Mailchimp vs. Klaviyo: a data-backed comparison
Explore how Mailchimp and Klaviyo compare in terms of features, pricing, adoption trends, and ideal use cases to help you determine which project management tool is best for your team.
Mailchimp vs. Klaviyo at a glance
Both Mailchimp and Klaviyo are popular email marketing tools, but differ significantly in capabilities and target audiences.
Mailchimp focuses on small to medium-sized businesses with straightforward marketing campaigns and basic automation. In contrast, Klaviyo caters to e-commerce businesses requiring deeper data segmentation, advanced analytics, and personalized customer journeys.
Metrics | Mailchimp | Klaviyo |
|---|---|---|
Relative cost | 80% lower cost than category average | 203% higher cost than category average |
Adoption trend | 12% QoQ adoption growth | 11% QoQ adoption growth |
Primary user segment | – | – |
Best for | Organizations in their early to mid-growth phases, making it an attractive option for businesses planning to scale their email marketing efforts over time. | E-commerce businesses planning to scale their marketing sophistication and revenue over time. |
Mailchimp overview
Mailchimp is an email marketing tool primarily designed for small and medium-sized businesses. It offers easy-to-use email templates, basic automation tools, and integrations suitable for various industries.
Mailchimp supports growing brands looking for straightforward campaigns, landing pages, social media advertising, and basic audience analytics.
Mailchimp key features
Features | Description |
|---|---|
Customer journey builder | Design complex, multi-step workflows triggered by specific customer behaviors and actions. |
AI-powered personalization | Leverage machine learning for content recommendations and send-time optimization. |
Advanced segmentation | Filter audiences using multiple conditions combining both positive and negative relationships. |
E-commerce integration | Connect with platforms like Shopify and WooCommerce to sync customer data and track purchase-driven metrics, providing insights to tackle e-commerce accounting challenges. |
Built-in website tools | Create and host websites with free tools that integrate directly with email marketing campaigns. |
Comparative reporting | Benchmark performance against industry averages and track revenue attribution. |
Multi-channel marketing | Extend beyond email to social media advertising, postcards, and landing pages from one platform. |
Klaviyo overview
Klaviyo is an advanced email marketing platform specifically designed for e-commerce businesses. It provides powerful data-driven segmentation, deep integration capabilities, and strong automation features to drive personalized marketing.
Klaviyo excels in providing detailed customer insights, advanced reporting, and targeted campaigns to boost online sales and customer retention.
Klaviyo key features
Features | Description |
|---|---|
Advanced Segmentation | Target audiences by browsing behavior and purchase history |
Predictive Analytics | Forecast customer lifetime value and churn risk |
Ecommerce Automations | Prebuilt flows for cart recovery, welcome series, and win-backs |
Email & SMS Campaigns | Manage both channels with unified analytics |
Web & Mobile Tracking | Capture on-site and in-app events to refine messaging |
Pros and cons
Tool | Pros | Cons |
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Mailchimp |
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Klaviyo |
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Use case scenarios
Mailchimp and Klaviyo both offer effective email marketing features, but they cater to different types of businesses depending on campaign complexity and e-commerce needs.
When Mailchimp is the better choice
- Best suited for small-to-medium general businesses
- Ideal for simple email campaigns and basic automation
- Good for businesses prioritizing ease of use
- Appropriate for companies new to email marketing
When Klaviyo is the better choice
- Specifically designed for e-commerce stores and online retailers
- Excellent for advanced customer segmentation and targeted messaging
- Ideal for leveraging customer data for personalized marketing
- Best for businesses needing detailed analytics and predictive capabilities
Other email marketing tools
- Constant Contact: User-friendly marketing project tool for beginners needing straightforward email campaigns and basic automation capabilities.
- ActiveCampaign: Powerful marketing project platform for mid-sized businesses requiring advanced automation workflows and native CRM integration at a competitive price.
- Marketo: Powerful enterprise marketing project solution offering account-based marketing, lead scoring, and extensive third-party integrations for complex campaign management.
- Omnisend: E-commerce marketing project platform unifying email, SMS, and push notifications for online retailers seeking multi-channel engagement.
- SendGrid: Developer-oriented marketing project service built for high-volume transactional email and API-driven workflows, providing enterprise-grade deliverability and customization.