An email marketing software is probably one of the first tools you will invest in, for your business.

When I first started my blog and business, there was a lot of talk about using Mailchimp over Convertkit because it is free.

I tried both platforms and chose Convertkit.  And I will tell you exactly why.

Over the years, I have helped several clients set up their email automation using both Mailchimp and Convertkit, and I have even helped some clients move from Mailchimp to Convertkit.

So before we get into the features, let me get one thing out of the way, if you want to get started with Mailchimp just because it is a free platform, that is not a good enough reason.

There are some investments in business that pay over the long run, investing in Convertkit is one of them.

But also, Convertkit now has a free plan.

Even though you cannot create sequences on Convertkit’s free plan, you can still get started Convertkit for email list building.

 

Convertkit vs Mailchimp: Which one is best for 2022?

 

Convertkit vs Mailchimp Features

Convertkit vs Mailchimp Pricing

Pros and Cons 

My Recommendation

 

Convertkit vs Mailchimp Features

 

1.Ease of use

Convertkit is probably the easiest to use email automation tool I have ever used. And I have used a ton.

 

2. Automations

Converkit really shines when it comes to automations and auto-responders, especially when we compare MailChimp vs Convertkit for bloggers. The visual automation builder makes it very easy to understand what audience members will receive the automation emails when these emails will be delivered, and what they will look like. This is a big time saver if you’re using multiple automations to engage your audience.

Sadly, Mailchimp struggles in this area. Their automation editor leads a great deal to be desired and lacks the visual context. This means it takes more time and is harder to build effective automations using Mailchimp.

 

3.Forms and Lists

The Mailchimp interface and editor is confusing, especially when it comes to forms and lists.

In Convertkit, all subscribers enter through forms – either opt-in forms or landing page forms.

You are able to connect multiple forms to a single list. Which means that you can get people to sign up for the same lead magnet and automation with an inline form in a blog post as well as with a landing page form.

 

4. Email Templates

Mailchimp offers a wide range of templates. Convertkit templates are pretty basic. The reason is based on the premise that simple emails are better for your business. Simple emails also perform better in terms of deliverability, since they are less likely to appear commercial.

 

5.Landing Pages

I love how easy it is to build landing pages in Convertkit. You can get a landing page up and ready in less than 30 minutes. Mailchimp has a similar landing page builder with multiple templates available.

 

6.Wordpress Integration

Mailchimp uses a block for WordPress.

Convertkit has a WordPress plugin which is really easy to use. 

 

 

Convertkit vs Mailchimp Pricing

You can get started with Mailchimp for free.

Mailchimp has 4 types of plans.

 

The free plan caps at 2000 contacts.

The free plan includes all features you will need to get started.

The essential plan starts $9.99/month and the cost increases as your subscriber count goes up.

 

 

Convertkit recently introduced a free plan.

The free plan is capped at 1000 subscribers and does not include email automations, sequences and integrations.

 

 

The creator plan starts at $29/month for 1000 subscribers and increases to $49/month for 3000 subscribers.

This plan is worth it because as a blogger or creator, your email list will make you more money than what you spend on this plan.

 

 

Pros and Cons  of Using Convertkit

Pros:

 

1. Resend to un-opens

Did you know you’re missing out around 50% of your audience because they didn’t see your email? A simple solution is to send out the same email with a different headline to double your open rate! Convertkit does this with just one click.

 

2. Visual Automations

This is one of the top features customers love most about CovertKit. You can easily set up automation and visually see the flow for each automation. Then you can link them to specific actions or conditions so the right people in your audience get the right messages.

 

3. Tagging and Segmentation

It is so easy to tag your audience based on the form or landing page they subscribed from. You can assign multiple tags to one person which makes it easy to segment your audience and send them only relevant emails. Convertkit also does not charge you for duplicate subscribers. This means that you can have the same person on multiple product or lead magnet lists, but that subscriber will only be counted once for the total subscriber count.

 

Cons:

1.Pricing

Most people don’t end up signing up for Convertkit because of the price. With the recently introduced free plan, it is easier to test the platform and decide if it is the right fit for your business. But you cannot use the automation and sequences feature on the free plan

 

2.Reporting

Convertkit does not offer very robust reporting features. You can look at basic metrics like Open Rates, Clickthroughs etc., but not at some more complex ones.

 

3.Complex Automations

There might come a time in your business when you would want to build more complex automations than Convertkit allows. Although this is a possibility, some big name influencers like Pat Flynn still use Convertkit, which means it has all the features you would need.

 

My Recommendation: Convertkit vs Mailchimp

 

Like I mentioned above, I have used Mailchimp for several of my clients, and I am not a fan.

I feel the interface is a little complicated even for someone who is tech-savvy.

Mailchimp does offer a bunch of integrations and in my opinion, it is a good platform for e-commerce businesses.

But when it comes to bloggers and creators, especially those who are just starting out or not planning to outsource email automation, Convertkit is my number one choice.

If you are getting started with Convertkit, and have questions or want to get on a quick call, feel free to reach out. I would be happy to help.

Have you tried Convertkit or Mailchimp or both? How was your experience?

Let me know in the comments.