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vsMailchimp

Clever Elements vs Mailchimp

Last updated October 2026

Looking for a European alternative to Mailchimp? Here's how Clever Elements compares, on EU hosting, GDPR and what it does.

Our pick for a European buyer: Clever Elements. We weight data residency, GDPR and EU jurisdiction above everything else — that is the constraint this directory exists to solve.

Clever Elements
Mailchimp
What it is
Email marketing with drag-and-drop editor and built-in GDPR compliance
Email marketing and automation platform for businesses.
Headquarters
🇩🇪 DE
🇺🇸 US · 2001
EU data residency
Yes, for all customers
Available on some plansEU data residency available on request for Enterprise customers.
DSGVO / GDPR
Yes
Yes
Certifications
No
ISO 27001, SOC 2 Type II
Price from
€10
$13/mo
Free plan
No
Yes
Open Source
No
No
Ratings
No
G2 4.3/5 (12,456) · CAPTERRA 4.5/5 (14,231)
Integrations
API, WordPress Plugin, Zapier, HubSpot, Google Sheets +8
Shopify, WordPress, Salesforce, Zapier, Google Analytics +4

Where each one wins

Clever Elements

Mailchimp

Strengths

  • +User-friendly drag-and-drop editor
  • +Strong automation workflows
  • +Reliable deliverability
  • +Extensive third-party integrations

Limitations

  • −Data primarily stored in the US
  • −Pricing can become expensive as contact list grows
  • −Limited customization for advanced users
  • −GDPR compliance requires additional steps

Data residency & compliance

Clever Elements
Mailchimp
EU data residency
Yes, for all customers
Available on some plansEU data residency available on request for Enterprise customers.
Transfer mechanism
Not required — data stays in the EU
EU-US Data Privacy Framework
DPA
Published →
Published →
Sub-processors
Listed →
Listed →
Certifications
No
ISO 27001, SOC 2 Type II

Pricing

Clever Elements

  • Launch (Subscription) €20 per month for up to 1,000 recipientsUnlimited sends · Full feature set · Free personal support
  • Grow (Subscription) €90 per month for up to 10,000 recipientsUnlimited sends · Full feature set · Free personal support
  • Scale (Subscription) €360 per month for up to 50,000 recipientsUnlimited sends · Full feature set · Free personal support
  • Launch (Prepaid Credits) €10 for 1,000 credits (1 credit per recipient + 250 per send)No monthly fee · Full feature set · Free personal support
  • Grow (Prepaid Credits) €100 for 10,000 creditsNo monthly fee · Full feature set · Free personal support
  • Scale (Prepaid Credits) €240 for 50,000 creditsNo monthly fee · Full feature set · Free personal support

All prices exclude VAT. Custom pricing available for 100,000+ recipients.

Mailchimp

  • Free Free MonthlyUp to 500 contacts · 1,000 sends/month · Basic email templates
  • Essentials $13 MonthlyUp to 50,000 contacts · A/B testing · 24/7 support
  • Standard $20 MonthlyUp to 100,000 contacts · Advanced segmentation · Retargeting ads
  • Premium $350 MonthlyUp to 200,000+ contacts · Advanced analytics · Multivariate testing

Pricing varies based on contact count. Annual billing offers discounts.

Features

Clever Elements

Creation & Design
Drag-and-drop editor for newsletters, Modern templates and custom design options, Expert design service available, No programming skills required
Sending & Deliverability
High-deliverability server infrastructure, 100% GDPR-compliant sending, Dedicated IP and own mail server, DKIM, Sender ID, SPF signing
Growth & Signups
Customizable, embeddable signup forms, Brand-aligned forms with adjustable fields and styles, WordPress plugin for easy integration, Social sharing options in newsletters
Monetization
Paid subscriptions toolkit for monthly/yearly tariffs, Full revenue retention (100% of earnings kept), Automated handling of paid newsletter subscriptions
Automation & Personalization
Automated campaigns (e.g., welcome emails), Behavior-based follow-up emails, Dynamic recipient segmentation with conditions, Personalized sending with direct recipient addressing

Mailchimp

Email Campaigns
Drag-and-drop email builder, Pre-built templates, A/B testing, Scheduled sends
Automation
Customer journey builder, Triggered emails, Behavioral targeting, Transactional emails
Analytics & Reporting
Open and click tracking, Revenue reporting, ROI analysis, Google Analytics integration
Audience Management
Segmentation, Personalization tags, Sign-up forms, List cleanup tools
See Clever Elements →More Mailchimp alternatives