Email Marketing comparison · 2026
Klaviyo vs Mailchimp (2026 Comparison)
Side-by-side: pricing, features, pros, cons, and our editorial winner for email marketing.
Winner summary
Klaviyo vs Mailchimp: how they differ
We have not scored Klaviyo against our rubric yet, so we are not naming an overall winner here. The dimensions below are still directly comparable.
Cheaper
Klaviyo
Higher rated
Not compared
Better free tier
Tie
Klaviyo
Ecommerce email and SMS built around customer data
Not yet scored
Free to 250 profiles
Feature comparison
| Dimension | Klaviyo | Mailchimp |
|---|---|---|
| Starting price | Free to 250 profiles | $13/mo |
| Free trial | Free plan (250 profiles, 500 emails/mo) | Free up to 500 contacts |
| Best for | Shopify and ecommerce stores segmenting on purchase behaviour | Small businesses |
| Badge | — | — |
Klaviyo key features
- 250 active profiles and 500 emails/mo free
- Email, SMS and push in one flow builder
- Segmentation on order and browse history
- Customer Hub and helpdesk
- AI subject-line generation
Mailchimp key features
- Drag-drop email builder
- Audience segmentation
- Customer journeys
- Built-in CRM
- 1000+ integrations
Klaviyo — pros & cons
Pros
- Free plan includes real automation, not just broadcasts
- Segmentation on store data is the deepest in the category
- Email support included for the first 60 days
Cons
- Paid pricing scales by active profiles and gets steep quickly
- Overkill for a simple newsletter
Mailchimp — pros & cons
Pros
- Familiar brand & UI
- Huge integration ecosystem
Cons
- Pricing scales aggressively
- Free tier deliberately limited
When to pick which
Choose Klaviyo if…
- Abandoned-cart flows
- Post-purchase sequences
- Ecommerce SMS campaigns
Choose Mailchimp if…
- Small business email
- E-commerce drip