Drip vs Mailchimp

We put Drip and Mailchimp head to head across pricing, features, ratings and the type of team each one fits best.

Quick Answer

Drip scores 3.9 / 5 and Mailchimp scores 4.4 / 5 in our editorial rating. Drip starts at $39/month (2,500 contacts) and Mailchimp starts at Free. See the feature comparison below for the full breakdown.

Winner

Mailchimp — 4.4 / 5

Mailchimp leads with an overall rating of 4.4 / 5.

Pricing Comparison

DripMailchimp
Starting Price$39/month (2,500 contacts)Free
Free TrialYesYes
Free PlanNoYes
Pricing ModelContact-based subscription with unlimited sendsPer-contact monthly subscription

Drip starts at $39/month (2,500 contacts) and Mailchimp starts at Free. Free trial: Drip offers a trial; Mailchimp offers a trial.

Feature Comparison

DimensionDripMailchimp
Overall Rating3.9 / 54.4 / 5
Starting Price$39/month (2,500 contacts)Free
Free TrialYesYes
Free PlanNoYes
DeploymentCloud / SaaSCloud / SaaS
Best ForSmall DTC and ecommerce brands, Teams wanting multi-channel workflows, Brands needing on-site personalization, Shopify merchants below enterprise scaleBeginners, Small businesses, Ecommerce stores, Simple email campaigns
Key FeatureUnified ecommerce customer profiles from orders and behaviorDrag-and-drop email builder with 100+ templates
IntegrationsShopify / WooCommerce / BigCommerce / Stripe / Recharge / ZapierShopify / WooCommerce / Salesforce / Canva / Zapier / Google Analytics
Features Rating4.0 / 54.3 / 5
Ease of Use Rating4.0 / 54.8 / 5
Pricing Rating3.8 / 54.0 / 5
Integrations Rating4.1 / 54.5 / 5
Support Rating3.7 / 54.2 / 5
Value for Money Rating3.8 / 54.0 / 5

Where Each One Wins

Drip Advantages

  • Genuine ecommerce CRM with unified customer profiles
  • Unlimited email sends on all paid plans
  • Strong multi-channel workflows across email, SMS and on-site
  • Capable personalization without heavy configuration

Mailchimp Advantages

  • Best-in-class drag-and-drop email editor
  • Large template library
  • AI content and segmentation features
  • Strong ecommerce integrations (Shopify)

How to Choose

Choose Drip If…

  • Small DTC and ecommerce brands
  • Teams wanting multi-channel workflows
  • Brands needing on-site personalization
  • Shopify merchants below enterprise scale

Choose Mailchimp If…

  • Beginners
  • Small businesses
  • Ecommerce stores
  • Simple email campaigns

Best For

Drip

Small DTC and ecommerce brands, Teams wanting multi-channel workflows, Brands needing on-site personalization, Shopify merchants below enterprise scale

Mailchimp

Beginners, Small businesses, Ecommerce stores, Simple email campaigns

Value for Money

Drip scores 3.8 / 5 for value and Mailchimp scores 4.0 / 5. See our full reviews of both tools for the complete value breakdown.

Final Verdict

Our verdict on Drip: Drip occupies a useful middle ground for smaller direct-to-consumer brands. It delivers real ecommerce CRM capability, unified customer profiles built from orders and behavior, capable multi-channel workflows, and unlimited email sends, all at a lower entry price than Klaviyo. The on-site personalization is a genuine differentiator at this tier. The reservations are about momentum and ecosystem. The integration marketplace is smaller, the pace of new features has slowed since acquisition, and there is no free plan to evaluate against. For a small Shopify brand that has outgrown Mailchimp and wants ecommerce-aware automation without Klaviyo level pricing as the list grows, Drip remains a sensible choice. Larger brands should budget for Klaviyo. Our verdict on Mailchimp: Mailchimp is the right email platform when you want to send professional, branded campaigns without a technical learning curve. The editor and templates are the best in the business, and ecommerce integrations make it a natural fit for stores. The caveat is cost - pricing climbs steeply as your list grows, and the free plan is now quite limited. Beginners and SMBs will get the most from it; teams that need genuinely advanced automation or a built-in CRM should look at ActiveCampaign instead.

Explore Alternatives

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Frequently Asked Questions

How much does Drip cost?
Drip starts at $39 per month for up to 2,500 contacts and scales with list size. All paid plans include unlimited email sends, which is unusual. There is a 14-day free trial but no free plan.
How does Drip compare to Klaviyo?
Klaviyo has deeper analytics, a larger ecosystem and stronger Shopify integration, but costs more as your list grows. Drip offers unlimited sends and capable ecommerce CRM features at a lower entry price.
Does Drip limit how many emails I can send?
No. Paid Drip plans include unlimited email sends, which is a meaningful advantage over tools that meter volume alongside contact count.
Is Drip good for non-ecommerce businesses?
It can work, but Drip is designed around ecommerce order and browsing data. B2B and service businesses are usually better served by ActiveCampaign or HubSpot.
Does Drip support SMS?
Yes. Drip supports SMS alongside email in its campaign and workflow builders, though SMS usage is typically billed separately or metered by credits.
How much does Mailchimp cost?
Mailchimp has a free plan (500 contacts), with Essentials from $13/month and Standard from $20/month, scaling with contact count.
Does Drip or Mailchimp offer a free trial?
Drip offers a free trial. Mailchimp offers a free trial. A free trial lets you test core features with your own data before committing to a paid plan.
Is there a free plan for Drip or Mailchimp?
Drip does not offer a free plan. Mailchimp has a free plan. A free plan is useful for evaluating the interface and core workflows before upgrading.
Which is easier to use, Drip or Mailchimp?
Drip scores 4 / 5 for ease of use and Mailchimp scores 4.8 / 5. Mailchimp is the easier-to-learn option for most teams, though real onboarding time depends on your existing stack.
Who should choose Drip over Mailchimp?
Choose Drip if your priority is Small DTC and ecommerce brands, Teams wanting multi-channel workflows, Brands needing on-site personalization, Shopify merchants below enterprise scale. Choose Mailchimp if you need Beginners, Small businesses, Ecommerce stores, Simple email campaigns. Match the tool to your primary workflow rather than the feature list, because the right fit depends on which jobs your team runs every day.

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