Software · head to head
Mailchimp vs ConvertKit
ConvertKit
Software
The creator platform for digital professionals
- From
- On request
- Rated
- -
The short version
- Only Mailchimp has a free tier, so it costs nothing to try first.
- Each has a real cost: Mailchimp the free plan allows 250 contacts and 500 sends a month, with a 250 daily cap; ConvertKit the free Newsletter plan allows only one basic visual automation, so sequences beyond a single flow require paying
- They diverge on capability: Mailchimp covers Email campaigns, ConvertKit covers Email marketing.
Where they differ
Only the attributes on which Mailchimp and ConvertKit actually diverge.
| Attribute | Mailchimp | ConvertKit |
|---|---|---|
| Starting price | Free | On request |
| Pricing model | Unknown | subscription |
| Free tier | Yes | No |
| Platforms | Web, iOS, Android | Web |
| Founded | 2001 | 2013 |
Identical on both: user rating (Not yet rated), category (Unknown).
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 Mailchimp
- Email campaigns
- Marketing automation
- Forms & popups
- Audience management
- Content studio
- Analytics
- Social media
- Shopify
Only in ConvertKit
- Email marketing
- Subscriber tagging
- Automation workflows
- Digital product sales
- Broadcast emails
- Subscriber segments
- Email templates
- Stripe
Both cover
- Landing pages
- WordPress
What people use each for
The jobs each tool is most often brought in to do.
Mailchimp
- Email newslettersnot ConvertKit
- E-commerce marketingnot ConvertKit
- Lead generationnot ConvertKit
- Customer engagementnot ConvertKit
- Marketing automationnot ConvertKit
ConvertKit
- Sending newsletters and email sequences to an audiencenot Mailchimp
- Selling paid subscriptions and digital products to a mailing listnot Mailchimp
Where each one falls short
Documented limitations, not opinions. Every one is a constraint you would hit in normal use.
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
ConvertKit
- The free Newsletter plan allows only one basic visual automation, so sequences beyond a single flow require paying
- The free plan is a single user, and the Creator plan at $33 a month allows two
- Subscriber signals, engagement analytics and paid recommendations are Pro only, at $66 a month
- A/B testing is capped at 2 subject lines below Pro, which allows 5
- Paid pricing is banded by subscriber count, so the published figures apply only at the smallest band
Pricing, plan by plan
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
ConvertKit
On request- Creator$29/month
- Up to 10K subscribers
- Email campaigns
- Landing pages
- Creator Pro$79/month
- Unlimited subscribers
- Advanced automation
- Digital products
Which should you pick?
Choose Mailchimp if
- You need email campaigns.
- You want to start without paying.
- You work on Web, iOS, Android.
- You also want marketing automation.
Questions people ask
- Is Mailchimp or ConvertKit better?
- Neither clearly leads. Mailchimp starts at Free and ConvertKit at On request, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
- Which is cheaper, Mailchimp or ConvertKit?
- Mailchimp has a free tier; the other does not. Paid plans start at Free for Mailchimp and On request for ConvertKit.
- Does Mailchimp or ConvertKit run on more platforms?
- Mailchimp runs on Web, iOS, Android. ConvertKit runs on Web.
- Can I use Mailchimp for free?
- Yes. Mailchimp has a free tier, so you can try it without paying. ConvertKit starts at On request.
- What is Mailchimp best used for?
- Mailchimp is most often used for email newsletters, e-commerce marketing, lead generation, customer engagement. Of those, email newsletters and e-commerce marketing are not what ConvertKit is typically brought in for.
- What can Mailchimp do that ConvertKit cannot?
- Mailchimp covers Email campaigns, Marketing automation, Forms & popups, Audience management. ConvertKit covers Email marketing, Subscriber tagging, Automation workflows, Digital product sales. Both handle Landing pages, WordPress.
Answered from the vendors’ own pages
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.
SourceMailchimp: What email features does Mailchimp include?
Mailchimp provides email campaign builder, automation sequences, segmentation, contact management, and A/B testing for email marketing.
SourceMailchimp: 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