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Last updated: October 29, 2026
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Mailchimp vs Klaviyo (2027): Prices, Features and Which Fits Your Business
Choose Klaviyo if you run an online store and want email and SMS driven by customer behaviour: its free plan covers 250 active profiles and 500 emails a month, and the Email plan costs about $30 a month at 1,000 profiles, according to 2026 pricing guides. Choose Mailchimp if you run a traditional small business that needs easy newsletters and many integrations: its free plan has the same limits (250 contacts, 500 emails), and Essentials is offered at $13 a month for the first 12 months.
- Free plans: Mailchimp 250 contacts, 500 emails/month; Klaviyo 250 active profiles, 500 email sends/month.
- Mailchimp paid: Essentials $13, Standard $20, Premium $350 per month for 12 months (50% off introductory prices).
- Klaviyo paid: Email plan about $30/month at 1,000 profiles, about $150 at 10,000 *.
- Billing unit: Mailchimp contacts; Klaviyo active profiles (suppressed profiles aren't billed).
- Klaviyo is built for ecommerce; Mailchimp for general small business marketing.
Mailchimp vs Klaviyo at a glance
| Mailchimp | Klaviyo | |
|---|---|---|
| Free plan | 250 contacts, 500 emails/month | 250 active profiles, 500 sends/month |
| Entry paid price | Essentials $13/month (12-month intro) | about $30/month at 1,000 profiles * |
| Billing unit | Contacts | Active profiles |
| SMS | Available as an add-on | Email + SMS plan with credits |
| Ecommerce depth | Good | Excellent: behaviour, segments, predictions |
| Best for | Newsletters, services, local businesses | Online stores, DTC brands |
Pricing compared
Free plans
The free plans now look almost identical: 250 contacts or profiles and 500 emails a month. Klaviyo's free plan also includes $5 of mobile messages and $5 of Composer usage a month. Neither free plan is enough for a growing business.
Paid plans
Mailchimp's paid plans are advertised at 50% off for the first 12 months: Essentials at $13, Standard at $20 and Premium at $350 a month. After a year, the price doubles to the regular rate. Klaviyo's Email plan costs about $30 a month at 1,000 profiles and about $150 at 10,000, according to 2026 pricing guides, with no introductory discount.
Price after year one
Because Mailchimp's introductory offer ends, compare year-two prices. For many list sizes, Mailchimp Standard at its regular price and Klaviyo Email end up in a similar range. The real difference is what each tool does for the money.
How billing differs
Mailchimp bills by contacts in your audience, and overage charges apply above your contact or send limit. Klaviyo bills by active profiles, meaning contacts who can receive marketing emails. Suppressed profiles aren't billed, but once you unsuppress a profile it can't be suppressed again for 90 days, according to pricing guides. Both reward regular list cleaning.
What a real business pays
| Business | Mailchimp | Klaviyo |
|---|---|---|
| 200 contacts, monthly newsletter | Free | Free |
| 1,000 contacts, weekly newsletter | Essentials from $13/month (year 1) | about $30/month * |
| 10,000 profiles, ecommerce flows | Standard; price by list size | about $150/month * |
Features that decide the choice
| If you need… | Better choice | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Abandoned cart, browse and post-purchase flows | Klaviyo | Built around store events |
| Segments based on purchases and predicted value | Klaviyo | Deep ecommerce data |
| Simple newsletters with good templates | Mailchimp | Easy editor |
| Many non-ecommerce integrations | Mailchimp | Large ecosystem |
| The lowest year-one price | Mailchimp | 50% introductory offer |
| Email and SMS in one place | Klaviyo | Email + SMS plan |
Ecommerce automation compared
Klaviyo was designed for online stores. It syncs products, orders and browsing events from your store platform and uses them to trigger flows and build segments, such as "bought twice, not in the last 60 days". Its reports show revenue attributed to each campaign and flow.
Mailchimp also connects to stores and offers abandoned-cart and product recommendation emails, especially on Standard and above, but its strength is broad small-business marketing rather than deep ecommerce data. Flows on Essentials are limited to 4 steps; Standard allows up to 200 automation flows.
Three real-world scenarios
A Shopify store with 3,000 profiles
Revenue depends on abandoned-cart, welcome and win-back flows. Klaviyo's ecommerce data and segmentation usually earn back the higher price. Start on the free plan to build flows, then upgrade.
A dentist with 1,500 patients on the newsletter list
A monthly newsletter and appointment reminders: Mailchimp's editor and templates fit, and the introductory price keeps year one cheap. Klaviyo's ecommerce features would go unused.
A growing DTC brand adding SMS
Klaviyo's Email + SMS plan keeps both channels on the same profiles and reports. Mailchimp offers SMS as an add-on; compare the total cost with your expected message volume.
Start Klaviyo free → 250 active profiles and 500 emails a month · Affiliate link
Hidden costs to watch
- Mailchimp's introductory price: it doubles after 12 months.
- Mailchimp overages: charges apply above contact or send limits.
- Klaviyo profile growth: active profiles drive the price; suppress unengaged ones.
- SMS credits on both platforms cost extra.
- Unsubscribed contacts may still count on some plans; clean lists regularly.
Alternatives worth comparing
| Tool | Entry price | Why consider it |
|---|---|---|
| Omnisend | Standard from $16/month (500 contacts) | Cheaper ecommerce automation |
| MailerLite | Comfort from $12/month | Low-cost newsletters and automation |
| ActiveCampaign | Starter about $15/month at 1,000 contacts * | Advanced automation and CRM |
See Klaviyo pricing, Mailchimp pricing, Omnisend pricing and Klaviyo alternatives.
How to choose in 5 steps
- Ask where revenue comes from: online orders, or offline sales and services.
- Count contacts and estimate growth over 12 months.
- Price year two, not just year one, for Mailchimp.
- Build one flow (welcome or abandoned cart) in each free plan.
- Compare attributed revenue after 30 days, if you run a store.
Terms explained
- Active profile: a Klaviyo contact who can receive marketing emails; the billing unit.
- Suppressed profile: a contact excluded from sends and billing.
- Flow: an automated sequence triggered by behaviour.
- Attributed revenue: sales a tool credits to a specific email or flow.
- Introductory offer: a discounted first-year price that rises at renewal.
Reporting and attribution
Klaviyo's reports focus on revenue: each campaign and flow shows the orders and sales it influenced, which makes it easy to see which emails pay for the subscription. Mailchimp's reports cover opens, clicks, audience growth and, with a connected store, purchase data. For a store owner who judges email by revenue, Klaviyo's reporting is the stronger of the two; for a service business that judges email by engagement, Mailchimp's reports are enough.
Our verdict
Klaviyo is the better choice for online stores whose revenue depends on behaviour-based email and SMS: its ecommerce data and flows usually earn back the higher price. Mailchimp is the better choice for traditional small businesses that need easy newsletters, broad integrations and a low year-one price. If you sell online on a tight budget, Omnisend is the cheaper middle ground.
How we compiled this page
We checked Mailchimp's and Klaviyo's official pricing pages on October 29, 2026. Klaviyo's paid prices depend on its calculator and come from 2026 pricing guides, marked with *. Mailchimp prices are the 12-month introductory prices shown on its page.
FAQ
Is Klaviyo more expensive than Mailchimp?
Usually in year one, because Mailchimp offers 50% off for 12 months. After that, prices are often closer; compare with your list size.
Is Klaviyo better than Mailchimp for ecommerce?
Yes, for most stores. Klaviyo is built around store data, behaviour-based flows and revenue reporting.
Do Mailchimp and Klaviyo have free plans?
Yes. Both are free for 250 contacts or active profiles and 500 emails a month.
Can I move from Mailchimp to Klaviyo?
Yes. Export your audience from Mailchimp, import it into Klaviyo, connect your store and rebuild your flows.
Which is easier to use?
Mailchimp is generally easier for simple newsletters. Klaviyo has a steeper learning curve but more ecommerce power.
Is Klaviyo worth it for a small store?
If your abandoned-cart and welcome flows recover more than the monthly price, yes. Start on the free plan, build those two flows, and upgrade only when the list grows past 250 active profiles.
Sources
mailchimp.com/pricing and klaviyo.com/pricing, checked October 29, 2026. Klaviyo paid tiers and ActiveCampaign prices from 2026 pricing guides.
Related
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