When comparing ClickFunnels 2.0 vs. MailChimp, you are looking at two powerful tools designed to boost your digital marketing efforts, each serving a different primary purpose.
But which is better for you?
ClickFunnels 2.0 is a sales funnel builder tailored to optimize your online marketing and sales processes. It delivers a full suite of tools to assist you in creating high-converting funnels for selling products and services.
It’s equipped with features to enhance the shopping experience, such as upsells, downsells, and order bumps, strategically guiding customers through the buying journey.
MailChimp, on the other hand, is a veteran in email marketing, providing you with an intuitive platform for crafting email campaigns to engage with your audience effectively.
In addition to its robust email capabilities, MailChimp offers a free plan, which might be particularly attractive if you’re starting or running on a tight budget.
While it does include some website and landing page tools, its core strength lies in managing your subscriber database and fostering customer relationships through targeted emails.
Overview of ClickFunnels 2.0 vs MailChimp
| Feature | ClickFunnels 2.0 | MailChimp |
|---|---|---|
| Primary Function | All-in-one sales funnel software | Email Marketing Platform |
| Free Trial | 14-day free (here) | 30-days free (plus free account) |
| Pricing | Starts at $147 monthly | Starts at $13 monthly |
| Functionality | Sophisticated & Comprehensive | Sophisticated |
| White Label | No | No |
| Target Audience | Small to large businesses | Individuals and small businesses |
| Learning Curve | Steeper | More gradual |
| Funnel Builder | Very advanced | No funnel builder |
| Email Marketing | Advanced | More advanced |
| Website Builder | Basic | Basic |
| Page Builder | Advanced | Basic |
| CRM | Basic CRM | Advanced |
| Online Course | Yes | No |
| Membership Site | Yes | No |
| Blogging | Yes | No |
| SEO Capabilities | Yes | No |
| Webinars | Yes | No |
| Affiliate Management | Yes | No |
| Social Media Marketing | No | Yes |
| Third-party Integrations and APIs | Very extensive | Less extensive |
| Analytics | Advanced | Advanced |
| Split-Test | Advanced | Advanced |
| E-Commerce | Advanced | More limited |
What is ClickFunnels 2.0?
ClickFunnels 2.0 is a marketing and sales funnel-building platform that helps businesses create and manage online sales funnels. It’s an updated version of ClickFunnels, a popular software Russell Brunson and his team developed.
ClickFunnels 2.0 offers a range of features designed to simplify the process of building, launching, and optimizing sales funnels.
These include drag-and-drop page builders, pre-designed templates, email marketing automation, and integration with various third-party tools and services.
The platform aims to help businesses generate leads, increase sales, and improve conversion rates.
ClickFunnels 2.0 builds upon the philosophy that every business needs a comprehensive online sales and marketing toolset. It provides a powerful suite of tools to create high-converting sales funnels in a user-friendly environment.
Who Should Use ClickFunnels 2.0?
ClickFunnels 2.0 is suitable for a variety of users, including:
- Entrepreneurs: ClickFunnels 2.0 can help entrepreneurs create and optimize sales funnels for their products or services, helping them generate leads and increase sales.
- Small businesses: Small businesses can use ClickFunnels 2.0 to create effective marketing funnels that drive traffic and convert leads into customers.
- Digital marketers: Digital marketers can leverage ClickFunnels 2.0 to create high-converting landing pages and sales funnels for their marketing campaigns.
- E-commerce businesses: E-commerce businesses can use ClickFunnels 2.0 to create sales funnels that optimize the customer journey and increase conversions.
- Affiliate marketers: Affiliate marketers can benefit from ClickFunnels 2.0 by creating custom landing pages and funnels to promote affiliate products effectively.
Overall, ClickFunnels 2.0 is a versatile tool that can be used by anyone looking to improve their online marketing efforts and grow their business.
Core Features of ClickFunnels 2.0
- Funnel Builder: You can access an advanced funnel builder to create multi-stage sales funnels. These funnels guide your customers from the initial contact point to the final sale, enhancing the user journey.
- Drag and Drop Editor: A flexible drag and drop editor allows you to customize templates and build pages without coding skills.
- Templates: Many pre-built templates are available and suited for various industries and marketing campaigns.
- Automation: Set up automation to follow up with customers, streamlining the sales process.
- Analytics: Track your sales funnel performance with built-in analytics tools that provide insights into user behavior and conversion rates.
ClickFunnels 2.0 Pros
ClickFunnels 2.0 Cons
What is MailChimp?
MailChimp is a robust email marketing service that provides various tools for managing your email campaigns. It is designed to accommodate multiple marketing needs, from simple email blasts to complex automation sequences.
It allows businesses to create and manage mailing lists, design and send email campaigns, and track performance.
Mailchimp offers a range of features, including email templates, audience segmentation, A/B testing, and detailed analytics. It’s known for its user-friendly interface and is widely used by businesses of all sizes for email marketing.
Key Functions of MailChimp
- Email Campaign Management: You have access to various templates and a drag-and-drop editor, making it simple to craft engaging emails.
- Automation: MailChimp allows for automated email sequences, so you can set up triggers that send emails based on specific user actions or schedules.
- Landing Pages: You can create custom landing pages to support your campaigns without needing another service.
- Analytics: Gain insights into your campaign’s performance with detailed reports on open rates, click rates, and subscriber activity.
- CRM Integration: MailChimp offers CRM capabilities, enabling you to manage customer relationships directly within the platform.
Who Should Use MailChimp?
Mailchimp is suitable for a wide range of users, including:
- Small businesses: Small businesses can use Mailchimp to create and manage email marketing campaigns, engage with customers, and build their brand.
- Entrepreneurs: Entrepreneurs can use Mailchimp to reach potential customers, promote their products or services, and drive sales.
- Bloggers and content creators can use Mailchimp to share their latest content with subscribers and build a loyal audience.
- E-commerce businesses: E-commerce businesses can use Mailchimp to send personalized product recommendations, promote sales and discounts, and re-engage with customers who have abandoned their carts.
- Non-profit organizations: Non-profit organizations can use Mailchimp to promote their cause, engage with donors and volunteers, and keep their supporters informed about their latest initiatives.
Mailchimp is a versatile tool anyone looking to engage with their audience, build their brand, and drive growth can use.
MailChimp Pros
MailChimp Cons
ClickFunnels 2.0 and MailChimp Pricing and Value for Money
ClickFunnels 2.0 Pricing
ClickFunnels 2.0 offers three main pricing plans: Basic, Pro, and Funnel Hacker. The Basic plan costs $147 per month and includes 20 funnels, one domain, support for one user, and chat support.
The Pro plan costs $197 per month. It includes 100 funnels, three domains, support for five users, and affiliate program management.
The Funnel Hacker plan costs $297 per month. It includes unlimited funnels, nine domains, unlimited pages, support for fifteen users, nine payment gateways, priority chat support, FunnelFlix access, and advanced analytics.
MailChimp Pricing
Mailchimp offers several pricing plans based on the number of contacts. The Essentials plan starts at $13 monthly for up to 500 contacts and includes email marketing, marketing CRM, and landing pages.
The Standard plan costs $20 monthly for up to 500 contacts and consists of all Essentials features plus A/B testing and custom branding.
The Premium plan starts at $350 monthly for up to 10,000 contacts and includes all Standard features plus advanced segmentation and multivariate testing.
Mailchimp’s additional features include email templates, marketing automation, behavioral targeting, and postcards.
ClickFunnels 2.0 vs MailChimp: Head-to-Head Comparison of Core Features
In this section, you’ll explore the specific features that set ClickFunnels 2.0 and MailChimp apart in critical areas of digital marketing.
I compare their offerings in landing page development, email marketing capabilities, automation tools, and analytical prowess to empower you with the information necessary to make an informed decision.
Comparison of Landing Page Capabilities
With ClickFunnels 2.0, you can build robust sales funnels and associated landing pages to convert visitors into customers. Your landing pages can be a vital part of a broader sales funnel strategy, providing a seamless purchasing experience from start to finish.
MailChimp is an email marketing tool that offers landing page capabilities. These pages can integrate with your email campaigns, although they are more fundamental than ClickFunnels 2.0’s more dynamic and conversion-focused offerings.
Email Marketing Feature Showdown
MailChimp shines as an email marketing platform with its user-friendly interface and comprehensive email tools for managing complex campaigns.
It offers a range of templates and allows you to manage your email lists efficiently on its dashboard.
ClickFunnels 2.0 includes email marketing features within its sales funnel architecture, aiming to provide a holistic marketing suite.
Email marketing in ClickFunnels 2.0 is intertwined with your sales funnels, enabling targeted communications based on user actions.
Sales Funnels
ClickFunnels 2.0 is renowned for its focus on quickly creating high-converting sales funnels.
Its drag-and-drop editor allows you to create entire sales funnels, including opt-in pages, sales pages, upsell and downsell pages, and thank-you pages, without coding knowledge.
ClickFunnels 2.0 offers a wide range of pre-designed templates tailored for various industries and purposes, making it easy to start quickly.
Additionally, ClickFunnels 2.0 offers robust analytics and A/B testing features, allowing you to optimize your funnels for maximum conversions.
While Mailchimp is primarily known for its email marketing capabilities, it offers basic sales funnel functionality.
With Mailchimp’s marketing automation features, you can create simple email sequences that guide subscribers through a predefined journey. However, compared to ClickFunnels 2.0, Mailchimp’s sales funnel capabilities are more limited and less intuitive.
Website Builder
ClickFunnels 2.0 primarily focuses on creating high-converting sales funnels rather than traditional websites.
While it offers basic website-building capabilities for creating funnel pages, such as landing pages, thank you pages, and sales pages, its strength lies in its funnel-building features rather than comprehensive website building.
Mailchimp offers a basic website builder to create simple websites with customizable templates.
The website builder is integrated into Mailchimp’s platform, making creating a cohesive brand experience across your email marketing and website efforts easy.
However, Mailchimp’s website builder is more limited in functionality than dedicated website builders.
CRM Capabilities
ClickFunnels 2.0 offers basic CRM (Customer Relationship Management) capabilities to help you manage your contacts and leads. The platform lets you capture and store leads in a contact database through your funnels.
ClickFunnels 2.0 also provides tools for segmenting contacts, tracking interactions, and following up with leads.
While ClickFunnels 2.0’s CRM features are sufficient for basic lead management, they may not be as robust as standalone CRM systems.
Mailchimp offers CRM features as part of its platform, allowing you to manage your contacts and leads alongside your email marketing efforts. Mailchimp’s CRM features include contact management, lead scoring, and audience segmentation.
You can track customer interactions, create targeted email campaigns based on customer behavior, and analyze campaign performance.
Mailchimp’s CRM capabilities are more comprehensive than ClickFunnels 2.0’s basic CRM features.
Automation Tools
ClickFunnels 2.0 allows you to automate marketing sequences and sales funnel stages. Customization is at the forefront, with the ability to tailor actions based on user behaviors, enhancing the efficiency of your sales process.
MailChimp provides automation options primarily for email marketing, including customer journey mapping and behavior-triggered emails.
Furthermore, it supports a plethora of integrations to enhance your marketing stack.
Analytics here are crucial for understanding the impact of your email marketing efforts and refining your strategies for higher engagement.
Template Library
ClickFunnels 2.0 offers a wide range of professionally designed templates for various sales funnels, including lead capture pages, sales pages, webinar funnels, and more.
The platform’s template library is extensive and continuously updated, providing various options. ClickFunnels 2.0’s templates are fully customizable, allowing you to edit them to suit your branding and messaging needs.
Mailchimp also offers a template library, focusing primarily on email templates rather than funnel templates.
Mailchimp’s email template library includes a variety of designs for different types of email campaigns, such as newsletters, product announcements, and event invitations.
While Mailchimp’s template library is not as extensive as ClickFunnels 2.0’s, it offers enough variety to meet the needs of most email marketers.
A/B Split Testing
ClickFunnels 2.0 offers robust A/B split testing features, allowing you to test different elements of your funnels to optimize conversion rates.
To determine which variations perform best, you can easily create and run A/B split tests for headlines, images, copy, and other elements.
ClickFunnels 2.0 provides detailed analytics and reporting for A/B tests, enabling you to make data-driven decisions to improve your funnels’ performance.
Mailchimp also offers A/B split testing features for email campaigns, allowing you to test different subject lines, content, send times, and more. You can set up A/B tests directly within the email campaign editor and track the performance of each variation.
Mailchimp reports A/B test results, including open rates, click-through rates, and other key metrics, to help users optimize their email marketing efforts.
ClickFunnels vs MailChimp: Ease of Use and User Interface
ClickFunnels 2.0 is renowned for its user-friendly interface, which is designed to simplify the creation of sales funnels without extensive technical knowledge.
Its drag-and-drop editor allows users to customize templates easily and build funnels with minimal effort. The platform offers a straightforward workflow, guiding users through each step of funnel creation, from landing pages to upsells and downsells.
Mailchimp is also known for its ease of use, particularly in email marketing. The platform provides a user-friendly interface that makes creating and sending emails, managing subscriber lists, and analyzing campaign performance easy.
Mailchimp’s template library and drag-and-drop editor simplify email design, while its automation features streamline the creation of automated email campaigns.
User Interface
ClickFunnels 2.0 features a clean and intuitive user interface emphasizing simplicity and functionality. The platform’s dashboard provides a clear overview of all funnel-related activities, including creating, managing, and analyzing funnels.
ClickFunnels 2.0’s drag-and-drop editor is easy to use, allowing you to customize your funnels easily.
The platform’s navigation is straightforward, making finding the tools and features needed to create high-converting funnels easy.
Mailchimp’s user interface is also well-designed and user-friendly. Its focus is on providing a seamless experience for managing email marketing campaigns.
The platform’s dashboard provides a snapshot of campaign performance, subscriber engagement, and audience insights. Mailchimp’s email editor is intuitive, allowing you to create visually appealing emails without any coding knowledge.
The platform’s navigation is logical, making accessing all its features, including automation, segmentation, and analytics tools, easy.
Advanced Functionalities
For a business like yours looking to enhance online operations, understanding advanced features is crucial for choosing between ClickFunnels 2.0 and MailChimp.
E-Commerce and Sales Enhancements
ClickFunnels 2.0 offers robust ecommerce features, making it easy to sell products and services online.
The platform allows you to create fully customizable sales funnels for your products, including upsells, downsells, and order bumps.
ClickFunnels 2.0 integrates with popular payment gateways, such as Stripe and PayPal, enabling secure transactions. The platform also provides tools for managing inventory, processing orders, and tracking customer purchases.
While Mailchimp is primarily known for its email marketing capabilities, it also offers some ecommerce features through its integration with popular ecommerce platforms like Shopify.
Mailchimp’s ecommerce tools allow you to create targeted email campaigns based on customer purchase behavior, send product recommendations, and track revenue generated from email campaigns.
However, Mailchimp’s ecommerce functionality is more limited compared to ClickFunnels 2.0.
Membership Site
ClickFunnels 2.0 offers robust features for creating and managing membership sites.
The platform allows you to create different membership levels, offer content upgrades, and manage member access.
ClickFunnels 2.0 also provides tools for drip-feeding content to members, creating member forums, and integrating with payment gateways for handling membership payments.
ClickFunnels 2.0 provides a comprehensive solution for users building and monetizing membership sites.
Mailchimp does not offer built-in features for creating membership sites. While its automation and segmentation tools can deliver exclusive content to subscribers, it lacks the dedicated membership site features found in ClickFunnels 2.0.
If you want to create a membership site, you may need to use Mailchimp, which has a dedicated membership site platform or plugin.
Course Creation Features
ClickFunnels 2.0 offers comprehensive features for creating and selling online courses. The platform allows you to make course modules, lessons, quizzes, and assignments.
ClickFunnels 2.0 also provides tools for drip-feeding content to students, managing student progress, and integrating with payment gateways for handling course payments.
With its membership site features, ClickFunnels 2.0 provides a seamless experience for users looking to create and monetize online courses.
Mailchimp does not offer built-in features for creating online courses. While its automation and segmentation tools can deliver educational content to subscribers, it lacks the dedicated course creation features found in ClickFunnels 2.0.
Users looking to create online courses may need to use Mailchimp, which has a dedicated course creation platform or plugin.
Webinars
ClickFunnels 2.0 integrates with webinar platforms like Zoom and EverWebinar, allowing you to easily create and host webinars as part of your sales funnels.
The platform provides tools for promoting webinars, collecting registrations, and integrating webinar attendance with follow-up sequences.
ClickFunnels 2.0’s integration with webinar platforms makes it easy to incorporate webinars into your marketing strategies and engage with your audience more interactively.
Mailchimp does not offer built-in features for hosting webinars. However, you can integrate third-party webinar platforms with Mailchimp to promote and manage registrations.
While Mailchimp’s email marketing features can be used to promote webinars and follow up with attendees, you will prefer ClickFunnels 2.0’s webinar capabilities.
Social Media Marketing
ClickFunnels 2.0 offers limited features for social media marketing directly within the platform.
While you can integrate your funnels with social media platforms to drive traffic and engagement, ClickFunnels 2.0 lacks extensive marketing tools.
You may need third-party social media management tools with ClickFunnels 2.0 for a comprehensive social media marketing strategy.
Mailchimp provides basic social media marketing tools, allowing you to create and schedule social media posts directly from the platform.
Mailchimp also offers social media ad management features, allowing you to create and manage social media ad campaigns.
While Mailchimp’s social media marketing features are not as comprehensive as dedicated social media management tools, they provide a convenient way for you to manage your social media presence alongside your email marketing efforts.
SMS Marketing
ClickFunnels 2.0 does not offer built-in features for SMS marketing. However, you can integrate third-party SMS marketing platforms with ClickFunnels 2.0 to send text messages to your leads and customers.
While ClickFunnels 2.0’s integration capabilities allow you to incorporate SMS marketing into your sales funnels, you will need additional tools and services for a more integrated SMS marketing solution.
Mailchimp offers SMS marketing features as part of its platform, allowing you to send text messages to subscribers alongside email marketing efforts.
Mailchimp’s SMS marketing features include creating and scheduling text messages, tracking delivery and engagement metrics, and integrating SMS marketing with other marketing channels.
Mailchimp’s SMS marketing capabilities provide a comprehensive solution for reaching your audience via text messages.
Affiliate Program Management
ClickFunnels 2.0 offers robust features for managing affiliate programs.
The platform allows you to create and manage affiliate programs for your products or services, including setting commission structures, tracking affiliate performance, and providing affiliates with marketing materials.
ClickFunnels 2.0 integrates with popular affiliate tracking software, making tracking affiliate referrals and payouts easy.
Mailchimp does not offer built-in features for managing affiliate programs.
While Mailchimp’s automation and segmentation tools can send affiliate-related emails to subscribers, it lacks the dedicated affiliate program management features found in ClickFunnels 2.0.
Using third-party affiliate management software with Mailchimp would be best for managing your affiliate programs.
SEO Capabilities
ClickFunnels 2.0 offers basic SEO (Search Engine Optimization) capabilities to help you optimize your funnels for search engines. The platform allows you to customize meta tags for each funnel page, including title tags and meta descriptions.
ClickFunnels 2.0 also provides options for adding tracking codes and scripts to track website traffic and conversions. While ClickFunnels 2.0’s SEO features are helpful for basic optimization, you may need additional SEO tools for more advanced SEO strategies.
Mailchimp does not offer built-in SEO capabilities for website or landing page optimization. While you can create landing pages within Mailchimp, the platform does not provide specific tools for optimizing these pages for search engines.
To improve your SEO efforts, you need to use third-party SEO tools or plugins in conjunction with Mailchimp to optimize your landing pages for search engines.
Integrations and Ecosystem: ClickFunnels 2.0 or MailChimp
ClickFunnels 2.0 offers a wide range of integrations with third-party tools and services, allowing you to extend the platform’s functionality. The platform integrates with popular email marketing services, payment gateways, CRM systems, and more.
ClickFunnels 2.0 also has a marketplace where you can find additional integrations and templates created by third-party developers. The ClickFunnels 2.0 ecosystem provides flexibility and customization options to suit your business needs.
Mailchimp also offers various integrations with third-party tools and services, although it focuses primarily on email marketing.
The platform integrates with e-commerce platforms, CRM systems, social media platforms, and more. Mailchimp’s integrations allow you to connect your email marketing efforts with other aspects of your business, such as customer management and sales tracking.
While Mailchimp’s ecosystem is less extensive than ClickFunnels 2.0’s, it provides sufficient integrations for most small to medium-sized businesses.
ClickFunnels 2.0 vs MailChimp: Analytics and Reporting
ClickFunnels 2.0 provides detailed analytics and reporting features to help you track the performance of your funnels.
The platform offers metrics such as conversion rates, click-through rates, and sales performance, allowing you to analyze the effectiveness of your funnels.
ClickFunnels 2.0 also provides A/B testing capabilities, allowing you to test different elements of your funnels and optimize for better results. The platform’s reporting features offer insights into funnel performance, helping you make informed decisions to improve your funnels’ performance.
Mailchimp offers analytics and reporting features for email campaigns, allowing you to track open rates, click-through rates, and other vital metrics.
The platform also provides insights into audience engagement and campaign performance, helping you monitor the effectiveness of your email marketing efforts.
Mailchimp’s reporting features enable you to optimize your email campaigns for better results and engagement.
Customer Support and Resources: ClickFunnels 2.0 vs MailChimp
ClickFunnels 2.0 offers customer support through various channels, including email support, live chat, and a knowledge base.
The platform’s knowledge base contains articles, tutorials, and guides to help you learn to use ClickFunnels 2.0 effectively. ClickFunnels 2.0 also has an active community of users who share tips, tricks, and best practices.
Additionally, ClickFunnels 2.0 offers training programs and courses for users looking to deepen their knowledge of funnel building and online marketing.
Mailchimp provides customer support through email and a knowledge base. The platform’s knowledge base contains articles, tutorials, and tips on using its features and tips for successful email marketing.
Mailchimp also offers a community forum where users can ask questions, share ideas, and connect.
Additionally, Mailchimp offers training and resources for users looking to improve their email marketing skills.
Final Thoughts
When considering ClickFunnels 2.0 vs MailChimp for your digital marketing, think about your primary objective.
If your goal is to create and optimize sales funnels with robust lead capture capabilities such as opt-in forms and efficient affiliate marketing management, ClickFunnels 2.0 is designed for this purpose.
In contrast, if your focus is mainly on email marketing with the ability to create simple landing pages and email capture functions, MailChimp offers a comprehensive solution with free and scalable pricing plans.
I recommend ClickFunnels 2.0 for users aiming to construct comprehensive marketing funnels that guide a lead from the initial contact to the final sale. Conversely, for those concentrating on crafting and analyzing email campaigns with some additional features like basic landing pages, MailChimp is advantageous.
Remember to align your choice with both your short-term needs and long-term marketing strategy, keeping in mind the direction in which technology is headed.
