MailChimp Vs. Klaviyo
Comparing two basic ESPs.
I have worked with over 12 different Email Service Providers in the past 4 years. I know what’s good, and what isn’t. I’ve had great customer experience, and experiences that have made me want to throw my computer across the room. I’ve felt smart, and I’ve felt stupid. I get it.
I’ve curated a list of recommended Email Service Providers that I am both a partner of (meaning I did some heavy training and I know the in’s and outs), as well as some that I am a big fan of (meaning I’m biased because I’ve had great experiences either with the UI, customer experience, or AI).
Voila!
MailChimp
Summary
MailChimp is a great tool if you’re just starting out. Ie. You want the basics. Is MailChimp a good CRM? My answer is yes, it can be a great CRM if you want the bare minimum and easy UI. Is MailChimp compatible with Shopify? They used to be, but now it’s required that you need to use a third-party integration if you want to enable it. I would avoid it if that’s what you’re looking for.
Pricing
MailChimp pricing is pretty great if you have a small contact list. With less than 2,000 contacts you can send your emails for free. For more than 2,000 contacts, you need to purchase credits. 1 credit = 1 email send. Sending test sends to yourself also counts as 1 credit, FYI. From there, you can upgrade your monthly plan to include further options.
Setup & Growth
MailChimp is a fantastic ESP if you are looking for a handful of integration options, it’s pretty much the starting point of all small business’s email programs. It offers a basic email template builder, and can be a solid ESP option if you are wanting to get the grips on email marketing. They also offer a website builder, postcard marketing, and social media scheduling if you want to look beyond just email.
Klaviyo
Summary
If you’re an e-commerce brand looking for an email-first tool, look no further. Klaviyo’s robust platform has a simple drag & drop email editor, pre-existing template flows you can use to trigger emails based on Abandoned Cart events, and easy to digest reporting structure that gives you a direct ROI measurement.
Pricing
Compared to MailChimp, with Klaviyo you’re paying $60/month for 2,000 contacts. Klaviyo’s pricing is based on number of email sends per month, and your contact base. Their freemium plan allows monthly 500 emails maximum to up to 250 contacts. Once you exceed one of the two (or both at the same time), you’ll be prompted to upgrade your plan.
Setup & Growth
Is Klaviyo better than MailChimp? Yes, if you have a Shopify integration, you’re set. Klaviyo can ingest all of your Shopify data and be an amazing growth point to pinpoint high-value customers, target them based on activity, and their likelihood to churn analysis makes this a fantastic tool to grow on. They also offer SMS marketing, which I predict will skyrocket as a marketing channel in 2021.