ConvertKit vs Mailchimp: Which Email Automation Service is Better?

Overview

ConvertKit and Mailchimp both serve small businesses and individuals, but with different philosophies. ConvertKit is built specifically for creators - bloggers, podcasters, course sellers, and YouTubers who need simple, effective email marketing. Mailchimp is a general-purpose platform that serves a broader range of small businesses with more features but less specialization.

The right choice depends on whether you identify as a creator or a traditional small business.

Key Differences

Design Philosophy

ConvertKit embraces minimalism. Email templates are intentionally simple - plain text style with minimal formatting. The philosophy is that personal, text-based emails perform better than heavily designed newsletters. This works well for creators building personal connections.

Mailchimp offers extensive design capabilities. Drag-and-drop editors, hundreds of templates, and brand kit features support businesses that need polished, visual emails. This flexibility serves diverse business needs.

Creator-Specific Features

ConvertKit includes Commerce for selling digital products and subscriptions, unlimited landing pages on free plans, and newsletter referral programs. These features are designed specifically for the creator business model.

Mailchimp has broader features like websites, social posting, and appointment scheduling. While useful for general businesses, none are specifically designed for creators.

Subscriber Management

ConvertKit uses a subscriber-centric model where each person exists once in your account regardless of how many forms or sequences they're on. Tags and segments organize your list without duplicates.

Mailchimp uses an audience-based model where the same person can exist in multiple audiences, potentially causing confusion and duplicate charges. Understanding this model is crucial for cost management.

Who Should Choose What

Choose ConvertKit if:

• You're a blogger, podcaster, YouTuber, or course creator
• You prefer simple, text-based emails over designed newsletters
• You want to sell digital products without external tools
• You need unlimited landing pages on a free plan
• Subscriber-centric organization makes sense for your workflow

Choose Mailchimp if:

• You run a traditional small business (retail, services, local)
• Visual, designed emails are important to your brand
• You need the lowest possible starting price
• You want more automation complexity options
• You need e-commerce integrations with Shopify or WooCommerce

Consider Sequenzy for SaaS

If you run a SaaS or subscription business, neither ConvertKit nor Mailchimp is ideal. Sequenzy at $19/mo offers native billing integration with Stripe and Polar, AI-powered workflow generation, and MRR tracking - features specifically designed for software businesses that both ConvertKit and Mailchimp lack.