Is Klarna or Mailchimp better?

Neither clearly leads. Klarna starts at On request and Mailchimp at Free, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.

Which is cheaper, Klarna or Mailchimp?

Mailchimp has a free tier; the other does not. Paid plans start at On request for Klarna and Free for Mailchimp.

Does Klarna or Mailchimp run on more platforms?

Both run on Web, iOS, Android, so platform support will not decide this one for you.

Can I use Mailchimp for free?

Yes. Mailchimp has a free tier, so you can try it without paying. Klarna starts at On request.

What is Klarna best used for?

Klarna is most often used for a fashion or furniture retailer with average order values high enough that a 3% fee uplift is repaid by a larger basket, a merchant selling to younger shoppers who have low credit card penetration and would otherwise abandon at checkout, a european retailer wanting a single hosted checkout that handles instalments, invoice and card in one flow, a brand that wants distribution inside klarna's shopping app as an acquisition channel rather than only a payment option. Of those, a fashion or furniture retailer with average order values high enough that a 3% fee uplift is repaid by a larger basket and a merchant selling to younger shoppers who have low credit card penetration and would otherwise abandon at checkout are not what Mailchimp is typically brought in for.

What can Klarna do that Mailchimp cannot?

Klarna covers Pay in 4, Pay in 30 days, Longer-term financing, Klarna app placement. Mailchimp covers Email campaigns, Marketing automation, Landing pages, Forms & popups.

E-Commerce · head to head

Klarna vs Mailchimp

Klarna

E-Commerce

Buy now pay later and instalment checkout for online and in-store merchants

From: On request
Rated: -

Full review Website

Mailchimp

E-Commerce

Turn emails into revenue

From: Free
Rated: -

Full review Website

The short version

Only Mailchimp has a free tier, so it costs nothing to try first.
Each has a real cost: Klarna merchant fees for the short-term products run around 5.99% plus a fixed fee in the United States, roughly double a standard card rate, so unless Klarna measurably lifts average order value or conversion it is a straight margin loss.; Mailchimp the free plan allows 250 contacts and 500 sends a month, with a 250 daily cap
They diverge on capability: Klarna covers Pay in 4, Mailchimp covers Email campaigns.
Prices and features above were last checked on 31 August 2026.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Klarna and Mailchimp actually diverge.

Attributes where Klarna and Mailchimp differ
Attribute	Klarna	Mailchimp
Starting price	On request	Free
Pricing model	quote	Unknown
Free tier	No	Yes
Founded	Unknown	2001

Identical on both: platforms (Web, iOS, Android), user rating (Not yet rated), category (E-Commerce).

What each one covers

Drawn from each product's published feature list. An absence here means we hold no record of it - not that the product lacks it.

Only in Klarna

Pay in 4
Pay in 30 days
Longer-term financing
Klarna app placement
Klarna Checkout
In-store payments
On-site messaging
Merchant portal

Only in Mailchimp

Email campaigns
Marketing automation
Landing pages
Forms & popups
Audience management
Content studio
Analytics
Social media

What people use each for

The jobs each tool is most often brought in to do.

Klarna

A fashion or furniture retailer with average order values high enough that a 3% fee uplift is repaid by a larger basketnot Mailchimp
A merchant selling to younger shoppers who have low credit card penetration and would otherwise abandon at checkoutnot Mailchimp
A European retailer wanting a single hosted checkout that handles instalments, invoice and card in one flownot Mailchimp
A brand that wants distribution inside Klarna's shopping app as an acquisition channel rather than only a payment optionnot Mailchimp

Mailchimp

Email newslettersnot Klarna
E-commerce marketingnot Klarna
Lead generationnot Klarna
Customer engagementnot Klarna
Marketing automationnot Klarna

Where each one falls short

Documented limitations, not opinions. Every one is a constraint you would hit in normal use.

Klarna

Merchant fees for the short-term products run around 5.99% plus a fixed fee in the United States, roughly double a standard card rate, so unless Klarna measurably lifts average order value or conversion it is a straight margin loss.
Rates are negotiated and unpublished, which means small merchants pay the standard rate while large ones negotiate down, and you cannot benchmark what you are being charged without going to market.
Returns and partial refunds are handled through Klarna's systems rather than your payment processor, so your finance team reconciles a second settlement flow and customer service handles a second dispute process.
Buy now pay later is being brought under consumer credit regulation in the UK, the EU and Australia, which is already changing affordability checks and disclosures; the checkout experience that converts today may be legally required to add friction.
Klarna owns the post-purchase relationship, sending payment reminders and marketing in its own name, so a shopper who has a poor collections experience associates it with your brand while you have no control over the messaging.

Mailchimp

The free plan allows 250 contacts and 500 sends a month, with a 250 daily cap
Price is driven by contact count, so the list growing raises the bill regardless of how much you send
Send allowances are a multiple of contacts, 10x on Essentials and 12x on Standard, so a large list with heavy sending forces a tier change
Essentials allows 3 seats and Standard 5; unlimited seats need Premium at $350 a month
The headline $13 and $20 prices are for 500 contacts, not a flat rate

Pricing, plan by plan

Klarna

On request

Klarna for Business$undefined/year
- Per-transaction percentage plus a fixed fee, negotiated by merchant
- No published rate card; rates vary by market, product and volume
- Short-term products priced materially above card interchange

Mailchimp

Free

FreeFree
- 250 contacts
- 500 sends per month
- Basic email campaigns
Essentials$13/month
- 500+ contacts
- Email campaigns
- Basic automation
Standard$20/month
- Advanced automation
- Segmentation
- Landing pages

Which should you pick?

Choose Klarna if

You need pay in 4.
You work on Web, iOS, Android.
You also want pay in 30 days.

Klarna review

Choose Mailchimp if

You need email campaigns.
You want to start without paying.
You work on Web, iOS, Android.
You also want marketing automation.

Mailchimp review

Questions people ask

Is Klarna or Mailchimp better?: Neither clearly leads. Klarna starts at On request and Mailchimp at Free, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Klarna or Mailchimp?: Mailchimp has a free tier; the other does not. Paid plans start at On request for Klarna and Free for Mailchimp.
Does Klarna or Mailchimp run on more platforms?: Both run on Web, iOS, Android, so platform support will not decide this one for you.
Can I use Mailchimp for free?: Yes. Mailchimp has a free tier, so you can try it without paying. Klarna starts at On request.
What is Klarna best used for?: Klarna is most often used for a fashion or furniture retailer with average order values high enough that a 3% fee uplift is repaid by a larger basket, a merchant selling to younger shoppers who have low credit card penetration and would otherwise abandon at checkout, a european retailer wanting a single hosted checkout that handles instalments, invoice and card in one flow, a brand that wants distribution inside klarna's shopping app as an acquisition channel rather than only a payment option. Of those, a fashion or furniture retailer with average order values high enough that a 3% fee uplift is repaid by a larger basket and a merchant selling to younger shoppers who have low credit card penetration and would otherwise abandon at checkout are not what Mailchimp is typically brought in for.
What can Klarna do that Mailchimp cannot?: Klarna covers Pay in 4, Pay in 30 days, Longer-term financing, Klarna app placement. Mailchimp covers Email campaigns, Marketing automation, Landing pages, Forms & popups.

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

Klarna: What does Klarna cost a merchant?

Klarna does not publish a rate card. In the United States most merchants pay around 5.99% plus $0.30 for short-term products, with longer-term financing nearer 3.29% plus $0.30, and large merchants negotiate lower.

Mailchimp: Does Mailchimp offer a free plan?

Yes, Mailchimp's free plan supports up to 250 contacts and 500 sends per month with a 250-per-day cap.

Source

Klarna: Does the merchant carry the credit risk?

No. Klarna pays the merchant the full amount less fees and takes the risk of the shopper not paying.

Mailchimp: What email features does Mailchimp include?

Mailchimp provides email campaign builder, automation sequences, segmentation, contact management, and A/B testing for email marketing.

Source

Klarna: Can I use Klarna alongside my existing processor?

Yes. It is normally added as an additional payment method through Shopify, Adyen, Stripe or a direct integration rather than replacing your card acquirer.

Mailchimp: Can Mailchimp integrate with e-commerce platforms?

Yes, Mailchimp integrates with Shopify, WooCommerce, Squarespace, and other e-commerce platforms for customer sync and abandoned cart automation.

Source

Klarna: Is Klarna still independent?

Yes. It listed on the New York Stock Exchange in September 2025 and holds a Swedish banking licence.

Klarna vs Mailchimp

Klarna

Mailchimp

The short version

Where they differ

What each one covers

Only in Klarna

Only in Mailchimp

What people use each for

Klarna

Mailchimp

Where each one falls short

Klarna

Mailchimp

Pricing, plan by plan

Klarna

Mailchimp

Which should you pick?

Choose Klarna if

Choose Mailchimp if

Questions people ask

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

Related pages

More on Klarna

More on Mailchimp

Keep looking

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