Comparison
MailchimpvsConvertKit
Mailchimp and ConvertKit are both popular email marketing tools, but they take different approaches. Mailchimp offers a free plan and positions itself as "turn emails into revenue". ConvertKit offers a free plan and bills itself as "the email platform built for creators". Here's how they compare across features, pricing, and real-world strengths.
Feature Comparison
| Feature | Mailchimp | ConvertKit |
|---|---|---|
| A/B testing | ✓ | ✓ |
| AI content tools | ✓ | ✗ |
| Analytics & reporting | ✓ | ✓ |
| CRM integration | ✓ | ✗ |
| Drag-and-drop editor | ✓ | ✓ |
| E-commerce integration | ✓ | ✓ |
| Email automation | ✓ | ✓ |
| Free plan | ✓ | ✓ |
| Landing pages | ✓ | ✓ |
| SMS marketing | ✓ | ✗ |
| Segmentation | ✓ | ✓ |
| Signup forms | ✓ | ✓ |
Mailchimp Pricing
Free
250 contacts, 500 monthly sends (250/day), 1 seat, 1 audience, basic templates, no automation/scheduling/A/B, 30-day email support
Free
Essentials
Starts at ~500 contacts, scales with contacts up to 50k, 10x sends, 3 seats/audiences, basic automation, A/B testing, 24/7 support
$11.00/mo
Standard
Starts at ~500 contacts, scales to 100k, 12x sends, 5 seats/audiences, advanced automation, dynamic content, send time optimization, 1 onboarding session
$20.00/mo
Premium
Starts at 10k contacts, scales to 200k+, 15x sends, unlimited seats/audiences, priority phone support, multivariate testing, 4 onboarding sessions
$298.00/mo
ConvertKit Pricing
Newsletter
Up to 10,000 subscribers, 1 basic automation, no sequences, community support
Free
Creator
1,000+ subscribers (scales with list size), unlimited automations and sequences, A/B subject testing, 2 users, 24/7 support
$39.00/mo
Pro
1,000+ subscribers (scales with list size), unlimited users, subscriber scoring, deliverability reporting, newsletter referral system, advanced A/B testing
$79.00/mo
Mailchimp
Pros
- Reliable email deliverability with 99% rate
- Intuitive drag-and-drop builder for quick campaigns
- Generous free tier for beginners with basic features
- Over 300 integrations for seamless workflows
- Strong audience segmentation for targeted messaging
- Comprehensive reporting on opens clicks and revenue
Cons
- Pricing scales steeply with contact list growth
- Limited automation on lower tiers (e.g. 4 steps max on Essentials)
- Poor customer support without phone access below Premium
- Includes inactive/cleaned contacts in billing limits
- Steep learning curve for advanced features
- Cluttered interface for complex workflows
ConvertKit
Pros
- Generous free tier supporting up to 10,000 subscribers (Kit pricing)
- Powerful visual automations and sequences praised in reviews (Capterra)
- Excellent deliverability boosting open rates from 20% to 40% (Capterra review)
- Easy integrations with WordPress, Shopify, Zapier (G2)
- Intuitive interface ideal for creators and beginners
- Active customer support with quick responses
Cons
- Prices scale significantly with subscriber count e.g. $39 to $199/mo for Creator 1k-25k subs (SendX)
- Basic email templates lacking design flexibility (Capterra)
- Clunky UI and steep learning curve for automations (Capterra)
- Limited advanced reporting outside Pro tier
- Recent price hikes frustrating users (Reddit)
The Verdict
Mailchimp takes this one with a DuelStack Score of 7.3/10 vs 6/10. It particularly excels at reliable email deliverability with 99% rate. That said, ConvertKit is the better pick if you need generous free tier supporting up to 10,000 subscribers (Kit pricing).