A Belgian alternative to Mailchimp
2Mail is a Belgian alternative to Mailchimp for businesses that send from Belgium or the EU and want to keep their customer data inside the EU: campaigns, transactional email through SMTP and a REST API in one account, with support by phone in your language. If you need a free tier or make intensive use of Mailchimp's marketing automation and integrations, Mailchimp remains the better fit.
Mailchimp is an American email marketing platform for newsletters and campaigns. As a list grows and the web shop or CRM starts sending mail too, two questions come up: where is that data processed, and does everything still fit in one campaign tool?
For a Belgian SME with a record of processing activities, the first question is a concrete one. An accountant or DPO wants to know where the customer data is kept. A developer wants a separate SMTP login per application, rather than transactional email as an add-on to a marketing tool.
Why companies switch from Mailchimp to 2Mail
Your data stays in the EU
According to its own documentation, Mailchimp processes data in the United States. 2Mail runs on JAAN bv's own servers in Belgium. Sending, storage, statistics and open tracking stay inside the EU. A data processing agreement is available on request and you do not have to document any transfer outside the EU.
Priced per sending domain, not per contact
With a price per contact you also pay for addresses you rarely write to. 2Mail charges per volume tier, from 1,000 to 250,000 emails a month, and per sending domain, with no price per email and no setup fee. The tiers are listed on the pricing page.
Campaigns, SMTP and API in one account
You build newsletters in the campaign module with the drag & drop template builder. Order confirmations from your web shop and invoices from your accounting package go through the SMTP relay or the REST API. Each application gets its own SMTP login or API key. One dashboard per domain, with the same SPF, DKIM and DMARC settings.
Support by phone
Support in Dutch, French and English on +32 9 328 03 83, from Zelzate. During onboarding, 2Mail follows the build-up of your sending volume with you. For each message, the dashboard shows whether it was delivered, deferred, rejected or bounced.
Mailchimp and 2Mail side by side
Mailchimp is a email marketing platform based in United States. Below are the points on which an email platform really differs in practice. The Mailchimp column only reflects what the brand publishes itself; always check the current terms on its own website.
| Criterion | Mailchimp | 2Mail |
|---|---|---|
| Headquarters and data location | United States; processing in the US according to its own documentation | Belgium (JAAN bv, Zelzate); own servers in Belgium, processing and storage inside the EU |
| Pricing model | Subscription based on the number of contacts, according to its website | Per volume tier and per sending domain; no price per email, no setup fee; 12-month term |
| Sending channel (SMTP, API, campaigns) | Campaigns; transactional email through a separate service according to its website | Campaigns, SMTP relay (port 587, STARTTLS) and REST API with signed webhooks, in one account |
| Support and language | Mainly in English, via chat or email according to its website | Phone and email in Dutch, French and English; personal follow-up during onboarding |
| Authentication (SPF, DKIM, DMARC) | SPF and DKIM configurable according to its documentation | DKIM key and DNS records generated and checked from the dashboard; you publish them with your own DNS provider |
| Per-message visibility | Reporting per campaign according to its website | Status per message with the reply from the receiving server; dashboard per domain; CSV export of the reports |
Information about Mailchimp is general and may change; 2Mail is not affiliated with this brand. Brand names belong to their respective owners.
Switching from Mailchimp to 2Mail
A migration is not a big bang. These three steps keep your deliverability intact while you move.
Set up your domain and authentication
Add your sending domain in the 2Mail dashboard. The dashboard generates the DKIM key and shows the SPF, DKIM and DMARC records. Publish them with your DNS provider and then check them from the dashboard. Leave the Mailchimp records in place until your last campaign there has gone out. Two senders in one SPF record is normal.
Export and import your contacts
Export your contacts from Mailchimp and import the file into 2Mail. The columns are recognised automatically. Take only active, confirmed addresses. Leave unsubscribed and bounced addresses behind. Keep the export, with sign-up date and source, as your own proof of consent.
Build up volume gradually
A new sending route has no reputation yet with Gmail and Microsoft. Send the first campaigns spread over batches and start with the contacts who open your mail most often. 2Mail follows up personally during the first weeks.
Who is 2Mail the better choice for — and who isn't it for?
2Mail suits you if…
- Belgian and European SMEs that want to keep their customer data inside the EU and be able to show it
- Web shops and businesses that send order confirmations, invoices or CRM mail alongside a newsletter, through one platform
- Organisations with a large list that do not mail weekly and would rather pay per volume sent than per contact
Stay with Mailchimp if…
- Anyone who needs a free tier: 2Mail works with a subscription per volume tier and a 12-month term
- Anyone who makes intensive use of Mailchimp's marketing automation and integrations
Other comparisons
Looking for an alternative to another platform? Same exercise, always with the facts side by side.