ConvertKit vs Mailchimp (2025): Which Email Platform Is Better?

Choosing between ConvertKit and Mailchimp is one of the most common decisions creators and small businesses face. Both are popular email marketing platforms, but they’re designed for very different users.

After testing both extensively with real email campaigns, here’s our honest comparison.

Quick Comparison#

ConvertKit Overview#

ConvertKit is laser-focused on creators — bloggers, podcasters, YouTubers, course creators, and online entrepreneurs. It strips away enterprise bloat and focuses on growing an audience and monetizing through email.

Strengths#

• Purpose-built for creators — Every feature designed for audience building
• Visual automation builder — Intuitive drag-and-drop sequences on all paid plans
• Tag-based segmentation — More flexible than traditional list management
• Superior deliverability — Consistently 95%+ inbox placement
• Commerce built-in — Sell digital products without third-party tools
• Generous free plan — 1,000 subscribers with core features

Weaknesses#

• Limited email design — Basic templates, plain-text focus
• Higher pricing — More expensive than competitors at similar subscriber counts
• No SMS marketing — Email only
• Smaller feature set — Intentionally simpler, which can feel limiting

Mailchimp Overview#

Mailchimp started as an email tool but has evolved into an all-in-one marketing platform. It serves small businesses, e-commerce stores, and marketers who need email plus website builders, social ads, and CRM.

Strengths#

• Comprehensive marketing suite — Email, landing pages, social ads, website builder, CRM
• Extensive templates — 100+ email templates with drag-and-drop design
• E-commerce integration — Deep Shopify, WooCommerce, BigCommerce integration
• Lower entry price — $13/month for 500 contacts (vs ConvertKit’s $29/month for 1,000)
• Advanced analytics — Detailed reports and performance tracking
• SMS marketing — Available on Standard plan and above

Weaknesses#

• Confusing pricing — Features gated across four plans with unclear differences
• Automations paywalled — Visual automation builder only on Premium ($350+/month)
• Bloated interface — Trying to do everything makes it harder to use
• Lower deliverability — Tests show 85-90% inbox placement vs ConvertKit’s 95%+
• List-based model — Less flexible than tag-based segmentation

Pricing Comparison#

ConvertKit Pricing#

Scaling: 3,000 subs = $49/mo Creator, 5,000 subs = $79/mo, 10,000 subs = $129/mo

Mailchimp Pricing#

Scaling: 1,500 contacts = $27/mo Essentials, 5,000 contacts = $86/mo Standard

Pricing Winner#

Mailchimp is cheaper at very small scales (under 1,000 subscribers). ConvertKit offers better value at 1,000+ subscribers when you consider included features — Mailchimp gates essential features like visual automations behind its $350/month Premium plan.

For creators who rely on automated email sequences, ConvertKit’s $29/month Creator plan beats Mailchimp’s $350/month Premium requirement.

Feature Deep Dive#

Email Automation#

ConvertKit includes visual automation builder on all paid plans ($29+/month). You drag and drop elements to create sequences triggered by forms, tags, or purchases. It’s intuitive and powerful.

Mailchimp offers basic automations on all paid plans, but the visual “Customer Journey Builder” is locked behind the Premium plan ($350+/month). For small creators, this is a dealbreaker.

Winner: ConvertKit — Automation is core to the platform, not a premium feature.

Email Design and Templates#

Mailchimp offers 100+ professionally designed email templates with a drag-and-drop editor. You can create visually rich emails with images, buttons, columns, and custom layouts.

ConvertKit offers 30+ minimal templates focused on plain-text style emails. The editor is simple but limited — you can’t create multi-column layouts or complex designs.

Winner: Mailchimp — If you need beautifully designed HTML emails, Mailchimp wins hands down.

List Management#

ConvertKit uses a tag-based system. Instead of rigid lists, you tag subscribers by interest, behavior, and actions. One subscriber can have multiple tags, enabling sophisticated segmentation.

Mailchimp uses a traditional list-based system. Each contact lives in one or more lists, with limited tagging. This can lead to duplicate contacts and confusion when managing multiple segments.

Winner: ConvertKit — Tag-based segmentation is more flexible and cleaner for creators.

Landing Pages and Forms#

ConvertKit includes unlimited landing pages and forms even on the free plan. Templates are conversion-focused and easy to customize.

Mailchimp includes 1 landing page on free, 5 on Essentials, and 15 on Standard. Forms are available on all plans but less flexible.

Winner: ConvertKit — Unlimited landing pages at every tier is hard to beat.

Deliverability#

ConvertKit consistently achieves 95-98% inbox placement in independent tests. Their plain-text focus and strict anti-spam policies keep sender reputation high.

Mailchimp averages 85-90% inbox placement. As a larger platform with more users (including spammers), maintaining reputation is harder.

Winner: ConvertKit — Superior deliverability means more emails actually get read.

E-commerce Integration#

Mailchimp offers deep integration with Shopify, WooCommerce, BigCommerce, and other e-commerce platforms. You get product recommendations, abandoned cart emails, and purchase behavior segmentation.

ConvertKit offers basic e-commerce integration and its own Commerce feature for digital products. It works well for course creators and digital product sellers but lacks sophisticated product recommendation engines.

Winner: Mailchimp — Better for physical product e-commerce.

Integrations#

Both integrate with 100+ tools including WordPress, Zapier, Stripe, and major platforms.

Mailchimp has slightly more integrations (300+ vs 100+) and deeper native connections with e-commerce platforms.

ConvertKit integrations are more creator-focused (Teachable, Kajabi, Podia, etc.).

Winner: Tie — Both cover essential integrations well.

Ease of Use#

ConvertKit is simpler and more focused. The interface has less clutter, and you can accomplish most tasks in 2-3 clicks. New users typically feel comfortable within hours.

Mailchimp tries to do everything — email, websites, social ads, CRM — which makes the interface more complex. Finding specific features requires navigating multiple menus.

Winner: ConvertKit — Simpler and more intuitive for creators who just need email.

Customer Support#

ConvertKit offers:

• Live chat (business hours)
• Email support (4-6 hour response time)
• Extensive help documentation
• Free video courses

Mailchimp offers:

• Email and chat support (paid plans only)
• Limited phone support (Premium plan)
• Help center and guides

Winner: ConvertKit — More responsive support, and many agents are creators themselves who understand the use cases.

Which Should You Choose?#

Choose ConvertKit If:#

• You’re a creator building an audience (blogger, podcaster, YouTuber, course creator)
• You need powerful email automation without enterprise pricing
• You value deliverability and inbox placement above all
• You want to sell digital products directly through email
• You prefer simplicity and focus over feature abundance
• You plan to grow beyond 1,000 subscribers and need automations

Choose Mailchimp If:#

• You run an e-commerce business selling physical products
• You need advanced email design with visual templates
• You want an all-in-one marketing platform (email, websites, ads, CRM)
• You’re starting with under 500 contacts and want the cheapest option
• You need SMS marketing in addition to email
• You’re a traditional small business (retail, restaurant, local service)

Real-World Use Cases#

Blogger Growing Newsletter#

Winner: ConvertKit — Tag subscribers by content interests, automate welcome sequences, and monetize with paid newsletters or digital products.

E-commerce Store (Shopify)#

Winner: Mailchimp — Product recommendations, abandoned cart recovery, and purchase behavior segmentation are built for e-commerce.

Course Creator#

Winner: ConvertKit — Create automated onboarding sequences for new students, tag by course purchased, and upsell advanced courses.

Small Business (Restaurant, Salon)#

Winner: Mailchimp — Template-rich emails for promotions, easier for non-technical users, and all-in-one marketing (email + social ads).

Our Bottom Line#

Both tools are excellent, but they serve different audiences. ConvertKit is purpose-built for creators who view email as their primary platform for audience building and monetization. Mailchimp is better suited for small businesses and e-commerce stores that need visual email design and broader marketing tools.

For most creators — bloggers, podcasters, course creators, and online entrepreneurs — we recommend ConvertKit. The superior automation, deliverability, and creator-focused features justify the higher price.

For e-commerce businesses, local businesses, and those needing visually rich emails, Mailchimp is the better choice.

ConvertKit Pros and Cons#

Mailchimp Pros and Cons#

FAQ#