What is Constant Contact?
Constant Contact is an email marketing platform built for small businesses and nonprofits that want to reach customers by email, text message and social media from one place. It offers premade templates, a drag-and-drop editor, automated emails, segmentation, landing pages and signup forms, plus tools to create and schedule social posts and run social ads.
Constant Contact also adds AI writing help and AI branding tools that apply your logo and colors to designs. The Premium plan includes ecommerce flows such as abandoned cart reminders and a monthly allowance of text messages. Pricing depends on contact count and email sends, and a teams option supports businesses with several locations or departments.
Constant Contact at a glance
How does Constant Contact work?
- Import contacts
Upload a list or sync customers from Shopify, WooCommerce, Wix or Squarespace, and add signup forms to collect new ones.
- Create a campaign
Start from a template, let the AI tools apply your branding and write copy, then fine-tune with the drag-and-drop editor.
- Automate follow-ups
Set up welcome series, resends to non-openers and, on Premium, cart reminders and post-purchase emails.
- Extend to social and SMS
Turn emails into social posts, schedule them, and send text messages from the same account.
- Track results
Review opens, clicks and sales reports to see what works.
Constant Contact key features
Email editor and templates
Drag-and-drop editor with premade templates, scheduling and dynamic content blocks.
Email automation
Welcome series, automatic resends to non-openers and ecommerce flows on higher plans.
SMS marketing
Text messaging from the same account, with 500 messages per month included on Premium.
Social media tools
Create, schedule and share posts, turn emails into social content and run social ads.
AI content and branding
AI writing help and branding tools that build on-brand designs.
Landing pages and signup forms
Capture new contacts from your site and social channels.
Ecommerce integrations
Connect Shopify, WooCommerce, Wix or Squarespace to send cart reminders and purchase follow-ups.
Why use Constant Contact?
- Constant Contact combines email, SMS and social posting in a single small-business tool.
- Templates and AI branding tools make it fast to produce professional emails.
- More than 300 integrations connect it with common ecommerce and business apps.
- Prepaying for 6 or 12 months cuts the price, with larger discounts for nonprofits.
- A teams option supports businesses with several locations or departments.
Who is Constant Contact best for?
A good fit for
- Small businesses new to email marketing
- Nonprofits that can use the prepay discount
- Local businesses mixing email, SMS and social posts
- Multi-location businesses that need team accounts
Less suited to
- Teams wanting a free plan with no time limit
- Advanced marketers who need complex branching automation
- Large lists on a tight budget, since cost rises with contacts
Constant Contact pricing
| Pricing model | Subscription |
|---|---|
| Free plan | No |
| Free trial | 30 days |
| Starting price | $12/month (Lite) |
Standard starts at $35/month and Premium at $80/month, with prices rising by contact count and sends. Prepaying for 6 or 12 months saves 10% or 15%.
Prices checked October 2026. Vendors change plans often, so confirm on the official Constant Contact pricing page before you buy.
Constant Contact pros and cons
Pros
- Easy to learn for small business owners
- Email, SMS and social tools in one account
- Over 300 integrations
- Prepay and nonprofit discounts
Cons
- No permanent free plan
- Abandoned cart and other ecommerce flows require Premium
- Automation is less flexible than specialist tools
Constant Contact integrations and platforms
Works with
Available on
Constant Contact alternatives
See the full shortlist in Best Email Marketing Software.
Constant Contact FAQ
Is Constant Contact free?
No. Constant Contact does not have a permanent free plan. It offers a 30-day free trial that lets you send up to 100 emails, create social posts and use templates. After the trial, you choose the Lite, Standard or Premium plan, with prices based on your number of contacts and email sends.
What is Constant Contact used for?
Constant Contact is used by small businesses and nonprofits to send email newsletters and promotions, automate welcome and follow-up emails, send text messages and manage social media posts. Online stores also use it to recover abandoned carts and send post-purchase offers through its ecommerce integrations.
Is Constant Contact good for beginners?
Yes. Constant Contact is aimed at small business owners who may have no marketing background. Premade templates, a drag-and-drop editor and AI tools that write copy and apply branding make it simple to send a first campaign. Its automation options are fairly basic, which keeps the learning curve short.
Constant Contact vs Mailchimp: what's the difference?
Both serve small businesses, but Mailchimp has a free plan while Constant Contact only offers a 30-day trial. Constant Contact puts more weight on SMS, social posting and discounts for nonprofits. Mailchimp offers a wider set of marketing features. Compare costs at your own list size before choosing.
Does Constant Contact integrate with Shopify?
Yes. Constant Contact connects with Shopify to sync customers and purchase data. You can then send targeted campaigns and, on the Premium plan, automated abandoned cart and post-purchase emails. It also integrates with WooCommerce, Wix, Squarespace and Etsy, and links to other apps through Zapier.
Sources
This overview is based on Constant Contact's official website and documentation, checked October 2026.