Mailchimp vs Klaviyo
Quick verdict
As of 2026-07-05, Mailchimp is the cheaper email marketing tool, starting at $13/mo versus Klaviyo at $20/mo. That's $7/mo less on the entry option. Both offer a free plan. Mailchimp has 3 priced options; Klaviyo has 1 priced option. Mailchimp includes a built-in CRM; Klaviyo does not.
Mailchimp starts at $13/mo and has a free plan. Klaviyo starts at $20/mo and has a free plan.
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Against the $15.50/mo median entry price across the 12 tools we track, Mailchimp's $13/mo is 16% below and Klaviyo's $20/mo is 29% above. 7 of 12 email marketing tools include a free plan.
| Mailchimp | Klaviyo | |
|---|---|---|
| Starts at | $13/mo | $20/mo |
| Free plan | ✓ | ✓ |
| Priced options | 3 | 1 |
| Pricing model | per contacts | per active profile (usage-based plan-builder; SMS/mobile messaging, AI credits, social and reviews are separate opt-in usage-based add-ons, not bundled into the tier price; no annual-billing option published) |
| Automation | ✓ | ✓ |
| CRM | ✓ | B2C CRM / Customer Hub (profiles, predictive analytics, segmentation) |
| SMS | Add-on (Essentials/Standard); included on Premium (US/CA/UK) | ✓ |
| Ecommerce | Shopify/WooCommerce integrations, product retargeting, abandoned cart, purchase segmentation | Ecommerce-first: deep Shopify/BigCommerce/WooCommerce sync, abandoned cart/browse, product feeds, reviews, predictive revenue analytics |
| Entry plan limit | from 500 contacts (max 50k) | up to 500 active profiles (usage-based; price steps up with profile count, $70/mo at 3,000) |
| Integrations | 300+ | 350+ |
| Visit site | Visit site → | Visit site → |
Sources: mailchimp.com/pricing/marketing, verified · klaviyo.com/pricing, verified
Mailchimp — pros & cons
Pros
- Best-known brand, easiest on-ramp
- Huge template/integration library (300+)
- Genuine (reduced) free tier
- Strong Intuit/QuickBooks ties
Cons
- Price jumps steeply with contacts (top reason for churn)
- Bills for unsubscribed/non-subscribed unless archived
- Free plan gutted Jan 2026
- Multi-step automation locked behind Standard
Klaviyo — pros & cons
Pros
- Deepest ecommerce data model & predictive analytics
- Native email + SMS + push in one platform
- Powerful segmentation and pre-built ecommerce flows
- Built-in reviews and benchmarks
Cons
- Usage-based pricing scales up steeply with active profiles
- Bills on total active profiles, not just emailed contacts
- No annual-billing discount
- Overkill / expensive for simple newsletters
ToolFit Score: Mailchimp
Mailchimp scores 67/100 on the ToolFit Score, computed from our maintained pricing, feature, and fit dataset.
| What we scored | Points | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Price competitiveness | 19.84/24 | entry $13/mo is 16% below the $15.5/mo category median. |
| Feature breadth | 18.06/20 | supports 5 of the 9 feature flags the ToolFit Score tracks natively (3 more on a higher tier). |
| Best-for coverage | 10/16 | tagged as a best fit for 2 use cases. |
| Integrations | 9/12 | lists 300+ integrations. |
| Free-tier availability | 10/8 | includes a free plan. |
| Review sentiment | — | no published review-sentiment data yet. |
Computed deterministically from our gold dataset — pricing, features, fit, integrations, and a count-weighted third-party review-sentiment aggregate. Weights v2.0.0 — how we score.
ToolFit Score: Klaviyo
Klaviyo scores 50/100 on the ToolFit Score, computed from our maintained pricing, feature, and fit dataset.
| What we scored | Points | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Price competitiveness | 6.29/24 | entry $20/mo is 29% above the $15.5/mo category median. |
| Feature breadth | 18.06/20 | supports 5 of the 9 feature flags the ToolFit Score tracks natively (3 more on a higher tier). |
| Best-for coverage | 5/16 | tagged as a best fit for 1 use case. |
| Integrations | 10.5/12 | lists 350+ integrations. |
| Free-tier availability | 10/8 | includes a free plan. |
| Review sentiment | — | no published review-sentiment data yet. |
Computed deterministically from our gold dataset — pricing, features, fit, integrations, and a count-weighted third-party review-sentiment aggregate. Weights v2.0.0 — how we score.
Frequently asked questions
Is Mailchimp or Klaviyo cheaper?
Mailchimp is cheaper to start. Mailchimp begins at $13/mo and Klaviyo at $20/mo, a gap of $7/mo. Both usually bill less on an annual plan, so weigh yearly pricing before deciding. Every figure comes straight from our maintained, dated dataset, verified on 2026-07-05.
Does Mailchimp or Klaviyo have a free plan?
Mailchimp has a free plan and Klaviyo has a free plan. Both let you start for free, so you can trial each before paying for higher limits. Every figure comes straight from our maintained, dated dataset, verified on 2026-07-05. We source it from each vendor's own pricing page, not a paid placement.
Which has more features, Mailchimp or Klaviyo?
Mailchimp supports 3 of the 5 features we compare on this page and Klaviyo supports 3, so the two are evenly matched on breadth. Choose on the specific capabilities — automation, CRM, SMS, ecommerce, or landing pages — that matter most for how you plan to send.
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