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2025-11-17 16:08 Tool comparisons

Best Tool for Email Marketing Automation in 2025: Mailgun vs. Mailchimp, How to Choose the Right One for Your Startup

Best Tool for Email Marketing Automation in 2025: Mailgun vs. Mailchimp, How to Choose the Right One for Your Startup

Email marketing remains one of the most effective channels for startups and SMEs in 2025. Whether you’re building an audience, generating leads, or nurturing customer relationships, choosing the right email marketing automation tool can make or break your campaigns. Among the top contenders in this space, Mailgun and Mailchimp often face off as the go-to choices for businesses. But which tool is better suited for your needs? This comprehensive guide breaks down the strengths, weaknesses, and unique features of each, ensuring you can make an informed decision to supercharge your email marketing efforts.
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Why Email Marketing Matters More Than Ever in 2025

Building a great product or service is essential, but it’s no longer enough. The real battleground for startups and SMEs today is marketing, specifically email marketing. Despite the rise of social media platforms and AI-driven content, email continues to deliver the highest ROI among all marketing channels, up to $40 for every $1 spent, according to recent industry reports. Consider this your wake-up call: if you’re not investing in email marketing automation, you might be leaving money, and valuable customer relationships, on the table.
Before diving into the comparison of Mailgun and Mailchimp, check out this ultimate hack to set up your email automation and SEO strategy simultaneously: F/MS AI Article Tool: SEO Automation Made Easy. With tailored content for email campaigns and blog posts, it’s like having a marketing team at your fingertips!
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Mailgun vs. Mailchimp: A Head-to-Head Comparison

1. Ease of Use

  • Mailchimp: Known for its intuitive drag-and-drop email editor, Mailchimp is a favorite for startups and non-technical users. Its user-friendly interface allows you to create professional emails without advanced coding skills.
  • Mailgun: While powerful, Mailgun is more developer-focused. You’ll need technical expertise to unlock its full potential, as its primary strength lies in its robust API for sending transactional emails.
Winner: Mailchimp is the better choice for ease of use, particularly for marketers without a technical background.

2. Key Features

  • Mailchimp:
  • Marketing Automation: Advanced tools for drip campaigns, behavioral targeting, and customer journey mapping.
  • CRM Features: Built-in audience segmentation and predictive analytics.
  • Templates: Pre-designed email templates make campaigning a breeze.
  • Learn more from Startup Unitel Voice’s review of Mailchimp for startups, where founders praise its simplicity and cost-effective pricing.
  • Mailgun:
  • Deliverability: Industry-leading deliverability rates with features like email validation and domain reputation management.
  • Transactional Emails: Best for sending high volumes of transactional or system-triggered emails.
  • Custom APIs: Enables developers to build complex, tailored email workflows.
  • Visit Mailgun vs. Mailchimp - Resource by Mailgun to explore case studies showcasing Mailgun's dominance in deliverability metrics.
Winner: Mailchimp wins for advanced marketing workflows, while Mailgun takes the crown for email deliverability and transactional needs.

3. Pricing

Pricing often determines which tool is better suited for your startup or SME:
  • Mailchimp has starter plans beginning at $15 per month, offering great value for businesses focused on nurturing leads.
  • Mailgun’s pay-as-you-go pricing structure reduces fixed costs and provides scalability, but additional services like email validation can raise the total cost.
Winner: Tie, Mailchimp suits businesses looking for predictable budgets, while Mailgun is ideal for startups with variable email volumes.

4. Customer Support and Analytics

  • Mailchimp: Live chat, email support, and robust documentation; comprehensive campaign analytics provide actionable insights.
  • Mailgun: Offers excellent support for developers, including detailed API guides and email deliverability experts. However, analytics are more focused on technical performance rather than segment-specific marketing insights.
Check out PCMag's thorough comparison of the best email tools, which highlights Mailchimp’s advantages in customer engagement metrics.
Winner: Mailchimp takes the lead for marketing-focused analytics.
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Mistakes to Avoid When Choosing Your Email Marketing Tool

  1. Overlooking Scalability: If you plan rapid growth, ensure your email marketing software can grow with you. Both Mailchimp and Mailgun have scalability, but their features align differently with scaling businesses.
  2. Ignoring Deliverability Quality: A high deliverability rate ensures your emails land in inboxes, not spam. Startups relying heavily on transactional emails should prioritize Mailgun.
  3. Skipping Analytics: Don’t underestimate the power of data. Opt for tools that give you insights about audience behavior to inform future campaigns.

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Verdict: Which Tool is Best for 2025?

The choice comes down to your startup’s specific needs:
  1. Mailchimp is the best all-in-one solution for startups focused on customer engagement, lead nurturing, and ease of use.
  2. Mailgun is optimal for SMEs that prioritize transactional emails and high deliverability above all else.
But don’t just take our word for it, visit Mailmodo’s detailed comparison of Mailgun and Mailchimp to dig deeper into how these tools stack up.
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Start Marketing Smarter Today

The key to scaling your startup isn’t just building the perfect product; it’s about validating your idea and building relationships with your audience, something both Mailgun and Mailchimp excel at. Make the right choice today, and you’ll set the stage for years of growth.
And if creating killer emails and blog content feels daunting, simplify your strategy with the F/MS AI Article Tool. Your marketing, SEO, and email campaigns, all optimized, all automated.
2025 is the year to level up your email marketing game. Which tool will you choose? Let us know in the comments!

FAQ on the Best Tool for Email Marketing Automation

1. What’s the importance of email marketing in 2025?

Email marketing remains one of the most cost-effective marketing tools, delivering an impressive ROI of $40 for every $1 spent in 2025. It's crucial for startups and SMEs focused on generating leads and building customer relationships. Read why email marketing is still relevant.

2. Where can I submit a guest post about my startup?

If your startup needs to drive targeted traffic and build authority with high-volume, niche-relevant content placements in articles that rank well not only in Google, but also in Perplexity and ChatGPT, then you might want to publish your guest post in one of the F/MS Startup Game's blogs. Get a quality backlink

3. What makes Mailchimp ideal for startups?

Mailchimp is favored for its user-friendly interface, drag-and-drop editor, and advanced marketing automation features like CRM integration and predictive analytics. It's an all-in-one tool for lead nurturing and customer engagement. Learn more about Mailchimp’s features.

4. Why is Mailgun preferred for transactional emails?

Mailgun excels in deliverability, offering tools like email validation and domain reputation management. It's best suited for startups with high transactional email volumes. Explore more about Mailgun’s deliverability tools.

5. How do Mailchimp and Mailgun compare in terms of pricing?

Mailchimp has predictable monthly plans starting at $15, while Mailgun offers flexible pay-as-you-go pricing ideal for variable email volumes. Both options serve different needs effectively. See a detailed pricing comparison.

6. Which platform should I choose for analytics and insights?

Mailchimp leads with its strong focus on marketing analytics and customer engagement metrics. Mailgun, on the other hand, emphasizes technical email performance, making it ideal for developers.

7. Can I use AI to write SEO-optimized articles that help my brand grow?

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8. What’s the best way to integrate email marketing with SEO?

Using tools like the F/MS AI Article Tool allows you to automate both email marketing and SEO content creation. This helps boost traffic and conversion rates seamlessly. Discover the AI tool for email and SEO integration.

9. What mistakes should startups avoid when choosing an email tool?

Startups should consider scalability, deliverability rate, and analytics features when selecting a platform. Tools like Mailchimp and Mailgun each excel in their respective areas. Read more expert advice.

10. Which tool is better for scaling as a small business or SME?

Mailchimp is ideal for scaling up marketing campaigns with advanced automation, while Mailgun offers reliability for businesses focusing on transactional email workflows. Compare Mailchimp and Mailgun for startups.

About the Author

Violetta Bonenkamp, also known as MeanCEO, is an experienced startup founder with an impressive educational background including an MBA and four other higher education degrees. She has over 20 years of work experience across multiple countries, including 5 years as a solopreneur and serial entrepreneur. Throughout her startup experience she has applied for multiple startup grants at the EU level, in the Netherlands and Malta, and her startups received quite a few of those. She’s been living, studying and working in many countries around the globe and her extensive multicultural experience has influenced her immensely.
Violetta is a true multiple specialist who has built expertise in Linguistics, Education, Business Management, Blockchain, Entrepreneurship, Intellectual Property, Game Design, AI, SEO, Digital Marketing, cyber security and zero code automations. Her extensive educational journey includes a Master of Arts in Linguistics and Education, an Advanced Master in Linguistics from Belgium (2006-2007), an MBA from Blekinge Institute of Technology in Sweden (2006-2008), and an Erasmus Mundus joint program European Master of Higher Education from universities in Norway, Finland, and Portugal (2009).
She is the founder of Fe/male Switch, a startup game that encourages women to enter STEM fields, and also leads CADChain, and multiple other projects like the Directory of 1,000 Startup Cities with a proprietary MeanCEO Index that ranks cities for female entrepreneurs. Violetta created the "gamepreneurship" methodology, which forms the scientific basis of her startup game. She also builds a lot of SEO tools for startups. Her achievements include being named one of the top 100 women in Europe by EU Startups in 2022 and being nominated for Impact Person of the year at the Dutch Blockchain Week. She is an author with Sifted and a speaker at different Universities. Recently she published a book on Startup Idea Validation the right way: from zero to first customers and beyond and launched a Directory of 1,500+ websites for startups to list themselves in order to gain traction and build backlinks.

Violetta Bonenkamp's expertise in CAD sector, IP protection and blockchain

Violetta Bonenkamp is recognized as a multidisciplinary expert with significant achievements in the CAD sector, intellectual property (IP) protection, and blockchain technology.
CAD Sector:
  • Violetta is the CEO and co-founder of CADChain, a deep tech startup focused on developing IP management software specifically for CAD (Computer-Aided Design) data. CADChain addresses the lack of industry standards for CAD data protection and sharing, using innovative technology to secure and manage design data.
  • She has led the company since its inception in 2018, overseeing R&D, PR, and business development, and driving the creation of products for platforms such as Autodesk Inventor, Blender, and SolidWorks.
  • Her leadership has been instrumental in scaling CADChain from a small team to a significant player in the deeptech space, with a diverse, international team.
IP Protection:
  • Violetta has built deep expertise in intellectual property, combining academic training with practical startup experience. She has taken specialized courses in IP from institutions like WIPO and the EU IPO.
  • She is known for sharing actionable strategies for startup IP protection, leveraging both legal and technological approaches, and has published guides and content on this topic for the entrepreneurial community.
  • Her work at CADChain directly addresses the need for robust IP protection in the engineering and design industries, integrating cybersecurity and compliance measures to safeguard digital assets.
Blockchain:
  • Violetta’s entry into the blockchain sector began with the founding of CADChain, which uses blockchain as a core technology for securing and managing CAD data.
  • She holds several certifications in blockchain and has participated in major hackathons and policy forums, such as the OECD Global Blockchain Policy Forum.
  • Her expertise extends to applying blockchain for IP management, ensuring data integrity, traceability, and secure sharing in the CAD industry.
For the past several years Violetta has been living between the Netherlands and Malta, while also regularly traveling to different destinations around the globe, usually due to her entrepreneurial activities. This has led her to start writing about different locations and amenities from the POV of an entrepreneur. Here’s her recent article about best hotels in Italy to work from.

About the Publication

Fe/male Switch is an innovative startup platform designed to empower women entrepreneurs through an immersive, game-like experience. Founded in 2020 during the pandemic "without any funding and without any code," this non-profit initiative has evolved into a comprehensive educational tool for aspiring female entrepreneurs.The platform was co-founded by Violetta Shishkina-Bonenkamp, who serves as CEO and one of the lead authors of the Startup News branch. The Fe/male Switch team is located in several countries, including the Netherlands and Malta.

Mission and Purpose

Fe/male Switch Foundation was created to address the gender gap in the tech and entrepreneurship space. The platform aims to skill-up future female tech leaders and empower them to create resilient and innovative tech startups through what they call "gamepreneurship". By putting players in a virtual startup village where they must survive and thrive, the startup game allows women to test their entrepreneurial abilities without financial risk.

Key Features

The platform offers a unique blend of news, resources,learning, networking, and practical application within a supportive, female-focused environment:
  • Skill Lab: Micro-modules covering essential startup skills
  • Virtual Startup Building: Create or join startups and tackle real-world challenges
  • AI Co-founder (PlayPal): Guides users through the startup process
  • SANDBOX: A testing environment for idea validation before launch
  • Wellness Integration: Virtual activities to balance work and self-care
  • Marketplace: Buy or sell expert sessions and tutorials

Impact and Growth

Since its inception, Fe/male Switch has shown impressive growth:
  • 3,000+ female entrepreneurs in the community
  • 100+ startup tools built
  • 5,000+ pieces of articles and news written

Partnerships

Fe/male Switch has formed strategic partnerships to enhance its offerings. In January 2022, it teamed up with global website builder Tilda to provide free access to website building tools and mentorship services for Fe/male Switch participants.

Recognition

Fe/male Switch has received media attention for its innovative approach to closing the gender gap in tech entrepreneurship. The platform has been featured in various publications highlighting its unique "play to learn and earn" model.