Small businesses face a key decision in 2025: choose a CRM primarily built for powerful email marketing like Mailchimp or go for a doorstep-ready all-in-one automation platform like Liquid Funnel. Both have matured into popular options, but they serve distinctly different business needs.
Mailchimp CRM builds on its legacy as a best-in-class email marketing solution, offering segmentation, sophisticated automations, and a generous free tier to nurture growing contact lists. On the other hand, Liquid Funnel takes a broad view of business automation—from lead capture and appointment booking to payment reminders and review management—all consolidated in a single, expertly built platform.
Platform Overview
Liquid Funnel is designed as a done-for-you CRM system where the onboarding team builds your workflows, automations, and funnels customized to your business. It unifies SMS, email, social messaging, payment processing, and review collection in one dashboard, drastically reducing software juggling.
Mailchimp CRM, meanwhile, focuses on helping marketers design and execute highly targeted email campaigns, aided by drag-and-drop builders and strong segmentation. Its CRM capabilities support contact and deal management but are secondary to marketing automation.
Feature Comparison
| Feature | Liquid Funnel | Mailchimp CRM |
| Onboarding | Done-for-you, personalized build | DIY with onboarding guides |
| Email/SMS Automation | AI-powered messaging & unified inbox | Advanced email campaigns & marketing automation |
| Sales Funnel & Pipeline | Visual pipeline, integrated payment & reviews | Primarily email campaign funnels |
| Payment & Review Automation | Native payments and automated review requests | Via e-commerce integrations |
| Pricing | Custom plans, no free tier | Free tier + paid plans |
| Third-party Integrations | Focused core apps | Large, expansive app marketplace |
Pros & Cons
Liquid Funnel Pros:
- Fully managed onboarding eliminates setup headaches, ideal for non-technical users.
- Unified dashboard for all communication channels, payments, reviews, and client engagement.
- AI-driven reminders and automation eliminate manual follow-ups and improve client retention.
- Consolidates functions that usually require using 5+ separate tools.
Liquid Funnel Cons:
- Premium pricing with no free tier; best for businesses ready to invest in growth.
- Smaller third-party integration ecosystem compared to Mailchimp.
- Email marketing features are less granular than Mailchimp’s focused tools.
Mailchimp Pros:
- Robust free tier suitable for startups and solo marketers.
- Industry-leading campaign builder with drag-and-drop editing and audience segmentation.
- Massive integration marketplace connecting to major platforms and e-commerce tools.
- Extensive support resources and a large user community.
Mailchimp Cons:
- CRM features serve marketing; less focused on sales pipeline or multi-channel client management.
- Setup and automation workflows require more manual configuration.
- Does not natively support payment or review automation without plugins.
Real-World Impact
A boutique agency switched to Liquid Funnel and reduced software subscriptions by $400/month while increasing booked appointments through automated scheduling, SMS follow-ups, and review generation—all pre-built by experts during onboarding. Meanwhile, a growing e-commerce business leveraged Mailchimp’s segmentation and A/B testing to boost customer engagement and increase email marketing ROI significantly.
(Conclusion)
If you want turnkey business automation that covers sales, communication, payments, and client reviews seamlessly—with expert setup—Liquid Funnel is the best fit. For marketers focused on elaborate email campaigns with a generous free tier and a broad app ecosystem, Mailchimp CRM remains a top contender.
Looking for a smarter way to automate your entire sales and marketing workflow?
Book a free Liquid Funnel demo today and get a done-for-you CRM system built for your business success.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
Does Mailchimp offer a free CRM plan?
Yes, Mailchimp provides a free tier with basic CRM and marketing features.
Is Liquid Funnel’s onboarding truly hands-off?
Yes, Liquid Funnel’s team fully configures your custom CRM system during onboarding.
Can Liquid Funnel automate payments and reviews?
Yes, both payment processing and review automation are native features.
What type of integrations does Mailchimp support?
Mailchimp supports hundreds of apps across marketing, e-commerce, social media, and more.
Is Liquid Funnel better suited for service businesses?
Yes, especially those that want to automate client engagement and sales pipelines without extra software.
