This post is about MailChimp vs ConvertKit – it compares and contrasts the two email services and fleshes out some of the differences between them. There are affiliate links in the post.
An email subscription service is really important for your website. Not just your blog, but for any site: your online art gallery, poetry blog, whatever it is that you are doing online, your own subscription piece is really important.
It’s important because it’s your own list of people who are interested in what YOU do. Used well, it can set up the chains of interaction with your audience that will strengthen your connection to each other.
No-one can take your email list from you: it’s not owned by Facebook (like your pages and groups are), it’s not owned by Google (like plus or your email). This list, once you cultivate it and build it up, is yours alone. It’s something to treasure.
Having said, that, there are a plethora of services out there and it can be tough to choose.
This article is going to focus on two of the most popular services for bloggers, comparing and contrasting them to give the reader a clearer sense of what a good option for them might be.
In This Post You Will Find:
MailChimp
About:
MailChimp is a popular email service for websites. It’s used by bloggers and small businesses, and is readily integrated with website plugins.
Pros:
- MailChimp is free for a long time.
- It’s fun, quirky with the fun monkey and thumbs up feedback.
- Drag-and-drop visuals and newsletter set ups make creating really good-looking newsletters and emails easy.
- Fantastic visual options for the newsletters
- Support is swift, friendly and polite
Cons
- It is complicated to set up and understand the sequence options (- like, when a reader clicks X link, they can get sent Z email, etc)
- The language is not intuitive (“campaigns”, “lists”, “forms” – ugh)
- It has funky pricing – it counts your readers by the list, not the email address, so you can get charged more than once for the same reader
ConvertKit
About:
ConvertKit is arguably the most popular email service used by professional bloggers.
Pros:
- Nothing could be easier to set up and integrate with your site
- Support is unbelievable: ConvertKit will hold your hand the entire way, and make you feel like they are your very best friend in the whole wide world
- It charges you once per email address, so you can splice and dice your lists however you want and pay no more
Cons
- It’s more expensive than MailChimp
- It does not allow for photos or visual campaigns. It’s all text only
A Personal Note: MailChimp vs. ConvertKit
I’ve done both.
I used ConvertKit for a while and loved them for their amazing support and easy integrations. I’m deaf though, and super-visual: I ended up missing the visual component of MailChimp terribly.
I found out about Paul Jarvis’ course, Chimp Essentials. The course taught me how to save money using MailChimp, how to integrate it properly with google analytics and set up all the sequences. This course is why I’m back with MailChimp – I just learned how to make it do all the things that ConvertKit does, but still have access to the visuals and great layouts.
If visuals were not such a big deal for me though, I’d go back to ConvertKit in a heartbeat.
Which is Best for YOU?
MailChimp vs. ConvertKit
A table comparing the two email servicesMailChimp vs. ConvertKit
I really hope this post makes it easier for anyone reading to figure out what service might be best for them and their uses. Feedback is appreciated.
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Meriah Nichols is a counselor. Solo mom to 3 (one with Down syndrome, one on the spectrum). Deaf, and neurodiverse herself, she’s a gardening nerd who loves cats, Star Trek, and takes her coffee hot and black.
Sherita Rankins
Wednesday 2nd of January 2019
You have the same info twice in the post. I think you duplicated your mail chimp section and left out your convertkit section.
Meriah
Wednesday 2nd of January 2019
ack! oh no! thanks for the heads up!
Mike Benedict
Tuesday 18th of September 2018
Pretty comprehensive comparison! I agree why MailChimp still beats Convertkit :) However for me neither MailChimp nor ConvertKit really worked out. Both are great product but they didn't scale beyond a point for me. I had to use various other tools along with them - SumoMe for popups, Instapage for landing page and excel to do manual segmentation. I finally moved to sendx.io as it combines all of this under a single product + the delivery rates are consistently beating my previous records!. Still love MailChimp but don't think it will work for me :(
Mike."