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Mailchimp

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MailChimp vs SparkPost: What are the differences?

Introduction

MailChimp and SparkPost are two popular email service providers that offer a range of features and capabilities for businesses and organizations. While both platforms provide email marketing services, there are key differences that set them apart.

  1. Pricing Structure: MailChimp offers a freemium pricing model, allowing users to send emails to a limited number of subscribers for free. As the subscriber list grows, pricing plans start from a flat monthly fee that increases with the number of subscribers. On the other hand, SparkPost's pricing is based on the number of emails sent per month, and they offer flexible pay-as-you-go pricing options. This makes SparkPost more suitable for businesses with high email volumes or fluctuating subscription numbers.

  2. Email Deliverability: While both providers strive to deliver emails to subscribers' inboxes, SparkPost has a reputation for high deliverability rates. SparkPost utilizes advanced email infrastructure and reliable delivery algorithms to optimize the chances of emails reaching the inbox. MailChimp, while effective, may experience slightly lower deliverability rates due to its shared IP infrastructure and a broader customer base.

  3. Email Automation: MailChimp offers comprehensive email automation capabilities, allowing users to set up complex workflows and trigger emails based on user actions, such as sign-ups or purchases. They provide a user-friendly drag-and-drop interface for creating automated campaigns. SparkPost provides basic email automation features, but it is not as extensive or user-friendly as MailChimp's offering.

  4. Advanced Analytics and Reporting: MailChimp provides detailed analytics and reporting on subscriber engagement, open rates, click-through rates, and other key metrics. Their analytics dashboard offers insights into audience behavior, A/B testing results, and campaign performance. While SparkPost also offers some analytics and reporting features, they may not be as robust or user-friendly as MailChimp's comprehensive reporting capabilities.

  5. Integration Options: MailChimp offers a wide range of integrations with popular third-party applications and platforms, allowing users to seamlessly connect their email marketing campaigns with other tools in their workflow. SparkPost also offers integrations, but they may not be as extensive as MailChimp's. The availability of integrations can be crucial for businesses that rely on multiple software applications for their marketing efforts.

  6. User Interface: MailChimp provides a more user-friendly and intuitive interface, making it easy for beginners to get started with email marketing campaigns. They offer a straightforward design with minimal technical jargon, allowing users to navigate and use the platform with ease. SparkPost's user interface, while functional, may have a steeper learning curve and require some technical knowledge to make the most of its features.

In summary, MailChimp and SparkPost differ in their pricing models, email deliverability rates, email automation capabilities, advanced analytics and reporting features, integration options, and user interface friendliness. Understanding these differences can help businesses choose the platform that best suits their needs and goals.

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Pros of Mailchimp
Pros of SparkPost
  • 259
    Smooth setup & ui
  • 248
    Mailing list
  • 148
    Robust e-mail creation
  • 120
    Integrates with a lot of external services
  • 109
    Custom templates
  • 59
    Free tier
  • 49
    Great api
  • 42
    Great UI
  • 33
    A/B Testing Subject Lines
  • 30
    Broad feature set
  • 11
    Subscriber Analytics
  • 9
    Great interface. The standard for email marketing
  • 8
    Great documentation
  • 8
    Mandrill integration
  • 7
    Segmentation
  • 6
    Best deliverability; helps you be the good guy
  • 5
    Facebook Integration
  • 5
    Autoresponders
  • 3
    Customization
  • 3
    RSS-to-email
  • 3
    Co-branding
  • 3
    Embedded signup forms
  • 2
    Automation
  • 1
    Great logo
  • 1
    Groups
  • 0
    Landing pages
  • 10
    I could start sending real emails in less than 5 mins
  • 2
    Email don't end up in spam after DNS verification
  • 1
    Flexible, robust API
  • 1
    Very easy to integrate with Laravel

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Cons of Mailchimp
Cons of SparkPost
  • 2
    Super expensive
  • 1
    Poor API
  • 1
    Charged based on subscribers as opposed to emails sent
  • 1
    Suspended paid acount without warning or reason
  • 1
    Spam trap reports are suspicious b/c all users opted in
  • 1
    Support won't answer mail (9h so far)
  • 1
    Only free for 100 emails/day
  • 1
    New dedicated ip blacklisted by some clients

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What is Mailchimp?

MailChimp helps you design email newsletters, share them on social networks, integrate with services you already use, and track your results. It's like your own personal publishing platform.

What is SparkPost?

SparkPost is the world’s #1 email delivery provider. We empower companies with actionable, real-time data to send relevant email to their customers which increases engagement and both top and bottom line revenue.

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What companies use Mailchimp?
What companies use SparkPost?
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What are some alternatives to Mailchimp and SparkPost?
Twilio SendGrid
Twilio SendGrid's cloud-based email infrastructure relieves businesses of the cost and complexity of maintaining custom email systems. Twilio SendGrid provides reliable delivery, scalability & real-time analytics along with flexible API's.
ActiveCampaign
Recognized as the leader in the marketing and sales automation for small businesses, ActiveCampaign helps over 70k growing businesses meaningfully connect and engage with their customers with personalized, intelligence-driven messages.
Drip
It is the first ECRM–an Ecommerce CRM designed for building personal and profitable relationships with your customers at scale. It uses customer insight, data, and smarter email marketing automation at scale. With the best customer experience, your brand will never blend in.
Campaign Monitor
Campaign Monitor makes it easy to attract new subscribers, send them beautiful email newsletters and see stunning reports on the results.
Mandrill
Mandrill is a new way for apps to send transactional email. It runs on the delivery infrastructure that powers MailChimp.
See all alternatives