Mailchimp or Klaviyo: Selecting the Best Email Marketing Platform for Your Needs

The number of email users worldwide is expected to reach 4.7 billion by 2026. That’s a huge incentive to use email marketing to promote your business. But to do so effectively, you’ll need quality email marketing software, which might mean choosing between Klaviyo and Mailchimp.

While both of these email marketing platforms offer free plans, ready-made templates, and email analytics, there are some differences between them. For example, Mailchimp is easier to use and offers more affordable plans. Meanwhile, Klaviyo provides in-depth analytics and sophisticated automation.

In this post, we’ll take a closer look at email marketing platforms and how they work. Then, we’ll dive right into a Mailchimp vs Klaviyo comparison. Let’s get to it!

What Is an Email Marketing Platform?

Email marketing is an effective strategy that can help you create brand awareness, nurture customer relationships, and generate leads and sales. Typically, businesses use email marketing to send commercial emails like newsletters, transactional messages, and promotional campaigns.

An email marketing strategy is easier to execute when you use a dedicated platform. You’ll want access to features like automated emails, templates, and list segmentation. This enables you to send more targeted messages, which can help increase your open and conversion rates.

Plus, an email platform can save you time and effort. It lets you create campaigns ahead of time, schedule messages, and send behavioral trigger emails.

Mailchimp vs Klaviyo: 5 Factors Compared

Now, let’s look at how Klaviyo vs Mailchimp can be used for your email marketing strategy. Both of these platforms are popular with small businesses. Knowing what they offer and how they differ from one another should help you choose the right solution for your needs.

1. User Experience

The best email platforms make it easy to build your campaigns. Mailchimp provides a clean and intuitive interface, which is perfect for users who lack technical experience:

You can design emails using a drag-and-drop editor. If you’re more experienced, you can use HTML code instead.

You’ll also be guided through the setup process with a handy checklist. This includes steps like uploading contacts and creating your first email. Plus, there’s a dedicated knowledge base to help you troubleshoot issues.

Klaviyo also has detailed documentation available. You’ll access step-by-step instructions to get started with the platform:

However, since Klaviyo offers more customization options than Mailchimp, it comes with a steeper learning curve. It may also take a bit longer to configure campaigns on Klaviyo. This is because the platform is primarily aimed at large ecommerce brands looking for powerful features.

2. Key Features

When choosing between Klaviyo and Mailchimp, you’ll want to carefully consider the features offered by each provider. Let’s look at some of the most important ones.

Automation

With Mailchimp, you can design an automation flow from scratch or choose from pre-built flows:

The visual builder is easy to use, and lets you add and remove triggers and actions. Plus, the Customer Journey Builder enables you to create campaigns for nearly every customer interaction, including product views and abandoned carts.

Klaviyo offers more extensive automation flows, so there’s less you’ll need to build from scratch. Additionally, the customization options are more elaborate.

In the editor, you can set up logic, timing, and content. Then, you can select a specific list of customers to make personalization easier.

Both Klaviyo and Mailchimp offer a range of automation options like welcome messages, back-in-stock reminders, and shipping updates. However, Klaviyo also lets you set up conditional splits and SMS messages.

Segmentation

Mailchimp segmentation enables you to create segments by location, engagement, activity, and more. You can even assign tags to your customers.

It’s good for beginners because you’ll receive segmentation suggestions based on purchase history, activity level, and other factors:

Additionally, you can use analytics to track the preferences and behavior of email subscribers, and segment them accordingly.

With Klaviyo, you’ll also be able to view lists, customer profiles, and segments. Plus, you’ll receive suggestions about how to segment your audience.

Unlike Mailchimp, Klaviyo’s segmentation is very comprehensive. You can combine conditions for segments to create extremely personalized messages. Additionally, you’re able to create segments for SMS and email subscribers simultaneously.

A/B Split Testing

Both Klaviyo and Mailchimp enable you to track the success of campaigns alongside other variants to optimize your emails. However, Mailchimp’s A/B split testing capabilities are slightly more limited.

You won’t get full access to A/B testing with Mailchimp’s free plan. Additionally, you can only test basic features like send time, subject lines, and email content.

While Klaviyo’s A/B split tests are more complex to set up, you’re able to monitor the effectiveness of flows, campaigns, and individual messages. Plus, you can directly compare the open rates, click-through rates, and conversion rates. A/B testing is available in the free Klaviyo plan.

AI Tools

Mailchimp and Klaviyo offer AI tools to help you save time and effort as you create your campaigns. However, Mailchimp offers more content-based tools, whereas Klaviyo’s AI features lean towards analytics.

Both email platforms offer AI features to improve email segmentation. For example, Mailchimp provides predictive demographics and smart recommendations.

Similarly, Klaviyo offers predictive analytics and insights into your audience. You can also let Klaviyo create segments for you, generate SMS replies, and write email subject lines.

Mailchimp’s content AI tools are more impressive, with options that streamline omnichannel marketing and optimize email content, designs, and subject lines.

3. Security and Support

A secure email platform can help you protect sensitive information and comply with regulations. Both Klaviyo and Mailchimp offer secure login features like multi-factor authentication and user role reviews.

Mailchimp also includes security measures like Distributed Denial of Service (DDoS) protection and firewalls. Better yet, the entire Mailchimp platform is encrypted, and all login pages have brute force protection.

If you encounter problems, you’ll want to be able to resolve them quickly. Both platforms provide email and live chat support. With Mailchimp’s highest-tier plan, you can also access phone support.

4. Integrations

For most businesses, it’s important to find a platform that integrates with other ecommerce tools and systems. Both Klaviyo and Mailchimp offer integrations with Zapier to automate different processes.

You can browse the Mailchimp marketplace directly from the dashboard to enable native connections with social media networks, Google Analytics, and ecommerce platforms like Shopify and WooCommerce:

Klaviyo is also great for ecommerce sites, since it connects with WooCommerce, Shopify, and Magento. You’ll have to visit the Klaviyo website to set these up. The platform also enables you to build custom integrations.

5. Price

Both Klaviyo and Mailchimp offer free and paid plans. However, while Mailchimp’s free plan lets you send more email campaigns, Klaviyo offers more advanced features.

For example, you can send 1000 emails per month, but all emails include the Mailchimp branding. Also, you won’t get access to customer journeys, A/B testing, or scheduled emails.

Klaviyo’s free plan only supports 500 email sends a month, but you’ll get 150 free SMS credits. Plus, you can access all segmentation features, A/B testing, templates, and integrations.

In terms of paid plans, Mailchimp bundles vary between $13 and $350 a month. However, you’ll need to spend at least $45 to get started with a Klaviyo paid plan.

Using a Secure Email Hosting Provider for Your Marketing Needs

Although it’s important to choose the right email marketing platform, it’s just as vital to select a secure hosting provider. At SirsteveHQ, we offer dedicated email hosting plans.

You’ll get complete protection against spam, malware, phishing, and ransomware attacks. Additionally, SirsteveHQ offers free email backups to help you maintain email compliance.

You can send all email campaigns from a custom domain that matches your website domain. Plus, you’ll get a dedicated IP address to prevent emails from landing in spam folders.

Conclusion

If you’re looking to send newsletters or promotional campaigns, you’ll need an email marketing platform. Klaviyo and Mailchimp are two popular options, but they’re suited for different users.

Mailchimp is great for new or small businesses that want an easy-to-use tool with low-cost plans. On the other hand, large ecommerce brands may prefer Klaviyo, as it offers a feature-rich service with excellent analytical tools to improve your campaigns.

Before you choose your email platform, you’ll need a secure email hosting provider like SirsteveHQ. This gives you custom email domains, a dedicated IP address, and updated protection against threats like spam and malware. Get started today!