Mailchimp vs Klaviyo: Which is better in 2026?
A side-by-side comparison of pricing, features, and use cases to help you decide between Mailchimp and Klaviyo.
Email marketing and automation platform
Marketing automation platform built for e-commerce
Head-to-head comparison
| Feature | Mailchimp | Klaviyo |
|---|---|---|
| Starting price | $13/mo ✓ Cheaper | $20/mo |
| Free plan | ✓ Yes | ✓ Yes |
| Pricing model | freemium | freemium |
| G2 rating | 4.3/5 | 4.6/5 ↑ |
| Capterra rating | 4.5/5 | 4.6/5 |
| Founded | 2001 | 2012 |
Mailchimp: pros & cons
- ✓Easy to use
- ✓Generous free plan
- ✓Good template library
- ✓Strong e-commerce integrations
- ✗Pricing jumps steeply
- ✗Automations less powerful than competitors
- ✗Contact-based pricing gets expensive
Klaviyo: pros & cons
- ✓Best-in-class e-commerce features
- ✓Deep Shopify integration
- ✓Powerful segmentation
- ✓Revenue attribution
- ✗Expensive at scale
- ✗Overkill for non-e-commerce
- ✗Learning curve for automations
Choose Mailchimp if...
- →You're a small business or startup sending newsletters and promotional emails to under 5,000 contacts
- →You run a Shopify or WooCommerce store and want basic abandoned cart and welcome automations without complex setup
- →Your team is non-technical and needs a drag-and-drop email builder with a large template library
Choose Klaviyo if...
- →Your Shopify store needs abandoned cart, browse abandonment, and post-purchase flows that trigger from real-time storefront behaviour
- →You want to segment your email list by purchase history, predicted lifetime value, or product category to send genuinely relevant campaigns
- →Your brand does both email and SMS and wants both channels running from a single automation flow with unified revenue attribution
Our verdict
Klaviyo scores higher on G2 (4.6/5 vs 4.3/5), suggesting stronger overall user satisfaction. Mailchimp is the more affordable option. The right pick depends on your team size and workflow.
Mailchimp vs Klaviyo: frequently asked questions
Is Mailchimp better than Klaviyo?
Klaviyo has a higher G2 score (4.6/5 vs 4.3/5). The best tool depends on your specific use case and budget.
Which is cheaper, Mailchimp or Klaviyo?
Mailchimp is cheaper, starting at $13/mo.
What is the main difference between Mailchimp and Klaviyo?
Mailchimp focuses on email campaigns, automations, landing pages. Klaviyo focuses on email marketing, sms marketing, advanced segmentation. Both serve similar use cases but differ in approach and pricing model.
Can I migrate from Mailchimp to Klaviyo?
Most teams migrate between Mailchimp and Klaviyo within a day or two. Export your data from Mailchimp (typically as CSV or via API), then use Klaviyo's import wizard to bring it across. Check each tool's help centre for a step-by-step migration guide before switching.