Constant Contact Review: Old-School Tool or Still Relevant?

The drag-and-drop email builder handles the basics fine, but where it gets interesting in this Constant Contact review is what happens after you hit send. You can run A/B testing on subject lines and automatically send whichever one performs better—the platform tracks your most successful subject line over time.

But here’s something I ran into—you can’t use A/B testing and the “resend to non-openers” feature together on the same campaign. It’s one or the other. Resends go out anywhere from 24 hours to 10 days later (you can also manually trigger them sooner).

The platform includes dynamic content insertion, so you can personalize emails based on subscriber data without creating multiple versions. The Heat Map reporting has become one of my favorite features. It shows you exactly where people clicked in your email with a visual overlay. Makes it easy to see if that button placement is working or if everyone’s ignoring your main call-to-action.

The templates are functional rather than fancy. You’re working with their intuitive email editor (they call it “click-and-stick” for some reason), which includes these specialized blocks for RSVPs, donations, and feedback forms. Pretty handy for adding interactive elements without coding anything, making Constant Contact newsletter creation straightforward. You can also test subject lines before sending to optimize open rates.

They’ve added AI writing help and dynamic content blocks that show different content based on subscriber data. If you’re trying to keep a team on-brand, the saved layouts and reusable blocks are a lifesaver. Just set them up once and everyone uses the same foundation.

This SMS marketing add-on has serious restrictions you need to know about. It only works in the U.S. (no Puerto Rico or Virgin Islands either), and you’ll need a TIN or EIN to register. They assign you a dedicated number, and there are strict rules about sending times and content. If you need international SMS capabilities, Sender offers global reach without these geographic limitations.

The Text-to-Join feature lets people opt in by texting your number, but they have to reply “Yes” to confirm—no shortcuts around compliance here. There’s an AI helper for writing texts as part of the SMS marketing features, but honestly, with SMS you’re dealing with so many regulations that you’ll spend more time on compliance than creativity. Get your permission process sorted before you even think about scaling this up.

The Automation Path Builder is where Constant Contact platform tries to be modern. I’ve played around with their pre-built automation templates for different ecommerce platforms (Shopify, Wix, Squarespace, WooCommerce) and you can build decent customer journeys with delays, splits based on behavior, and SMS steps mixed in.

Constant Contact for ecommerce works fine for most small business needs, though advanced automation isn’t really its strong suit. For more modern automation at a better price point, I’d recommend checking out Sender instead.

They’ve also got this separate Lead Gen & CRM system for handling more complex permission flows and double opt-ins. The Constant Contact CRM integration is useful when you need to prove someone gave consent. Most teams I’ve seen use the Path Builder for the actual messaging and the CRM side for managing permissions and tracking leads as their contact management system.

You get different form types—inline forms, pop-up, flyout, banner—each one customizable for capturing different contact fields. The Sign-up Landing Pages work well for collecting both email and SMS permissions, and they feed right into your welcome sequences.

If you’re in a regulated industry or just want to be extra careful, you can set up double opt-in confirmation. Basically, you’ve got options from simple email capture all the way to fully verified contacts with documented consent.

This confused me at first because there are two different systems. In the main Email & Digital Marketing area, you get Custom Landing Pages for promotions (which can use your own domain) and Sign-up Landing Pages for growing your list. Then there’s this whole other world in the Lead Gen & CRM section where you can build multi-page funnels using their website builder capabilities.

Quick tip I learned the hard way: if you’re selling digital products through their Shoppable Landing Pages, you have to manually mark orders as completed before delivering anything. Miss that step and things get messy fast. Pick your landing page type based on what you’re trying to do—simple sign-ups don’t need the complex funnel builder.

The “action blocks” are pretty clever. RSVPs get you quick yes/no responses right in the email (though it’s just for basic headcounts). The Feedback block handles ratings and polls with a thank-you page after. There’s a Donation block for nonprofits too.

One thing that tripped me up: RSVPs are super basic—just click tracking really. You can’t enforce single choices or add any logic. If you need anything fancier, use their Surveys or Events features instead. Small distinction but it matters when you’re planning how to collect responses.

Interactive Content

The Feedback block does star ratings and simple polls, showing a success page after someone clicks. You can create more detailed surveys with branching logic, though these live on separate survey pages rather than in the email itself. Event RSVPs get tracked in your Email Details report, but don’t expect much—it’s intentionally simple.

Now about video embeds—this is where things get a bit limited. You can’t embed videos directly in emails (most email clients don’t support this anyway), but you can add video thumbnail images that link out to your content. For anything more complex than basic polls, you’ll want Survey Pages. They’ve got their own analytics and export options.

But watch out—once a survey is live, you can’t change much about its structure. You can tweak the text and answer options if the editor lets you, but the bones of it are locked. Learned that one the hard way during a campaign.

Event Marketing

The Events 2.0 update is genuinely good for event promotion. You can sell tickets, add-ons, use promo codes (including hidden tickets that only show with certain codes), and handle payment processing through Stripe with Apple Pay, Google Pay, and Link support. RSVP tracking is built right in, so you know who’s coming and can send targeted follow-ups.

The ticket sales system is more robust than I expected—you can set early bird pricing, create different ticket tiers, and manage capacity limits. Private events with access codes? Check. Event landing pages from templates? Check.

The checkout process feels modern with the cart and code redemption up front. All your reports and attendee management live in one dashboard. For workshops, fundraisers, or classes, it’s solid enough that you won’t need to cobble together three different tools.

Beyond the standard opens and clicks, you get decent campaign tracking that helps you understand performance over time. The overview reports and Heat Maps really help you understand what’s working—they show exactly where people are clicking with a visual overlay and track contact activity patterns.

Click rates are calculated as unique clicks divided by delivered emails—straightforward enough. You can compare your original send against the resend to non-openers side by side.

Revenue tracking is available if you’ve connected your ecommerce platform or are using their event tools, though it’s not as sophisticated as dedicated ecommerce email platforms. You can see which campaigns drive sales, but don’t expect deep attribution modeling. The platform also helps monitor spam reports to protect your sender reputation.

The heat map focuses on your top five clicked items, which usually tells you what you need to know but might miss some details—watch for missing links in your analysis.

The platform tracks where each contact came from pretty thoroughly—whether they signed up through a donation form, claimed a coupon, or bought something from a landing page. This granular tracking of contact details helps when you’re building segments or trying to figure out what’s driving growth.

The ecommerce integrations (Shopify, WooCommerce) automatically segment customers based on what they do. You can layer on engagement segments for VIPs or win-back campaigns. Your lists end up showing both actions and sources, which comes in handy for lifecycle campaigns or when you want to exclude certain groups from specific offers.

You can run Facebook and Instagram ads right from the platform through their social media marketing integration, which I tested with mixed feelings about the results. Lead Ads dump sign-ups straight into your Constant Contact lists, and you can create Lookalike Audiences from your existing contacts to reach new people similar to your best customers. What Constant Contact offers here is decent for basic social campaigns.

Connecting your social media accounts lets you post, share emails and events as social media posts, check basic stats with social tracking, and reply to comments without switching tabs. It won’t replace a dedicated ad manager, but for basic list building and getting your content out there, it does the job.

The integration list surprised me—it’s bigger than expected with solid third-party integrations. Shopify and WooCommerce sync daily and segment customers automatically. The WooCommerce plugin even adds a product block for dragging items into emails. Stripe handles customer syncing and runs the event checkout.

For paid ads, the Meta Lead Ads integration pipes leads right into your lists. They claim thousands of integrations for common business tools. Bottom line: you can piece together a decent marketing setup—store, payments, ads, email—without custom development.

I’ve tested most of their support channels and training resources. There’s chat support and phone support Monday through Saturday during business hours eastern time, a thorough Knowledge Base, community forums, and these “Ask-a-Trainer” sessions that run weekdays from 10am to 4pm Eastern.

They also have a mobile app for managing campaigns on the go, though it’s pretty basic. If you need help outside regular hours, email support is available too.

Different departments have different hours, so check your account settings and the Help Center page before planning to tackle something big. The trainer sessions work great for learning new features or reviewing your workflow.

Chat and phone are better when something’s broken and you need help now. If you’re getting a team up to speed, set up some templates first, then hop on a trainer session to make sure everyone’s doing things the same way.

Looking at Constant Contact customer reviews on G2, the platform’s ease of use, intuitive drag-and-drop builder, and time-saving automation emerge as major strengths—making it popular with small businesses and nonprofits. Users praise how quickly they can launch professional campaigns, track engagement, and stay connected with donors or customers.

However, reviewers consistently note limitations: the SMS system is restrictive, the reporting could be more customizable, and the email editor sometimes feels clunky—especially for those wanting pixel-perfect templates or embedded video control. Overall, the Constant Contact ratings value simplicity, but it’s not always flexible enough for advanced users.

Capterra’s Constant Contact testimonials praise the platform for its ease of use, helpful customer support, and versatile tools like landing pages and website builder, which make it a strong all-in-one solution for small businesses. Users appreciate how quickly they can create campaigns and manage communications in one place.

However, some negative reviews flag clunky formatting, unsophisticated contact management, and platform quirks like settings not always saving. Event management features were specifically cited as lacking depth for professional event teams, prompting some users to switch to competitors with more robust capabilities.

Reddit reviews of Constant Contact show a mix of appreciation and frustration. Positive users praise its ease of use, beginner-friendly templates, and strong customer support that “holds your hand” through setup. Some even rate it higher than competitors like Mailchimp and ActiveCampaign for its guidance and simplicity.

On the flip side, negative Constant Contact user feedback highlights platform glitches (like edits reverting), inconsistent experience with support reps, and a feeling that the service can be clunky for power users. Overall, Reddit’s verdict leans positive for beginners but warns experienced marketers to expect some workflow friction.

“Better” is relative—depends what you’re after. If you want advanced automation, deep ecommerce features, or a modern interface, ActiveCampaign, Klaviyo, or HubSpot will serve you better as the best email marketing service for complex needs. 

But I keep coming back to Sender for most people: you get 2,500 subscribers and 15,000 emails monthly for free, plus drag-and-drop email and SMS workflows, templates, popups, landing pages, and decent integrations. For small to mid-sized teams that don’t need complex segmentation or heavy event features, Sender gives you more bang for your buck.

Kind of, yeah. The template library feels old, and the design tools aren’t as slick as what newer email marketing software offers. The automation logic is pretty basic, and the interface could use some polish. But here’s the thing—it still works fine for organizations that value stability and support over having the latest features.

Email marketing services like Sender are showing what modern email marketing looks like though: better editors, generous free plans, transparent pricing, and faster feature releases. They’re setting new expectations for what these tools should offer. This Constant Contact review ultimately shows it’s a platform caught between its legacy roots and modern demands.