Mailchimp is no longer "just email." Since its acquisition by Intuit, it has expanded into SMS marketing, a website builder, AI-powered automation with Intuit Assist, predictive segmentation, and basic CRM — with 300+ integrations connecting it to the broader marketing ecosystem. Over 11 million users rely on it worldwide.
For e-commerce brands sending product announcements, abandoned cart sequences, and promotional campaigns, Mailchimp remains one of the best platforms available. The question for service businesses is different: do you need a marketing platform built for e-commerce, or one built for patient and client lifecycle management?
TL;DR
Mailchimp ($13-$350/month) now includes email, SMS, website builder, and AI tools. It is excellent for e-commerce. For service businesses, the gaps are in voice AI (phone answering), local SEO, practice management integration, and CRM depth. The Webevo platform provides multi-channel marketing with full CRM context — every email, SMS, and voice interaction shares the same patient data.
What Mailchimp Actually Offers in 2026
Credit where it is due — Mailchimp has evolved significantly:
Email Marketing: Drag-and-drop editor, customizable templates, A/B testing, automation workflows ("Flows"), advanced segmentation, and comprehensive analytics. This remains Mailchimp's core strength and it is genuinely excellent.
SMS Marketing: Text message campaigns alongside email, managed from the same dashboard. This is a meaningful addition for multi-channel outreach.
Website Builder: Drag-and-drop site builder with SEO tools, mobile-responsive templates, contact forms, and e-commerce functionality. Free tier includes unlimited pages with Mailchimp branding; Core plan ($10/month) adds custom domains.
AI Tools: AI-generated subject lines and email copy, Intuit Assist for automated campaign creation (welcome sequences, abandoned cart), Creative Assistant for design, predictive segmentation, send-time optimization, and smart audience insights.
Basic CRM: Contact management with tags, segments, activity history, and engagement tracking. Not a full sales CRM — no deal pipelines, stages, or forecasting — but adequate for marketing audience management.
Integrations: 300+ connections including Shopify, WooCommerce, Salesforce, and analytics platforms.
E-Commerce Focus vs. Service Business Needs
Mailchimp's DNA is e-commerce. Its automation templates, product recommendations, abandoned cart flows, and purchase-based segmentation are designed for businesses that sell products online. This is not a criticism — it is a design decision that serves millions of businesses well.
Service businesses have different needs:
| Need | Mailchimp | Webevo Platform |
|---|---|---|
| Email campaigns | ✅ Excellent | ✅ CRM-context-aware |
| SMS marketing | ✅ Included | ✅ AI-crafted, behavior-triggered |
| AI content | ✅ Subject lines, copy, Creative Assistant | ✅ Full multi-agent content |
| Website builder | ✅ Drag-and-drop, SEO basics | ✅ Enterprise Next.js, conversion-optimized |
| Voice AI (phone) | ❌ Not available | ✅ 24/7 AI receptionist |
| CRM depth | ⚠️ Basic contact management | ✅ Deal pipelines, semantic scoring |
| Local SEO | ❌ Not available | ✅ GBP, citations, local content |
| Review management | ❌ Not available | ✅ AI-automated SMS requests |
| PMS integration | ❌ No dental/medical PMS | ✅ Dentrix, Open Dental |
| Domain health | ⚠️ Basic sending reputation | ✅ DMARC/SPF/DKIM monitoring |
| Scheduling | ❌ Not included | ✅ AI-powered, provider-aware |
| Pricing model | Per-contact (scales up) | Flat rate |
The Context Gap: Mailchimp sends your Mother's Day promotion to the patient who left a 1-star review last week because it has no CRM context about patient satisfaction. Optimal.dev's email engine knows that patient has an open complaint, suppresses the promo, and routes a personal follow-up instead. The difference is not the email tool — it is the data behind it.
The Contact-Based Pricing Trap
Mailchimp's pricing scales with your contact list. Importantly, Mailchimp counts unsubscribed and non-engaged contacts toward your total — meaning you pay for contacts that will never receive your emails unless you actively clean your list.
For a dental practice with 5,000 patient contacts:
- Essentials: ~$75/month (5,000 contacts)
- Standard: ~$100/month (5,000 contacts, AI features)
- Premium: ~$350+/month (advanced segmentation)
As your patient database grows, so does your bill — even if most contacts are inactive. A practice that has served 10,000 patients over 10 years pays for 10,000 contacts even if only 2,000 are actively engaged.
The Webevo platform uses flat pricing regardless of contact count. Your email costs do not increase as your patient database grows.
CRM-Powered Email vs. List-Based Email
Mailchimp's data model is audiences and segments. You segment by email behavior — opens, clicks, past campaigns — or by tags you manually assign. This works well for e-commerce where purchase history drives segmentation.
Service businesses need segmentation based on real-world behavior that lives in the CRM and practice management system: when patients last visited, what procedures they need, which provider they prefer, their insurance status, and their satisfaction level. This data does not exist in Mailchimp unless you manually import it — and even then, it is static the moment you upload it.
The Webevo platform's email engine shares the same database as the CRM, scheduling, and voice AI systems:
- Reactivation campaigns automatically target patients overdue by 12+ months, referencing their last procedure and preferred provider
- Treatment-plan follow-ups go only to patients with pending treatment
- Review requests fire only after the CRM confirms a positive experience
- Post-visit communications include procedure-specific aftercare instructions
- Appointment reminders sync with the live schedule — if a patient reschedules, the reminder updates automatically
Every email is triggered by patient behavior and CRM state, not marketing calendars.
When Each Platform Makes Sense
Mailchimp is the right choice if:
- You are an e-commerce or product-based business
- Email and SMS are your primary marketing channels
- You want a simple, affordable tool for newsletters and campaigns
- Your CRM needs are basic (contact management, not deal pipelines)
- You do not need voice AI, local SEO, or PMS integration
- You have under 2,000 contacts and want to start on the free plan
The Webevo platform is the right choice if:
- You are a service business (dental, legal, MedSpa, home services)
- You need CRM-context-aware email and SMS — not just list-based campaigns
- Phone calls are a primary lead source and you need AI voice answering
- Local SEO and Google Business Profile matter to your growth
- You want unified data across email, SMS, voice, CRM, and scheduling
The Verdict
Mailchimp is a legitimately excellent marketing platform that has earned its 11 million users. Its expansion into SMS, AI, and website building makes it more capable than ever. For e-commerce businesses, it remains a top choice.
For service businesses, the decision comes down to data context. Mailchimp knows what emails a contact opened. The Webevo platform knows what emails they opened, what calls they made, what appointments they booked, what procedures they need, and whether they are happy with your service. That context difference transforms email from a broadcast channel into a precision growth tool.
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See also: ActiveCampaign alternative, Constant Contact alternative, and the SaaS Tax.
