MailChimp and Klaviyo are the two best email Marketing tools in the Market. MailChimp provides you with all the basic features that are needed for an email marketing tool. Its simple UI makes it easier to set up and so it is the best tool for beginners. Klaviyo is mainly focused on eCommerce businesses. So, it has advanced features that are based on eCommerce. Klaviyo is used by advanced eCommerce marketers. Below is a detailed comparison between MailChimp and Klaviyo. By the end of this comparison, you can decide which one is the right option for you.
What is MailChimp?
MailChimp is a general email marketing tool. More than 90% of Mailchimp customers are free users. Its free plan is popular and beginner-friendly. It has so many features. But most of them are not available in the affordable plan & extremely priced, only suitable for large-scale corporate businesses. At the same time, its free plan is popular among students as a learning point. The highest number of users are beginners who are just started to learn. That’s why Mailchimp contributes the highest number of spam emails. Mailchimp is good in its features and ease of use.
Who uses: Students, Large corporate businesses, Small businesses, Universities, Local clubs, etc
Ease of Use :Easy
Support : 24/7
Deliverability : 86%
Pricing /mo : $0 – $289
Templates : 100+
Automation : 4/5
Trial Period : No
Integration : 250+
Refund Policy : No
What is Klaviyo?
Klaviyo is also a powerful email marketing platform that helps to deliver a more personalized experience to their e-commerce customers. It is a cloud-based email marketing platform. You can reach out to your customer either through email marketing or SMS marketing. It also includes features like Signup forms, Ecommerce automation, Campaign newsletters, Social advertising, etc.
Who uses: Advanced eCommerce marketers
Ease of Use :Moderate
Support : Chat
Deliverability : 80%
Pricing /mo : $0 – $150+
Templates : 90+
Automation : 4.5/5
Trial Period : No
Integration : 200+
Refund Policy : No
FAQs
Why is Klaviyo the best?
Klaviyo is the best because it has so many stunning features. Klaviyo is developed for online businesses. It has an easy-to-use interface. Its email automation, campaign creation, customer segmentation, etc. make Klaviyo a powerful email automation tool.
Is Klaviyo easy to use?
The best thing about Klaviyo is its ease of use. It has an easy-to-use user interface. We can straightforwardly navigate from one option to another. It’s email automation, campaign creation, and all effortless functionalities. And also Klaviyo is integrated with more than 200 apps and websites like Shopify, Shopify Plus, BigCommerce, Magento, etc.
How do I remove Klaviyo from Shopify?
Klaviyo account integration -> Relevant integration -> Disable Klaviyo integration. To remove Klaviyo from Shopify, you have to go to the Klaviyo account’s account integration tab. Then click on the relevant integration. In the right-hand corner, you can see 2 options. That is Disable and Remove. Using Disable, you can temporarily disable Shopify. But all the information that you shared with Shopify will be in Klaviyo’s backend. You can restore all the information whenever you want. Using Remove, you can disable Shopify permanently from Klaviyo’s backend. But you can’t restore the information. All information will be deleted permanently from Klaviyo’s backend.
Is Mailchimp free to use?
Mailchimp provides you with a free version. In the free version, you can get most of the basic features like creating campaigns, 1 automation, 100+ email templates, etc. And also, you can add up to 2000 contacts and you can send 10,000 emails per, month using this free version.
What are the disadvantages of MailChimp?
>> Most of the template designs are outdated. >> Only automation previews are available in the free version. >> Chance of your email being flagged as spam is high. >> Deliverability rate is low. >> Pricing is based on the number of subscribers. >> Most of the important features available only for $299/month >> Good for students, beginners & large corporations, but not suitable for small businesses.
Does Mailchimp go into spam?
Yes. Most of the students and beginners are using MailChimp’s free plan & first plan. And also it provides unlimited emails for the 1st plan itself. So there are a lot of IP addresses flagged. That’s why there is a high chance for your email may go to spam. But for the $299 plans of MailChimp, the deliverability rate is comparatively high. Because of that plan, they use dedicated isolated IP addresses.
Main Differences
Klaviyo is mainly focused on eCommerce businesses. MailChimp is for all kinds of businesses.
In Klaviyo, you will get all features in all pricing plans. But in MailChimp, you won’t get the same features in every plan.
MailChimp has a Landing page builder. But Klaviyo does not provide any Landing page builder.
MailChimp has a great Website Builder. Klaviyo does not have a Website builder.
MailChimp is easy to set up. But in the case of Klaviyo, it will be a little difficult.
Klaviyo has split automation feature, whereas MailChimp doesn’t have that feature.
Klaviyo has SMS marketing. But in MailChimp, you have to integrate with Simple texting for SMS marketing.
Let’s compare some features of Mailchimp Vs Klaviyo in depth.
In-Depth Review
1. Contact Management
>> MailChimp
Importing contacts in MailChimp is easy. You can create a mailing list in Mailchimp using several ways. You can add subscribers manually, you can upload a CSV file or TXT file, and can copy and paste the contacts from the Spreadsheet. MailChimp allows you to create multiple lists. You can separate one contact list from one another and you can use these multiple contacts for different purposes. You can also create segments for these contact lists. You can create simple or complex segments. Mailchimp’s pricing is based on the number of customer lists. You can add up to 2000 contacts to your free plan.
You can import contacts from other services like Zapier, Salesforce, WooCommerce, Shopify, etc.
MailChimp also has customer segmentation. There are so many segmentation options available. You can segment customers based on location, birthday, signup source, automation activity, etc.
>> Klaviyo
In Klaviyo adding the contact list manually is a little difficult. We can add the contacts by uploading CSV files. You can also add contacts by creating sign-up forms and adding a subscriber page. You can also create segments in Klaviyo. But it is a little difficult and time-consuming.
2. Templates & Design
>> MailChimp
On the other hand, MailChimp is a design-centric email marketing tool. Mailchimp provides around 100 templates with various designs. We can use them for holiday emails, newsletters, promotions, etc. Also, we can create our templates. For that, they are providing many blank templates. Most of the templates are outdated and non-usable.
Mailchimp Templates
>> Klaviyo
There are plenty of templates present in Klaviyo when compared to the Omnisend. Klaviyo has around 70 themed templates, 20 basic templates, and various newsletter templates. All their templates have stunning looks.
Klaviyo Templates
Klaviyo has various email newsletter templates and signup forms. It has also separate sessions for the newsletter and sign-up forms. But Omnisend only has a limited number of newsletter templates & signup forms.
Klaviyo Newsletter Templates
3. Campaigns & Email Builder
>> MailChimp
Mailchimp’s email editor is user-friendly and easy to navigate. All the options are present on the right side itself. You can simply drag and drop the blocks you want. You have plenty of features in the Mailchimp editor. You can also add videos from your gallery or give the youtube link. For the free version, you can have all the features in the Mailchimp email editor. But to create Dynamic content, you need to upgrade the plan to $14 /month.
Mailchimp email editorMailchimp Editor
>> Klaviyo
Campaign creation is simple in Klaviyo. You will get the campaign option from the left menu. Click campaigns. You will get two options. Email and SMS. After selecting the email, add the name, tag, recipients, etc.
There are 3 types of editors are available in Klaviyo. Drag and drop editor, Text only editor, and HTML editor.
In Klaviyo, editing options are fewer. You can do only the basic things like you can insert links in the text, can customize the text as you like. You can clone blocks from there itself and also you can save one block from the editor itself.
Klaviyo email builder
4. Split Testing
>> MailChimp
MailChimp has two types of testing. A/B Testing and Multivariate Testing Testing. Multivariate Testing is just an evolution of A/B testing that contains 8 variations instead of the two variations that you get in A/B testing. It is only available for a $299 /month plan.
You can test different versions of the subject line, from name, Content, and Send time. After you select the version, you can split the test among your recipients.
>> Klaviyo
Split Testing (A/B Testing) is better in Klaviyo. You can test two variations of the campaign. You can test the Subject line, preview test, sender name, content, and design of the mail.
You can also set up the Winning metrics. There are two types of Winning Metrics. Open Rate (The variation with the highest open rate wins), and Click Rate (The variation with the highest click rate wins). You can also set the Test size and Test duration. You can also track links separately in each variation.
5. Automation Workflow
>> MailChimp
In Mailchimp, the $9 and the higher plan includes automation workflow. You can create only 1 automation using the free plan. There are about 25 automation workflow triggers based on the various customer activity. You can also visualize the journey of the customer in a simple way. If you want advanced automation features, you need to upgrade to $9 or to other higher plans. Mailchimp has also a multi-step workflow based on customer activity. You can create complex workflows using the $14 plan. You can create a customer journey and also you can send transactional emails on Mailchimp.
Mailchimp Automation trigger
>> Klaviyo
Klaviyo has a great automation feature. You will get the automation option from the left side of the menu. It will be in the name of flows. Then click create flows. You will get a lot of automation templates. Klaviyo is more focused on the e-commerce business. So, you will get a lot of eCommerce automation templates. Templates include “Prevent lost sales, Nurture subscribers, Build customer loyalty, Remind people to purchase”, etc.
If you don’t want any template and you want to create automation on your own, then select the option “create from scratch”. You will get a drag-and-drop editor. There are different actions are available like Email, SMS, update profile property, Notification, etc. You can also add the conditional split to your automation.
6. Analytics & Report
>> MailChimp
You will get better analytics and reports using Mailchimp when compared to Constant Contact. You will get an open rate, click rate, bounced rate, unsubscribe rate, etc. They are also providing a performance chat of your campaign. You will get a campaign benchmark also. By this, you can compare your campaign performance with your competitors. You will get even better analytics and reports with higher plans. You will get comparative reporting using the $299 plan.
Mailchimp analytics & report
>> Klaviyo
Klaviyo provides only advanced reporting. In Analytics, there are 3 categories are there. Dashboard, Metrics, and Benchmarks. From the dashboard, you will get all the basic reporting. From metrics, you will get detailed analytics of Opened Email, Bounced Email, Clicked Email, Clicked SMS, Dropped Email, etc. From Benchmark, you can see the overview of your business performance, Email, campaign, SMS campaign, flows, and sign-up form.
You can also create a custom report from Kaviyo. You can choose any metric you want. Metrics include bounced email, clicked the email, active on site, opened the email, clicked the email, failed to deliver SMS, received the email, unsubscribed, etc. You will get it in the form of a Table, Line graph, Bar graph, etc.
7. Landing Pages & Website Builder
>> MailChimp
You can create beautiful landing pages using MailChimp within minutes. It will help you to grow your audience. You can publish them on the internet or send them through MailChimp Campaigns. You can send unlimited landing pages for free. Creating Landing pages is easy. You have to follow some steps.
Click Create icon -> Click on Landing Pages -> Name your Landing page -> Select Audience -> Click Begin. That’s all.
MailChimp provides you with only 9 templates for creating landing pages. It has a drag-and-drop landing page builder. So many features are available for MailChimp Landing pages. They include Creating a buzz for your new business (Test Product, message, Ideas, etc. before launching), Highlight products (You can insert products directly from your eCommerce store), Offer Free downloads, etc.
You can also create stunning websites using MailChimp and publish them. You can create unlimited pages with unlimited bandwidth in all plans. And MailChimp provides SEO tools, a free SSL certificate, and site visit analytics in every plan.
>> Klaviyo
You can’t create your landing page in Klaviyo. And also you can’t create pop-ups using Klaviyo.
8. Pricing Comparison
>> MailChimp
MailChimp has mainly 4 plans. It includes a free plan. The pricing plan of MailChimp is given below.
Essential: $9 /month: Email and landing page template, Customer journey builder, custom branding, A/B testing, 24/7 email, and also chat support. Standard: $14 /month: Customer journey builder and Branching points, Send time optimization, Behavioral targeting, Custom templates, and also dynamic content. Premium: $285 /month: This plan is for expert builders. Advanced segmentation, Multivariate testing, comparative reporting, Unlimited seats & role-based access, and phone support.
>> Klaviyo
There are mainly 3 plans available in Klaviyo including a free plan, an Email plan, and an Email & SMS plan. The pricing is like $0, $45 and $60, etc. Every feature will be available in every plan. The pricing is based on the number of contacts. The pricing comparison is given below.
Free Plan =>$0: 0 – 250 contacts, 500 monthly email sends, 150 free monthly SMS/MMS credits, Email and chat support + All features
Email Plan =>$20: 251 – 500 contacts, 5,000 monthly email sends, 150 free monthly SMS/MMS credits + All features
Email and SMS Plan =>$35: 251 – 500 contacts, 5,000 monthly email sends, Email and chat support, 1250 monthly SMS/MMS credits, + All features.
None of these MailChimp and Klaviyo do not provide a refund policy.
9. Integration
>> MailChimp
MailChimp also has a good number of integrations. Mailchimp offers more than 300+ integrations. They are also integrated with major CRMs. Their integrations are categorized into Ecommerce, productivity, point of sale, etc. Mailchimp is integrated with Shopify, Zapier, WooCommerce, etc.
Mailchimp-integration
>> Klaviyo
Klaviyo supports more than 200 integrations. Klaviyo is integrated with the platforms like Shopify, WooCommerce, Magento, etc. Using the custom websites, Klaviyo is integrated with B2B and B2C companies.
Klaviyo does not provide web push notifications with or without any third-party integration.
10. Customer Support
>> MailChimp
Provides customer support via Live Chat, Email, and phone support. 24/7 email and chat support is provided for the $9 plan, phone support is provided for the $299 plan. You will not get proper customer support for the free plan.
>> Klaviyo
On the other hand, the customer support of Klaviyo is not good. There are only two options for customer support. They are the Email/Help Desk, and Community forum. Klaviyo is built for experienced customers. So, customer support for the free version is not good in Klaviyo. Customer support is so much better in Omnisend than in Klaviyo.
Conclusion
Why should you use MailChimp over Klaviyo?
Here is what is great about Mailchimp:
You can send 10,000 emails per month (daily 2000 emails) to 2000 contacts in its free plan. But in Klaviyo, you can send only 500 emails in its free plan.
MailChimp has a built-in image editor. You can do all the basic editing in that. Klaviyo does not have an image editor.
It is very easy to set up and easy to use.
MailChimp has more templates when compare to Klaviyo. MailChimp has around 100+ templates whereas Klaviyo has only 50+ email templates.
You will get a better automation workflow when compared to Klaviyo.
Analytics and reporting of MailChimp are better when compared to GetResponse. It has better features like geo-location tracking, Google analytics integration, etc.
Why should you use Klaviyo over MailChimp?
Here is what is great about Klaviyo:
You can track customers individually. And you can see the journey of the customer. You will get all the details about customers like if someone visited your website, opened a message, etc. You will get small details also.
You can create a visual map of emails that you want to send. Then you can analyze that and decide whether you have to send it or not, to whom you want to send and at what time you have to send it.
There are a lot of segmentation options in Klaviyo. You can segment your customer the way you want. In that way, you can target a specific group of customers.
Klaviyo is best for eCommerce businesses.
Deliverability is high in Klaviyo compared to MailChimp.
Sophia Gilbert is an Email Marketing Specialist and Web Application Expert with 10+ years of experience. She meticulously tested and used most of the email marketing tools & website builders in the real field. Here she is sharing reviews and comparisons of different email marketing tools based on her past experience through different companies where she has worked.
