Mailchimp vs Mailgun Comparison

Detailed comparison of features, pricing, and capabilities

Overview

Compare key metrics and features at a glance

Mailchimp logo

Mailchimp

https://mailchimp.com

Mailchimp is an all-in-one marketing platform for small businesses. The company provides email marketing, marketing automation, customer relationship management, and other marketing services to help businesses grow. Originally founded as a web design agency, Mailchimp has evolved into a leading marketing automation platform that was acquired by Intuit in 2021 for $12 billion.

Starting PriceFree
Founded2001
Employees1001-5000
CategoryEmail Marketing
Mailgun logo

Mailgun

https://www.mailgun.com

Mailgun is a transactional email API service that enables developers to send, receive, and track emails through their applications using RESTful APIs. The service provides powerful email validation, tracking, and analytics features, along with SMTP integration and detailed logs for debugging. Mailgun specializes in handling large volumes of automated emails including notifications, confirmations, and marketing communications.

Starting PriceFree
Founded2010
Employees201-500
CategoryEmail Marketing

Quick Comparison

DetailMailchimpMailgun
CategoryEmail MarketingEmail Marketing
Starting PriceFreeFree
Plans Available25
Features Tracked216
Founded20012010
HeadquartersAtlanta, USASan Francisco, USA

Features

Detailed feature-by-feature comparison

Feature Comparison

Feature
Mailchimp logo
Mailchimp
Mailgun logo
Mailgun
api
RESTful Email APIs
compliance
Suppression Lists
core
Bounce Classification
Email Campaigns
Email Template Builder
Email Validation API
Inbound Routing
Inbox Placement
List Segmentation
Marketing Automation
Rapid Fire
SMTP Relay
Send Time Optimization
Tracking & Analytics
custom
Custom Sending Domains
Dedicated IPs
Add-on
integration
Email Parsing
security
Authentication Protocols

Pricing

Compare pricing plans and value for money

Mailchimp logo

Mailchimp

From $0/mo

Free$0/mo
Essentials$13/mo

Price Components

  • base_subscription: $0/month (500 included)
  • base_500_contacts: $13/month (500 included)

Best For

Small businesses and ecommerce starters seeking easy drag-and-drop emails, free entry with 500 contacts, and integrated automation for quick ROI.

Mailgun logo

Mailgun

From $0/mo

Free$0/mo
Basic$15/mo
Foundation$35/mo
Scale$90/mo
EnterpriseCustom

Price Components

  • base_fee: $0/month
  • emails: $0/email (100 included)
  • base_fee: $15/month
  • emails: $0/email (10000 included)
  • overage_emails: $0.0018/email

Best For

Developers and apps needing reliable, high-volume transactional email APIs with validation and tracking, not broad marketing campaigns.

Integrations

See which third-party services are supported

Supported Integrations

Coming Soon

Integration comparison data for Mailchimp, Mailgun is being collected and will be available soon.

Strengths & Limitations

Key strengths and limitations of each service

Mailchimp logo

Mailchimp

Small businesses and ecommerce starters seeking easy drag-and-drop emails, free entry with 500 contacts, and integrated automation for quick ROI.

Strengths
  • Free plan supports up to 500 contacts with drag-and-drop builder, ideal for beginners unlike paid-only competitors.
  • Integrated forms, landing pages, and lightweight CRM streamline lead capture without extra tools.
  • Recent 26% more ecommerce triggers deliver up to 41x ROI for Shopify users via Intuit platform.
  • Holds 66.67% market share with top ease-of-use ranking for small businesses.
Limitations
  • Advanced automation limited to paid plans starting at $13/month, less accessible than rivals' free tiers.
  • Less powerful for complex workflows compared to ActiveCampaign's advanced features.
Mailgun logo

Mailgun

Developers and apps needing reliable, high-volume transactional email APIs with validation and tracking, not broad marketing campaigns.

Strengths
  • Developer-centric RESTful APIs and SMTP relay excel for high-volume transactional emails, unlike marketing-focused ESPs like Mailchimp.
  • Email Validation API and Inbox Placement reduce bounces and optimize deliverability, key in a growing market.
  • Rapid Fire enables burst sending for millions of emails on Scale+ plans, ideal for time-sensitive notifications.
  • Flexible overage fees prevent hard caps, supporting seamless scaling from $15/mo Basic plan.
Limitations
  • Holds only 0.22% market share, ranking #27, trailing leaders like Mailchimp and SendGrid.
  • Lacks drag-and-drop editors and audience automation of full marketing platforms like HubSpot.
  • Higher tiers like Scale at $90/mo required for SSO and dedicated IPs, pricier for advanced needs.

Company Info

Company details and background

Mailchimp logo

Mailchimp

Founded
2001
Headquarters
Atlanta, USA
Employees
1001-5000
Funding
Acquired
Parent CompanyIntuit
Mailgun logo

Mailgun

Founded
2010
Headquarters
San Francisco, USA
Employees
201-500
Funding
Acquired
Parent CompanyPathwire

Comparison FAQ

Common questions about comparing Mailchimp and Mailgun

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