Mailchimp vs. ActiveCampaign: Which is Better for Your Business?
Posted: Tue Dec 03, 2024 8:09 am
When I first started, email was my go-to marketing tool. It was easy, you can find tons of email lists, and it's not that hard to write a polished, professional email. Still, there was a lot of work to do and think about, so I needed the help of an email manager.
These days, it seems like everyone is looking for the right marketing platform, and everyone wants it to be automated, just like I did. The two main options are ActiveCampaign and Mailchimp. Most people go back and forth, trying to figure out which is better, which will make them happier, and what features each includes.
It often sounds like you're back in high school because you can't make a decision and you don't want to make the wrong one. For most business owners, email marketing is the foundation of what they do. You need the right marketing platform and you can't seem to choose.
This is an emotional topic for me, as I have had dealings with both platforms. Of course, Mailchimp is easy and fun, while ActiveCampaign is stable and more mature. Both options have drawbacks and benefits, so it is imperative to choose wisely. Switching platforms can ruin a business, and I should know that. It almost happened to me, which is why I am here. I want to prevent others from choosing the wrong platform.
So, I’m going to cover nigeria phone number library everything you need to know about Mailchimp vs. ActiveCampaign, giving you details about both products and my relationship with them. I’ll also give you my professional opinion at the end.
Why you should make the right decision from the start
When I first used Mailchimp, I found it exciting, stress-free, and fun. However, at one point, stress levels skyrocketed and my entire business was in jeopardy.
Please note that there is nothing wrong with this platform. It is free to a certain extent and inexpensive if you get to the paid parts. Plus, there are plenty of templates available and it is quick to learn. Beginners will surely enjoy all of these things, and that is where I found myself as well.
I was new to the industry, so of course I would choose the easiest to learn. Being busy running a startup meant I didn't have much time to learn a new system.
Still, I wish I had known about ActiveCampaign because when I decided to aim for greater heights, I felt held back. You couldn’t use Mailchimp for segmentation, automated business scaling, or cross-channel messaging. Those looking to grow may find ActiveCampaign a better option. Otherwise, you won’t be able to scale and may end up having to change everything down the road, which is a tedious and painful process.
Mailchimp may continue to operate
Although it has flaws, Mailchimp has some advantages that Activecampaign doesn't. It just depends on you and your business needs. That's why I'm here to cover all aspects of both services. This is your livelihood, so you'll notice the differences for yourself and determine which ones you can live with and without.
You'll have peace of mind knowing you've chosen the best email marketing software to meet your business needs.
To make it easier, I'll compare them side by side. I'll talk about one particular point or feature and then discuss what each service can do about it.
Ease of Use
For the sake of this article, I'm going to assume you're new to the world of email marketing. I'm going to start by talking about the ease of use of both services because that's going to be important when deciding which one to use. If it's not quick and easy with a few tutorials to learn, you're going to get frustrated.
I had no idea what I was doing when I started, which is one of the reasons I chose Mailchimp.
In a sense, it features a drag and drop feature, which is a modern concept and one that I liked immediately. Even now, it remains easy to use.
Simply drag your logo into the box (or browse if you're more comfortable) and you're now branded and ready to start drafting emails. On the right you have a variety of layouts and content types you can include.
Plus, you can watch a walkthrough on how to use the system anytime you need a refresher. You'll soon be on your way to quickly creating engaging, professional-looking emails.
The system is:
Services
Intuitive
powerful
Easy
The only issue I have with the user experience is that 'Create a Campaign' contains too many things you can create. These include ads, landing pages, and forms. It's an extra step you have to take, but it's not a big deal.
Now, let’s look at ActiveCampaign’s ease of use.
active campaign, create, campaign
Right away, you can see that this service has many advantages, as well as some drawbacks.
First of all, there's a lot going on when you get to the landing page. Once you navigate to the email editor, you'll find that it's pretty easy to use and looks great. It's sometimes difficult to get there when you're just starting out.
playground, march break
In the screenshot above, you can see that there are more steps involved in creating an email. While automation is included, it can be difficult to set up and is considered advanced.
If your goal is to generate emails quickly and be done, Mailchimp is the winner for ease of use and user friendliness.
Templates and Designs
Do you actually create emails from scratch? In most cases, people use professionally designed templates. It's much easier and faster to do this. Plus, you'll find endless quality design templates for a variety of email styles. These can include social media posts, landing pages, and more. Even if you have no idea what you're doing, it's still possible to come up with a design that impresses everyone.
You won't get subscribers, sales or build trust with an unprofessional looking email. This is key to remember.
Mailchimp claims to have over 100 designs and templates available. Whatever you're sending, there's a design for it.
featured, basic, mailchimp
Some of my personal favorites include:
Stellar
Tell a Story
Avalon
The beauty of this editor is that you won't be limited to just using these templates. Upload your own designs as well.
Let’s switch gears now and talk about ActiveCampaign’s template options. You’re certainly not limited and can find professional-looking possibilities, like with Mailchimp. However, there are fewer of them, as there are only about 30 options.
template, active campaign
Still, you do have the option to create your own. However, it takes more time and might defeat the purpose of using a template. If you plan to use that design often, it may be time well spent.
Since more is often better, as is the case with template options, Mailchimp wins again.
You can see that Mailchimp is two for two, and you might stop now and think that it is the best one for you. However, we have not yet gotten into the heart of either service and we are essentially just talking about appearance.
These days, it seems like everyone is looking for the right marketing platform, and everyone wants it to be automated, just like I did. The two main options are ActiveCampaign and Mailchimp. Most people go back and forth, trying to figure out which is better, which will make them happier, and what features each includes.
It often sounds like you're back in high school because you can't make a decision and you don't want to make the wrong one. For most business owners, email marketing is the foundation of what they do. You need the right marketing platform and you can't seem to choose.
This is an emotional topic for me, as I have had dealings with both platforms. Of course, Mailchimp is easy and fun, while ActiveCampaign is stable and more mature. Both options have drawbacks and benefits, so it is imperative to choose wisely. Switching platforms can ruin a business, and I should know that. It almost happened to me, which is why I am here. I want to prevent others from choosing the wrong platform.
So, I’m going to cover nigeria phone number library everything you need to know about Mailchimp vs. ActiveCampaign, giving you details about both products and my relationship with them. I’ll also give you my professional opinion at the end.
Why you should make the right decision from the start
When I first used Mailchimp, I found it exciting, stress-free, and fun. However, at one point, stress levels skyrocketed and my entire business was in jeopardy.
Please note that there is nothing wrong with this platform. It is free to a certain extent and inexpensive if you get to the paid parts. Plus, there are plenty of templates available and it is quick to learn. Beginners will surely enjoy all of these things, and that is where I found myself as well.
I was new to the industry, so of course I would choose the easiest to learn. Being busy running a startup meant I didn't have much time to learn a new system.
Still, I wish I had known about ActiveCampaign because when I decided to aim for greater heights, I felt held back. You couldn’t use Mailchimp for segmentation, automated business scaling, or cross-channel messaging. Those looking to grow may find ActiveCampaign a better option. Otherwise, you won’t be able to scale and may end up having to change everything down the road, which is a tedious and painful process.
Mailchimp may continue to operate
Although it has flaws, Mailchimp has some advantages that Activecampaign doesn't. It just depends on you and your business needs. That's why I'm here to cover all aspects of both services. This is your livelihood, so you'll notice the differences for yourself and determine which ones you can live with and without.
You'll have peace of mind knowing you've chosen the best email marketing software to meet your business needs.
To make it easier, I'll compare them side by side. I'll talk about one particular point or feature and then discuss what each service can do about it.
Ease of Use
For the sake of this article, I'm going to assume you're new to the world of email marketing. I'm going to start by talking about the ease of use of both services because that's going to be important when deciding which one to use. If it's not quick and easy with a few tutorials to learn, you're going to get frustrated.
I had no idea what I was doing when I started, which is one of the reasons I chose Mailchimp.
In a sense, it features a drag and drop feature, which is a modern concept and one that I liked immediately. Even now, it remains easy to use.
Simply drag your logo into the box (or browse if you're more comfortable) and you're now branded and ready to start drafting emails. On the right you have a variety of layouts and content types you can include.
Plus, you can watch a walkthrough on how to use the system anytime you need a refresher. You'll soon be on your way to quickly creating engaging, professional-looking emails.
The system is:
Services
Intuitive
powerful
Easy
The only issue I have with the user experience is that 'Create a Campaign' contains too many things you can create. These include ads, landing pages, and forms. It's an extra step you have to take, but it's not a big deal.
Now, let’s look at ActiveCampaign’s ease of use.
active campaign, create, campaign
Right away, you can see that this service has many advantages, as well as some drawbacks.
First of all, there's a lot going on when you get to the landing page. Once you navigate to the email editor, you'll find that it's pretty easy to use and looks great. It's sometimes difficult to get there when you're just starting out.
playground, march break
In the screenshot above, you can see that there are more steps involved in creating an email. While automation is included, it can be difficult to set up and is considered advanced.
If your goal is to generate emails quickly and be done, Mailchimp is the winner for ease of use and user friendliness.
Templates and Designs
Do you actually create emails from scratch? In most cases, people use professionally designed templates. It's much easier and faster to do this. Plus, you'll find endless quality design templates for a variety of email styles. These can include social media posts, landing pages, and more. Even if you have no idea what you're doing, it's still possible to come up with a design that impresses everyone.
You won't get subscribers, sales or build trust with an unprofessional looking email. This is key to remember.
Mailchimp claims to have over 100 designs and templates available. Whatever you're sending, there's a design for it.
featured, basic, mailchimp
Some of my personal favorites include:
Stellar
Tell a Story
Avalon
The beauty of this editor is that you won't be limited to just using these templates. Upload your own designs as well.
Let’s switch gears now and talk about ActiveCampaign’s template options. You’re certainly not limited and can find professional-looking possibilities, like with Mailchimp. However, there are fewer of them, as there are only about 30 options.
template, active campaign
Still, you do have the option to create your own. However, it takes more time and might defeat the purpose of using a template. If you plan to use that design often, it may be time well spent.
Since more is often better, as is the case with template options, Mailchimp wins again.
You can see that Mailchimp is two for two, and you might stop now and think that it is the best one for you. However, we have not yet gotten into the heart of either service and we are essentially just talking about appearance.