GDPR-Compliant Email Marketing: The Best Mailchimp Alternatives from Europe
Mailchimp and GDPR
Mailchimp is the most widely used email marketing tool in the world – and one of the biggest GDPR problem children. The data transfer to the US without adequate protection level is legally risky.
European Email Marketing Alternatives
Brevo (France, formerly Sendinblue)
Brevo is the leading European email marketing platform and offers a generous free tier.
Features:
- Email marketing and SMS
- Marketing automation
- CRM functions
- Transactional emails
- 300 emails/day free
Rapidmail (Germany)
Rapidmail is a German company focused on simple email marketing and GDPR compliance.
Features:
- Simple drag-and-drop editor
- GDPR compliance checklist
- Good German-language support
- Fair pricing
Newsletter2Go / Sendinblue (Germany)
Now part of Brevo, but still available with German support and server location.
CleverReach (Germany)
CleverReach is an established German provider with a strong focus on e-commerce integration.
Features:
- Shopify, WooCommerce, Magento integration
- Extensive automations
- GDPR-compliant with German servers
What to Consider When Switching
1. Migrate contacts: Export from Mailchimp as CSV, import at the new provider
2. Recreate templates: Most templates are not directly compatible
3. Double opt-in: Mandatory in Germany
4. Update privacy policy
Conclusion
Brevo is the strongest Mailchimp alternative for companies with an international focus. For the German market, Rapidmail or CleverReach are recommended – GDPR-compliant and with German support.