows scheduling an assisted onboarding call, which GetResponse does not provide.
• The GetResponse MAX2 plan includes a dedicated customer experience manager, a feature not available with Mailchimp.

Regardless of your choice, both platforms ensure solid support.

If you're transitioning your email marketing operations from Mailchimp to GetResponse, I suggest click here to download our guide.

Mailchimp vs GetResponse: Conclusion 

As you wrap up this Mailchimp vs. GetResponse comparison, it's time to consider which email marketing service suits your business best. Your decision may vary depending on your business model and target audience.

This comprehensive study emphasizes that opting for the more popular Mailchimp may come at a price. In terms of pricing, you might end up paying more for fewer features. Crucially, if you aim to fully customize your marketing campaigns according to your creative ideas, GetResponse offers greater flexibility across various features.

In the evolving landscape of marketing trends for 2024, customization, especially when combined with AI-powered automation, is increasingly recognized as an essential element of successful marketing. Pre-configured, static workflows and templates are gradually becoming outdated, making adaptability a key consideration in your choice of email marketing platform.

>> SIGN UP TO GETRESPONSE FOR FREE<<