Mailchimp vs GetResponse: Ultimate Choice

Mailchimp vs GetResponse: The Ultimate Choice for Your Business. Find out which email marketing platform offers the best features, pricing, and ease of use for your needs.

Choosing the right email marketing tool can feel like a puzzle, especially when you’re just starting out. Many business owners find themselves looking at popular options like Mailchimp and GetResponse, wondering which one fits their goals and budget best. It’s a common point of confusion, but don’t worry! I’m here to break down these two powerful platforms in a way that makes sense for you.

In this guide, we’ll compare Mailchimp and GetResponse head-to-head. We’ll look at their features, how much they cost, how easy they are to use, and what real users are saying. By the end, you’ll have a clear understanding of which platform is the ultimate choice for your business growth.

What is Mailchimp?

Mailchimp is a widely recognized email marketing service that helps small businesses and entrepreneurs connect with their audience. It started primarily as an email sender but has grown into a comprehensive marketing platform. Think of it as your digital assistant for sending newsletters, automating campaigns, and building a customer base. It’s known for its user-friendly interface, making it a popular choice for those new to email marketing.

What is GetResponse?

GetResponse is another robust email marketing and online marketing automation platform. It offers a wide range of tools designed to help businesses grow, including email marketing, landing pages, marketing automation, and webinars. GetResponse aims to be an all-in-one solution, providing tools to not only send emails but also to attract leads and convert them into customers. It’s often favored by those looking for more advanced automation features and a broader set of marketing tools under one roof.

Key Differences at a Glance

When you first look at Mailchimp and GetResponse, they might seem similar. Both help you send emails and manage lists. However, they have distinct strengths that cater to different types of users and business needs. Mailchimp shines with its ease of use and strong brand recognition, making it super approachable for beginners. GetResponse, on the other hand, often appeals to users who need more advanced marketing automation, a wider array of built-in tools like landing pages and webinars, and a potentially more scalable feature set as their business grows.

Features Comparison: Mailchimp vs GetResponse

Let’s dive into the nitty-gritty of what each platform offers. This comparison will help you see where each one truly excels.

Feature	Mailchimp	GetResponse
Email Marketing	Drag-and-drop editor, templates, list management, basic segmentation.	Drag-and-drop editor, professional templates, advanced segmentation, A/B testing for emails.
Automation	Customer journeys (visual workflow builder), pre-built automations (welcome, birthday, abandoned cart – on paid plans).	Advanced marketing automation (visual workflow builder), complex triggers, scoring, tagging, abandoned cart, win-back campaigns.
Landing Pages	Available on higher-tier plans, simple to use.	Included on most plans, robust features, A/B testing, templates.
Webinars	Not a core feature; requires integration with third-party tools.	Integrated webinar feature (up to 1,000 attendees on higher plans).
CRM	Basic CRM features, audience management.	Integrated CRM for managing contacts and sales pipelines.
Forms & Sign-ups	Embeddable forms, pop-ups.	Embeddable forms, pop-ups, advanced forms.
A/B Testing	Available for subject lines and content on paid plans.	Available for subject lines, content, and landing pages.
Integrations	Extensive integrations with popular apps like Shopify, WordPress, Slack, etc.	Strong integrations with e-commerce platforms, CRMs, social media, and more.
Deliverability	Generally good, but can vary. Mailchimp has faced deliverability challenges in the past for some users.	Reputation for good deliverability, often cited as a strong point.

Mailchimp offers a solid foundation for email marketing, focusing on ease of use with its drag-and-drop editor and pre-designed templates. Its automation capabilities are good for beginners, allowing for basic customer journeys. However, to unlock more advanced automation like abandoned cart sequences, you’ll need to step up to a paid plan. Mailchimp also has a CRM-like feature to manage your contacts. The availability of landing pages is restricted to higher-tier plans.

GetResponse, on the other hand, packs more punch in its feature set, especially for those looking beyond basic email sending. Its marketing automation is significantly more advanced, with a visual workflow builder that supports complex triggers and actions. This makes it ideal for sophisticated campaigns. GetResponse also includes a built-in webinar feature, which is a major plus if you conduct online presentations. Landing pages are more readily available across its plans, and they come with A/B testing. The integrated CRM is also a valuable addition for managing your sales funnel. For more on email marketing benchmarks, you can check out resources like Campaign Monitor’s Email Marketing Benchmarks.

Pricing Comparison: Mailchimp vs GetResponse

Cost is a major factor for any business. Let’s compare the pricing structures of Mailchimp and GetResponse. Keep in mind that pricing often scales with the number of subscribers you have and the features you need.

Plan Name	Mailchimp (approx. for 1,000 subscribers)	GetResponse (approx. for 1,000 subscribers)
Free Plan	Essentials: 1,000 contacts, 500 audiences, 500 automation sends/month, basic templates, basic automation, one-click automations.	Free: Unlimited newsletters, 1 landing page, 1 website builder, 1000 contacts, autoresponder, basic automation builder.
Entry-Level Paid	Essentials: Starts around $13/month. Offers more features than the free plan, including more automation options and basic segmentation.	Email Marketing: Starts around $19/month. Includes unlimited landing pages, 1,000 contacts, autoresponders, advanced automation builder, advanced segmentation.
Mid-Tier Paid	Standard: Starts around $20/month. Adds features like A/B testing, more advanced automation, and better segmentation.	Marketing Automation: Starts around $49/month. Includes marketing automation, webinars (100 attendees), lead scoring, more advanced CRM.
Higher-Tier Paid	Premium: Starts around $300/month. Offers advanced features, more automation, dedicated support.	Max: Starts around $99/month. Includes all Marketing Automation features, plus email, webinars, automation, CRM, advanced analytics, and priority support.

Mailchimp offers a free plan that’s quite generous for very small lists, allowing you to send up to 1,000 emails per month. Their paid plans start with “Essentials,” which is a step up in features and automation capabilities. As you move to “Standard” and “Premium,” you unlock more advanced automation, A/B testing, and higher sending limits. You can find detailed pricing on the Mailchimp pricing page.

GetResponse also has a compelling free plan that includes unlimited newsletters and a landing page. Their entry-level paid plan, “Email Marketing,” is competitively priced and immediately offers unlimited landing pages and a more advanced automation builder compared to Mailchimp’s entry-level paid plan. The “Marketing Automation” plan is where GetResponse really pulls ahead for businesses needing sophisticated workflows, webinars, and CRM capabilities. The “Max” plan offers the most comprehensive suite. Check out the GetResponse pricing page for the latest details.

For businesses focused solely on sending newsletters and basic campaigns, Mailchimp’s free and entry-level paid plans can be very attractive. However, if you anticipate needing robust automation, landing pages, or webinars early on, GetResponse often provides more value for your money at comparable price points, especially when you factor in the breadth of its integrated tools.

Ease of Use & Customer Support

When you’re starting out, simplicity is key. Both Mailchimp and GetResponse strive to be user-friendly, but they approach it slightly differently.

Mailchimp is renowned for its intuitive drag-and-drop email builder and straightforward dashboard. It’s often praised for being easy to navigate, even for those with no prior experience. Their support resources include a comprehensive knowledge base, email support, and live chat (availability may depend on your plan). Many users find Mailchimp’s setup process quick and painless.

GetResponse also offers a drag-and-drop editor, which is quite user-friendly. While it might have a slightly steeper learning curve due to its wider array of features, most users find it manageable. GetResponse provides extensive support options, including a vast knowledge base, email support, live chat, and even phone support on higher plans. They also offer 24/7 support, which is a significant advantage for businesses operating across different time zones.

Pros & Cons of Mailchimp

Pros:

• User-Friendly Interface: Extremely easy to learn and use, great for beginners.
• Strong Brand Recognition: Widely trusted and a common starting point for many businesses.
• Good Free Plan: Offers a decent set of features for those just starting out.
• Extensive Integrations: Connects with a vast number of other business tools.
• Creative Templates: Offers a good selection of visually appealing email templates.

Cons:

• Limited Automation on Lower Plans: Advanced automation features are locked behind higher-tier plans.
• Landing Page Features Limited: Landing page builder is only available on more expensive plans.
• Pricing Can Scale Quickly: As your list grows, Mailchimp can become more expensive than competitors.
• Deliverability Concerns: Some users have reported occasional deliverability issues.

Pros & Cons of GetResponse

Pros:

• Powerful Automation: Offers advanced and highly customizable marketing automation workflows.
• All-in-One Solution: Includes landing pages, webinars, and CRM features in addition to email marketing.
• Excellent Value: Often provides more features for the price, especially for automation and landing pages.
• Good Deliverability: Consistently receives positive feedback for email deliverability.
• 24/7 Support: Offers round-the-clock customer support across multiple channels.

Cons:

• Slightly Steeper Learning Curve: More features can mean a bit more to learn initially compared to Mailchimp.
• Interface Can Feel Busy: With so many tools, the dashboard might feel a bit overwhelming at first.
• Free Plan Limitations: While good, the free plan has more restrictions on contacts and features than some competitors’ free tiers might offer for certain aspects.

User Reviews & Case Studies

Hearing from real users is invaluable. Here’s a summary of what people are saying about Mailchimp and GetResponse, along with insights from case studies.

Mailchimp User Feedback:

Many users appreciate Mailchimp’s ease of use, especially when they’re first starting their email marketing journey. “It was so simple to set up my first campaign, and the drag-and-drop editor made designing emails a breeze,” says one small business owner on G2. Another user on Trustpilot mentioned, “I like that Mailchimp integrates with almost everything I use for my business.” However, some users express frustration with pricing increases as their list grows and limitations on automation features in lower-tier plans. “I hit a wall with automation on the standard plan; I needed more advanced triggers, which pushed me to look at other options,” commented a user on Reddit.

Source: G2, Trustpilot, Reddit

GetResponse User Feedback:

Users of GetResponse frequently praise its robust automation capabilities and the value of its integrated tools. “The automation builder is a game-changer. I can create complex customer journeys that really nurture leads,” shared a marketer on Capterra. Another review highlighted the platform’s affordability for its feature set: “For the price, GetResponse offers so much more than just email marketing. The landing pages and webinar tools are fantastic bonuses.” Some users mention that while the platform is powerful, it takes a bit of time to get comfortable with all the options. “It took me a weekend to really get the hang of the automation, but it was worth it,” stated a user on a marketing forum.

Source: Capterra, Trustpilot

Case Study Highlight:

Consider a small e-commerce store selling handmade crafts. They started with Mailchimp for its ease of use to send out monthly newsletters and announce new products. As their sales grew, they realized they needed more automated sequences, like abandoned cart reminders and welcome series tailored to new subscribers. They found Mailchimp’s automation on their current plan to be too basic. After researching, they switched to GetResponse. With GetResponse’s marketing automation, they were able to set up a sophisticated workflow that automatically sends a series of emails to customers who leave items in their cart, leading to a noticeable increase in recovered sales. They also found the integrated landing page builder useful for running special promotions without needing a separate tool.

Which One Should You Choose?

The “ultimate choice” between Mailchimp and GetResponse really depends on your specific business needs, your current stage of growth, and your budget.

Choose Mailchimp if:

• You are a complete beginner and want the easiest possible entry into email marketing.
• Your primary need is sending out simple newsletters and promotional emails.
• You have a small list and don’t anticipate needing complex automation or advanced features in the near future.
• You value a widely recognized and trusted brand.
• Your budget is very tight, and you want to start with a free plan.

Choose GetResponse if:

• You need robust marketing automation to nurture leads and customers with personalized campaigns.
• You want an all-in-one marketing solution that includes landing pages, webinars, and CRM capabilities.
• You are an e-commerce business looking for automated sales-driving sequences like abandoned cart reminders.
• You are comfortable with a platform that has more features, even if it means a slightly steeper learning curve initially.
• You are looking for excellent value for money, especially for advanced features.
• You need reliable 24/7 customer support.

For example, if you run a local bakery and just want to send out weekly specials and holiday greetings, Mailchimp’s simplicity might be perfect. If you are an online course creator or a growing e-commerce store that needs to automate customer journeys and maximize sales, GetResponse’s comprehensive toolset will likely serve you better.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

Is Mailchimp free?

Mailchimp offers a free plan that allows you to have up to 1,000 contacts and send up to 500 emails per month. It’s a great way to start, but it has limitations on features and automation.

Does GetResponse support automation?

Yes, GetResponse offers powerful marketing automation features. You can build complex workflows with triggers, actions, and conditions to automate your email campaigns, lead nurturing, and more.

Which is better for small businesses?

For very small businesses or those just starting with email marketing who prioritize simplicity, Mailchimp is often a good choice. For small businesses that want to grow and leverage automation and a wider range of marketing tools, GetResponse often offers better value and capabilities.

Can I switch from Mailchimp to GetResponse?

Yes, you can absolutely switch from Mailchimp to GetResponse. You’ll need to export your contact list from Mailchimp and import it into GetResponse. You’ll also need to recreate your email templates and automation workflows in GetResponse.

Is GetResponse worth it for Shopify stores?

Yes, GetResponse can be very beneficial for Shopify stores. It integrates with Shopify to help you sync customer data and automate marketing efforts, such as sending abandoned cart emails or post-purchase follow-ups, which can significantly boost sales.

What is Mailchimp’s main advantage?

Mailchimp’s main advantage is its user-friendly interface and ease of use, making it exceptionally beginner-friendly. It’s a very approachable platform for those new to email marketing.

Does GetResponse offer good deliverability?

GetResponse has a strong reputation for good email deliverability. This means your emails are more likely to reach your subscribers’ inboxes rather than their spam folders.

Conclusion: Making Your Ultimate Choice

We’ve covered a lot of ground comparing Mailchimp and GetResponse. To wrap it up, Mailchimp is your go-to for simplicity and a gentle introduction to email marketing. Its intuitive design and widespread recognition make it a comfortable starting point for many small businesses.

GetResponse, on the other hand, is a powerhouse for businesses looking to scale and implement more sophisticated marketing strategies. Its advanced automation, integrated tools like landing pages and webinars, and strong deliverability offer a more comprehensive solution that can grow with your business.

Here’s a quick guide to help you decide:

• Choose Mailchimp if: You need a simple, easy-to-use tool for basic newsletters and are just dipping your toes into email marketing.
• Choose GetResponse if: You want to leverage powerful automation, need an all-in-one marketing platform, and are focused on driving sales and customer engagement through advanced strategies.

The best way to truly know which platform is right for you is to try them out. Both Mailchimp and GetResponse offer free plans or trials. Take advantage of them! Test out their editors, explore their automation features, and see which interface feels more natural for your workflow. Your perfect email marketing partner is waiting!