Email marketing · 2026
Kit (ConvertKit)·vs·Mailchimp
Two solid choices in email marketing. Here's how they stack up on pricing, fit, and trade-offs — so you can decide in a minute.
Reviewed by Switchpoint Editors ·
Take on Kit (ConvertKit)
Kit's strength is the creator workflow: tags-as-segments, visual automations, simple commerce. The weakness is growth — Beehiiv's recommendation network and boost ecosystem are doing what Kit hasn't matched. If you're growing, Beehiiv. If you're monetizing an established list, Kit.
Take on Mailchimp
The real Mailchimp tax isn't the sticker price — it's the contact-based model. Mailchimp counts duplicate addresses across audiences as separate billable contacts, and unsubscribed contacts keep counting against your tier until you manually archive them. We've seen SMB lists where 30–40% of the bill was dead weight. Switch to a send-based model (Brevo) or a creator-friendly cap (Kit's 10k free tier) and the math usually flips inside a quarter. Deliverability is the other quiet issue: post-Intuit, shared-IP reputation has slipped, and the fix Mailchimp recommends is a dedicated IP add-on. Modern alternatives ship strong defaults without the upsell.
Contender A
Kit (ConvertKit)
Creator-first email (rebranded from ConvertKit to Kit) with tag-based subscribers.
- Newsletter writers, course creators, and coaches who need automations, not blasts.
- Free up to 10,000 subscribers. Creator from $15/mo, Creator Pro from $29/mo.
Best for
Pricing
Pros
- Generous 10k free tier — best in the category
- Tag-and-segment model fits content businesses better than lists
- Built-in landing pages, paid newsletters, and tip jars
Trade-offs
- Default templates are deliberately plain text — not ecommerce-friendly
- Visual automation builder is powerful but has a learning curve
Contender B
Mailchimp
Email marketing platform popular with small businesses.
- SMBs running newsletters and basic automations.
- Free up to 500 contacts. Essentials from $13/mo.
Best for
Pricing
Pros
- Familiar UI
- Wide template library
Trade-offs
- Double-charges duplicates
- Deliverability has slipped
The matrix
Side-by-side
Best for
Kit (ConvertKit)
Newsletter writers, course creators, and coaches who need automations, not blasts.
Mailchimp
SMBs running newsletters and basic automations.
Pricing
Kit (ConvertKit)
Free up to 10,000 subscribers. Creator from $15/mo, Creator Pro from $29/mo.
Mailchimp
Free up to 500 contacts. Essentials from $13/mo.
Top strength
Kit (ConvertKit)
Generous 10k free tier — best in the category
Mailchimp
Familiar UI
Biggest trade-off
Kit (ConvertKit)
Default templates are deliberately plain text — not ecommerce-friendly
Mailchimp
Double-charges duplicates
The verdict
Which should you pick?
Newsletter writers, course creators, and coaches who need automations, not blasts.
SMBs running newsletters and basic automations.
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