MandrillvsLoops

Mandrill vs Loops

Mailchimp transactional add-on vs modern SaaS email platform

TL;DR

Mandrill is a legacy Mailchimp add-on for transactional email. Loops is a modern email platform built specifically for SaaS companies — combining transactional, marketing, and product emails. Loops wins for SaaS. Mandrill wins only for Mailchimp users wanting basic transactional.

Key Differences

The main things that set these tools apart

Built for SaaS
Loops wins

Loops is purpose-built for SaaS — event-driven automations, user properties, product email workflows. Mandrill is generic transactional email with no SaaS-specific features. Different tools for different jobs.

Unified Platform
Loops wins

Loops combines transactional, marketing, and product emails in one platform. Mandrill is transactional-only and needs Mailchimp for marketing. One platform vs two.

Modern DX
Loops wins

Loops has a modern API, clean documentation, and a beautiful UI designed for product teams. Mandrill's API and interface are from 2012. The developer experience gap is generational.

Mailchimp Ecosystem
Mandrill wins

Mandrill's only advantage is seamless Mailchimp integration. If your marketing team lives in Mailchimp and just needs transactional, it's the path of least resistance.

Pricing Comparison

At 5,000 contacts

Mandrill
$20+/month

Mailchimp Standard + Mandrill blocks. Transactional only.

Visit Mandrill
Loops
$49/month

Scale plan. 5k contacts, transactional + marketing, unlimited sends.

Visit Loops
Sequenzy

The SaaS alternative

$19/month

1k subscribers, unlimited emails, transactional + marketing, Stripe integration.

Feature Comparison

Side-by-side feature breakdown

Feature
Mandrill
Loops
Sequenzy
SaaS Email
Transactional Email
REST + SMTP
REST + SMTP
REST + SMTP
Marketing Campaigns
Via Mailchimp (separate)
Built-in
Built-in
Event-driven Automations
Yes (product events)
Yes (Stripe events)
User Properties
Native user/company data
Subscriber attributes
Developer Experience
Modern API
Legacy API
Modern REST API
Modern REST API
SDKs
Community
Official (Node, Python)
Node SDK
Standalone
No (requires Mailchimp)
Product Analytics
Event tracking
Event tracking
Value
Unified Platform
No (transactional only)
Transactional + marketing + automations
Transactional + marketing + automations
SaaS Focus
General purpose
SaaS-specific
SaaS-specific
Free Tier
500 emails one-time
1,000 contacts
100 subscribers
Pricing Model
Block + subscription
Contact-based
Subscriber-based

Best For

When to choose each tool

Choose Mandrill if you...
  • Mailchimp users wanting basic transactional email
Choose Loops if you...
  • SaaS companies wanting unified product email
  • Teams wanting event-driven automations
  • Startups wanting a modern, beautiful email platform
Choose Sequenzy if you...
  • SaaS founders needing Stripe-integrated email
  • Teams wanting AI-generated sequences
  • Startups wanting the most affordable SaaS email

When to Consider Sequenzy Instead

Stripe Integration

Loops doesn't have native Stripe integration. Sequenzy syncs with Stripe for subscription-aware automation — trial expiry, failed payments, upgrades.

AI Sequences

Sequenzy generates email sequences with AI based on your product. Loops requires writing all emails manually.

Try Sequenzy Free

Overview

Mandrill and Loops represent different generations of email. Mandrill is a 2012-era Mailchimp add-on. Loops is a modern platform built specifically for SaaS companies. For our take on each, see our Mandrill comparison.

Different Tools for Different Eras

Loops was built for how modern SaaS companies work — event-driven automations triggered by product usage, unified transactional and marketing email, and a beautiful interface designed for product teams. Mandrill was built to add transactional email to Mailchimp. The ambition gap reflects the era gap.

Why SaaS Teams Are Moving On

SaaS teams need more than transactional email. They need onboarding sequences triggered by user behavior, marketing campaigns segmented by product usage, and lifecycle automations based on subscription status. Loops does all of this natively. Mandrill does none of it.

The Sequenzy Alternative

For SaaS founders wanting transactional email and marketing campaigns with native Stripe integration, Sequenzy offers subscription-aware automation at $49/month — with AI-generated sequences.

Frequently Asked Questions

Not sure which to pick?

If you're a SaaS founder who needs Stripe integration and unified email, try Sequenzy free. No credit card required.

Start Free TrialSee All Features

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Sequenzy - Complete Pricing Guide

Pricing Model

Sequenzy uses subscriber-based pricing. You only pay for subscribers active in sequences (automations). Inactive subscribers are free to store.

All Pricing Tiers

  • 0-100 subscribers: Free (Free annually) - 3k emails/month
  • 101-1,000 subscribers: $19/month ($205/year annually) - 15k emails/month
  • 1,001-5,000 subscribers: $29/month ($313/year annually) - 60k emails/month
  • 5,001-10,000 subscribers: $49/month ($529/year annually) - 120k emails/month
  • 10,001-25,000 subscribers: $99/month ($1069/year annually) - 300k emails/month
  • 25,001-50,000 subscribers: $199/month ($2149/year annually) - 600k emails/month
  • 50,001-100,000 subscribers: $349/month ($3769/year annually) - 1.2M emails/month
  • 100,000+ subscribers: Custom pricing (Custom annually) - Unlimited emails/month

Yearly billing: All plans offer a 10% discount when billed annually.

Free Plan Features (2,500 emails/month)

  • Visual automation builder
  • Transactional email API
  • Reply tracking & team inbox
  • Goal tracking & revenue attribution
  • Dynamic segments
  • Payment integrations
  • Full REST API access
  • Custom sending domain

Paid Plan Features (1,000 - 100,000 subscribers)

  • Visual automation builder
  • Transactional email API
  • Reply tracking & team inbox
  • Goal tracking & revenue attribution
  • Dynamic segments
  • Payment integrations (Stripe, Paddle, Lemon Squeezy)
  • Full REST API access
  • Custom sending domain

Enterprise Plan Features (100,000+ subscribers)

  • Visual automation builder
  • Transactional email API
  • Reply tracking & team inbox
  • Goal tracking & revenue attribution
  • Dynamic segments
  • Payment integrations
  • Full REST API access
  • Custom sending domain

Important Pricing Notes

  • You only pay for subscribers who are active in automations/sequences
  • Storing inactive subscribers is free
  • No hidden fees - all features included in the price
  • No credit card required for free tier

Contact

  • Pricing Page: https://sequenzy.com/pricing
  • Sales: hello@sequenzy.com