Mailchimp vs Mailgun
A source-aware comparison of pricing, documented capabilities and workflow fit.
Short answer
- Price: not directly comparable — Mailchimp is from $13/user/mo, Mailgun is pricing not verified.
- How to start: Mailchimp is from $13/user/mo, Mailgun is pricing not verified.
- Where they differ: on what we checked they match — both offer public api and sso (saml).
These lines are generated from the pricing we track, not from a paid placement. How we score tools.
What Mailchimp is
Mailchimp has evolved from a simple newsletter tool into a complete 'Marketing Automation' giant. Its drag-and-drop editor allows anyone to create professional campaigns. However, its real power lies in automated email sequences triggered by user behavior and advanced audience segmentation. With AI tools like 'Creative Assistant,' it can even auto-generate visuals that match your brand style, ensuring you send the right message to the right person at the right time.
What Mailgun is
Mailgun is a developer-focused email API for sending, receiving and tracking mail at volume.
Side by side
| Mailchimp | Mailgun | |
|---|---|---|
| Category | Marketing | Marketing |
| How to start | $13/user/moverified | Not verifiednot a monthly price |
| Public API | Yes | Yes |
| Mobile app | Yes | not checked |
| Open source / self-hostable | No | not checked |
| SSO (SAML) | Yes | Yes |
| Visit | Mailchimp ↗ | Mailgun ↗ |
What Mailchimp is built to do
- Customer Journeys
- Intelligent automation maps that change based on your customers' behavior.
- Predictive Analytics
- Use AI to predict which customers are most likely to purchase again.
- Creative Assistant
- Get design suggestions that automatically use your brand's colors and logos.
- Content Optimizer
- Receive text and layout suggestions to improve your email open and click rates.
Choose Mailchimp if
- E-commerce Brands, Bloggers, and Small Marketing Teams.
Choose Mailgun if
- Applications sending transactional email programmatically.
Evidence and freshness
Where a claim on this page comes from a vendor page, it is linked here.
Mailchimp: pros & cons
- Ease of Entry: The most user-friendly interface for starting with email marketing.
- Ready Templates: Includes hundreds of professional designs for every industry.
- AI Support: Benefit from an AI assistant for design and copywriting advice.
- Huge Integration: Speaks directly with Shopify, WordPress, and hundreds of other apps.
- Price Hikes: Costs rise quite aggressively as your subscriber list grows.
- Advanced Automation: May not be as deep as ActiveCampaign for very complex funnels.
- Free Tier Shrinkage: Sending limits on the free plan have been reduced in recent years.
Mailgun: pros & cons
- Strong API and inbound routing
- Detailed logs and analytics
- Scales to high volume
- Support tiers cost extra
- Deliverability depends on IP setup
- Interface is developer-oriented
Our verdict on Mailchimp
The go-to choice for those seeking a reliable, stylish, and popular email marketing solution.
Our verdict on Mailgun
A solid technical choice. Budget for a dedicated IP if volume matters.