Mailgun is a developer-focused email API for transactional emails with advanced technical controls and pay-as-you-go pricing, while Mailchimp is an all-in-one marketing platform emphasizing campaign creation, automation, and user-friendly interfaces with tiered subscription pricing.
Mailgun vs Mailchimp — Side-by-side comparison on A Versus B
Choose Mailgun if you're a developer building transactional email into your application and need granular control, advanced deliverability features, and flexible pay-as-you-go pricing. Choose Mailchimp if you're a marketer or small business owner needing an integrated platform for email campaigns, subscriber segmentation, and automation without technical setup.
Developer-focused email API for transactional and bulk emails with advanced technical controls.
Accessible email marketing and automation platform for small businesses, e-commerce, and creators.
Structured comparison data for Mailgun vs Mailchimp with 257 attributes.
Starter Tier Monthly Cost (50k contacts)
Automation Workflow Steps (Free/Starter Tier)
Contact List Size Limit (Standard Pricing)
Price Scaling Factor at 5,000 Subscribers
Mailgun vs Mailchimp — Attribute Category Vocabulary
Taxonomy of attribute categories used to classify comparison data for Mailgun vs Mailchimp.
Which is better for sending transactional emails like password resets?
Mailgun is the clear winner for transactional emails. It's specifically designed for this use case with 98.5% deliverability, direct API access, real-time webhooks, and detailed delivery logs. Mailchimp focuses on marketing campaigns and lacks the developer tools needed for reliable transactional email infrastructure.
Which is better for email marketing campaigns?
Mailchimp is far superior for marketing campaigns. It offers a drag-and-drop builder, advanced automation workflows, audience segmentation, A/B testing, and behavioral triggers—none of which Mailgun provides. Mailchimp also includes native e-commerce integrations and customer journey mapping.
Can I use Mailgun for marketing campaigns?
Technically yes, but it's not recommended. Mailgun requires API integration and doesn't include campaign builders, templates, or segmentation tools. It's built for developers sending programmatic emails, not marketers managing subscriber lists. Use Mailchimp instead.
Which offers better value for high-volume senders?
Mailgun offers significantly better pricing for high volume. At 50k emails/month, Mailgun costs ~$25/month on pay-as-you-go, while Mailchimp's Standard plan starts at $20 with lower limits. At 100k emails/month, Mailgun costs ~$50 while Mailchimp jumps to higher tiers. For transactional-heavy use, Mailgun's economics are unbeatable.
Yes, but very differently. Mailgun offers 10,000 free emails/month with full API access (excellent for testing). Mailchimp offers 500 free emails/month for basic marketing (good for startups). Mailgun's free tier is 20x more generous, making it better for development and testing.