Marketo is an enterprise-grade marketing automation platform designed for complex B2B campaigns with advanced lead scoring and multi-touch attribution, while Mailchimp is a user-friendly email marketing and automation tool built for small-to-mid-size businesses and e-commerce companies. Marketo costs 3-5x more but offers significantly deeper personalization and analytics capabilities.
Marketo vs Mailchimp — Side-by-side comparison on A Versus B
Enterprise marketing automation platform for B2B companies with advanced lead management and predictive analytics.
All-in-one email marketing platform with automation, segmentation, and e-commerce integrations.
Starting Price. Target Market. Lead Scoring Sophistication. Native CRM Integration. Email List Capacity (Free Plan). Multi-Channel Support. Implementation Time
Choose Marketo if you're an enterprise organization running complex, multi-touch B2B campaigns requiring predictive analytics, sophisticated lead nurturing, and deep Salesforce/Dynamics integration—the investment pays off through superior attribution and revenue impact. Choose Mailchimp if you're a growing small business, e-commerce brand, or startup needing affordable, easy-to-use email marketing with basic automation and no implementation complexity.
Marketo Engage: $1,250 | Mailchimp: $20/month
Marketo Engage: 98.5% | Mailchimp: 97.2%
Marketo Engage: 1 (Salesforce only) | Mailchimp: 3 (Salesforce, HubSpot, custom)
Marketo Engage: 750+ | Mailchimp: 300+ (native + Zapier)
Marketo Engage: 3-4 weeks | Mailchimp: N/A
Marketo Engage: 7+ (multi-touch, ABM-ready) | Mailchimp: N/A
Marketo Engage: $150-300 | Mailchimp: N/A
Marketo Engage: Basic predictive, behavior-based | Mailchimp: N/A
Marketo Engage: Unlimited (custom pricing) | Mailchimp: 500,000+
Marketo Engage: Predictive AI-driven with behavioral triggers | Mailchimp: Manual only
Marketo Engage: Salesforce, Microsoft Dynamics, SAP | Mailchimp: Requires API/Zapier connectors
Marketo Engage: 12 (with consultant) | Mailchimp: 1-2 (self-service)
Marketo Engage: 5 (email, SMS, display ads, web, events) | Mailchimp: 4 (email, SMS, ads, landing pages)
Marketo Engage: N/A | Mailchimp: 5 channels
Marketo Engage: N/A | Mailchimp: Yes (500 contacts)
Marketo Engage: N/A | Mailchimp: 7 (moderate to high)
Marketo Engage: N/A | Mailchimp: Sophisticated data-driven rules
Marketo Engage: N/A | Mailchimp: Yes, varies by plan
Marketo Engage: N/A | Mailchimp: Yes, with international expansion
Marketo Engage: N/A | Mailchimp: Free on all plans
Marketo Engage: N/A | Mailchimp: Not available
Marketo Engage: N/A | Mailchimp: Basic (Customer Journey Builder)
Marketo Engage: N/A | Mailchimp: A/B testing and design testing (free)
Marketo Engage: N/A | Mailchimp: More extensive platform coverage
Marketo Engage: N/A | Mailchimp: Basic contact management
Marketo Engage: N/A | Mailchimp: Beginner-friendly
Marketo Engage: N/A | Mailchimp: Limited (abandoned cart via integrations)
Marketo Engage: N/A | Mailchimp: Yes - charges per contact/send overages
Marketo Engage: N/A | Mailchimp: Comprehensive campaign performance and subscriber insights
Marketo Engage: N/A | Mailchimp: Basic personalization features
Marketo Engage: N/A | Mailchimp: Available but less intuitive setup
Marketo Engage: N/A | Mailchimp: Full SMS suite with 2026 international expansion
Marketo Engage: N/A | Mailchimp: Legacy interface, steep learning curve
Marketo Engage: N/A | Mailchimp: Full native CRM platform integrated
Marketo Engage: N/A | Mailchimp: $13/month
Marketo Engage: N/A | Mailchimp: $50-70/month
Marketo Engage: N/A | Mailchimp: $100/month
Marketo Engage: N/A | Mailchimp: Limited core features only
Marketo Engage: N/A | Mailchimp: Extensive design variety and customization
Marketo Engage: N/A | Mailchimp: Standard audience segmentation
Marketo Engage: N/A | Mailchimp: Basic contact data syncing
Marketo Engage: N/A | Mailchimp: 1,000-5,000
Marketo Engage: N/A | Mailchimp: No (API integration only)
Marketo Engage: N/A | Mailchimp: Yes (added 2026, supports international markets)
Marketo Engage: N/A | Mailchimp: 45 minutes
Contact List Size Limit (Standard Pricing)
Marketo Engage: N/A | Mailchimp: Unlimited growth with pro-rated pricing
Marketo Engage: N/A | Mailchimp: 250 contacts
Marketo Engage: N/A | Mailchimp: 1,000 emails/month
Marketo Engage: N/A | Mailchimp: Capped by contact tier multipliers
Marketo Engage: N/A | Mailchimp: 12+ million users
Marketo Engage: N/A | Mailchimp: 4.3/5 stars
Marketo Engage: N/A | Mailchimp: Full CRM suite with advanced segmentation
Marketo Engage: N/A | Mailchimp: Limited e-commerce via integrations
Price Scaling Factor at 5,000 Subscribers
Marketo Engage: N/A | Mailchimp: Steep 3-4x multiplier
Marketo Engage: N/A | Mailchimp: 500 contacts
Marketo Engage: N/A | Mailchimp: Basic add-on CRM
Marketo Engage: N/A | Mailchimp: Manual segmentation only
Marketo Engage: N/A | Mailchimp: Email, basic social
Marketo Engage: N/A | Mailchimp: Minimal (intuitive interface)
Marketo Engage: N/A | Mailchimp: Standard quarterly updates
Marketo Engage: N/A | Mailchimp: Yes, full CRM suite
Marketo Engage: N/A | Mailchimp: Email, SMS, landing pages, ads
Marketo Engage: N/A | Mailchimp: Moderate, marketing-focused
Marketo Engage: N/A | Mailchimp: 10-20 minutes
Marketo Engage: N/A | Mailchimp: 300,000 (based on plan)
Marketo Engage: N/A | Mailchimp: $13/month (Essentials)
Marketo Engage: N/A | Mailchimp: $800/month (100,000 contacts)
Marketo Engage: N/A | Mailchimp: Full-featured free plan
Marketo Engage: N/A | Mailchimp: Yes (up to 500 contacts)
Marketo Engage: N/A | Mailchimp: Modern and professional
Marketo Engage: N/A | Mailchimp: Advanced automation included
Marketo Engage: N/A | Mailchimp: Third-party integrations
Marketo Engage: N/A | Mailchimp: Transactional email and small business
Marketo Engage: N/A | Mailchimp: Yes (drag-and-drop, AI-assisted)
Marketo Engage: N/A | Mailchimp: Full CRM with customer profiles
Marketo Engage: N/A | Mailchimp: All paid plans
Marketo Engage: N/A | Mailchimp: 500 (free) / 5,000 (paid)
Marketo Engage: N/A | Mailchimp: 0.08 months (1 hour)
Marketo Engage: N/A | Mailchimp: Behavioral segmentation only
Marketo Engage: N/A | Mailchimp: 2/10 (simple)
Marketo Engage: N/A | Mailchimp: Email-based, no SLA
Marketo Engage: N/A | Mailchimp: Basic (list segmentation only)
Marketo Engage: N/A | Mailchimp: ~5 basic automations
Marketo Engage: N/A | Mailchimp: No (Zapier third-party only)
Marketo Engage: N/A | Mailchimp: 1 (beginner-friendly)
Marketo Engage: N/A | Mailchimp: 500 free contacts
Marketo Engage: N/A | Mailchimp: None (requires third-party solutions)
Marketo Engage: N/A | Mailchimp: Unlimited (with 10k contacts max)
Marketo Engage: N/A | Mailchimp: Not applicable (subscriber-based)
Starter Tier Monthly Cost (50k contacts)
Marketo Engage: N/A | Mailchimp: $350/month
Automation Workflow Steps (Free/Starter Tier)
Marketo Engage: N/A | Mailchimp: Unlimited (standard feature)
Marketo Engage: N/A | Mailchimp: Unlimited (with pricing increase)
Marketo Engage: N/A | Mailchimp: Unlimited
Marketo Engage: N/A | Mailchimp: Limited basic sequences
Marketo Engage: N/A | Mailchimp: Phone support on paid plans only
Marketo Engage: N/A | Mailchimp: 10 calls/second
Marketo Engage: N/A | Mailchimp: $50-100
Marketo Engage: N/A | Mailchimp: 0% (you handle payments)
Marketo Engage: N/A | Mailchimp: Advanced (conditional, behavioral triggers)
Marketo Engage: N/A | Mailchimp: No (third-party required)
Marketo Engage: N/A | Mailchimp: Yes (subject lines, send time)
Marketo Engage: N/A | Mailchimp: Included in paid plans
Marketo Engage: N/A | Mailchimp: 30+ (payment processor + Mailchimp config)
Marketo Engage: N/A | Mailchimp: $0 (free tier) or $20 (Pro)
Marketo Engage: N/A | Mailchimp: Not offered (email-focused)
Marketo Engage: N/A | Mailchimp: Not offered
Marketo Engage: N/A | Mailchimp: 5 (Email, SMS, Social Ads, Landing Pages, Postcards)
Marketo Engage: N/A | Mailchimp: $70/month
Marketo Engage: N/A | Mailchimp: Limited (up to 5-10 per plan tier)
Marketo Engage: N/A | Mailchimp: $0.01-0.05 per SMS
Marketo Engage: N/A | Mailchimp: 100+ templates
Marketo Engage: N/A | Mailchimp: 4-6 weeks
Marketo Engage: N/A | Mailchimp: $2–$7 (plan-dependent)
Marketo Engage: N/A | Mailchimp: 0.5–1 hour (UI-based)
Marketo Engage: N/A | Mailchimp: Advanced (subject, send time, content)
Marketo Engage: N/A | Mailchimp: Manual review required
Marketo Engage: N/A | Mailchimp: Full CRM with segmentation, tagging, custom fields
Marketo Engage: N/A | Mailchimp: $200–$350 (based on tier)
Marketo Engage: N/A | Mailchimp: $0.01 (SMS add-on)
Marketo Engage: N/A | Mailchimp: 45+ countries
Marketo Engage: N/A | Mailchimp: 1 day (no-code signup)
Marketo Engage: N/A | Mailchimp: 12M+ users (2025)
Marketo Engage: N/A | Mailchimp: Unlimited steps
Marketo Engage: N/A | Mailchimp: 1,000+ templates
Marketo Engage: N/A | Mailchimp: No (paid add-on)
Marketo Engage: N/A | Mailchimp: Paid add-on
Marketo Engage: N/A | Mailchimp: 0% (SaaS model)
Marketo Engage: N/A | Mailchimp: 30-60 minutes
Marketo Engage: N/A | Mailchimp: 20 (1K-contact plan)
Marketo Engage: N/A | Mailchimp: 20M+ users
Marketo Engage: N/A | Mailchimp: 500+ templates including AI-generated
Marketo Engage: N/A | Mailchimp: $20 additional per month
Marketo Engage: N/A | Mailchimp: Advanced abandoned cart, product recommendations, dynamic pricing
Marketo Engage: N/A | Mailchimp: Basic automation on free plan
Marketo Engage: N/A | Mailchimp: Advanced AI copywriter with subject line optimization
Marketo Engage: N/A | Mailchimp: $20/month
Marketo Engage: N/A | Mailchimp: Not included
Marketo Engage: N/A | Mailchimp: Limited - basic integration support only
Marketo Engage: N/A | Mailchimp: Advanced visual builder included
Marketo Engage: N/A | Mailchimp: 15-20 minutes
Marketo Engage: N/A | Mailchimp: List management only
Marketo Engage: N/A | Mailchimp: Yes - iOS and Android
Marketo Engage: N/A | Mailchimp: Yes (drag-and-drop)
Marketo Engage: N/A | Mailchimp: Available at higher tiers
Marketo Engage: N/A | Mailchimp: $30/month
Marketo Engage: N/A | Mailchimp: Advanced (100+ triggers, unlimited branching)
Marketo Engage: N/A | Mailchimp: 0 (Third-party only)
Marketo Engage: N/A | Mailchimp: 5+ (Shopify, WooCommerce, BigCommerce, Squarespace, others)
Marketo Engage: N/A | Mailchimp: Basic contact segmentation, limited tagging, no pipeline management
Marketo Engage: N/A | Mailchimp: None—email-focused platform only
Marketo Engage: N/A | Mailchimp: Automations available on free plan with customer journey builder
Marketo Engage: N/A | Mailchimp: Limited on starter plans
Marketo Engage: N/A | Mailchimp: Premium+ ($350/month minimum)
Marketo Engage: N/A | Mailchimp: $200+ (plan dependent)
Marketo Engage: N/A | Mailchimp: 5-10 (UI-based)
Marketo Engage: N/A | Mailchimp: Advanced (journey builder, behavioral triggers, A/B testing)
Marketo Engage: N/A | Mailchimp: 10 (REST API)
How to choose between Marketo Engage and Mailchimp
Marketo vs Mailchimp — Structured Comparison Data
Machine-readable comparison dataset for Marketo vs Mailchimp. Contains 197 attribute comparisons, 5 FAQ pairs.
Marketo vs Mailchimp — Attribute Category Vocabulary
Taxonomy of attribute categories used to classify comparison data for Marketo vs Mailchimp.
Which platform is better for B2B lead generation?
Marketo is significantly better for B2B. Its predictive lead scoring, account-based marketing (ABM) capabilities, and native Salesforce integration are purpose-built for enterprise sales cycles. Mailchimp lacks behavioral scoring and multi-touch attribution, making it unsuitable for complex B2B funnels. Marketo users report 50% faster lead qualification cycles.
Can I use Mailchimp if my company grows beyond 10,000 contacts?
Yes, Mailchimp scales to 500,000+ contacts on its Pro and Standard plans. At $350-1,050/month for 500k contacts, Mailchimp remains 3-4x cheaper than Marketo's entry point. However, you'll still lack predictive lead scoring and true CRM integration. Consider migrating to Marketo only if you need sophisticated lead management or account-based marketing.
Mailchimp integrates with Salesforce via third-party connectors (native app in AppExchange) or Zapier, but it's one-way contact sync only—not true two-way synchronization. Marketo offers native, bidirectional Salesforce integration with lead status updates, campaign membership, and field mapping built-in. If Salesforce is your primary CRM, Marketo eliminates manual data entry and sync delays.
What's the realistic cost difference at scale?
For 50,000 contacts: Mailchimp costs ~$500/month; Marketo costs $2,500-4,000/month. For 100,000+ contacts, the gap widens further. However, Marketo typically delivers 2-3x better ROI through improved attribution and lead quality, making it cost-effective for revenue-focused enterprises despite the higher absolute spend.
Which platform has better customer support?
Marketo offers 24/7 phone and live chat support included in enterprise plans, plus dedicated success managers. Mailchimp's free tier has email-only support (24-48 hour response); paid plans get chat support during business hours. For implementation, Marketo requires (or strongly recommends) hiring an Adobe Marketo Certified Expert consultant; Mailchimp is self-serve with free onboarding webinars.
How to Choose Between Marketo Engage and Mailchimp
Starting Price: Marketo Engage has $1,250/month, while Mailchimp has $20/month.
Target Market: Marketo Engage has Enterprise & mid-market B2B, while Mailchimp has Small business & e-commerce.
Lead Scoring Sophistication: Marketo Engage has Predictive & behavioral with AI, while Mailchimp has Basic manual scoring only.
Native CRM Integration: Marketo Engage has Salesforce, Microsoft Dynamics (built-in), while Mailchimp has Requires third-party connectors.
Consider: Email List Capacity (Free Plan)
Email List Capacity (Free Plan): Marketo Engage has None (no free tier), while Mailchimp has 500 contacts unlimited emails.
Multi-Channel Support: Marketo Engage has Email, ads, web, mobile, events, while Mailchimp has Email, SMS, ads, landing pages.
Implementation Time: Marketo Engage has 8-16 weeks with consultant, while Mailchimp has 1-2 weeks self-service.