Klaviyo vs Mailchimp
Last updated . Figures are approximate and change with the market, so check current prices before you decide.
Both tools send email, both have a free plan and both connect to Shopify. The differences show up in how they count your audience, how deeply they use store data and how much work the first set-up takes. Where a claim comes from a vendor's own comparison, we say so, because each side has a reason to flatter itself.
The short comparison
| Klaviyo | Mailchimp | |
|---|---|---|
| Free plan | Up to 250 active profiles and 500 email sends a month | Up to 250 contacts, with a limit of 500 sends a month or 250 a day |
| Pricing model | Active profiles and message volume | Contacts, with tiered plans (Essentials, Standard, Premium) |
| Entry paid price | Email from $20 a month (251 to 500 profiles) | Essentials and Standard list entry prices under about €20 a month at the smallest list size |
| Ecommerce data | Built around store events from Shopify, WooCommerce and others | Shopify and WooCommerce among 300+ integrations |
| Segmentation | Behaviour and store-event segments on every plan | Basic on Free and Essentials, advanced on Standard and above |
| Automations | Multi-step flows, including on the free plan | Preview only on Free, up to four steps per flow on Essentials, branching on Standard and above |
| SMS | Built in, billed separately | Paid add-on, in selected markets |
| Ease of use | More to learn, more to do | Gentler start |
Sources: Klaviyo pricing, Klaviyo's comparison page, Mailchimp pricing and Mailchimp's plan comparison. Mailchimp's prices were shown to us in euros and change with list size and any promotion running that day.
Pricing model
Klaviyo bills on active profiles. Its help centre says an active profile is any profile that can be emailed, and that suppressed profiles do not count. Klaviyo's own comparison page adds that unsubscribed and inactive profiles do not raise the bill. That is Klaviyo's claim about a competitor, so check your own Mailchimp invoice before relying on it. Our Klaviyo pricing guide goes through the tiers and how to keep the count down.
Mailchimp prices by contact band, from 0 to 500 contacts upward, and its paid plans carry monthly send limits tied to your contact count. On its plan comparison, Essentials allows up to 50,000 contacts at a published $385 a month, and Standard up to 100,000 contacts at $800 a month. Both pages say charges apply if you go past the contact or send limit.
For a small list, price is not the deciding factor. Both start free and both have paid plans in the tens of dollars or euros. The gap grows with list size and with what you do with the list.
Ecommerce integrations
Both connect to Shopify and WooCommerce. Mailchimp lists more than 300 integrations, with Shopify and WooCommerce among the first. Klaviyo lists more than 350 prebuilt integrations, and its help centre names Shopify and WooCommerce as integrations that add profiles based on what visitors do on your site.
The difference is depth. Klaviyo is organised around store events: viewed a product, started a checkout, placed an order. Those events drive segments and flows directly. Mailchimp can use purchase behaviour too, but several features that rely on it, such as predictive segmentation and customer lifetime value, sit on the Standard plan and above.
Segmentation
On Mailchimp's comparison table, segmentation is basic on Free and Essentials and advanced on Standard and Premium. Predictive segmentation, behavioural targeting, lifetime value and purchase probability are listed from Standard upward.
Klaviyo includes segments on every plan, including the free one, and says its free plan covers automations, segments and reports. Klaviyo also points to G2 category scores (September 2026) where it rates higher than Mailchimp on segmentation. That is a vendor quoting a review site, so treat it as one data point.
Automations
Mailchimp's table gives the free plan a preview of automation flows, Essentials up to four steps per flow, and Standard and Premium up to 200 flow points with multiple starting points and branching. Klaviyo says full multi-step flows and A/B tests are included on its free plan too.
If you want a welcome series, an abandoned cart sequence and a post-purchase follow-up, both can do it at some level. Flexible branching, where one path depends on what a shopper did, is where Klaviyo is stronger on its entry plans and where Mailchimp needs Standard or higher.
SMS
Mailchimp sells SMS as an add-on to a paid marketing plan, available in selected markets after you accept terms and apply. Credits are bought in blocks, renew monthly and expire if unused. Klaviyo includes SMS in its account, with an Email plus SMS plan from $35 a month and separate mobile message billing.
Ease of use
Mailchimp is the gentler start. Its editor, templates and audience tools are familiar to many owners, and its free plan has what a newsletter needs. Klaviyo asks for more up front: you connect the store, learn segments and build flows. Klaviyo itself says there is more to learn, though much will feel familiar: a list becomes a segment and a campaign stays a campaign.
Who each one is better for
Klaviyo suits shops that sell online, have or expect a few hundred customers on the list, and want emails to follow what shoppers did. It also suits owners who plan to add text messages later.
Mailchimp suits newsletters, simple announcements, service businesses with a small list and owners who want the quickest start. It is also fine if your emails do not depend on store data.
If you are unsure, start both on free plans and build the same welcome email in each. The one that feels natural for your shop usually wins.
Migrating from Mailchimp to Klaviyo
Klaviyo's switching guide says contacts move in one sync, Mailchimp keeps sending while you rebuild, and you switch over when everything is ready. It also says templates and automations have to be recreated in Klaviyo. Plan for these points:
- Consent. Only move people who agreed to hear from you. Carry over unsubscribes and bounces so you never email them.
- Flows. List what you have in Mailchimp today. Rebuild the most valuable one first.
- Forms. Replace sign-up forms on your site and check they land in the right place.
- Domain and sender set-up. Check your sending domain is authenticated before the first send.
- Overlap. Run both for a short time, then switch off the old flows so nobody gets duplicates.
- Budget the time. The data moves quickly. The rebuild is where the hours go. If you would rather hand it over, see our Klaviyo set-up.
How OnePDA helps
We set up and manage Klaviyo for small shops. Our service is €490 for the three core flows (welcome, abandoned cart, post-purchase, with forms and tracking), then €390 a month for campaigns, flow improvements and a plain-words monthly report. Prices exclude VAT where it applies. You pay the tool directly and own the account. We are an independent agency, not affiliated with Klaviyo or Mailchimp, and we do not promise a revenue figure. If Mailchimp is the better fit for your shop, we will say so.
FAQ
Is Klaviyo better than Mailchimp?
Better for stores that want emails driven by orders, checkouts and browsing. Mailchimp is better for simple newsletters and a quick start. Neither is better for every shop.
Is Klaviyo more expensive than Mailchimp?
At the smallest sizes they are similar, and both have free plans. Klaviyo's paid email starts at $20 a month; Mailchimp's entry plans list under about €20 at the smallest list size. Costs diverge with list size, so compare both pricing pages for your numbers.
Can I use Mailchimp with Shopify?
Yes. Shopify is among Mailchimp's listed integrations, as it is for Klaviyo.
Will I lose my data if I switch?
Klaviyo says contact data transfers in one sync. Templates and automations have to be recreated, so plan time for that.
Does Mailchimp have SMS?
Yes, as an add-on to a paid plan in selected markets. Credits are bought separately and expire monthly.