Pardot is an enterprise-grade B2B marketing automation platform with advanced lead scoring and CRM integration, while Mailchimp is a user-friendly email marketing tool designed for small businesses and creators with simpler automation capabilities. Pardot costs 10-50x more but offers significantly deeper functionality for complex sales funnels.
Pardot vs Mailchimp — Side-by-side comparison on A Versus B
Enterprise B2B marketing automation platform with advanced lead management and Salesforce integration.
Accessible email marketing and automation platform for small businesses, e-commerce, and creators.
Primary Use Case. Starting Monthly Price. Lead Scoring Capabilities. Salesforce CRM Integration. Email Templates Available. Multi-touch Attribution. Ideal Team Size
Choose Pardot if your business has a complex B2B sales cycle with multiple decision-makers, requires sophisticated lead scoring, uses Salesforce, and needs multi-channel campaign orchestration—the ROI justifies the cost for enterprise teams. Choose Mailchimp if you're a small business, e-commerce store, or creator focused on email marketing and basic automation with a limited budget and straightforward audience engagement needs.
Pardot (by Salesforce): $1,250 | Mailchimp: N/A
Pardot (by Salesforce): 8-12 weeks | Mailchimp: N/A
Pardot (by Salesforce): Unlimited | Mailchimp: N/A
Pardot (by Salesforce): Native (same parent) | Mailchimp: N/A
Pardot (by Salesforce): Yes (basic) | Mailchimp: N/A
Pardot (by Salesforce): 14 days | Mailchimp: Unlimited free tier available
Pardot (by Salesforce): 78% (Einstein Pardot) | Mailchimp: N/A
Pardot (by Salesforce): $1,250 | Mailchimp: $20
Pardot (by Salesforce): None (no free tier) | Mailchimp: 500 contacts
Pardot (by Salesforce): Advanced (behavioral + firmographic + company-level) | Mailchimp: Basic (list segmentation only)
Pardot (by Salesforce): Unlimited multi-step journeys | Mailchimp: ~5 basic automations
Pardot (by Salesforce): Yes (bi-directional sync, real-time) | Mailchimp: No (Zapier third-party only)
Pardot (by Salesforce): 150+ | Mailchimp: 100+
Pardot (by Salesforce): Yes (dedicated ABM module) | Mailchimp: No
Pardot (by Salesforce): 4 (requires training) | Mailchimp: 1 (beginner-friendly)
Pardot (by Salesforce): 6 weeks | Mailchimp: N/A
Pardot (by Salesforce): 300+ | Mailchimp: N/A
Pardot (by Salesforce): Explicit, implicit with Einstein AI integration | Mailchimp: N/A
Pardot (by Salesforce): Native bi-directional real-time sync | Mailchimp: N/A
Pardot (by Salesforce): 4 (email, SMS, social, list email) | Mailchimp: N/A
Pardot (by Salesforce): 100,000+ Salesforce API calls | Mailchimp: N/A
Pardot (by Salesforce): 4.5 months average | Mailchimp: N/A
Pardot (by Salesforce): $1,200 | Mailchimp: $20/month
Pardot (by Salesforce): 97.2% | Mailchimp: 97.2%
Pardot (by Salesforce): Not available (add-on only) | Mailchimp: N/A
Pardot (by Salesforce): $1,250 | Mailchimp: $13 (paid) / $0 (free tier)
Pardot (by Salesforce): Advanced (behavioral, firmographic, custom rules) | Mailchimp: Not available (segmentation only)
Pardot (by Salesforce): Native, bi-directional, real-time | Mailchimp: Third-party (Zapier) only
Pardot (by Salesforce): 200+ (B2B-focused) | Mailchimp: 300+ (general purpose)
Pardot (by Salesforce): 7+ (first, last, linear, time-decay, custom) | Mailchimp: 1 (last-click only)
Pardot (by Salesforce): Typically 10,000+ | Mailchimp: 500 (free), unlimited (paid)
Pardot (by Salesforce): Yes, native ABM with named accounts | Mailchimp: No, not available
Pardot (by Salesforce): N/A | Mailchimp: 5 channels
Pardot (by Salesforce): N/A | Mailchimp: Yes (500 contacts)
Pardot (by Salesforce): N/A | Mailchimp: 7 (moderate to high)
Pardot (by Salesforce): N/A | Mailchimp: Sophisticated data-driven rules
Pardot (by Salesforce): N/A | Mailchimp: Yes, varies by plan
Pardot (by Salesforce): N/A | Mailchimp: Yes, with international expansion
Pardot (by Salesforce): N/A | Mailchimp: Free on all plans
Pardot (by Salesforce): N/A | Mailchimp: Not available
Pardot (by Salesforce): N/A | Mailchimp: Basic (Customer Journey Builder)
Pardot (by Salesforce): N/A | Mailchimp: A/B testing and design testing (free)
Pardot (by Salesforce): N/A | Mailchimp: More extensive platform coverage
Pardot (by Salesforce): N/A | Mailchimp: Basic contact management
Pardot (by Salesforce): N/A | Mailchimp: Beginner-friendly
Pardot (by Salesforce): N/A | Mailchimp: 500
Pardot (by Salesforce): N/A | Mailchimp: 4.3/5
Pardot (by Salesforce): N/A | Mailchimp: Limited (abandoned cart via integrations)
Pardot (by Salesforce): N/A | Mailchimp: Yes - charges per contact/send overages
Pardot (by Salesforce): N/A | Mailchimp: Comprehensive campaign performance and subscriber insights
Pardot (by Salesforce): N/A | Mailchimp: 1,200+
Pardot (by Salesforce): N/A | Mailchimp: Basic personalization features
Pardot (by Salesforce): N/A | Mailchimp: Available but less intuitive setup
Pardot (by Salesforce): N/A | Mailchimp: Full SMS suite with 2026 international expansion
Pardot (by Salesforce): N/A | Mailchimp: Legacy interface, steep learning curve
Pardot (by Salesforce): N/A | Mailchimp: Full native CRM platform integrated
Pardot (by Salesforce): N/A | Mailchimp: $13/month
Pardot (by Salesforce): N/A | Mailchimp: $50-70/month
Pardot (by Salesforce): N/A | Mailchimp: $100/month
Pardot (by Salesforce): N/A | Mailchimp: Limited core features only
Pardot (by Salesforce): N/A | Mailchimp: Extensive design variety and customization
Pardot (by Salesforce): N/A | Mailchimp: Standard audience segmentation
Pardot (by Salesforce): N/A | Mailchimp: Basic contact data syncing
Pardot (by Salesforce): N/A | Mailchimp: 1,000-5,000
Pardot (by Salesforce): N/A | Mailchimp: $145
Pardot (by Salesforce): N/A | Mailchimp: No (API integration only)
Pardot (by Salesforce): N/A | Mailchimp: Yes (added 2026, supports international markets)
Pardot (by Salesforce): N/A | Mailchimp: 45 minutes
Contact List Size Limit (Standard Pricing)
Pardot (by Salesforce): N/A | Mailchimp: Unlimited growth with pro-rated pricing
Pardot (by Salesforce): N/A | Mailchimp: 250 contacts
Pardot (by Salesforce): N/A | Mailchimp: 1,000 emails/month
Pardot (by Salesforce): N/A | Mailchimp: Capped by contact tier multipliers
Pardot (by Salesforce): N/A | Mailchimp: 12+ million users
Pardot (by Salesforce): N/A | Mailchimp: 4.3/5 stars
Pardot (by Salesforce): N/A | Mailchimp: Full CRM suite with advanced segmentation
Pardot (by Salesforce): N/A | Mailchimp: Limited e-commerce via integrations
Price Scaling Factor at 5,000 Subscribers
Pardot (by Salesforce): N/A | Mailchimp: Steep 3-4x multiplier
Pardot (by Salesforce): N/A | Mailchimp: 500 contacts
Pardot (by Salesforce): N/A | Mailchimp: Basic add-on CRM
Pardot (by Salesforce): N/A | Mailchimp: Manual segmentation only
Pardot (by Salesforce): N/A | Mailchimp: Email, basic social
Pardot (by Salesforce): N/A | Mailchimp: Minimal (intuitive interface)
Pardot (by Salesforce): N/A | Mailchimp: Standard quarterly updates
Pardot (by Salesforce): N/A | Mailchimp: Yes, full CRM suite
Pardot (by Salesforce): N/A | Mailchimp: Email, SMS, landing pages, ads
Pardot (by Salesforce): N/A | Mailchimp: Moderate, marketing-focused
Pardot (by Salesforce): N/A | Mailchimp: 10-20 minutes
Pardot (by Salesforce): N/A | Mailchimp: 300,000 (based on plan)
Pardot (by Salesforce): N/A | Mailchimp: $13/month (Essentials)
Pardot (by Salesforce): N/A | Mailchimp: $800/month (100,000 contacts)
Pardot (by Salesforce): N/A | Mailchimp: Full-featured free plan
Pardot (by Salesforce): N/A | Mailchimp: Yes (up to 500 contacts)
Pardot (by Salesforce): N/A | Mailchimp: Modern and professional
Pardot (by Salesforce): N/A | Mailchimp: Advanced automation included
Pardot (by Salesforce): N/A | Mailchimp: Third-party integrations
Pardot (by Salesforce): N/A | Mailchimp: Transactional email and small business
Pardot (by Salesforce): N/A | Mailchimp: Yes (drag-and-drop, AI-assisted)
Pardot (by Salesforce): N/A | Mailchimp: Full CRM with customer profiles
Pardot (by Salesforce): N/A | Mailchimp: 1000+
Pardot (by Salesforce): N/A | Mailchimp: All paid plans
Pardot (by Salesforce): N/A | Mailchimp: 3.8/5
Pardot (by Salesforce): N/A | Mailchimp: 500 (free) / 5,000 (paid)
Pardot (by Salesforce): N/A | Mailchimp: 0.08 months (1 hour)
Pardot (by Salesforce): N/A | Mailchimp: 3 (Salesforce, HubSpot, custom)
Pardot (by Salesforce): N/A | Mailchimp: Behavioral segmentation only
Pardot (by Salesforce): N/A | Mailchimp: 2/10 (simple)
Pardot (by Salesforce): N/A | Mailchimp: Email-based, no SLA
Pardot (by Salesforce): N/A | Mailchimp: $50
Pardot (by Salesforce): N/A | Mailchimp: 7.8/10
Pardot (by Salesforce): N/A | Mailchimp: 300+
Pardot (by Salesforce): N/A | Mailchimp: 500 free contacts
Pardot (by Salesforce): N/A | Mailchimp: None (requires third-party solutions)
Pardot (by Salesforce): N/A | Mailchimp: Unlimited (with 10k contacts max)
Pardot (by Salesforce): N/A | Mailchimp: Not applicable (subscriber-based)
Starter Tier Monthly Cost (50k contacts)
Pardot (by Salesforce): N/A | Mailchimp: $350/month
Pardot (by Salesforce): N/A | Mailchimp: 500+
Pardot (by Salesforce): N/A | Mailchimp: 250ms
Automation Workflow Steps (Free/Starter Tier)
Pardot (by Salesforce): N/A | Mailchimp: Unlimited (standard feature)
Pardot (by Salesforce): N/A | Mailchimp: Unlimited (with pricing increase)
Pardot (by Salesforce): N/A | Mailchimp: $0
Pardot (by Salesforce): N/A | Mailchimp: Unlimited
Pardot (by Salesforce): N/A | Mailchimp: Limited basic sequences
Pardot (by Salesforce): N/A | Mailchimp: Phone support on paid plans only
Pardot (by Salesforce): N/A | Mailchimp: 13+
Pardot (by Salesforce): N/A | Mailchimp: 10 calls/second
Pardot (by Salesforce): N/A | Mailchimp: $50-100
Pardot (by Salesforce): N/A | Mailchimp: 0% (you handle payments)
Pardot (by Salesforce): N/A | Mailchimp: Advanced (conditional, behavioral triggers)
Pardot (by Salesforce): N/A | Mailchimp: No (third-party required)
Pardot (by Salesforce): N/A | Mailchimp: Yes (subject lines, send time)
Pardot (by Salesforce): N/A | Mailchimp: Included in paid plans
Pardot (by Salesforce): N/A | Mailchimp: 30+ (payment processor + Mailchimp config)
Pardot (by Salesforce): N/A | Mailchimp: $0 (free tier) or $20 (Pro)
Pardot (by Salesforce): N/A | Mailchimp: Not offered (email-focused)
Pardot (by Salesforce): N/A | Mailchimp: Not offered
Pardot (by Salesforce): N/A | Mailchimp: 5 (Email, SMS, Social Ads, Landing Pages, Postcards)
Pardot (by Salesforce): N/A | Mailchimp: 1-2 (self-service)
Pardot (by Salesforce): N/A | Mailchimp: $70/month
Pardot (by Salesforce): N/A | Mailchimp: Limited (up to 5-10 per plan tier)
Pardot (by Salesforce): N/A | Mailchimp: $0.01-0.05 per SMS
Pardot (by Salesforce): N/A | Mailchimp: 100+ templates
Pardot (by Salesforce): N/A | Mailchimp: 4-6 weeks
Pardot (by Salesforce): N/A | Mailchimp: $2–$7 (plan-dependent)
Pardot (by Salesforce): N/A | Mailchimp: 12,000
Pardot (by Salesforce): N/A | Mailchimp: 0.5–1 hour (UI-based)
Pardot (by Salesforce): N/A | Mailchimp: Advanced (subject, send time, content)
Pardot (by Salesforce): N/A | Mailchimp: Manual review required
Pardot (by Salesforce): N/A | Mailchimp: Full CRM with segmentation, tagging, custom fields
Pardot (by Salesforce): N/A | Mailchimp: $200–$350 (based on tier)
Pardot (by Salesforce): N/A | Mailchimp: $0.01 (SMS add-on)
Pardot (by Salesforce): N/A | Mailchimp: 45+ countries
Pardot (by Salesforce): N/A | Mailchimp: 1 day (no-code signup)
Pardot (by Salesforce): N/A | Mailchimp: 99.99%
Pardot (by Salesforce): N/A | Mailchimp: 12M+ users (2025)
Pardot (by Salesforce): N/A | Mailchimp: $350
Pardot (by Salesforce): N/A | Mailchimp: Unlimited steps
Pardot (by Salesforce): N/A | Mailchimp: 1,000+ templates
Pardot (by Salesforce): N/A | Mailchimp: No (paid add-on)
Pardot (by Salesforce): N/A | Mailchimp: Paid add-on
Pardot (by Salesforce): N/A | Mailchimp: 0% (SaaS model)
Pardot (by Salesforce): N/A | Mailchimp: 50+
Pardot (by Salesforce): N/A | Mailchimp: 30-60 minutes
Pardot (by Salesforce): N/A | Mailchimp: 20 (1K-contact plan)
Pardot (by Salesforce): N/A | Mailchimp: 20M+ users
Pardot (by Salesforce): N/A | Mailchimp: $13
Pardot (by Salesforce): N/A | Mailchimp: 500+ templates including AI-generated
Pardot (by Salesforce): N/A | Mailchimp: $20 additional per month
Pardot (by Salesforce): N/A | Mailchimp: Advanced abandoned cart, product recommendations, dynamic pricing
Pardot (by Salesforce): N/A | Mailchimp: Basic automation on free plan
Pardot (by Salesforce): N/A | Mailchimp: Advanced AI copywriter with subject line optimization
Pardot (by Salesforce): N/A | Mailchimp: $20/month
Pardot (by Salesforce): N/A | Mailchimp: Not included
Pardot (by Salesforce): N/A | Mailchimp: Limited - basic integration support only
Pardot (by Salesforce): N/A | Mailchimp: Advanced visual builder included
Pardot (by Salesforce): N/A | Mailchimp: 15-20 minutes
Pardot (by Salesforce): N/A | Mailchimp: List management only
Pardot (by Salesforce): N/A | Mailchimp: Yes - iOS and Android
Pardot (by Salesforce): N/A | Mailchimp: $20
Pardot (by Salesforce): N/A | Mailchimp: 50
Pardot (by Salesforce): N/A | Mailchimp: Yes (drag-and-drop)
Pardot (by Salesforce): N/A | Mailchimp: Available at higher tiers
Pardot (by Salesforce): N/A | Mailchimp: 97-98%
Pardot (by Salesforce): N/A | Mailchimp: $30/month
Pardot (by Salesforce): N/A | Mailchimp: Advanced (100+ triggers, unlimited branching)
Pardot (by Salesforce): N/A | Mailchimp: 0 (Third-party only)
Pardot (by Salesforce): N/A | Mailchimp: 5+ (Shopify, WooCommerce, BigCommerce, Squarespace, others)
Pardot (by Salesforce): N/A | Mailchimp: Basic contact segmentation, limited tagging, no pipeline management
Pardot (by Salesforce): N/A | Mailchimp: None—email-focused platform only
Pardot (by Salesforce): N/A | Mailchimp: 300+ (native + Zapier)
Pardot (by Salesforce): N/A | Mailchimp: Automations available on free plan with customer journey builder
Pardot (by Salesforce): N/A | Mailchimp: 1-3
Pardot (by Salesforce): N/A | Mailchimp: 500,000+
Pardot (by Salesforce): N/A | Mailchimp: Manual only
Pardot (by Salesforce): N/A | Mailchimp: Requires API/Zapier connectors
Pardot (by Salesforce): N/A | Mailchimp: 4 (email, SMS, ads, landing pages)
Pardot (by Salesforce): N/A | Mailchimp: Limited on starter plans
Pardot (by Salesforce): N/A | Mailchimp: Premium+ ($350/month minimum)
Pardot (by Salesforce): N/A | Mailchimp: $200+ (plan dependent)
Pardot (by Salesforce): N/A | Mailchimp: 5-10 (UI-based)
Pardot (by Salesforce): N/A | Mailchimp: Advanced (journey builder, behavioral triggers, A/B testing)
Pardot (by Salesforce): N/A | Mailchimp: 10 (REST API)
How to choose between Pardot (by Salesforce) and Mailchimp
Compare Pardot (by Salesforce) vs Mailchimp
Pardot vs Mailchimp — Structured Comparison Data
Machine-readable comparison dataset for Pardot vs Mailchimp. Contains 214 attribute comparisons, 5 FAQ pairs.
Pardot vs Mailchimp — Attribute Category Vocabulary
Taxonomy of attribute categories used to classify comparison data for Pardot vs Mailchimp.
Which platform is better for Salesforce users?
Pardot is significantly better for Salesforce users. It's built by Salesforce and offers native, bi-directional integration with real-time data synchronization, allowing seamless lead management and campaign tracking within Salesforce. Mailchimp requires Zapier or native Mailchimp connectors that have limitations and potential sync delays. If you're a Salesforce shop, Pardot eliminates data silos.
Can I use Mailchimp for B2B lead generation?
Mailchimp can handle basic B2B email campaigns and lead capture, but it lacks the sophisticated B2B tools Pardot offers like lead scoring, account-based marketing, and complex sales funnel automation. Mailchimp works for small B2B businesses with simple sales cycles, but mid-market and enterprise B2B teams will hit feature ceiling quickly and need Pardot.
How much can I save by using Mailchimp instead of Pardot?
Mailchimp's paid plans start at $13/month vs. Pardot's $1,250/month minimum—a 96x difference. Mailchimp's free tier supports unlimited emails for up to 500 contacts at no cost. For small businesses, this translates to $0-50/month (Mailchimp) vs. $15,000+/year (Pardot), making Mailchimp dramatically more affordable for small teams.
No, Mailchimp does not have native lead scoring. It offers audience segmentation based on contact properties, engagement history, and purchase behavior, but it cannot automatically score leads based on behavioral triggers or firmographic data like Pardot does. You'd need to use Zapier automation or external tools to replicate lead scoring in Mailchimp.
Which platform has better email deliverability?
Both platforms maintain strong deliverability rates (95%+), but Pardot has a slight advantage due to its enterprise infrastructure and dedicated IP options for high-volume senders. Mailchimp's shared IP infrastructure is reliable for small to mid-size senders. For volume over 100,000 emails/month, Pardot's dedicated IP options provide better control over sender reputation.
How to Choose Between Pardot (by Salesforce) and Mailchimp
Primary Use Case: Pardot (by Salesforce) has B2B marketing automation & lead management, while Mailchimp has Email marketing & basic automation for SMBs.
Starting Monthly Price: Pardot (by Salesforce) has $1,250 USD, while Mailchimp has $13 USD (paid plan starts).
Lead Scoring Capabilities: Pardot (by Salesforce) has Advanced behavioral & firmographic scoring with custom rules, while Mailchimp has Basic segment tagging, no native lead scoring.
Salesforce CRM Integration: Pardot (by Salesforce) has Native, bi-directional, real-time sync, while Mailchimp has Via third-party Zapier only.
Email Templates Available: Pardot (by Salesforce) has 200+ B2B-focused templates, while Mailchimp has 300+ templates with drag-and-drop builder.
Multi-touch Attribution: Pardot (by Salesforce) has Yes, 7+ touch models supported, while Mailchimp has No, limited to last-click only.
Ideal Team Size: Pardot (by Salesforce) has Mid-market to enterprise (50+ person marketing teams), while Mailchimp has Solo creators to small teams (1-20 people).