Mailchimp
Intuit Mailchimp
6
Overall Score / 10
Substack
Substack Inc.
7.1
Overall Score / 10
Our Verdict
Choose Mailchimp if:
- —Small businesses starting email marketing
- —E-commerce stores needing built-in product recommendations
- —Teams wanting an all-in-one marketing suite
Choose Substack if:
- —Writers who want the simplest possible setup
- —People who value Substack's built-in network and recommendations
- —Writers focused on paid subscriptions
The biggest difference: Mailchimp is a full email marketing platform with automations, templates, and e-commerce integrations starting free for 250 contacts. Substack is a zero-setup newsletter platform with built-in paid subscriptions but takes a 10% revenue cut.
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Criteria | Mailchimp | Substack |
|---|---|---|
| Cheapest Paid Plan | $13/mo (Essentials)Source: Intuit Mailchimp pricing page → | Free onlySource: Substack Inc. pricing page → |
| Free Tier | Yes Up to 250 contacts, 500 emails/month, 1 audience, basic templates, limited reporting | Yes Free to use; Substack takes 10% cut of paid subscriptions + Stripe fees |
| Value for Money | 5 | 7 |
| Ease of Use | 7 | 10 |
| Feature Power | 8 | 4 |
| Setup Ease | 8 | 10 |
| Migration Ease | 5 | 6 |
| Transparency | 4 | 7 |
| Deployment | cloud | cloud |
| API Available | Yes | No |
| Platforms | Web, iOS, Android | Web, iOS, Android |
| Compliance | GDPR tools available, SOC 2 | Basic GDPR tools |
Feature Comparison
Feature Comparison Matrix
22 features compared · 22 differences
| Feature | Mailchimp | Substack |
|---|---|---|
| Core | ||
| Chat | None | Full |
| Comments and community discussion | None | Full |
| Content optimizer | Full | None |
| Landing pages | Full | None |
| Mobile app | None | Full |
| Newsletter publishing | None | Full |
| Podcast hosting | None | Full |
| Postcards | Full | None |
| Recommendations network | None | Full |
| Advanced | ||
| A/B testing | Full | None |
| Audience segmentation | Full | None |
| Automation workflows | Full | None |
| Custom domains (limited) | None | Full |
| Customer journey builder | Full | None |
| Email campaigns | Full | None |
| Paid subscriptions | None | Full |
| Reporting dashboards | Full | None |
| Integrations | ||
| API Access | Full | None |
| Built-in SEO and Google indexing | None | Full |
| Security | ||
| Notes (social feed) | None | Full |
| Social posting | Full | None |
| Social sharing (Twitter, Facebook) | None | Full |
Pricing Comparison
Mailchimp Pricing
250 contacts, 500 sends/mo, limited automations
500 contacts, 5,000 sends/mo, email + chat support
500 contacts, 6,000 sends/mo, advanced automations
10,000 contacts, 150,000 sends/mo, phone support
Substack Pricing
Unlimited subscribers, unlimited sends, 10% of paid subscription revenue
Who Should Choose Which?
Who should choose Mailchimp
Best for
- Small businesses starting email marketing
- E-commerce stores needing built-in product recommendations
- Teams wanting an all-in-one marketing suite
Avoid if
- You need affordable pricing as your list grows (costs scale steeply)
- You want a clean, simple interface (Mailchimp has become complex)
- You prioritize deliverability above all else
Who should choose Substack
Best for
- Writers who want the simplest possible setup
- People who value Substack's built-in network and recommendations
- Writers focused on paid subscriptions
Avoid if
- You want full control over your brand and domain
- You need advanced segmentation or automation
- You don't want to give up 10% of revenue
Switching Guidance
Switching from Mailchimp
Common triggers to leave:
- •Pricing jumps at 500+ contacts
- •Feature bloat
- •Deliverability concerns
Potential blockers:
- •Complex automation workflows
- •Integrated e-commerce features
- •Team familiarity
Switching from Substack
Common triggers to leave:
- •Need custom branding
- •Need automation
- •10% revenue cut becoming significant
- •Need analytics depth
Potential blockers:
- •Built-in subscriber network and discovery
- •Substack app readers
- •Community features (Notes, Chat)
Try Mailchimp
Start free — no credit card required
Try Substack
Start free — no credit card required