# Constant Contact

Constant Contact is an email and digital marketing platform rated 4.0/5 on G2 (5,800 reviews) and 4.3/5 on Capterra (2,600 reviews). Profile: pricing, ownership, integrations.

**Category:** Email and digital marketing for SMBs  
**Vendor:** Constant Contact, Inc.  
**Founded:** 1995  
**HQ:** Waltham, Massachusetts, US  
**Website:** https://www.constantcontact.com  


## About

Constant Contact is one of the oldest email marketing platforms in the industry, founded in 1995 and headquartered in Waltham, Massachusetts. It targets small and medium-sized businesses with tools for email campaigns, social media advertising, contact management, event marketing, and SMS. The company went public in 2011 and was acquired by Endurance International in 2015, then sold to private equity firm Siris Capital Group in 2019 in a deal valued at roughly $1.1 billion. Clearlake Capital became a co-owner in 2021. The platform has a large installed base built over three decades, particularly among local businesses, non-profits, and associations that prioritize simplicity and phone support over advanced automation. Its positioning is straightforward: an all-in-one digital marketing tool for small businesses that do not want to stitch multiple apps together.

## Ratings

| Source | Score | Reviews |
|---|---|---|
| G2 | 4.0/5 | 5,800 |
| Capterra | 4.3/5 | 2,600 |
| Gartner Peer Insights | 4.2/5 | 88 |
| TrustRadius | 7.6/10 | 420 |

## Funding

Private equity owned; prior to PE: public on NASDAQ (2011-2015)

| Round | Amount | Date | Lead |
|---|---|---|---|
| IPO | NASDAQ listed | 2011 | Public offering |
| Acquisition (Endurance International) | ~$1.1B | 2015 | Endurance International Group |
| Acquisition (Siris Capital) | ~$1.1B | 2019 | Siris Capital Group |
| Co-investment | Undisclosed | 2021 | Clearlake Capital |

## Viability

Moderate. Constant Contact has operated for 30 years and carries a large, loyal SMB customer base, but the PE ownership structure introduces long-term uncertainty: Siris and Clearlake have typical 5-7 year hold periods, meaning a sale or restructuring is a realistic outcome in the next few years. Revenue and product investment have been steady under PE, but the platform's innovation pace is slower than VC-backed competitors. For a small business already using Constant Contact, it is not going anywhere soon. For a business evaluating email marketing fresh in 2026, newer options offer more automation depth for similar or lower prices.

## Pricing

Constant Contact does not have a free tier, only a 60-day trial. Paid plans start at $12/mo for Lite (up to 500 contacts, basic email), Standard at around $35/mo (500 contacts, automation and scheduling), and Premium at $80/mo (500 contacts, advanced features and SEO tools). All three tiers scale with contact count, and pricing jumps are steep: a 10,000-contact list runs approximately $70/mo on Lite, $110/mo on Standard, $165/mo on Premium. The phone support and event tools justify the premium for specific use cases, but pure email volume buyers will find the price hard to defend against MailerLite or Brevo.

| Plan | Price | Best for |
|---|---|---|
| Lite | From $12/mo | 500 contacts; basic email campaigns, templates, reporting; no automation |
| Standard | From $35/mo | 500 contacts; email scheduling, automation, social posting, A/B subject testing |
| Premium | From $80/mo | 500 contacts; advanced automation, SEO tools, custom code, dedicated account manager |

## What reviewers say

_~5,800 G2 reviews at 4.0/5 and ~2,600 Capterra reviews at 4.3/5; broad SMB base with long-tenure users_

**Praised:**
- Phone support availability is the single most-cited differentiator; SMB owners who are not comfortable with email-only help desks regularly choose Constant Contact specifically for the ability to call someone
- Event marketing tools are uniquely strong: RSVP management, event reminder sequences, and attendee tracking are built-in features that most email platforms require third-party integrations to match
- Large template library and simple drag-and-drop editor get consistent praise from non-technical users who need to produce professional-looking campaigns without a designer

**Complaints:**
- Pricing feels expensive relative to newer competitors at equivalent contact counts; reviewers frequently note that MailerLite or Brevo offer more automation for less money
- Automation capabilities are limited compared to the category; multi-step conditional journeys require workarounds, and the automation builder has not kept pace with platforms like ActiveCampaign
- List management is cumbersome; segmentation tools are basic, and duplicates or unsubscribe handling requires manual intervention that users of more modern platforms find surprising

## Compliance

- **SOC 2:** Yes (SOC 2 Type II)
- **GDPR:** Yes
- **HIPAA:** No
- **SSO:** No (not available on standard plans)

## Integrations

- Shopify
- WooCommerce
- Salesforce
- WordPress
- QuickBooks
- Eventbrite
- Facebook Ads
- Google Ads
- Zapier
- Vimeo

## FAQs

### Does Constant Contact have a free plan?

No. Constant Contact does not offer a permanent free tier. It provides a 60-day free trial that gives access to all features without a credit card. After the trial, paid plans start at $12/mo for the Lite tier. If a free plan is important to your decision, MailerLite (1,000 subscribers free) and Mailchimp (500 contacts free) are the main alternatives.

### How much does Constant Contact cost?

The Lite plan starts at $12/mo for up to 500 contacts and scales to roughly $70/mo at 10,000 contacts. Standard starts at $35/mo for 500 contacts. Premium starts at $80/mo for 500 contacts. Prices go up with contact count, and there is no discount for paying annually on the base Lite plan. Check the live pricing page because Constant Contact adjusts rates periodically.

### Who owns Constant Contact?

Constant Contact is privately held by Siris Capital Group (majority) and Clearlake Capital (co-investor). Siris acquired it from Endurance International Group in 2019 for roughly $1.1 billion. Clearlake joined as a co-owner in 2021. The company was previously public on NASDAQ before its 2015 acquisition by Endurance.

### Is Constant Contact good for non-profits?

Yes, it is one of the most commonly used email platforms among non-profits and associations. The event marketing tools (RSVP, attendee tracking, reminder sequences) are built-in rather than third-party integrations, and phone support availability matters to the administrative staff who typically manage non-profit comms. Constant Contact also offers a non-profit discount; check the pricing page or contact sales for the current rate.

### How does Constant Contact compare to Mailchimp?

Both serve small businesses with similar feature sets, but they differ where it counts. Constant Contact has better phone support, better event tools, and no contact count-based free tier trap. Mailchimp has a more generous free tier (for those who qualify), a larger integration ecosystem, and more advanced ecommerce features. On automation depth, both are behind ActiveCampaign and Brevo at equivalent price points. The decision usually comes down to whether you need phone support and events (Constant Contact) or ecommerce and integrations (Mailchimp).


## Sources

- [G2: Constant Contact reviews](https://www.g2.com/products/constant-contact/reviews): rating 4.0/5, ~5,800 reviews
- [Capterra: Constant Contact](https://www.capterra.com/p/29980/Constant-Contact/): rating 4.3/5, ~2,600 reviews, sub-scores
- [TrustRadius: Constant Contact](https://www.trustradius.com/products/constant-contact/reviews): score 7.6/10, ~420 reviews
- [Gartner Peer Insights: Constant Contact](https://www.gartner.com/reviews/product/constant-contact): rating 4.2/5, ~88 ratings
- [Wikipedia: Constant Contact](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Constant_Contact): founding, acquisitions, ownership history, HQ
- [Crunchbase: Constant Contact](https://www.crunchbase.com/organization/constant-contact): funding, acquisition history, ownership
- [LinkedIn: Constant Contact company page](https://www.linkedin.com/company/constant-contact/): employee count, HQ, industry, specialties
- [Constant Contact pricing page](https://www.constantcontact.com/pricing): current plan tiers, contact-count pricing, feature matrix