Klaviyo vs Mailchimp

We put Klaviyo and Mailchimp head to head across pricing, features, ratings and the type of team each one fits best.

Quick Answer

Klaviyo scores 4.5 / 5 and Mailchimp scores 4.4 / 5 in our editorial rating. Klaviyo starts at Free up to 250 contacts; from ~$20/month and Mailchimp starts at Free. See the feature comparison below for the full breakdown.

Winner

Klaviyo — 4.5 / 5

Klaviyo leads with an overall rating of 4.5 / 5.

Pricing Comparison

KlaviyoMailchimp
Starting PriceFree up to 250 contacts; from ~$20/monthFree
Free TrialYesYes
Free PlanYesYes
Pricing ModelProfile and send-volume based subscriptionPer-contact monthly subscription

Klaviyo starts at Free up to 250 contacts; from ~$20/month and Mailchimp starts at Free. Free trial: Klaviyo offers a trial; Mailchimp offers a trial.

Feature Comparison

DimensionKlaviyoMailchimp
Overall Rating4.5 / 54.4 / 5
Starting PriceFree up to 250 contacts; from ~$20/monthFree
Free TrialYesYes
Free PlanYesYes
DeploymentCloud / SaaSCloud / SaaS
Best ForShopify and ecommerce brands, Teams measuring revenue per email, Brands combining email and SMS, DTC companies with retention focusBeginners, Small businesses, Ecommerce stores, Simple email campaigns
Key FeatureRevenue attribution for every campaign and flowDrag-and-drop email builder with 100+ templates
IntegrationsShopify / WooCommerce / BigCommerce / Magento / Recharge / GorgiasShopify / WooCommerce / Salesforce / Canva / Zapier / Google Analytics
Features Rating4.7 / 54.3 / 5
Ease of Use Rating4.0 / 54.8 / 5
Pricing Rating3.6 / 54.0 / 5
Integrations Rating4.8 / 54.5 / 5
Support Rating4.0 / 54.2 / 5
Value for Money Rating4.2 / 54.0 / 5

Where Each One Wins

Klaviyo Advantages

  • Best-in-class ecommerce segmentation using real order data
  • Revenue attribution shows exactly what each flow earned
  • Email and SMS in one visual flow builder
  • Deep Shopify, WooCommerce and BigCommerce integrations

Mailchimp Advantages

  • Best-in-class drag-and-drop email editor
  • Large template library
  • AI content and segmentation features
  • Strong ecommerce integrations (Shopify)

How to Choose

Choose Klaviyo If…

  • Shopify and ecommerce brands
  • Teams measuring revenue per email
  • Brands combining email and SMS
  • DTC companies with retention focus

Choose Mailchimp If…

  • Beginners
  • Small businesses
  • Ecommerce stores
  • Simple email campaigns

Best For

Klaviyo

Shopify and ecommerce brands, Teams measuring revenue per email, Brands combining email and SMS, DTC companies with retention focus

Mailchimp

Beginners, Small businesses, Ecommerce stores, Simple email campaigns

Value for Money

Klaviyo scores 4.2 / 5 for value and Mailchimp scores 4.0 / 5. See our full reviews of both tools for the complete value breakdown.

Final Verdict

Our verdict on Klaviyo: Klaviyo is the clear leader for ecommerce email and SMS, and the reason is data rather than templates. Because it ingests orders, browsing and catalog information, you can segment on real purchase behavior and Klaviyo will tell you how much revenue each flow generated, which is exactly the number a DTC brand needs. The Shopify integration is best in class and email plus SMS in one builder is genuinely useful. The costs are the catch. Pricing scales with active profiles, so a large list becomes expensive fast, support on lower tiers is uneven, and the whole value proposition weakens outside ecommerce. For online retail it is the default choice. For B2B, newsletters or service businesses, ActiveCampaign or Mailchimp will make more sense. Our verdict on Mailchimp: Mailchimp is the right email platform when you want to send professional, branded campaigns without a technical learning curve. The editor and templates are the best in the business, and ecommerce integrations make it a natural fit for stores. The caveat is cost - pricing climbs steeply as your list grows, and the free plan is now quite limited. Beginners and SMBs will get the most from it; teams that need genuinely advanced automation or a built-in CRM should look at ActiveCampaign instead.

Explore Alternatives

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Frequently Asked Questions

How much does Klaviyo cost?
Klaviyo is free for up to 250 contacts and 500 email sends. Paid plans start around $20 per month for 500 contacts and scale with profile count and email volume, with SMS credits billed separately.
Why is Klaviyo better than Mailchimp for ecommerce?
Klaviyo builds segments from your actual order and browsing data and attributes revenue to each message. Mailchimp is a capable general email tool but its ecommerce segmentation and attribution are much shallower.
Does Klaviyo include SMS?
Yes. You can add SMS to the same flow builder as email and branch between channels. SMS is billed separately through credits on top of your email plan.
Is Klaviyo suitable for B2B?
Not really. Klaviyo is optimised for ecommerce order data and revenue attribution. B2B teams are usually better served by HubSpot, ActiveCampaign or Customer.io.
Does Klaviyo work with Shopify?
Yes, and the integration is one of its biggest strengths. Order history, browsing behavior, cart contents and product catalogs sync automatically into Klaviyo for segmentation.
How much does Mailchimp cost?
Mailchimp has a free plan (500 contacts), with Essentials from $13/month and Standard from $20/month, scaling with contact count.
Does Klaviyo or Mailchimp offer a free trial?
Klaviyo offers a free trial. Mailchimp offers a free trial. A free trial lets you test core features with your own data before committing to a paid plan.
Is there a free plan for Klaviyo or Mailchimp?
Klaviyo has a free plan. Mailchimp has a free plan. A free plan is useful for evaluating the interface and core workflows before upgrading.
Which is easier to use, Klaviyo or Mailchimp?
Klaviyo scores 4 / 5 for ease of use and Mailchimp scores 4.8 / 5. Mailchimp is the easier-to-learn option for most teams, though real onboarding time depends on your existing stack.
Who should choose Klaviyo over Mailchimp?
Choose Klaviyo if your priority is Shopify and ecommerce brands, Teams measuring revenue per email, Brands combining email and SMS, DTC companies with retention focus. Choose Mailchimp if you need Beginners, Small businesses, Ecommerce stores, Simple email campaigns. Match the tool to your primary workflow rather than the feature list, because the right fit depends on which jobs your team runs every day.

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