Klaviyo vs Mailchimp
An honest side-by-side comparison of two of our top email marketing picks — pricing, strengths, weaknesses, and who each one is really for.
Klaviyo
Ranked #1 of 17 in this directory
The platform for intelligent marketing automation
Mailchimp
Ranked #2 of 17 in this directory
The all-in-one marketing platform for growing businesses
Our pick: Klaviyo. Our editors rank Klaviyo higher overall in Email Marketing — but Mailchimp can be the better fit depending on your budget and use case below. How we review
Compare the details
| Klaviyo | Mailchimp | |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing model | Freemium | Freemium |
| Starting price | $20/mo | $13/mo |
| Category | Email Marketing | Email Marketing |
| Editorial rank | #1 of 17 | #2 of 17 |
Strengths
Klaviyo
- ✓Best-in-class e-commerce data integration
- ✓Powerful abandoned cart and flow automation
- ✓Strong segmentation based on purchase behavior
- ✓SMS and email in one platform
Mailchimp
- ✓Easiest email tool for beginners
- ✓Free up to 500 contacts
- ✓Good template library
- ✓All-in-one with CRM and landing pages
Watch out for
Klaviyo
- !Expensive as list size grows
- !Learning curve for non-marketers
- !Best value only with Shopify
Mailchimp
- !Expensive as list grows
- !Automation is less powerful than Klaviyo
- !Removed free plan features over time
Best use cases
Klaviyo
- →Shopify store email marketing
- →DTC brand automation
- →E-commerce lifecycle email
- →Abandoned cart recovery
Mailchimp
- →Small business email marketing
- →Newsletter sending
- →Simple automation for beginners
- →Event email campaigns
About each tool
Klaviyo
Klaviyo is the leading email and SMS marketing platform for e-commerce brands, used by over 130,000 businesses. It integrates deeply with Shopify, BigCommerce, and WooCommerce to power data-driven automation flows — abandoned cart sequences, post-purchase follow-ups, browse abandonment, and more. The standard for DTC e-commerce marketing.
Mailchimp
Mailchimp is the world's most popular email marketing platform with over 13 million users. It's the go-to starting point for small businesses and entrepreneurs, offering email marketing, automation, landing pages, and CRM in one tool. Known for its user-friendly interface and generous free plan.
Still deciding? Browse all 17 options with honest pros, cons, and pricing.
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