How Circle and Mailchimp compare
Circle is where serious community hosts go when the community is the business. Spaces for discussion and chat, courses and events in the same place, paid memberships with branded checkout, gamification, workflows, Circle AI, and on Circle Plus your own branded iOS and Android apps. It has grown into an all-in-one for membership businesses, and the Website Builder and Email Hub mean many hosts no longer need a second tool for the front door. If your members log in every week to talk to each other, Circle is built for exactly that.
Mailchimp is the name most small businesses say first. Templates, a drag-and-drop editor, segmentation, customer journeys, A/B testing, reporting, forms and landing pages, and integrations with nearly everything make it a dependable marketing hub. The AI tools and Intuit's ecosystem keep it moving.
Where they are different
Circle
- Circle's pages are the front door to a members-only space.
- Circle's Email Hub is an add-on priced per contact on top of the plan.
- Circle's DMs live between members inside the community.
- Circle has courses, live streams, paid tiers for users, and gamification.
Mailchimp
- Mailchimp pages capture leads.
- Mailchimp sends.
- Mailchimp has no shop or bookings.
Choose Circle when a paid, private community with courses and events is the product, and you want members in a branded app.
Choose Mailchimp when you want a mature email marketing hub with integrations into everything else you use.
Compare features
What's on Circle and Mailchimp
A check means that capability is available. Circle and Mailchimp are marked only when the offer is comparable, not the same product.
Site and brand
- Workspace siteCircle: IncludedMailchimp: Included
- Custom domainCircle: IncludedMailchimp: Included
- Theme and fontsCircle: IncludedMailchimp: Included
Reach and quality
- SEOCircle: IncludedMailchimp: Included
Audience and email
- AudienceCircle: IncludedMailchimp: Included
- Email templates and From addressesCircle: IncludedMailchimp: Included
- Marketing emailsCircle: IncludedMailchimp: Included
- Campaign workflowsCircle: IncludedMailchimp: Included
Commerce
- Shop paymentsCircle: IncludedMailchimp: Not included
Team
- Admin usersCircle: IncludedMailchimp: Included
- Per-admin permissionsCircle: IncludedMailchimp: Included
- AI AssistantCircle: IncludedMailchimp: Included
* Note: This table does not capture every feature of Circle or Mailchimp, and is not intended as a comprehensive list. We keep this page current, but Circle or Mailchimp may add or remove features that are not shown here.
Circle vs Mailchimp pricing
Compare plans, prices, and what it costs to get started.
Circle
Current plans and prices
See what Circle charges on their pricing page.
Mailchimp
Current plans and prices
See what Mailchimp charges on their pricing page.
Cardel: An alternative to
Circle and Mailchimp
You don't pay until you publish.
Cardel provides a home for your craft. Share and sell your work, grow your audience, and bring your community together on a site of your own.
Common questions
Is Cardel an alternative to Circle or Mailchimp?
Cardel is a home for your craft: a site of your own with a blog, newsletter, shop, community, and one inbox. It can replace Circle or Mailchimp when you want your work, audience, and sales in one place. The feature list on this page shows where Circle and Mailchimp are marked.
Can I use Cardel with Circle or Mailchimp?
Yes. Cardel pages can link out to other products, so you can keep Circle or Mailchimp for what it does best and bring the rest of your work to Cardel.
How much does Cardel cost compared with Circle and Mailchimp?
You don't pay for Cardel until you publish. Choose Starter, Pro, or Studio when your site goes live. Circle and Mailchimp set their own prices, so check their pricing pages on this page for current plans.
How do I switch from Circle or Mailchimp to Cardel?
Start with Build Your Site, set up your home, and bring your work over at your own pace. You do not have to move everything on day one.