Mailchimp vs Klaviyo
Quick verdict
As of 2026-07-08, Mailchimp is the cheaper email marketing tool, starting at $13/mo versus Klaviyo at $20/mo. That's $7/mo less on the entry plan. Both offer a free plan. Mailchimp has 4 plans; Klaviyo has 3 plans. 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 $15.5/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. 8 of 12 email marketing tools include a free plan.
| Mailchimp | Klaviyo | |
|---|---|---|
| Starts at | $13/mo | $20/mo |
| Free plan | ✓ | ✓ |
| Paid plans | 3 | 2 |
| Pricing model | per contacts | per active profile (usage-based; billed on total active profiles since Feb 2025; no annual-billing discount) |
| 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) | from 251 profiles (usage-based: ~$30 at 1k, ~$100 at 5k, ~$400 at 25k) |
| 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
Frequently asked questions
Is Mailchimp or Klaviyo cheaper?
Mailchimp is cheaper to start. Mailchimp begins at $13/mo and Klaviyo at $20/mo on their entry paid plans, a gap of $7/mo per month. 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 2026-07-08.
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 2026-07-08. 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 core features we compare 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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