The most common reason people move from Mailchimp to Campaign Monitor is email design. Campaign Monitor's template builder and template library are among the best in the industry, and for brands where the visual quality of email matters -- agencies, design studios, retail brands, creative businesses -- it is a meaningful upgrade.
The migration itself is straightforward. Both platforms use a standard list/audience model, and the data transfer process is simple CSV export and import. The main work is rebuilding your templates and automations, which you would expect any time you switch platforms. Estimated time: 2-4 hours.
What transfers and what does not
| Item | Transfers? | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Contacts and email addresses | Yes | Via CSV export/import |
| Tags and segments | Partial | Export tags as custom fields, recreate segments manually |
| Custom field data | Partial | Transfers if mapped correctly during import |
| Unsubscribe history | Yes | Import as suppressed contacts to stay compliant |
| Email templates | No | Need to be rebuilt in Campaign Monitor's template editor |
| Automation workflows | No | Need to be rebuilt from scratch in Journey builder |
| Campaign history and stats | No | Historical data stays in Mailchimp |
Do not cancel Mailchimp until you have fully tested Campaign Monitor. Keep both accounts running in parallel until your signup forms are updated, your automations are live and tested, and you have sent at least one successful campaign from Campaign Monitor.
Step-by-step migration guide
Sign up at campaignmonitor.com and complete the account setup. Campaign Monitor offers a free trial that lets you explore the platform before upgrading. If you are setting up on behalf of a client, create a client account within your main agency account -- Campaign Monitor's multi-client structure is one of its strengths for agencies.
Go to Account Settings and add your sending domain. Campaign Monitor provides DKIM records to add to your DNS -- add these as TXT records at your domain registrar and verify in Campaign Monitor. Domain authentication is required before sending at scale and significantly improves deliverability. DNS propagation can take up to 24 hours but usually completes in under an hour.
In Mailchimp, go to your Audience and export the full contact list as a CSV. Include all contact data: email address, first name, last name, all custom fields, and tags. Export your unsubscribed contacts as a separate CSV -- you will need to suppress these in Campaign Monitor to avoid sending to people who have opted out. If you use multiple Mailchimp audiences, export each one separately.
In Campaign Monitor, go to Lists and Subscribers and create a new list. Then import your CSV. Campaign Monitor's import tool lets you map each column in your CSV to a subscriber field -- create any custom fields you need before importing so they are available for mapping. After the main import, upload your unsubscribed contacts as suppressed. Review the import summary and fix any errors before proceeding.
This is where Campaign Monitor earns its reputation. Open the template editor and build your standard email layout -- header, content blocks, footer, and social links. Campaign Monitor's drag-and-drop editor is intuitive, and the template library has well-designed starting points across a range of styles. Build at least your core campaign template and a transactional/notification template before going live. Take screenshots of your Mailchimp templates first so you have a reference.
Go to Journeys and recreate your automations. Start with the ones that affect new subscribers first -- your welcome series and any lead nurture sequences. Campaign Monitor's Journey builder uses a visual canvas with trigger, action, delay, and condition nodes. Document your existing Mailchimp automations before you rebuild them. Do not activate a journey until you have tested it end-to-end by subscribing a test email address and verifying the sequence fires correctly.
Go to Lists and Subscribers, select your list, and click Sign Up Forms. Campaign Monitor provides a hosted form URL and an embed code. Build your form, replace the Mailchimp embed codes on your website, and test each one to confirm new subscribers land in the correct list and trigger the right journey. If you use a WordPress plugin or third-party form tool that integrates with Mailchimp, check whether it also has a Campaign Monitor integration.
Send a test campaign to yourself and a few colleagues. Check rendering across email clients -- Campaign Monitor's inbox preview tool shows how your email looks in Gmail, Outlook, Apple Mail, and mobile. Trigger your journeys with a test address. Verify the unsubscribe link works and removes the address from your list. Check that links track correctly in the campaign report.
Once Campaign Monitor is fully operational -- your list is imported, your forms are live, your automations are running, and you have sent at least one real campaign -- cancel your Mailchimp account. Check your Mailchimp billing date to avoid being charged for an extra month. Export and save any historical campaign reports or data you want to keep before you cancel.
The bottom line
Campaign Monitor is a good fit if email design quality is a real priority for your brand. The template editor is polished, the sending infrastructure is reliable, and the interface is clean and professional. If you are primarily moving for design reasons, you will not be disappointed.
If your main priority is automation depth or lower pricing rather than design, ActiveCampaign or MailerLite may be a better fit than Campaign Monitor. Not sure? Take the Marketing Automation Buyer's Guide quiz for a personalized recommendation.