When it comes to email marketing software, iContact and Constant Contact are two of the most well-known platforms.
Choosing the right one is crucial for small business owners looking to run effective email campaigns and nurture leads. In this comprehensive iContact vs Constant Contact comparison, we evaluate both platforms across key criteria to help you determine which solution best fits your needs.
We will analyze crucial aspects like market standing, ease of use, available features, integrations, analytics, reliability, customer support, pricing models, and reputation. By the end, you’ll have all the details you need to select the best email marketing service for your business.
1. Understanding the Basics
iContact entered the market in 2003 as an affordable email marketing platform. It was founded by Ryan Allis and Aaron Houghton as an alternative to expensive enterprise solutions. The company currently does not release customer data but is considered in third place in terms of market share.
Constant Contact was started in 1998, founded by CEO Randy Parker, who helped pioneer email marketing for small businesses. Today, Constant Contact reports serving over 600,000 active customers. They hold a strong second place in market share behind Mailchimp.
Both companies maintain an active presence on Facebook:
These communities allow users to interact with both customers and company representatives. They share best practices, ask questions, voice feedback, and more. We recommend you join one or both groups if you want to connect with others using these platforms.
2. Features and Functionality
Automation
iContact
iContact provides a robust automation suite to help streamline marketing workflows. The drag-and-drop workflow builder makes it easy for novices to design advanced sequences tailored to business needs. Available automation ranges from welcome emails to value-driven re-engagement campaigns with dynamic segmentation.
You can personalize messaging with variable text, images, send times, and more based on customer behaviors or attributes. Rich analytics offers automation insights like open/click rates, engagement trends, and ROI tracking. Limits depend on your pricing plan but can support thousands of contacts.
Constant Contact
Constant Contact also equips users with automation tools to simplify marketing tasks. The intuitive editor lets you build workflows with pre-designed templates for common sequences—from lead nurturing to event promotion follow-ups. Leverage tags and filters to target groups with relevant messaging based on interests and activities.
Unique automation supports event management tasks like inviting subscribers, following up with registrants, and keeping attendees engaged. View granular reports to identify successes and areas to refine in your ongoing event promotions. Limits range from 500-25,000 contacts depending on your pricing tier.
Winner: Tie
Both iContact and Constant Contact offer user-friendly automation with versatile features to streamline email marketing and lead nurturing sequences. Their core capabilities around campaign creation, segmentation, personalization, and data insights are equally robust and intuitive to navigate.
For newer email marketers, you can’t go wrong starting with either platform if easy-to-use automation paired with custom reporting is your priority. However, users managing lots of events may prefer Constant Contact’s specialized event promotion and follow-up workflows.
Email Templates
iContact
iContact provides hundreds of professional email templates covering common business use cases from promotions to surveys and more. Templates come with stylish designs and all necessary copies in place. The drag-and-drop editor makes customizing templates simple with options to tweak layouts, colors, and fonts, and add images, blocks, and personalization tags.
All templates are mobile-responsive working seamlessly across desktop and mobile. iContact also lets you create and save custom templates for reuse while providing performance metrics to gauge engagement.
Constant Contact
Constant Contact also equips users with beautiful pre-designed email templates for diverse marketing needs. Choose from modern templates for sales campaigns, events, newsletters, and more. Easily customize color schemes, content blocks, images, and text while preserving responsive structure.
The intuitive editor enables drag-and-drop personalization and brand consistency across templates. Review open and click rate analytics to identify best-performing templates. Save customized templates, logos, and color palettes for quick access when launching new campaigns.
Winner: Tie
Both iContact and Constant Contact offer expansive galleries of email templates equipped for easy customization and mobile responsiveness. Their template editors are equally user-friendly with drag-and-drop simplicity for beginners. Segmented analytics help determine high-impact templates.
When it comes to polished design templates tailored to diverse use cases and accessible personalization tools, iContact and Constant Contact are evenly matched. The choice comes down to which template types suit your unique business needs.
Segmentation
iContact
iContact enables segmentation by key attributes like demographics, interests, behaviors, and preferences. Intuitively build segmented lists using dynamic filters based on campaign activity, content downloads, email engagement, and more. Leverage integrations to track actions across tools.
Apply segments within automated workflows to deliver targeted messaging. View detailed reports on the engagement and growth trends of each audience segment over time. Segment sizes and quantities depend on the pricing plan. Entry-level plans may experience limitations.
Constant Contact
Constant Contact also empowers detailed audience segmentation for targeted communications. Segment by location, purchase history, website interactions, event participation, and campaign engagement. Leverage behavioral filters to identify hot leads based on site activity thresholds you define.
Create segments using an intuitive drag-and-drop workflow. Use these defined audiences across email campaigns, landing pages, post-click experiences, and automation with relevant messaging for each. No apparent limits on the number of segments available.
Winner: Tie
Both platforms provide robust segmentation tools to group contacts by various attributes and behaviors. Each offers intuitive interfaces to build audiences for targeted messaging aligned with segment-specific needs and characteristics.
Analytics
iContact
iContact provides robust email campaign analytics to extract key performance insights. View standard engagement reports on opens, clicks, bounces, and unsubscribes. Drill down with interactive charts to analyze trends by segment and across time periods.
AssessROI by assigning dollar values to conversions and measuring against costs. Track clicks to links and content downloads to gauge interest. Monitor social shares as an additional engagement metric. Access recent data readily while legacy reports require contacting support.
Constant Contact
Constant Contact also empowers detailed analytics for email and marketing activity. Track open, click-through, and bounce rates by campaign. Filter reports by date ranges, content type, and audience segments for targeted analysis.
View charts summarizing top-performing emails to identify strengths. Assess ROI figures across campaigns and track links to key landing pages. Dashboard simplifies accessing routine reports while advanced analysis requires digging deeper.
Winner: Tie
Both platforms offer the core email engagement analytics needed to gauge campaign performance. Each provides high-level dashboards plus options to drill down for deeper insights filtered by campaign, content, date, and audience segment.
Unique Features
iContact
iContact provides multi-level A/B testing capabilities to experiment and optimize campaign elements like subject lines, content formatting, calls-to-action, and send times. This helps marketers derive performance insights to improve future email efforts. The platform also integrates directly with Google Analytics for full funnel analysis of the customer journey.
No other mainstream email platform natively enables this level of tag-based journey analytics across channels—a powerful feature available with iContact. Lastly, predictive scoring attributes a customer lifetime value prediction score to each contact.
Constant Contact
Distinct Constant Contact features target simplifying event marketing management. Standalone tools allow seamless event website creation, promotion across social media channels, customized registration with attendance tracking, and automated event follow-ups. This consolidates several add-ons required in other platforms into one unified suite.
Expected social media integrations also help amplify event content and messaging exposure across channels directly from within Constant Contact. This expands reach beyond existing email subscriber lists.
Winner: iContact
While both platforms tout robust sets of proprietary features, iContact’s advanced analytics, A/B testing, and Google Analytics integration capabilities make it the winner for matchless email marketing functionality. No competitor combines these specialized tools natively, creating a uniquely in-depth view of multi-channel campaign performance.
For those needing advanced insights, iContact provides unparalleled optimization and analytics capabilities to elevate strategy.
3. Ease of Use
iContact
iContact promotes usability with an intuitive navigation system and well-organized interface design. Key features sit prominently on the main dashboard while customizable sidebars provide added shortcuts. Guided walkthroughs introduce workflows using non-technical language and best practices.
The drag-and-drop builder enables campaign creation without coding skills. In-line help articles and tooltips boost autonomy across the solution’s breadth. The self-service focus results in a gentle learning curve even for novices.
Constant Contact
Constant Contact also prides itself on user accessibility for all skill levels. Clean, consistent layouts allow users to easily access and adjust key functions. The home dashboard prominently displays campaign summaries, contacts stats, and task reminders.
Wizards guide users through multi-step processes like setting up accounts, designing emails, importing contacts, and reviewing reports using natural language. Intuitive controls enable customization without engineering resources. Onboarding timelines should satisfy rapid marketing needs.
Winner: Tie
Both iContact and Constant Contact embrace simplified interfaces that reduce complexity for new email marketers. Campaign builders, tooltips, organized navigation, and step-based wizards provide similar value in allowing all users to quickly acclimate to essential workflows. For a usable design that accelerates adoption across skills, the iContact interface and the Constant Contact interface are evenly matched.
4. Email Deliverability
iContact
iContact provides deliverability monitoring tools to maximize inbox placement by identifying issues triggering blocks or spam filtration. Users can leverage egregious sender lists to safely warm up IP reputations for new accounts. Additionally, dedicated IP options further protect the sender’s credibility.
Hundreds of mobile-optimized email templates ensure seamless experiences on iOS and Android devices, thus improving user engagement. Granular analytics offer insight into click-through and open rates across device types and geo-locations.
Constant Contact
Constant Contact also supplies robust email deliverability features like IP reputation monitoring, dedicated IPs, and domain authentication. Utilize A/B testing tools to experiment with content formatting, calls-to-action, subject lines, and send times to determine optimal engagement strategies.
Choose from a wide selection of responsive email templates that adapt to mobile, tablet, and desktop screens. Address potential issues with in-depth analytics on subscriber activity across devices and client types over time.
Winner: Tie
Both iContact and Constant Contact provide advanced email deliverability monitoring capabilities coupled with strong mobile optimization support. Their toolsets enable users to overcome key placement barriers through warm-up strategies, reputation protections, and highly customizable responsive templates. For accessible deliverability maximization all user levels, the platforms are evenly matched.
5. Customer Support and Community
iContact
iContact provides email ticketing, phone, live chat, and social media support channels to resolve issues rapidly. All plans include one-on-one setup assistance. Articles in the knowledgebase offer self-help across common questions, while an online user community allows collaboration with over 30K forum members.
The iContact Users Facebook group also enables community support and feedback. Overall response times meet industry benchmarks. However, free users may experience longer waits during peak inquiry periods.
Constant Contact
Constant Contact also delivers multi-channel customer service through email, chat, phone, and social media. Users across all paid plans get individual onboarding and ongoing access to support advisors. The searchable Help Center provides step-by-step tutorials for key tasks and workflows.
An exclusive online Community connects over 150K users in topic discussions, while full-day workshops and web classes offer both networking and growth opportunities. The vibrant official Constant Contact Facebook group encourages sharing best practices.
Winner: Constant Contact
With structured events, a larger community forum, and consistently rapid responses for all paid users, Constant Contact edges out iContact with more avenues for engaged community problem-solving and knowledge building at scale. The workshops and web classes provide invaluable direct access to experts.
6. Integrations
iContact
iContact enables integrations with top CRM platforms like Salesforce, Microsoft Dynamics, and Zoho to sync subscriber data for targeted communications. Users can also connect e-commerce tools such as Shopify, WooCommerce, and Magento to track customer purchase behaviors within email campaigns. Social media integration is available, as well, with access to networks like Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram for cross-channel engagement.
All integrations feature bidirectional contact and messaging syncing. However, the platform lacks direct mail services integrations commonly used for subscriber re-engagement. Access to payment systems, webinar tools, and marketing automation platforms could be improved as well.
Constant Contact
Constant Contact empowers robust CRM, email, e-commerce, and streaming integrations using embedded and Zapier connections. Directly integrate platforms like WordPress, Google Workspace, Eventbrite, SurveyMonkey, and more to consolidate workflows. CRM tools you can embed include Salesforce, Zoho, and Microsoft Dynamics.
Shopify, WooCommerce, and Squarespace streamline e-commerce data flows into email campaigns. The breadth of integration versatility for aggregating datasets and Engaging subscribers across tools gives Constant Contact the edge.
Winner: Constant Contact
With 250+ native and third-party integrations compared to 100+ for iContact, Constant Contact ekes out the win by enabling seamless connectivity across a wider array of the top marketing, sales, and communication platforms used by growing businesses. The expansive options create streamlined experiences.
7. Pricing
iContact
iContact plans start from $14/month for access to all the basic features. You’ll be able to send emails to up to 500 subscribers, $20/month for 2,500 subscribers, and $65/month for 5,000 subscribers.
There are volume discounts for annual pre-pay, but per-month costs remain the same. iContact requires paying upfront annually to access lower pricing to send important emails.
Add-ons like extra design services, dedicated IP addresses, and marketing automation incur additional fees on the pro plans. However, core features have a flat price regardless of usage.
Constant Contact
Constant Contact’s free trial lets you send to 500 contacts. The Lite email plan is $12/month for up to 500 contacts with additional features like the marketing CRM, event management tools, and social marketing features.
The Standard plan is $35/month and comes with 3 users, pre-built automation, and contact segmentation features.
For $80/month, you get the Premium plan, which includes unlimited users, custom automation, custom segmentations, revenue reporting, and Google Ads Manager.
Winner: Tie
Both platforms offer easy-to-understand email marketing pricing aligned to growing lists and avoid gradual nickel-and-diming through transparent contact allotments. Constant Contact’s simplicity wins with two straightforward plans while iContact edges ahead in the higher tiers for avoiding per-email overage fees. For basic email needs, both deliver clear pricing.
8. Reviews and Reputation
iContact
iContact earns positive reviews for its extensive features, automation tools, and quality support. Users highlight the intuitive interface, segmentation capabilities, and strong deliverability empowering impactful email campaigns.
Less experienced marketers occasionally struggle with some advanced analytics features or integration workflows. However, most users on G2agree that iContact provides the capabilities expected from top providers.
Constant Contact
Constant Contact garners praise on G2 for ease of use, template variety, and simplicity making email marketing more accessible. Users emphasize the straightforward editor, quality designs, and educational content helpful for novices. Some more advanced users hope for expanded segmentation options, survey capabilities, and more customizable automation over time. But all agree the core platform is easy to navigate.
Winner: Tie
This Constant Contact-iContact comparison shows that both platforms maintain strong reputations and excellent user satisfaction on core email marketing capabilities like running effective email marketing campaigns, template design, and basic automation meeting small business needs.
You can create sign-up forms easily, and set up automated workflows for your digital marketing. However, it’s important to note that each email marketing tool caters better to different audiences—iContact to experienced marketers, and Constant Contact to beginners.
9. FAQ’s
iContact FAQs
- Does iContact integrate with sales/marketing platforms like Salesforce or HubSpot?
Yes, iContact offers deep integration with all major CRM and marketing automation platforms including Salesforce, Microsoft Dynamics, HubSpot, and Marketo to sync contacts and campaign data. - What email deliverability tools does iContact provide?
iContact helps maximize inbox placement through dedicated IPs, aggregate inbox placement reporting, integrated litmus testing, and email authentication like DMARC. - How does iContact’s pricing compare to alternatives?
iContact offers very competitive pricing starting at just $14/month. Their mid-tier plans offer far more features for multiple users before jumping to enterprise-level custom quotes, creating excellent value. - What sets iContact’s analytics apart from other providers?
iContact stands out by offering multi-level A/B testing capabilities and advanced options like predictive lead scoring and integrated Google Analytics view for deeper insights. - Does iContact have an app for managing campaigns on the go?
Yes, iContact offers mobile apps for both iOS and Android to access key account features, view reports, monitor campaign performance, and more all on your phone or tablet!
Constant Contact FAQs
- Does Constant Contact have beautiful, customizable templates?
Yes, Constant Contact offers gorgeous pre-made email templates for diverse marketing needs while also making it easy to tailor those templates for your branding. - How does Constant Contact simplify event marketing management?
Constant Contact uniquely consolidates event website creation, promotion, registration, attendance tracking, and automated follow-ups in one seamless suite. - What is Constant Contact’s satisfaction guarantee?
Any user can request a refund and account cancellation within 60 days risk-free. No contracts and guarantees let you try worry-free! - Who handles deliverability with Constant Contact campaigns?
Dedicated Constant Contact deliverability experts monitor ISP reputation and campaign performance to identify and troubleshoot issues for optimum inbox placement. - Does Constant Contact allow sending SMS messages?
Yes! Constant Contact integrates text message marketing at low incremental costs letting you easily engage mobile users via SMS.
Final Thoughts
Choose iContact if…
iContact is an excellent choice for small businesses wanting to level up with advanced email marketing capabilities. Users who prioritize rich analytics, targeted automation, and deep integrations will appreciate iContact’s expansive feature set. The platform scales from early entrepreneurs up through established SMBs looking to graduate beyond basic email to more sophisticated functionality.
While still user-friendly, iContact skews towards experienced email marketers over pure beginners seeking simplicity above all else. Those wanting maximum metrics-driven customization will see superb value from iContact’s robust toolsets and predictive intelligence.
Choose Constant Contact if…
Constant Contact shines for early-stage small business owners seeking an easy-to-use solution to create and send quality email newsletters. Users wanting simplicity with great templates, educational guidance, and seamless e-commerce connectivity will appreciate Constant Contact’s intuitive approach.
The platform offers an accessible entry point for entrepreneurs getting started with campaigns versus enterprise-oriented functionality. Those needing a helping hand to nurture engagement with basic automation and goal tracking will feel right at home.
If you’d like to look at some other email marketing options, check out my Constant Contact alternatives article.