Mailchimp vs ConvertKit
Mailchimp is the established email marketing platform for small businesses. ConvertKit is built for creators. Different audiences, different strengths.
At a glance
|
Mailchimp
|
ConvertKit
|
|
|---|---|---|
| Best for | Small businesses getting started with email marketing | Creators and solo businesses who want simple, powerful email |
| Starting price | $13/mo | $25/mo |
| Free tier | ✓ | ✓ |
| Open source | — | — |
| Email campaigns | ✓ | ✓ |
| Automation sequences | ✓ | ✓ |
| Landing pages | ✓ | ✓ |
| A/B testing | ✓ | ✓ |
| Drag-and-drop email builder | ✓ | — |
| Digital product sales | — | ✓ |
| Tag-based segmentation | ✓ | ✓ |
| Template library | ✓ | — |
| Subscriber scoring | — | ✓ |
Mailchimp
Strengths
- Easy to use for beginners
- Good template library and drag-and-drop editor
- Built-in landing pages and basic CRM
- Brand recognition — customers trust Mailchimp emails
Weaknesses
- Pricing has increased significantly
- Free tier now limited to 500 contacts
- Automation is basic compared to dedicated tools
- Charges for unsubscribed contacts on some plans
ConvertKit
Strengths
- Built specifically for creators and solopreneurs
- Excellent automation and sequence builder
- Built-in landing pages and digital product sales
- Tag-based subscriber management (no lists)
Weaknesses
- Limited email template design options
- More expensive than alternatives for large lists
- Reporting is basic
- A/B testing is limited
The bottom line
Mailchimp is the generalist — it does email campaigns, automation, landing pages, ads, and basic CRM. It's the default choice for small businesses sending marketing emails.
ConvertKit (now Kit) is built for creators who make money from their audience. Its automation builder is more intuitive, it sells digital products directly, and its tag-based approach to subscribers is cleaner than Mailchimp's list-based model.
If you're a business sending marketing emails and promotions, Mailchimp works fine. If you're a creator building an audience and selling digital products, ConvertKit is purpose-built for you.
Choose Mailchimp if...
- You need visually designed email templates
- You want an all-in-one platform with basic CRM and ads
- You're a small business doing traditional email marketing
- You need a free tier (up to 500 contacts)
Choose ConvertKit if...
- You're a creator (blogger, YouTuber, podcaster)
- You want to sell digital products directly
- You need powerful email automation sequences
- Tag-based subscriber management makes more sense for you
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