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Most buyers should pick Flodesk.
Choose Flodesk if polished email design and built-in selling tools matter more than a free entry tier: Lite starts at $19/month annually or $25 month-to-month, while Pro adds automations. Choose Mailchimp to start free or use email marketing with optional SMS add-ons, but its free plan stops at 250 contacts and 500 emails monthly. Its $13 Essentials and $20 Standard prices are 12-month promotional rates, and listed monthly rates may rise afterward.
01Side by side
| Flodesk | Mailchimp | |
|---|---|---|
| Starting price | $19/month annually; $25 month-to-month | Free; paid plans from $13/month promotional rate |
| Free plan | Free plan; email sending is unclear on pricing page | 250 contacts, 500 emails monthly; no SMS |
| Best for | Creators and businesses prioritizing design and built-in sales | Businesses seeking email, SMS, and AI-assisted tools |
| Core strength | Design-focused emails, forms, checkouts, and sales funnels | AI-assisted campaigns, automations, and audience data |
| Learning curve | Not published | Not published |
| Data & integrations | Segmentation listed; integrations not specified | Real-time behavioral data; integrations not specified |
| Team/seat costs | 1-3 seats across paid plans | 3 seats Essentials; 5 Standard; unlimited Premium |
| Support | Support details not published | 24/7 email and chat on Essentials and Standard |
Flodesk Choose Flodesk if
- Choose Flodesk if email design is a priority.
- Choose Flodesk if you want built-in checkouts and sales funnels.
- Choose Flodesk if you need unlimited workflows on Pro.
Mailchimp Choose Mailchimp if
- Choose Mailchimp if you want a free starting plan.
- Choose Mailchimp if you need AI-assisted marketing features.
- Choose Mailchimp if you want email and optional SMS tools.
02Pricing compared
Flodesk’s paid entry point is Lite: $19/month with annual billing or $25 month-to-month, according to its pricing page. Lite includes unlimited email sends, analytics and up to 25,000 subscribers, but only one workflow and one seat. Pro is $25/month annually or $28 month-to-month; it adds unlimited workflow automations.
Mailchimp starts free, but its Free plan is capped at 250 contacts and 500 emails a month. Essentials is listed at $13/month and Standard at $20/month, both 12-month promotional rates with a 14-day trial. Mailchimp says standard month-to-month rates may be higher after the promotion. Essentials allows sends up to 10 times your contacts monthly; Standard allows up to 12 times. Flodesk’s Free plan lists forms and landing pages, but its FAQ says it does not include email sending, despite the plan card listing email sending.
03Features and depth
Flodesk centers on email design and built-in selling tools. Its minimalist editor uses patented layout technology, and the platform includes forms, landing pages, segmentation, workflows, checkouts and sales pages. Its homepage claims forms convert at double the industry average; that is a company claim, not an independently verified result here. Lite includes one workflow, while Pro adds unlimited workflow automations. Everything adds unlimited integrated checkouts, sales pages and funnels, subscriptions, payment plans and abandoned-cart automations.
Mailchimp covers email and SMS marketing, with SMS available as an add-on on paid plans. Its homepage promotes AI-assisted marketing and behavioral audience data; the pricing page lists generative AI features on Standard. Essentials allows up to four automation flow steps, while Standard allows up to 200 automation flows. Premium adds A/B and multivariate testing and predictive segmentation. The choice is less about whether either tool can send campaigns and more about the workflow: Flodesk bundles design and selling features, while Mailchimp offers more plan-tiered marketing and testing options.
04Ease of use and learning curve
Flodesk’s minimalist design editor is the clearer fit if the priority is making polished emails without relying on separate design software. Our review scores rate its ease of use at 8/10, compared with 6.5/10 for Mailchimp; those are review assessments, not usability-test results.
Mailchimp’s broader mix of email, SMS, automation and audience tools gives teams more to configure. Its plan limits also vary by tier, including different seat, audience and automation allowances. For a small sender, the free plan is a low-cost way to learn the basics, but its 250-contact and 500-email caps are tight. Choose Flodesk for a more design-led workflow; choose Mailchimp if you need its wider set of campaign options and can manage the plan restrictions.
Questions people ask
What can you do with Flodesk?
Flodesk lets you design and send emails, build opt-in forms and landing pages, segment an audience, and automate subscriber journeys. Higher plans add checkouts, sales pages, funnels, subscriptions and abandoned-cart automations. Its Link in bio tool can capture subscribers from social profiles.
What is similar to Mailchimp?
Flodesk overlaps with Mailchimp on email campaigns, audience segmentation, forms and automations. It differs by emphasizing email design and built-in selling tools. Mailchimp offers email and SMS marketing, with SMS as a paid add-on on eligible plans, plus plan-tiered AI and testing features.
How much does Flodesk cost per year?
Flodesk lists Lite at $19/month with annual billing, compared with $25 month-to-month. Pro is listed at $25/month annually, and Everything at $49/month annually. Flodesk says annual billing gives one month free, and pricing scales with subscribers, so confirm the total for your list size.
Which is cheaper, Mailchimp or Constant Contact?
We can’t make a reliable price comparison without Constant Contact pricing. Mailchimp lists a free plan with a 250-contact and 500-email monthly cap; its Essentials plan is $13/month as a 12-month promotional rate. Check Constant Contact’s current pricing and compare the limits you need.