19 september 2024, 11:44
189
Transactional emails play a critical role in modern-day business communication, serving as a strategic and essential means to maximize the effectiveness of both sales and marketing initiatives. The need for a reliable transactional email service grows as businesses expand.
When looking for the best transactional email service, it’s hard not to come across Mailchimp Transactional. While Mailchimp Transactional is favored for its robust feature set, its rising costs have left many businesses searching for more affordable alternatives with the same or better functionality.
This article will explore the 14 best Mailchimp Transactional alternatives ranked by functionality, affordability, and ease of use, to help you pick the right alternative to Mailchimp Transactional for your business.
Top Alternatives To Mailchimp Transactional Email
|
Platform |
Free Options |
Best For |
Stands Out For |
Starting Price |
|
Free Trial |
Developers, small to medium-sized businesses, large enterprises. |
Instant event notifications, webhooks, AI-powered HTML editor, click & unsubscribe tracking, 45 days of log retention, 100 days of analytics data storage. |
$6 / month for 10,000 emails. |
|
|
Free Plan |
High volume transactional emails, developers. |
Dynamic templates, email validations, sub-user management. |
$19.95 / month for 10,000 emails. |
|
|
Free Trial |
Developers, businesses, SaaS companies. |
Advanced email analytics, flexible email tagging, RESTful API. |
$15 / month for 10,000 emails. |
|
|
Free Trial |
Developers, businesses, large enterprises and startups. |
Integration with AWS services, robust API, and pay-per-use pricing. |
$0.10 / 1000 emails pay-as-you-go. |
|
|
Free Plan |
Marketers and SMBs. |
Drag-and-drop editor, A/B testing, advanced analytics, and segmentation. |
$17 / month for 15,000 emails. |
|
|
Free Trial |
Developers, marketers, SMBs. |
Email templates, analytics, reporting. |
$25 / month for 150,000 emails. |
|
|
Free Trial |
Small to medium-sized businesses, email marketing. |
Detailed metrics, user-friendly interface. |
$39.95 / month for 40,000 emails. |
|
|
Free Plan |
Small and medium-sized businesses, ecommerce. |
Pre-built automation workflows, dynamic content features |
$16/month for up to 500 contacts and 6,000 emails. |
|
|
Free Plan |
Mid-sized businesses to large enterprises, e-commerce |
Real-time customer data, integration with e-commerce platforms like Shopify and Magento. |
$20/month for up to 5,000 email sends, and 500 contacts. |
|
|
Free Trial |
Mid-sized businesses, E-commerce. |
Dynamic content, CRM integrations, machine learning capabilities. |
$15/month for 10,000 emails. |
|
|
Free Trial |
Marketers, small to medium-sized businesses. |
Custom reporting, automation workflows, AI-powered recommendations. |
$7/month for up to 500 subscribers. |
|
|
Free Plan |
Small and medium-sized enterprises, B2B companies. |
Email templates, automation, lead scoring, tracking & reporting. |
$20 / month for 1,000 contacts. |
|
|
No Free Trial or Plan |
Entrepreneurs, Small and medium-sized businesses. |
Segmentation, automation, form builders, and templates. |
$38 / month for unlimited emails. |
|
|
Free Trial |
Small businesses. |
Drag-and-drop editor, landing pages, event marketing, and social media integration. |
$12/month for up to 500 subscribers. |
What is Mailchimp Transactional?
Mailchimp Transactional Email (formerly Mandrill) is a paid Mailchimp add-on dedicated to transactional emails that developers and businesses can use to personalize and send bulk emails using HTTP API or SMTP. The platform supports multiple domains and custom domain authentication with real-time tracking.
Why Are People Switching From Mailchimp Transactional?
Reason #1: Pricey
Mailchimp transactional email is relatively expensive compared to other services. The paid plans start at $20 per 25,000 emails/month, and to use this add-on (Mailchimp Transactional email), an existing Mailchimp marketing plan is required for an additional $13 a month for 500 emails. Because of this, Mailchimp cannot be considered a good option from the expenses standpoint.
Reason #2: Complicated pricing model
Aside from being pricey, Mailchimp Transactional Email has a confusing pricing structure. Many users complain about the additional charges that appear on almost all plans, making it difficult to figure out what exactly they are paying for.
Reason #3: No contact list storage available
The Mailchimp Transactional system is recipient-based, so recipient information and contact lists cannot be stored.
*The above reasons were taken from public online reviews of Mailchimp Transactional users.
1. UniOne: Best For Email API
UniOne Email API stands out as a powerful alternative to Mailchimp Transactional Email, built for growing e-commerce brands or businesses focused on automation and deliverability at scale.
Easy setup, high email delivery rates, and exceptional customer support set UniOne apart from Mailchimp Transactional – which is often criticized for its complex interface, inefficient performance, and unsatisfactory customer service. It is also quite easy to integrate this email API into your existing system to automate workflows.
UniOne’s impressive deliverability rate of 99.88% reflects IP reputation management, real-time monitoring, and strict adherence to best practices. UniOne handles email volumes of up to 60 million emails per hour, allowing you to scale up seamlessly as your email volume grows.
Featuring an intuitive user interface, UniOne offers flexible logging options and easy to navigate tools for users to send transactional emails with maximum precision and control.
For email creation, a drag-and-drop editor is available, complete with 40+ modern email templates designed by industry experts.
Another notable feature that places UniOne ahead of Mailchimp Transactional is its scalable pricing model – which can accommodate growing email volumes transparently and reliably.
Additionally, it's one of the few platforms to offer White Label email marketing support, which makes it an attractive choice for agencies running campaigns on behalf of their clients.
Whether you are a startup or a growing business with mass email volume needs, UniOne definitely can help – with a free trial of 6,000 emails a month for 4 months that can be upgraded to an affordable monthly or yearly plan.
Pros
Extremely Affordable – with plans starting at $6/month for 6,000 emails.
Email campaign grouping feature – which users can use to organize their email campaigns into groups based on type, topic, and sender.
Advanced Anti-spam measures – to protect the sender's reputation and ensure deliverability.
Detailed Analytics & Advanced Segmentation Options – to help users track the performance of their campaigns in detail.
Pre-designed templates – to help users create professional-looking emails instantly.
Exceptional customer support – for prompt response with a 95% customer satisfaction rate.
Cons
No SMS integration – UniOne focuses solely on transactional email delivery as its best approach.
Limited data storage – additional storage can be purchased upon request.
Limited templates – 40+ templates might not suit all business types.
Pricing
Free Plan
Duration: 4 months.
Email allowance: 6,000 emails per month.
Paid Plans
Paid plans are based on the number of emails sent per month:
- $6/month: for up to 10,000 emails.
- $11/month: for up to 20,000 emails.
- $25/month: for up to 50,000 emails.
*Pricing information retrieved from UniOne in September 2024.
2. SendGrid: Best For SMTP And Related Marketing Features
Twilio SendGrid stands second on the Mailchimp Transactional Email competitors list.
This all-in-one email marketing platform has a strong reputation for its SMTP and REST API capabilities. Marketers and businesses can use SendGrid to send marketing and transactional emails, but will have to purchase 2 separate plans if they intend to use both email API and marketing automation features.
Users can create their own email layouts from scratch using its drag-and-drop editor or HTML builder (which is fairly basic). Included is a collection of professionally designed email templates for users to customize.
Additionally, SendGrid offers testing features such as spam tests and email validation capabilities to maximize the probability of successful email delivery.
Users can set up automation triggers for personalized marketing campaigns, track and measure their success. SendGrid's free tier supports up to 2,000 contacts with only 3,000 emails per month, falling way short of its competitors like UniOne, which offers 6,000 emails a month for 4 months.
Overall, a great solution for both marketers and SMBs aiming to optimize their email marketing activities.
Pros
An industry veteran – with a long-standing reputation for handling massive email volumes.
All-in-one solution – with email marketing, transactional emails, and customer engagement features.
In-depth email analytics – with an overview of client software usage, email metrics, and geographic breakdowns.
Cons
Overly expensive – as compared to other ESPs.
Complex setup – as users without technical expertise describe the initial setup process daunting.
Technical difficulties – several SendGrid users online have reported issues with the login system, authenticators, text message verification, and account recovery.
Support issues – contacting support requires login credentials, which can lead to a cyclical situation if login fails.
Template editor falls short of expectations – with very few advanced features and design options.
Pricing
Free Plan
A free plan is available for up to 100 emails per day with essential tools like integration APIs, SMTP relay, basic analytics, and customer support.
Paid Plans
- $19.95/month: for up to 10,000 emails
- $249/month: for up to 300,000 emails
1 million emails require the Pro 700k plan plus an additional overage charge of $602.
*Pricing information retrieved from SendGrid in September 2024.
3. Mailgun: Best For Easy Workflow Automation
Third on our list is Mailgun, a cloud-based service built for developers with a reliable email delivery system and API that works well for sending transactional emails.
Mailgun has robust email validation, which makes it a suitable alternative for users planning to expand their lists. SMTP relay is also available for those who do not require API. There’s even a routing menu for forwarding emails to specific recipients and filtering based on various criteria such as sender address.
Those who aren't much into technology must keep in mind that this solution is specifically built for developers, and thus carries a steep learning curve.
It's important to note that Mailgun does not offer the option to export logs, and it keeps them for a maximum of 30 days. In other words, Mailgun is not for you if tracking email performance long-term is on your priority list.
Pros
Developer-friendly – with extensive documentation and API libraries for developers.
Collaboration feature – allows multiple users to collaborate on emails.
Webhooks for detailed insights – can help you compile valuable insights into your target audience.
Schedule email delivery – you can send emails when it's best to engage your audience.
Cons
Complex for non-developers – as some of the Mailgun features and tools are too technical, beginners may need to contact the support team for technical assistance.
Unpredictable pricing model – mainly due to the pay-as-you-go model, which can be difficult to predict for businesses with varying email volumes.
Pricing
Free Plan
No free plan, but you can sign up for a 30-day free trial.
Paid Plans
- $15/month: for up to 10,000 emails.
- $35/month: for up to 50,000 emails.
- $90/month: for up to 100,000 emails.
*Pricing information retrieved from Mailgun in September 2024.
4. Amazon SES: Best Budget-Friendly Option
Fourth on our Mailchimp Transactional alternatives list is “Amazon SES” – one of the cheapest cloud-based email services for sending transactional or bulk marketing emails.
Particularly suitable for those already using Amazon Web Services (AWS) infrastructure and EC2, Amazon SES offers a cost-effective, reliable solution for marketers, developers, and e-commerce brands to send alerts and crucial emails timely.
This affordability, however, comes with a few drawbacks.
By default, Amazon SES fails to track and monitor message events (you have to do it manually), has no built-in advanced marketing features, and has a user interface that's not very intuitive (being a developer-focused solution).
Moreover, setting up, testing, and running Amazon SES demands considerable time and effort, which is worthwhile for those looking to minimize costs.
Pros
Extremely affordable – with a pay-as-you-go pricing plan and no upfront costs, Amazon SES is affordable for businesses of all sizes.
Integration with AWS Services – like AWS Lambda, Amazon S3, Amazon SNS, and Amazon EC2.
High Deliverability – SES comes with domain and IP warm-up, dedicated IP addresses, and best practices compliance to ensure high deliverability rates.
Cons
Free emails are for Amazon Services clients only – others are required to subscribe to a paid plan.
Time-consuming setup – configuring basic features like tracking and monitoring takes considerable time and effort.
Less features – for email campaigns, like segmentation, automation, and A/B testing, compared to other tools.
Minimal customer support – which leaves users to resolve issues on their own. Full support comes at an extra cost.
Pricing
Free Plan
With Amazon EC2-hosted applications, users receive 3,000 free messages per month.
Paid Plans
With pay-as-you-go pricing, non-EC2 applications usually cost $0.10 per 1,000 emails and $0.12 per GB of email attachments.
- $1 for 10,000 emails.
- $30 for 300,000 emails.
- $100 for 1 million emails.
*Pricing information retrieved from Amazon SES in September 2024.
Note: Amazon SES pricing varies by location. Additionally, the setup of your email accounts and hosting infrastructure can affect the overall cost.
5. Mailjet: Best For Real-Time Collaboration On Email Designs
Mailjet (now part of Mailgun) is a versatile email marketing platform offering both transactional email and automation features. This product holds essentially every functionality a business could ever need to create or send emails, automate workflows, and build signup forms.
The platform includes a drag-and-drop email editor, mobile-responsive templates, and an autoresponder. It integrates with notable CRM tools and e-commerce platforms and supports popular programming languages like PHP, Java, and Ruby.
But what sets it apart is its real-time collaboration feature, which allows users to work together on their email designs, leave comments, and more.
Considering all these features, this service may end up being too expensive for small businesses or startups that only need basic features.
Pros
Versatile – users can send both transactional and marketing emails.
Collaboration feature – better email campaign management through team collaboration.
Flexible – users can have unlimited subscribers.
Pricing based on the number of emails – and not the number of subscribers, as some competitors do.
Cons
Advanced features require learning – users may find the customization options and advanced features less intuitive.
Comparatively few segmentation options – users can only select opened and clicked emails within a certain timeframe and cannot specify which emails were opened.
List management isn’t easy – you might find it quite challenging to remove users from your list once they hard bounce.
Relatively few automation conditions – limited to date staggering and anniversary events.
Pricing
Free Plan
Free plan of up to 6,000 emails/month with a daily cap of 200 emails.
Paid Plans
- $17/month (essential): for up to 15,000 emails with no daily limit.
- $27/month (premium): for up to 15,000 emails with no daily limit + multi-user access, advanced statistics, marketing automation, A/B testing, and more.
*Pricing information retrieved from Mailjet in September 2024.
6. Pepipost (Netcore Email API): Best For Send-Time Optimization
Netcore Email API, formerly Pepipost, is a cloud-based Mailchimp Transactional alternative – designed for developers and enterprises to send bulk and transactional emails via SMTP relay or HTTP API.
Users can send millions of emails without a hitch with a simple SMTP configuration in apps like Outlook, Thunderbird, and CRM systems. The system includes a dashboard that provides detailed tracking for every step of the email sending process.
There are user-friendly, easy-to-use plugins for popular applications like WordPress, Drupal, and Zapier.
One of the notable features of Netcore Email API is “Send Time Optimization” which ensures emails reach customers at the right time, providing maximum engagement.
While this service is inexpensive, some users have reported dissatisfaction with the platform’s interface and the absence of visual tools for tracking the performance of their emails.
Pros
Sub-accounts – with unique IP addresses assigned to each team, and multiple passwords for easy access.
Real-time reporting – with detailed logs, sorting by status, tag, or date, and review reports in detail.
Sandbox mode – extremely valuable for testing emails before sending them live.
Cons
Developer-centric – makes average users with little or no coding experience struggle to integrate this service with their existing systems.
Complex user interface – makes basic tasks more challenging for users. For example, sending a test email requires users to navigate multiple screens.
No built-in list cleaning feature – which could be beneficial for bulk email list cleanup.
Pricing
Free Plan
Both free trial and a freemium version are available.
Pepipost’s free trial allows 30,000 emails to be sent during the first month. After that, the free plan allows up to 100 emails/day
Paid Plan
- $17.50/month: for up to 150,000 emails.
- $59.50/month: for up to 400,000 emails.
- $101.50/month: for up to 600,000 emails.
*Pricing information retrieved from Netcore Email API in September 2024.
7. SocketLabs: Best For Ready-to-use Code Libraries
SocketLabs is a complete email solution with SMTP services and marketing automation tools, built for marketers aiming to automate their email marketing and outreach efforts.
The platform provides both an SMTP relay service and an API for transactional emails, allowing users to send multiple emails and follow-ups with reliable delivery.
SocketLabs also includes code libraries for various frameworks and languages, so developers can easily integrate it with standalone applications.
Businesses can use this service to manage their email infrastructure, including authentication, reputation monitoring, and recipient searches.
You can send bulk emails without a daily limit, analyze performance through detailed reports, and set up transactional emails to automate sales-related communication.
However, many SocketLab users feel it could be improved through better logging and monitoring capabilities.
Pros
Built-in template library – with an email editor and several starter templates.
Campaign management – for users to create, automate, and customize campaigns with schedule time options.
Detailed metrics and reporting – that help users track email campaigns against critical metrics.
Cons
Users can only have one set of SMTP credentials – which poses a security risk as the entire account can be compromised if a breach occurs.
Shared IP Pools – because of this your transactional emails may end up in the Gmail Promotions tab.
Short-term data retention – SocketLabs does not retain report data for long.
Users are restricted to one SMTP server per plan – which can be limiting for larger operations or those requiring multiple sending domains.
List management is too complex – creating and managing email lists, including segmentation, requires a lot of time and effort.
Pricing
Free Plan
No free plan available but you can sign up for a free trial.
Paid Plans
- $39.95/month: for up to 40,000 emails.
- $79.95/month: for up to 100,000 emails
- $125/month: for up to 200,000 emails.
Note: Lower-tier pricing plans don't include detailed reporting features.
*Pricing information retrieved from SocketLabs in September 2024.
8. Omnisend: Best For Customer Engagement
Omnisend is a full-featured email marketing platform and a strong Mailchimp Transactional alternative with email and SMS marketing automation tools, specifically built for e-commerce.
Brands can use Omnisend to launch effective campaigns using 350+ pre-built email & signup form templates to grow their audience and business.
The platform also supports integration with popular e-comm platforms like Shopify, WooCommerce, and BigCommerce. Omnisend offers audience segmentation and targeted campaign creation, giving marketers a quick view of their email campaigns' success.
With Omnisend, users can even manage customer reviews, send personalized product recommendations, and reminders for abandoned carts, all of which are going to boost the marketing efforts of any brand or business.
Pros
Dynamic messaging feature – helps boost e-commerce conversions.
Limited free plan – but the best part is that it includes all of the features.
Detailed performance reports – with valuable insights to improve email marketing efforts.
Pre-designed workflows – you can use them to automate your email campaigns.
List building features – popups and signup forms you can use to build your audience.
Cons
Pricey – as the pricing tier is determined by both the list size and the number of emails sent, which makes it expensive for a small business.
Branding on the free plan – forcing users to upgrade if they want to remove the Omnisend badge from their emails.
No integration option – lacks integration with Google Analytics or any other CRM software.
E-commerce specific – may not be suitable for every business or niche.
Pricing
Free Plan
Limited free plan available for up to 250 contacts and 500 monthly emails.
Paid Plans
- $16/month: Up to 500 contacts and 6,000/monthly emails sent.
- $59/month: Up to 2500 contacts, and unlimited emails.
*Pricing information retrieved from Omnisend in September 2024.
9. Klaviyo: Best For Ecommerce Email Marketing
Klaviyo is another effective Mailchimp alternative for e-commerce store owners, aiming to drive sales through multi-channel (SMS and email marketing) campaigns.
This solution comes with Machine Learning and Data Science features to enhance analytics and establish solid customer relationships. Users can create personalized email experiences and connect with customers based on their previous interactions with the brand. The platform also offers tools to build landing pages and signup forms.
Even better, its straightforward design minimizes the learning curve so users can focus on what they do best. There are even dynamic coupons for Shopify and Magento platforms, to help you drive high conversion rates and boost customer loyalty.
However, Klaviyo, just like Mailchimp, is going to cost you more with your growing email list and needs.
Pros
Intuitive email editor – allows users to create and manage marketing campaigns effortlessly.
60+ pre-made workflows – makes it easy to set up an automated email strategy.
Powerful segmentation options – create lists and specific segments, sync with Facebook, Instagram, and Google ads.
Built-in CDP and CRM system – helps users understand customers' behavior and preferences to create highly targeted campaigns with built-in CDP and CRM functionality.
Cons
Complex for new users – Klaviyo might be difficult to navigate and use, and beginners may need some time to learn and utilize it to its full potential.
Expensive for smaller businesses – Klaviyo's recent price hike limits its appeal to small businesses. Many smaller ecomm businesses find Klaviyo too expensive, wasting a portion of their budget on features they do not use.
Inadequate customer service – many users complain about insufficient customer support options and delays in receiving assistance from Klaviyo.
Pricing
Free Plan
Limited free plan available for up to 250 contacts and 500 monthly emails.
Paid Plans
- $20/month (Email): for up to 500 active profiles and 5,000/monthly email sends.
- $35/month (Email & SMS): for up to 500 active profiles, 5,000/monthly email sends, and 1,250/month SMS credits.
*Pricing information retrieved from Klaviyo in September 2024.
10. ActiveCampaign: Best For Contact Segmentation And CRM Integration
ActiveCampaign is a versatile Mailchimp alternative, known for its marketing automation, and lead-scoring capabilities.
This service empowers experienced email marketers to go beyond traditional email marketing with its tools to create dynamic content, manage audiences, and leverage generative AI.
It has a built-in CRM with many useful features to engage, nurture, convert, and help businesses grow their customer base.
ActiveCampaign offers strong list management capabilities, coupled with an intense learning curve due to its broad range of features.
It also features powerful analytic tools that help users track and analyze campaigns, while CRM helps create personalized sales funnels and sequences to facilitate revenue growth.
Definitely not for you, if you are looking for a low-maintenance beginner-friendly service with simple automations, and yes, a free plan.
Pros
Mobile app – for easy email campaigns and contact management anytime, anywhere.
Automated lead scoring – based on subscribers' past behavior.
Advanced automation – with prebuilt automation templates and an easy-to-use flow chart system.
Cons
A bit overwhelming for beginners – due to its extensive feature set, and lack of guidance.
Pricey – especially for businesses that don’t utilize all of its features.
Room for improvement in the CRM system – considering how it compares to other dedicated platforms.
Reporting often seems unorganized – which can make it tough to navigate.
Pricing
Free Plan
No free plan is available but you can sign up for a free trial.
Paid Plans
- $15/month (starter): for up to 1000 contacts.
- $49/month (plus): for up to 25,000 contacts.
- $79/month (pro): for up to 100,000 contacts.
- $145/month (enterprise): for an unlimited number of contacts.
*Pricing information retrieved from ActiveCampaign in September 2024.
11. Moosend: Best For Automation
Moosend is one of the best Mailchimp alternatives for small businesses and e-commerce brands searching for advanced functionality and powerful automations to run effective marketing campaigns and convert leads.
It has a user-friendly interface with only a minimal learning curve, providing users with easy access to its full potential. A few of its notable features include an AI-powered hyper-personalization and a countdown timer (exclusive to premium plans).
To create high-converting emails, you can either use its intuitive drag-and-drop editor or choose from 70+ customizable templates. Moosend also allows users to set up automated workflows, event-triggered emails, and interactive customer journeys to ensure timely, relevant customer communication.
The platform’s advanced segmentation options and real-time analytics make it possible to achieve optimum results. Lastly, all Moosend plans support unlimited email campaigns, which is great; however, the deliverability rate is only around 78.07%, as per the "Email Deliverability Report".
Pros
Unlimited emails – on all plans, which is great for small businesses on a modest budget.
Ability to track website visits – which you can use to trigger automation.
Detailed reporting – covering everything from click heatmaps to geolocation insights and even client devices information.
Cons
Basic email and form template library – leaves users spending more time customizing or building from scratch.
Relatively less segmentation options – makes it difficult to send highly personalized emails.
Insufficient A/B testing – focusing only on subject line variations, users cannot compare more than two options simultaneously.
Pricing
Free Plan
No free plan available but you can sign up for a free trial period of 30 days.
Paid Plans
- $9/month: for up to 500 subscribers and unlimited email sends.
- $16/month: for up to 1,000 subscribers and unlimited email sends.
*Pricing information retrieved from Moosend in September 2024.
12. HubSpot Email: Best For Marketing Automation
Hubspot is best known for its CRM tools, but it also offers a transactional email add-on with features similar to Mailchimp – email API and SMTP integration with CRM data.
Users can send emails directly from their Hubspot account using a dedicated IP address as part of Marketing Hub's Professional and Enterprise plans.
Users can manage complex sales funnels using HubSpot's built-in sales CRM. There's even a unified dashboard that allows users to manage everything from marketing to other operations in one place.
One notable feature is the shared inbox, which integrates communications from live chat, Facebook Messenger, chatbots, and team emails, allowing teams to view, track, and respond to all conversations, regardless of their type.
Pros
Comprehensive all-in-one platform – supporting both marketing and transactional emails, allowing users to create, send, and track email campaigns, all in one place.
Advanced marketing features – for tracking and personalization.
Seamless integration with CRM – to ensure accurate data usage.
Cons
Expensive plans – especially for big e-commerce businesses with higher sending limits or need for advanced features.
Steep learning curve for beginners – due to the abundance of features.
No automated IP warm-up – users have to manually warm up dedicated IP addresses.
Pricing
Free Plan
Free plan available with basic features and templates and 2,000 emails per month to unlimited subscribers.
Paid Plans
- $20/month/seat: for 1,000 contacts and 5,000 emails per month.
- $890/month/seat: for 2,000 contacts and 20,000 emails per month.
- $3600/month/seat: for 10,000 contacts and 200,000 emails per month.
*Pricing information retrieved from Hubspot Transactional in September 2024.
13. Flodesk: Best For Email Designs
Flodesk is an email marketing platform known for its striking email designs, minimalist interface, and affordable pricing model - which is quite popular among solo entrepreneurs and small businesses.
Flodesk helps users design and send visually appealing, functional emails without succumbing to the immense complexity usually associated with more established solutions.
The platform offers a user-friendly experience with many attractive templates to choose from – all to help users build landing pages, emails, and checkout pages with standard branding. The system includes built-in tools to nurture leads and boost conversions through an advanced automation builder.
Flodesk, however, is not suitable for big or fast-growing businesses with sophisticated needs, like automations with multiple triggers and multi-user access.
Pros
Affordable pricing – with no hidden fees which is great for businesses with a limited budget.
User-friendly interface – makes it ideal for beginners.
Unlimited subscribers and emails – providing businesses with the freedom they need to grow their email lists without worrying about costs.
High-quality templates – for beginners to create unique and professional emails quickly.
Cons
No free plan or free trial – no way to test before committing.
Basic automation capabilities – limited to single-trigger workflows.
Limited customer support – via email only.
Pricing
Free Plan
No free plan or trial available for users to try this service out.
Paid Plans
- $38/month (email): for unlimited subscribers and emails.
- $64/month (email + checkout): for unlimited subscribers and emails.
*Pricing information retrieved from Flodesk in September 2024.
14. Constant Contact: Best For Cross-Channel Marketing
Last on our Mailchimp alternatives list is Constant Contact. An AI-powered email service marketers can use to automate SMS and email marketing campaigns, generate leads, nurture, and collect feedback using surveys and embedded polls.
Just like Mailchimp, users have the option to design a landing page for their website. The intuitive email editor and newsletter templates facilitate campaign creation. However, there are relatively few customization options, which might frustrate professional marketers.
Two of the stand-out features are social media campaigns and event management. While these features are valuable, don't overlook the essentials – since Constant Contact provides very basic segmentation and personalization options. It only supports subject line A/B testing, useful in some cases, but not for optimizing email content effectively.
Pros
Multiple niche features – such as the ability to create a logo, sell products, and schedule social media posts. Users can also run events and sell tickets for an additional fee.
Multi-channel marketing – to engage customers via different channels like email, social media, and events and let businesses convey a consistent message across multiple channels.
Generative AI – helps users write emails and posts for their social media in no time, based on simple prompts.
Multiple email templates – easy to customize using the email editor with drag-and-drop functionality.
Cons
Unsatisfactory price-performance ratio – compared to what its competitors offer.
Less automation options – with no multi-channel automation options provided by competitors.
Relatively expensive – especially if you have a lot of contacts to manage.
Performance issues – users report Constant Contact to be slow and unresponsive.
Limited A/B testing option – lets users test subject lines.
Pricing
Free Plan
No free plan available but users can sign up for a 30-day free trial.
Paid Plans
- $12/month (lite): for up to 1 user and 50,000 contacts.
- $35/month (standard): for up to 3 users and 50,000 contacts.
- $80/month (premium): for unlimited users and, 50,000 contacts.
*Pricing information retrieved from Constant Contact in September 2024.
Conclusion
When searching for the right Mailchimp Transactional alternative, you have multiple solutions for every taste and budget, and by now you probably have picked a solution best suited to your needs. If not, here are the top 3 Mailchimp alternatives that might be a good fit for your transactional email needs – UniOne, SendGrid, and Mailjet.
Remember, the right alternative makes all the difference in your email campaigns' success. Take your time exploring different options and if one meets your needs, sign up for a free trial before committing! Look for a service with at least a 3-month trial period. UniOne, for instance, offers a 4-month trial period and gives you the freedom to experiment at your own pace.
FAQs
– What are the best alternatives to Mailchimp Transactional Email?
The best alternative to Mailchimp Transactional will depend on your needs and budget, but if you are seeking a reliable alternative with a high deliverability rate, you should definitely give UniOne a try.
– How do I choose the right Mailchimp Transactional alternative for my small business?
Start by figuring out your budget, then consider the email volume you will send, and finally, the features you need most. The right Mailchimp alternative should also be easy to use and require a minimum level of technical expertise.
