Shopify Vs MailChimp: Which Tool Is Better For Your Project?

Email marketing is an affordable marketing strategy that is beneficial for all kinds of businesses. As a business, all you need is a cost-effective option. Shopify Email and Mailchimp are both widely used choices. Deciding between Shopify vs Mailchimp is a difficult task. Do not be afraid, this blog will provide help!

Shopify Vs Mailchimp: Quick Assessment

Businesses can enjoy the valuable tools provided by Shopify and Mailchimp. Even so, their main goals and characteristics vary. 

• Shopify: Shopify functions as an e-commerce platform. It has developed its own email tool, Shopify Email. Utilizing it enables you to generate, transmit, and oversee your email campaigns directly within your Shopify account. This indicates that you do not require an additional tool for email marketing. Shopify Email is simple to use and convenient. It is designed for businesses that wish to manage their email marketing in addition to their Shopify online store. 
• Mailchimp: On the flip side, Mailchimp serves as a comprehensive marketing tool. Its main reputation comes from its email advertising offerings. Users can create, send, and check email campaigns to connect with their audience. Aside from email marketing, Mailchimp provides many other features. These tools include audience segmentation, marketing automation, social media management, and website-building. Small and medium-sized businesses find it to be popular. This is due to its easy-to-use interface and variety of marketing features.

Now, let’s talk about the differences between Shopify and Mailchimp through some specific factors: 

Factors	Shopify	Mailchimp
Email builders	Basic email editor with limited customization	Advanced email builder with extensive customization
List building features	Basic opt-in forms Integration with apps	Customizable signup forms, pop-up forms, landing pages
Segmentation and targeting	Basic segmentation options Integration with third-party apps	Advanced segmentation based on various criteria Integration with e-commerce platforms.
Marketing automation	Basic automation for order-related notifications	Advanced automation with pre-built workflows and customization
Analytics	Basic e-commerce analytics	Comprehensive email marketing analytics
Reporting	Limited reporting focused on store performance	Detailed reporting tailored to email marketing campaigns
Customer support	Email, phone, live chat, extensive documentation	Email, live chat, documentation, and availability may vary by plan
Pricing	Free for basic email needs, additional charges for higher volume	Free plans with limited features, paid plans with tiered pricing based on features and volume

The Comparison Between Shopify Vs Mailchimp

After a brief comparison, we will delve deeper to understand the differences between Shopify vs Mailchimp better: 

Email builders 

• Shopify: Shopify Email functions as a plugin, so it doesn’t provide the same level of features that Mailchimp offers. However, you will discover all the features provided by Shopify Email with ease. Setting up email on Shopify is also fast and simple. 
• Mailchimp: It might need a bit of time for you to get used to the location of all Mailchimp’s features and tools. 

Content Blocks

• Shopify: Shopify Email provides all the necessary content blocks as well as some that are specific to e-commerce. These consist of sections for inserting gift cards, items, and promo codes. 
• Mailchimp: Mailchimp provides a diverse range of content blocks. Promo codes, product recommendations, and product content blocks are all part of it. It is constructed by two builders, one modern and one traditional. Both are simple to operate. 

Email Template

• Shopify: Shopify Email provides branded templates that allow you to incorporate your brand logos and colors. They are suitable for different events and purposes. These templates are available for free access. 
• Mailchimp: Mailchimp offers over 100 customizable templates in its library. Still, only a limited number are accessible with the complimentary option. The remaining content is only available to users who have purchased a plan. Customizing these templates with your branding and adjusting them to suit your requirements is a straightforward process.

=> Verdict: Mailchimp’s email builder provides additional advanced functionalities. This is why businesses prefer it when seeking complete email marketing solutions.

List building features 

Shopify: 

Shopify Email does not have built-in features for creating email lists. However, there is a Shopify Forms add-on and third-party connections for producing forms, landing pages, and popups. The Shopify Forms app enables you to create and release in-line forms and popups. The purpose of this is to create email databases. You have the option to establish personalized triggers as well. 

Plus, you can choose the location and timing for displaying your forms. However, you are limited to creating only simple email signup forms and cannot create more interactive forms. To access more advanced forms and landing pages, you must connect your store with external applications, which is not the most convenient choice.

Mailchimp: 

Mailchimp provides an integrated landing page creator and a specialized form creator. Basic and themed templates both exist. Their task is to design various kinds of landing pages. Mailchimp’s mobile app also provides a convenient feature for creating one-click landing pages. It also provides performance analytics to aid in evaluating the performance of your landing pages. This assists in recognizing pages with poor performance. This also assists in improving them for increased conversions. 

Building and incorporating forms into your website is simple by using Mailchimp’s form constructor. Besides the form builder, another option available is to use the “Grow your list”. You can use this landing page template for creating forms. This template utilizes the content block known as the “Signup form.” 

=> Verdict: Mailchimp offers more powerful tools. These characteristics allow companies to develop and expand their email lists and tailor their messaging to appeal to their specific audience.

Segmentation and targeting 

> Shopify: You can utilize your Shopify customer segments to send emails through Shopify. This will greatly simplify things for you. Shopify provides different segmentation choices through filters, like: 

• Amount spent 
• Location 
• Customer account status 
• Customer added date 
• Customer email domain 
• Language 
• Customer tags 
• Email events 
• Email or SMS subscription status 
• Last order date 
• Number of orders 
• Predicted spend tier 
• Products purchases

> Mailchimp: Mailchimp provides a wide range of segmentation choices. You can form detailed segments by including the greatest of 5 conditions for each segment. This is the greatest advantage. These conditions can be configured using either the “AND” or “OR” operators. Users can be divided into different segments based on:

• Contacts’ demographic details 
• How contacts were acquired 
• Email and SMS activity 
• E-commerce activity 
• Likelihood of repeat purchase 
• Online behavior and engagement

=> Verdict: Shopify offers simple segmentation features. Mailchimp provides more sophisticated and automated segmentation choices.

Marketing automation 

• Shopify: The automation of Shopify is simple. It assists in confirming orders and dealing with abandoned carts. If a person abandons their cart, Shopify will send them a reminder email. Yet, there are few choices available for modifying these emails. It can connect with other apps to do extra tasks. But, when standing alone, it is not as sophisticated as Mailchimp.
• Mailchimp: Mailchimp’s automation is more sophisticated. It contains many ready-made workflows designed for various tasks. These processes can respond to subscribers’ actions. For instance, they can send emails after a purchase or click on a link. Mailchimp also integrates effectively with online shopping platforms. It can recommend items and send later emails. In general, Mailchimp provides greater choices and has more automation capabilities.

=> Verdict: Mailchimp provides advanced automation workflows. They can be customized to fit your needs. Plus, all of them are customized for e-commerce companies.

Analytics

• Shopify: Shopify Email offers information about the orders that have been made. This is an outcome of monitoring metrics in email marketing. The metrics are total sales, average order value, average products sold, and first-time customers. It offers an understanding of the behavior of your customers’ marketing funnel. It does this bt monitoring metrics. Shopify functions as an e-commerce platform. Thus, it assists in monitoring metrics associated with email effectiveness. Additionally, it assists in monitoring the online shopping habits of your clientele. Yet, for more sophisticated analytics, you need to explore different alternative options.
• Mailchimp: In contrast, Mailchimp broadens its analytics. It offers a more in-depth understanding of your customers. This comes along with their probability of making a repeat buy. You can check engagement on social media and landing pages as well. Next, you can determine which activities are producing the most leads. Its e-commerce knowledge is quite simple yet includes everything necessary. Mailchimp holds a unique edge over Shopify Email. It provides over 300 integrations to assist in gathering more data and analytics. They are all for enhancing your email campaigns. This involves incorporating web analytics tools such as Google Analytics.

=> Verdict: Mailchimp provides analytics that are more advanced and intricate. They are designed with a focus on enhancing email marketing effectiveness.

Reporting

• Shopify: Shopify primarily concentrates on e-commerce metrics in its reporting. These measurements pertain to sales, orders, and customer activity on the e-commerce site. It offers information on sales patterns, best-selling items, and methods for gaining new customers. Still, the emphasis of the reporting features is primarily on store performance. Their attention is more on marketing campaign efficiency.
• Mailchimp: In contrast, Mailchimp provides strong reporting capabilities. This report is customized for email marketing campaigns. It offers in-depth information on email engagement metrics. They consist of open rates, click-through rates, and conversion rates. Moreover, Mailchimp’s reporting feature enables users to perform various tasks. You can check the increase in audience and the performance of different segments. You can assess the efficiency of many campaigns over time.

=> Verdict: Mailchimp’s reporting capabilities are more thorough. It focuses on evaluating how well email marketing campaigns are driving interactions and conversions.

Customer support

• Shopify: Shopify provides customer assistance through many communication options. Correspondence through email, telephone, and real-time chat. They also offer in-depth documentation, tutorials, and a forum for self-assistance. Also, Shopify provides round-the-clock support for urgent matters across all their subscription plans. This guarantees that help is always accessible when necessary.
• Mailchimp: Mailchimp provides customer help through email and live chat services. Yet, their presence may differ based on the specific plan. They offer a wide range of online materials. These consist of instructional guides, tutorials, and a database of information.

=> Verdict: Mailchimp may have fewer customer support options compared to Shopify. This is particularly accurate for users utilizing the free or lower-tier paid plans.

Pricing 

> Shopify: Shopify Email’s pricing operates under a straightforward scheme. The initial 10,000 emails each month are free, and thereafter, it charges $1 per 1000 emails monthly. For those with basic email needs, Shopify Email can be used at no cost. 

> Mailchimp: In contrast, Mailchimp provides a free plan with limited features. It comes along with three paid options offering varying features: 

• Free: Suitable for up to 1000 emails per month. 
• Essentials: Starting at $13 for 5,000 monthly emails and 500 subscribers. 
• Standard: Beginning at $20. 6,000 monthly emails and 500 subscribers. 
• Premium: Starting at $350. 150,000 monthly emails and 10,000 subscribers.

=> Verdict: Mailchimp is pricier than Shopify Email. Yet, it offers greater accessibility and a wider array of features.

Shopify Vs Mailchimp: When To Choose For Email Marketing?

Before making the decision, it is important to discover the pros and cons of each platform: 

Factors	Shopify	Mailchimp
Pros	E-commerce focused platform User-friendly website builder Extensive app store for additional features Robust inventory management 24/7 customer support	Comprehensive email marketing features Advanced segmentation and targeting Automation workflows for marketing campaigns Integration with e-commerce platforms Customizable signup forms and pop-ups
Cons	Limited email marketing features Basic email marketing capabilities Additional transaction fees for some plans Limited customization options for emails Limited integration with third-party apps	Pricing can be expensive for high-volume The learning curve for beginners Reporting may not be as detailed for e-commerce metrics The free plan has limited features Customer support availability varies by plan

Deciding between Shopify and Mailchimp for email marketing is based on two factors. Your unique requirements and objectives for your business. 

Select Shopify for email marketing if: 

• Your main focus is on e-commerce. 
• You are in search of a complete answer. 
• You are searching for an uncomplicated email marketing solution. 
• You are presently using Shopify for your online store. 
• You like the ease of handling your store and email marketing in one platform. 
• You have fundamental email marketing needs. 
• You seek an affordable option. 

Opt for Mailchimp for email marketing in case: 

• You need a strong and all-encompassing email marketing solution. 
• You need more flexibility and a wider range of customization choices. 
• You are searching for a platform with a wide range of integration capabilities. 
• You are prepared to invest to use advanced features and receive support.

Conclusion

Ultimately, Shopify and Mailchimp provide distinct benefits for various aspects of your project. In the end, the decision between Shopify and Mailchimp hinges on many factors. Take into account assessing the characteristics, capabilities, and costs of each platform. This will help in finding the tool that best fits your project requirements.