Updated March 2026

Mailchimp vs Kit (ConvertKit)

Mailchimp vs Kit comes down to one question: are you a creator or a business? Kit's 10,000-subscriber free plan, tag-based management, and built-in monetisation (paid newsletters, digital products) make it the obvious choice for solo creators. Mailchimp's 300+ integrations, 260+ templates, and brand recognition make it better for traditional small businesses. But both have raised prices significantly — Mailchimp post-Intuit and Kit in September 2025. Neither is the deal it used to be.

Our pick: Kit (ConvertKit) (7.2/10 vs 6.5/10)

Kit (ConvertKit) wins 2 out of 6 categories. Mailchimp is better for: complete beginners who want the easiest interface and maximum third-party integrations.

Try Kit

Mailchimp

6.5/10

Kit (ConvertKit)

7.2/10

2/5

Automation

4/5

3/5

Deliverability

3/5

5/5

Ease of Use

5/5

Templates & Design

2/5

3/5

Analytics

2/5

Customer Support

3/5

At a Glance

Feature	Mailchimp	Kit (ConvertKit)
Free Plan	Yes	Yes
Starting Price	$13/mo	$33/mo
Automation	2/5	4/5
Deliverability	3/5	3/5
Ease of Use	5/5	5/5
Templates & Design	5/5	2/5
Analytics	3/5	2/5
Customer Support	2/5	3/5
Overall	6.5/10	7.2/10

Pricing Comparison

Mailchimp

Free Plan

Paid plans from $13/mo

View Pricing

Kit (ConvertKit)

Free Plan

Paid plans from $33/mo

View Pricing

Pros & Cons

Mailchimp

Genuinely intuitive interface — G2 rates ease of use 4.3/5, Capterra 4.4/5. The drag-and-drop builder has a shallow learning curve for basic campaigns

300+ third-party integrations — the largest ecosystem of any email tool. Nearly every SaaS product connects to Mailchimp natively

260+ professional templates on paid plans. The email builder produces clean, responsive emails that look good on mobile

Free plan has been systematically gutted: 2,000 contacts (pre-2021) → 500 (2023) → 250 (Jan 2026). Automations removed June 2025. A/B testing removed. Email scheduling removed. It is now effectively a demo, not a free plan

Charges for ALL contacts including unsubscribed and bounced — you pay for contacts who will never receive an email unless you manually archive each one. Most competitors only bill for active subscribers

Trustpilot: 2.7/5 with 67% one-star reviews. Support is widely despised — phone support only available on the $350+/month Premium plan. Below that, users report chatbots and generic responses

Full Mailchimp review →

Kit (ConvertKit)

Best free plan in the industry — 10,000 subscribers with unlimited broadcasts, landing pages, and forms. No other major platform comes close

Creator Network for mutual cross-promotion is truly unique — no other email platform offers built-in list growth through creator recommendations

Built-in monetisation: sell digital products, paid newsletters, subscriptions, and tip jars directly from Kit without third-party tools

September 2025 price hike was brutal — first increase in 12 years. Creator plan jumped from $15/mo to $33/mo starting price. Some legacy users saw 100-400% increases. Trustpilot users report prices 'tripling mid-contract'

Analytics rated just 2/5 by EmailVendorSelection — only basic open rates and click rates. No heatmaps, no geo-tracking, no bot-click filtering, no advanced funnel insights

Only 15-23 email templates (vs Mailchimp's 260+ or Omnisend's 250+). Premium templates cost $19-$39 each from the marketplace. Email builder described as 'clunky'

Full Kit (ConvertKit) review →

The Bottom Line

Choose Mailchimp if: Complete beginners who want the easiest interface and maximum third-party integrations. Despite the lower overall score, it excels where it matters for its target audience.

Choose Kit (ConvertKit) if: Solo creators, bloggers, and podcasters who value simplicity and built-in monetisation. It wins 2 of 6 categories.

Price comparison: Mailchimp starts at $13/mo (free plan available) vs Kit (ConvertKit) at $33/mo (free plan available).

Who Should Pick Which?

Pick Mailchimp if…

You need a tool best for complete beginners who want the easiest interface and maximum third-party integrations
Genuinely intuitive interface — G2 rates ease of use 4.3/5, Capterra 4.4/5. The drag-and-drop builder has a shallow learning curve for basic campaigns
300+ third-party integrations — the largest ecosystem of any email tool. Nearly every SaaS product connects to Mailchimp natively

Try Mailchimp

Pick Kit (ConvertKit) if…

You need a tool best for solo creators, bloggers, and podcasters who value simplicity and built-in monetisation
Best free plan in the industry — 10,000 subscribers with unlimited broadcasts, landing pages, and forms. No other major platform comes close
Creator Network for mutual cross-promotion is truly unique — no other email platform offers built-in list growth through creator recommendations

Try Kit

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Klaviyo vs Kit (ConvertKit)

Looking for more options?

See our full ranking: Best Email Marketing for Small Business — 11 Tools Ranked, Real Pricing

Read Full Reviews

Mailchimp

Kit (ConvertKit)

Frequently Asked Questions

Is Mailchimp or Kit (ConvertKit) better?

Kit (ConvertKit) scores higher overall (7.2/10 vs 6.5/10). Kit (ConvertKit) is best for solo creators, bloggers, and podcasters who value simplicity and built-in monetisation. Mailchimp is better if you need complete beginners who want the easiest interface and maximum third-party integrations.

Which is cheaper, Mailchimp or Kit (ConvertKit)?

Mailchimp is cheaper, starting at $13/mo with a free plan. Kit (ConvertKit) starts at $33/mo (also has a free plan).

What is Mailchimp best for?

Mailchimp is best for complete beginners who want the easiest interface and maximum third-party integrations. It scores highest in ease of use, templates & design.

How we compared these tools

We research every tool using real user reviews from Reddit, G2, Capterra, and Trustpilot — then verify current pricing and cross-reference independent deliverability data. No paid placements, no sponsored rankings.

Read our full methodologyLast updated: March 2026

Transparency note: We earn affiliate commissions from some tools on this page. This never influences our scores. Our methodology