Is Mailchimp a CRM? A Complete Guide for Businesses

When you hear the name Mailchimp, the first thing that probably comes to mind is email marketing. It’s famous for helping businesses create and send newsletters, promotional emails, and automated campaigns. But over the years, Mailchimp has expanded beyond email marketing—leading many to ask, is Mailchimp a CRM?

The short answer is yes, but with limitations. Mailchimp offers basic Customer Relationship Management (CRM) features, making it a great choice for small businesses that need an all-in-one marketing platform. However, it might not be the best fit for companies looking for a fully-fledged CRM with advanced sales and customer management tools.

In this article, we’ll break down how Mailchimp functions as a CRM, its benefits, limitations, and how to decide if it’s right for your business.

What is a CRM?

Before we dive into Mailchimp’s CRM capabilities, let’s first define what a CRM (Customer Relationship Management) system is.

A CRM is a tool that helps businesses manage relationships with customers. It allows companies to:
✔️ Store and organize customer data
✔️ Track interactions and communication
✔️ Automate follow-ups and marketing campaigns
✔️ Improve sales and customer engagement

CRMs like Salesforce and HubSpot CRM offer advanced features such as sales tracking, pipeline management, and customer support integration. But can Mailchimp do the same? Let’s find out.

Is Mailchimp a CRM?

Yes, Mailchimp is a CRM, but with a focus on marketing automation rather than sales management.

Mailchimp describes itself as an “all-in-one marketing platform” that includes basic CRM features. It allows businesses to store contacts, segment audiences, track engagement, and automate email campaigns. However, it lacks advanced CRM capabilities like deal tracking, pipeline management, and deep sales analytics.

🔹 Think of Mailchimp as a lightweight CRM, perfect for small businesses that primarily focus on email marketing and customer engagement. If you need a robust sales CRM, you might need to integrate it with a dedicated CRM tool like Pipedrive or Zoho CRM.

For a more detailed breakdown, check out Mailchimp’s official CRM guide.

How Mailchimp Works as a CRM

Even though Mailchimp is not a full-fledged CRM, it still offers several CRM-like features that can help businesses manage customer relationships effectively. Here’s how:

1. Contact Management & Audience Segmentation

Mailchimp allows you to store customer data and segment audiences based on different criteria, such as:
✔️ Demographics (age, location, gender)
✔️ Purchase behavior
✔️ Engagement with emails

🔹 Example: A clothing store can segment customers into "Frequent Buyers" and "First-Time Shoppers" and send them personalized email campaigns.

Learn more about Mailchimp’s audience segmentation here.

2. Automated Customer Journeys

Mailchimp’s Customer Journey Builder allows businesses to create automated workflows based on user behavior.

🔹 Example: If someone abandons their cart, Mailchimp can automatically send a reminder email offering a discount.

This feature is similar to CRM automation but is focused more on marketing workflows rather than sales processes.

Check out how to set up automated customer journeys here.

3. Email Campaign Tracking & Insights

Mailchimp provides detailed analytics, including:
✔️ Open and click rates
✔️ Subscriber activity
✔️ Audience growth trends

🔹 Example: If an email campaign has a low open rate, you can tweak your subject line or send time based on insights from Mailchimp.

Read more about email marketing analytics here.

4. Basic Sales CRM Features

Mailchimp does offer some basic sales CRM features, such as:
✔️ Contact profiles – Store customer details and track their interactions.
✔️ Lead scoring – Identify high-potential leads based on their engagement.
✔️ E-commerce integration – Sync data with Shopify, WooCommerce, and other platforms.

However, it doesn’t include advanced sales pipeline management, which is why many businesses pair Mailchimp with a dedicated CRM.

For more on Mailchimp’s sales tools, visit this page.

Who Should Use Mailchimp as a CRM?

Mailchimp is a great CRM alternative for:
✔️ Small businesses & startups – Manage leads and automate email marketing without a complex CRM.
✔️ E-commerce stores – Sync with Shopify or WooCommerce for personalized email campaigns.
✔️ Freelancers & solopreneurs – Organize contacts and track client interactions with ease.

However, if your business relies heavily on sales pipeline tracking, deal management, or customer support integration, you may need a dedicated CRM like Salesforce or HubSpot CRM.

How to Use Mailchimp as a CRM: A Step-by-Step Guide

If you decide to use Mailchimp as your CRM, follow these steps:

Step 1: Import Your Contacts

Upload your customer list from a CSV file or sync it with tools like Shopify or Google Contacts.

Step 2: Segment Your Audience

Create targeted customer groups based on location, purchase history, or engagement level.

Step 3: Set Up Automated Email Campaigns

Use Mailchimp’s automation to send welcome emails, cart abandonment reminders, or personalized offers.

Step 4: Track Engagement & Optimize

Monitor open rates, clicks, and conversions, then tweak your strategy based on performance insights.

For a detailed Mailchimp setup guide, visit this official tutorial.

Final Thoughts: Should You Use Mailchimp as a CRM?

So, is Mailchimp a CRM? Yes, but with limitations.

✔️ If you’re looking for a simple, marketing-focused CRM, Mailchimp is a great option.
❌ If you need advanced sales and pipeline management, consider integrating Mailchimp with a dedicated CRM.

For an all-in-one marketing tool, Mailchimp is one of the best choices for small businesses, freelancers, and e-commerce brands.