Side-by-side comparison · Marketing & Ads

Klaviyo vs Mailchimp

Everything that matters when choosing between them, in one place: our rating, what each can do, what they cost, and the trade-offs.

Best overall

Klaviyo

4.3

From From $20/mo

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Mailchimp

4.0

From $0

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Comparing 2 tools. Add one more if you like.

At a glance

Klaviyo4.3

Best overallBest value

Pick it if: Online stores that want their email and SMS to run on real customer behaviour.

Mailchimp4.0

Easiest to use

Pick it if: Small businesses that want a well-known, all-round email tool with lots of templates and app connections, and are happy to pay more as the list grows.

Overview

Attribute	Klaviyo	Mailchimp
In one line	Email and SMS for online stores, with AI that writes, segments and predicts.	Email newsletters, automations and sign-up forms for small businesses, with AI help.
Pricing model	Freemium	Freemium
Starting price	From $20/mo	$0
Free plan	Yes	Yes
Works with Claude Code	Yes	Yes

Rating breakdown

Our scores out of 5. The higher bar in each row is highlighted.

Attribute	Klaviyo	Mailchimp
Overall rating	4.3Winner	4.0
Ease of useHow quickly someone non-technical gets value from it.	4.0	4.5
FeaturesHow completely it covers its own job, and how well the pieces fit together.	5.0	4.5
Output qualityHow good the results are before you fix them.	4.5	4.0
Value for moneyWhat you get for the price, including the free plan.	3.5	3.0
Speed & reliabilityHow fast it is and how often it falls over.	4.5	4.0

Feature comparison

A tick means it does this today. A dash means we haven't checked.

Attribute	Klaviyo	Mailchimp
Access & platform
Free plan	Yes	Yes
Mobile app	Yes	Yes
Desktop app	No	No
Browser extension	No	–
API access	Yes	Yes
Teams & business
Team workspace	Yes	Yes
Enterprise plan or SSO	Yes	Yes
Connects to other apps	Yes	Yes
Open source or self-hosted	No	No
AI abilities
Works with your files	Yes	Yes
Understands images	–	–
Makes images	–	No
Makes video	No	No
Writes code	No	No
Runs agents or automations	Yes	No
Learns your brand or style	Yes	Yes
Works in many languages	Yes	Yes
Capabilities score	10/ 17	9/ 17

Pricing

Plans as listed on each vendor's site when we last checked. Confirm before you buy.

Attribute	Klaviyo	Mailchimp
Plans	Free Free New stores building their first flows.	Free $0 Testing Mailchimp with a tiny list.
	EmailOur pick From $20/mo Most stores once they pass 250 contacts.	Essentials From $13/mo A small list that just needs newsletters and basic automations.
	Email and SMS From $35/mo Stores that want text messages in the same flows.	StandardOur pick From $20/mo Small businesses that want AI help and proper automations.
	Enterprise Custom Large brands with many stores or markets.	Premium From $350/mo Larger lists that want phone support and advanced testing.
Which plan to pick	Start on Free and build your welcome and abandoned cart flows before you pay anything. Move to Email when you cross 250 contacts, and only add SMS once email is working, because text messages cost extra per send.	Standard is the plan most small businesses should pick, because it has the AI and the automations. Essentials is fine if you only send a newsletter. Use the price calculator on Mailchimp's site with your real contact count, since prices rise with list size and vary by country.

Key features

Attribute	Klaviyo	Mailchimp
Standout features	Flows Segments from a description Predictive analytics Email and SMS in one AI writing and campaign builder Customer Agent	Email builder and templates Automation flows Intuit Assist Forms and pop-ups Segments and testing 300+ integrations

Pros and cons

Attribute	Klaviyo	Mailchimp
Pros	Deepest store integration of any email tool, so targeting runs on real purchase data Flows and segments are quick to set up from templates or a short description Email and SMS live in one place with one set of customer data Predictive analytics tell you who to spend effort on Huge ecosystem of Shopify apps and agencies that already know it	Easy to learn, with lots of templates Connects to almost every shop and website platform Intuit Assist AI included on Standard and Premium Solid reports and A/B testing
Cons	Gets expensive fast as your list grows, and every profile counts toward the bill SMS is a separate cost on top of the plan Email support stops after 60 days on the free plan Overkill for service businesses and plain newsletters	Gets expensive as your list grows The free plan is tiny: 250 contacts and 500 sends a month Essentials limits automations to 4 steps Intuit Assist is English-only and not in every country You pay overage fees if you go past your contact or send limit

Who each one is for

Attribute	Klaviyo	Mailchimp
Best for	Abandoned cart recovery Segments from a description Post-purchase flows SMS campaigns Predicting customer value	Regular email newsletters for a small business Welcome and abandoned cart automations Growing a list with forms and pop-ups Shops on Shopify, WooCommerce or Square
You'll find it used by	Shopify stores Ecommerce marketers Agencies DTC brands	Small business owners Online stores Non-profits Marketers Agencies

Questions people ask

Which is better, Klaviyo or Mailchimp?

Klaviyo scores highest overall in our ratings (Klaviyo 4.3/5 and Mailchimp 4.0/5). Klaviyo is best for abandoned cart recovery and segments from a description. Mailchimp is best for regular email newsletters for a small business and welcome and abandoned cart automations.

Which is cheaper, Klaviyo or Mailchimp?

Klaviyo: There's a free plan, and paid plans start at From $20/mo. Mailchimp: There's a free plan, and paid plans start at $0.

Which is easier to use, Klaviyo or Mailchimp?

Mailchimp rates highest for ease of use in our scores. Small businesses that want a well-known, all-round email tool with lots of templates and app connections, and are happy to pay more as the list grows.

Ratings are our own, from using each tool, across ease of use, features, output quality, value for money, speed & reliability.

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