Is MailChimp a good choice for newsletter deliverability with a growing subscriber list?

Key findings

• Deliverability performance: For lists even up to a million actively engaged subscribers, Mailchimp has been found to handle basic deliverability competently, provided good list hygiene practices are followed.
• Volume considerations: A monthly sending volume of around 40,000 emails (or 1,000 per day) is generally considered small in the context of shared IP delivery, and Mailchimp is well-equipped for this scale.
• Authentication standards: Mailchimp reliably passes DKIM and DMARC alignment, which is crucial for email authentication. While it may not offer SPF alignment with your domain, DKIM alignment is generally robust enough for DMARC pass.
• Ease of use: Mailchimp is frequently cited as one of the easiest platforms to use for beginners and for creating responsive email campaigns.
• Feature set for growth: While good for basics, some users with very large or complex needs may find it lacks advanced automation tools compared to other platforms, prompting a search for alternatives as they scale.

Key considerations

• Subscriber acquisition: Maintaining good deliverability hinges on ethical and clean address acquisition practices, regardless of the ESP.
• DMARC enforcement strategy: If planning to move to an enforcing DMARC policy, it's advisable to monitor DMARC reports closely rather than implementing an enforcing policy too quickly. While DKIM alignment with Mailchimp is reliable, monitoring provides confidence. For more details on this, you can read Mailchimp's guide on email deliverability.
• Sending speed: For very large lists (e.g., 1M+ subscribers), shared IP sending can result in longer send times (e.g., 3 hours). This is a common characteristic of shared IPs across various ESPs and not unique to Mailchimp.
• Cost efficiency: As subscriber lists grow significantly, the pricing structure of Mailchimp might become less competitive compared to alternatives, which could be a factor in long-term platform choice.

Key opinions

• Deliverability on large lists: Mailchimp is reported to handle deliverability completely fine for substantial lists, even up to 1 million active subscribers, for basic newsletter sending.
• Ease of use: Many marketers find Mailchimp to be one of the easiest platforms to use, especially for beginners getting started with email marketing.
• Feature set for growth: While sufficient for core tasks, some marketers found it necessary to explore other tools for more advanced automation and niche functionalities as their needs evolved.
• Authentication concerns: A common point of contention is Mailchimp's lack of SPF alignment for the `5321.From` header, which can make some marketers nervous about DMARC enforcement, although DKIM alignment typically ensures DMARC passes.

Key considerations

• Sending volume: A list sending 40,000 emails per month is considered a relatively small volume by experienced marketers, indicating Mailchimp can easily handle it without immediate issues.
• Policing customers: Mailchimp is known for actively policing its customers to maintain good shared IP reputation, which indirectly benefits all users on its platform.
• Growth and pricing: While great for initial stages, marketers often advise evaluating alternatives like MailerLite as list size increases, due to Mailchimp's pricing structure potentially becoming less economical.
• Analytics and responsiveness: Mailchimp offers detailed analytics for campaign tracking and natively supports responsive email designs, which are key for effective email marketing.

Key opinions

• Volume perception: Experts generally consider 40,000 emails per month a relatively small volume, indicating that shared IP delivery scenarios are perfectly adequate for such scale, making dedicated IPs unnecessary.
• Authentication standards: Customization of the `5321.From` header for SPF alignment is often deemed overkill by experts, as proper DKIM authentication is sufficient for legitimate email delivery and DMARC passing.
• DMARC progression: Monitoring DMARC reports is crucial for building confidence before transitioning to an enforcing DMARC policy, which can mitigate concerns about relying solely on DKIM.
• List hygiene: Maintaining a clean and engaged email list is paramount for sustained deliverability, regardless of the ESP used. This impacts sender reputation.

Key considerations

• Shared IP environments: For moderate volumes, using shared IPs (as Mailchimp does) is efficient and generally performs well. Dedicated IPs are typically only necessary for much higher volumes or specific reputation management strategies, as discussed in considerations for multiple dedicated IPs.
• DKIM robustness: DKIM is widely recognized as a robust authentication method that reliably ensures emails are cryptographically signed and verified, even without SPF alignment.
• Monitoring vs. enforcement: Experts advocate for a cautious approach to DMARC policy enforcement, starting with a monitoring policy (p=none) to gather data before moving to quarantine or reject policies. This process is detailed in guides on safely transitioning DMARC policy.
• ISP policing: ESPs like Mailchimp actively manage their sending infrastructure and enforce policies on senders to protect their shared IP reputation, which benefits all users.

Key findings

• Importance of deliverability: Deliverability is highlighted as one of the most critical factors for email marketing success, measuring the percentage of contacts who actually receive emails.
• Scale of operations: Platforms like Mailchimp process billions of emails monthly for millions of users, indicating their robust infrastructure and ability to handle high volumes.
• Analytics and insights: Comprehensive analytics are provided to help users understand subscriber behavior and measure campaign success effectively.
• Authentication practices: ESPs generally manage email authentication (SPF, DKIM, DMARC) to ensure emails are properly verified, contributing to better inbox placement.

Key considerations

• Sender reputation management: Documentation often stresses the role of sender reputation, which is influenced by factors like spam complaints, bounce rates, and engagement.
• List hygiene: Maintaining a clean and engaged subscriber list is consistently advised as a fundamental best practice for deliverability.
• Policy enforcement: Providers implement internal policies to ensure users comply with anti-spam regulations, which protects the shared IP reputation for all senders.
• Industry benchmarks: ESPs leverage vast amounts of data to provide industry benchmarks and insights, helping marketers understand their performance relative to others.