Klaviyo Vs Mailchimp (Don’t Make The Mistake I Made)

I got the wrong one.

I knew the right email marketing platform was vital for my marketing strategy.

But there are so many of them.

As I researched, two names stood out: Klaviyo vs Mailchimp.

Both platforms offer comprehensive email marketing tools and enjoy a stellar reputation.

But I quickly learned just how different they actually are.

And that means that one will be much better suited to your strategy than the other.

In the end, I went with Klaviyo. It was the wrong choice for my business, but may be right for yours. I’ll explain it all below and hopefully help you figure out whether Mailchimp or Klaviyo is the better tool for you.

Key Takeaways

• Klaviyo is more expensive, more complex, and more powerful. But not everyone needs that.
• Your overall email marketing strategy will dictate which tool is best for you and your store.
• Generalizing and summing up in a single sentence, I’d say: Mailchimp is for beginners and Klaviyo for pros.

 

 

Mailchimp Vs Klaviyo

As mentioned, I struggled to decide between these two email marketing solutions myself with my first store. In the end, I went with Klaviyo, for one primary reason.

 

Why I Chose Klaviyo And Regretted It

Klaviyo boasts advanced features that cater particularly well to e-commerce businesses. It offers detailed targeting, segmentation, and automation. I knew its features could potentially transform my marketing funnel.

Mailchimp, on the other hand, boasts a user-friendly interface and wide range of templates. It is much less complex, and much cheaper, making it an attractive choice for anyone new to email marketing.

And that is definitely what I was at the time. But I chose Klaviyo, because I figured would allow me to do so much more down the road. I was a beginner, who was hoping Klaviyo would make him a pro.

But that’s one thing it can’t do.

I never managed to get email marketing to work all that well for my business, so the extra monthly expense (not a small one) I was spending on Klaviyo ended up being a waste.

And let’s not even get into the headache of trying to figure out all of Klaviyo’s advanced features. It is simple: my business had no need for most of the features Klaviyo offers.

But if you do need those features, Klaviyo is the best tool out there for an ecommerce business. So let’s figure out if it makes sense for you. We’ll begin by looking at each tool individually, before comparing them directly.

 

Overview Of Klaviyo

Klaviyo is a cloud-based email marketing solution designed specifically for the needs of e-commerce businesses and online retailers.

As such, it offers you a powerful suite of tools to create highly targeted and personalized marketing experiences that can drive sales and customer loyalty.

 

Key Features

• Email Marketing: Build and send customized email campaigns.
• Segmentation: Personalize outreach through detailed segmentation capabilities.
• Automation: Set up autoresponders and triggered email sequences.
• CRM: Manage your customer data and interactions effectively.

With Klaviyo, your ability to segment audiences is robust, allowing you to send the right message to the right person at the right time. You can segment based on behavior, location, purchase history, and more — turning data into actionable marketing strategies.

 

Advantages Of Klaviyo

• Simplifies complex marketing automation.
• Provides real-time data for better decision-making.
• Designed for ecommerce and seamlessly integrates with various e-commerce platforms.

Examples of businesses thriving with Klaviyo include online boutiques, subscription services, and high-growth e-commerce sites. These businesses leverage Klaviyo’s features to nurture customer relationships, resulting in repeat purchases and improved customer lifetime value.

Klaviyo is your go-to platform if you’re looking for a marketing solution that combines the power of email with intricate customer insights, and that allows you to personalize your email marketing through detailed segmentation.

 

Overview Of Mailchimp

Mailchimp is a well-known and user-friendly marketing platform that keeps things simple. It primarily serves as an email marketing tool, allowing you to design and send newsletters, create automated campaigns, and maintain a central database of your contacts.

Mailchimp was not specifically designed with ecommerce in mind. That is why it does not have the same depth and complexity when it comes to email marketing for an online store.

It is a tool that works with ecommerce, not one that was made specifically for it.

 

Key Features

• Email Campaigns: Customize beautiful emails with ease using a drag-and-drop editor.
• Automation: Set up automated emails that respond to your customers’ actions.
• Lists & Segmentation: Organize your contacts into lists for targeted communication (not nearly as detailed as Klaviyo, though).
• Analytics: Keep an eye on your campaign performance with real-time reports.
• Integration: Connect Mailchimp with your e-commerce store and other apps you already use.

Whether you’re running a startup, a small local business, or an online store, Mailchimp adapts to fit your marketing needs.

If you have an e-commerce platform, Mailchimp’s targeted emails can help recover abandoned carts, welcome new subscribers, or thank customers for their purchase.

Local businesses benefit from the ability to create geolocation-based campaigns, while bloggers and content creators appreciate the RSS-to-email feature, which turns your latest posts into a neatly packaged newsletter.

Nonprofits, educational institutions, and hospitality services also leverage Mailchimp to maintain essential communication with their communities.

Your campaigns get a personal touch with audience segmentation and personalization tools, ensuring that your message resonates with the reader. Moreover, with comprehensive A/B testing, you’ll know what works best for engaging your audience.

Combined with the power of intuitive analytics, Mailchimp helps you understand your audience, refine your strategy, and improve your outreach, ensuring that your marketing efforts are always on point.

 

Advantages Of Mailchimp

• Ease Of Use: Mailchimp is easier to learn and easier to use.
• Pricing: Mailchimp costs much less than Klaviyo for the same subscriber count.
• Versatility: Klaviyo is an ecommerce expert, but Mailchimp works well with any type of business.

Mailchimp does everything well, but it’s features are much more limited than Klaviyo. You can’t get nearly as detailed with your segmentation, etc. On the flip side, Mailchimp is much easier to use and it also costs a lot less.

 

Comparison Between Klaviyo And Mailchimp

As mentioned, the key difference is that Mailchimp is a general email marketing tool, while Klaviyo is an email marketing tool specifically for ecommerce.

 

Features

Both services offer robust email marketing tools, like automation, customizable templates, and segmentation. But Klaviyo is much more powerful. It allows you to get more detailed with your targeting, etc.

For example, you could segment an audience that has previously purchased a specific product and send them an email offering accessories for that product. Or you could target people who have viewed specific products on your site.

You name it, and you can target it with Klaviyo. Mailchimp’s segmentation options are much more basic. But for many (including myself, as it turned out), basic segmentation is all you’ll ever need.

 

Pricing

In terms of pricing, both providers offer a free plan if you’re just starting out or have a small number of contacts. With Mailchimp, the free plan allows you up to 1000 sends per month. With Klaviyo, it allows up to 250 subscribers

From there, the cost for both increases as your subscriber count increases. Klaviyo jumps up much faster in price.

As an example, let’s say you have just over 50,000 subscribers. The standard plan with Mailchimp starts at $450 per month.

 

With Klaviyo, it starts at $790 per month.

You can take a look at the exact pricing for each provider at various subscriber counts at the links below. You’ll see that Mailchimp also offers different levels with varying features (Klaviyo offers two: one with SMS and email and the other just email):

• Mailchimp pricing page
• Klaviyo pricing page

 

Ease Of Use

Mailchimp is renowned for its user-friendly interface and wide range of integrations. It is definitely the easier platform to learn and use effectively.

That said, Klaviyo is also quite intuitive. It has a ton of complex features, so it does take longer to learn everything. But once you know what you are doing, the user interface is very good. I found it easy to set up even the most detailed segmented lists and complex email flows.

Both services offer 24/7 email and chat support. While I have used both providers for my sites (I used Mailchimp for a travel blog, not ecommerce), I have never used the customer support for either company. I was always able to find the answer I needed in the help sections.

 

Overall Comparison

In the end, each platform provides a unique set of features tailored to different business needs. Your choice between Klaviyo and Mailchimp will ultimately come down to which feature set aligns best with your current and future marketing strategies.

Small businesses will probably lean more toward Mailchimp for its initial cost-effectiveness and ease of use.

If your business demands advanced segmentation and targeting, or if you’re an e-commerce platform that relies on data-driven email campaigns, Klaviyo’s powerful tools and analytics might be more your speed.

 

Real User Reviews

When exploring user reviews for both Klaviyo and Mailchimp, you’ll find a blend of cheers and challenges brought up by real users. Here’s a distilled snapshot of what they say:

 

Klaviyo

Here are some the most commonly mentioned pros and cons of Klaviyo.

Pros

• Customization: Users love the high level of email customization options.
• Advanced Ecommerce Features: They find the advanced features particularly beneficial for eCommerce campaigns.

Cons

• Complexity: Some users mention it has a steeper learning curve, especially for new users.
• Price: A higher price point is noted in comparison to most competitors.

Klaviyo is often the go-to recommendation for serious eCommerce marketing. From my own experience with Klaviyo, I concur with all of the above.

 

Mailchimp

Next, let’s look at the most commonly mentioned pros and cons for Mailchimp.

Pros

• User-Friendly: Many users find Mailchimp to be more straightforward and easier to use.
• Free Plan: Its generous free plan draws in small businesses looking to start with email marketing.

Cons

• Functionality: However, some users wish for more in-depth features, which could help as businesses grow.
• Pricing Structure: The pricing structure can be confusing as you add more contacts.

Mailchimp wins points for simplicity and accessibility, suitable for those just getting started. As mentioned, I have used Mailchimp, but not for an ecommerce store. And when I used it, the pricing structure was simpler.

Remember to consider what’s most important to you in email marketing tools as you weigh up these user reflections.

 

Mailchimp Or Klaviyo: FAQ

When deciding between Klaviyo and Mailchimp for your email marketing, you will probably have a number of questions. Here are the answers to some of the most commonly asked questions to help you decide. Note that most were already answered above, so this can serve as a summary of sorts.

 

What are the pros and cons of using Klaviyo compared to Mailchimp?

Klaviyo is highly valued for its advanced segmentation and personalization capabilities, which are particularly useful for targeted marketing strategies. However, it gets much more expensive as your contact list grows.

Mailchimp, on the other hand, offers a more user-friendly platform with more affordable plans, but with less advanced automation features.

 

How does the pricing between Klaviyo and Mailchimp differ for similar services?

The pricing structures of Klaviyo and Mailchimp primarily vary based on the number of contacts and the features you require. For instance, Klaviyo’s pricing starts with a free plan for up to 250 contacts, while Mailchimp offers a free subscription for up to 500 contacts. As your requirements grow, Klaviyo becomes much costlier.

 

In what situations might Klaviyo be preferred over Mailchimp for email marketing?

You might prefer Klaviyo if your email marketing requires sophisticated automation, segmentation, and data from your e-commerce platform to personalize your communications. If your strategy relies heavily on these advanced features, Klaviyo is designed to support such complexities with ease.

 

Can you compare the user experience of integrating Klaviyo versus Mailchimp with Shopify?

Both Klaviyo and Mailchimp integrate with Shopify, but Klaviyo offers a more seamless integration with its ability to leverage customer data for detailed analytics and targeted campaigns. Integrating Klaviyo with Shopify also provides more direct access to revenue attribution for marketing campaigns.

 

What are some compelling reasons to choose Klaviyo for my marketing needs?

Some reasons to choose Klaviyo include its deep integration with e-commerce platforms, advanced customer segmentation, and the ability to create highly personalized email and SMS campaigns. These features are especially beneficial if data-driven marketing and customer journey automation are central to your marketing strategy.

 

How do the features of Klaviyo stand against those offered by Mailchimp?

When assessing Klaviyo and Mailchimp’s features, both offer marketing automation and analytics, but Klaviyo’s features are more extensive in terms of customization and analysis. Mailchimp is easier to use but less customizable.

 

Final Decision: Klaviyo Or Mailchimp

When deciding between Klaviyo and Mailchimp for your email marketing needs, it’s essential to weigh your priorities and objectives.

• Ease of Use: If you’re looking for simplicity and a user-friendly platform, Mailchimp is it. Its intuitive design is suitable for those who appreciate a clean interface and straightforward functionality.
• Pricing: Both offer a free tier to get you started. Once you enter the paid tiers, Klaviyo quickly becomes more expensive.
• Advanced Features: For more detailed customization and powerful segmentation, Klaviyo is geared towards ecommerce businesses that demand in-depth marketing analytics and automation.
• Audience Alignment: Mailchimp serves a broad audience well, while Klaviyo targets eCommerce brands looking to amplify their marketing strategy with advanced data-driven tools.

Klaviyo excels with its advanced segmentation and personalization capabilities, making it a formidable tool for e-commerce businesses aiming to tailor their marketing efforts.

In contrast, Mailchimp stands out for those who need an easy-to-use platform with a wide variety of pre-built templates, suitable for individuals or businesses just starting out, or those with a general need for email marketing without requiring complex functionalities.

• If you operate an eCommerce business and rely heavily on data and personalization, Klaviyo is designed with your needs in mind.
• Conversely, if you value ease of use and a quick setup, Mailchimp will help you get your campaigns up and running in no time.

Your choice hinges on where your business stands today and where you see it heading. Select the service that aligns with your marketing goals and the level of sophistication required for your campaigns.

As mentioned, this is where I went wrong. Mailchimp was the right choice for my business, but I was hoping to have a highly profitable email list with advanced segmentation.

I did have great segmentation, but few people bought anything from my emails. Klaviyo shows you exactly how much your campaigns earn and in my case, that showed me that I was spending far too much on Klaviyo to justify the paltry earnings.

Of course, that is probably because email marketing just isn’t my strength. I wish I had realized that sooner and saved myself a lot of money. Be honest with yourself, your abilities, and your needs, and go with the provider that fits those best.