Klaviyo vs MailChimp – Which is The Best for My Business?

Both platforms offer much to the user, but which is best for your retail store online? Well, when you setup Klaviyo, you get to market via SMS, email, social media and phone push notifications. There’s no doubt that Mailchimp offers the more cost-effective choice, as it’s prices are generally lower and the fact they offer tiered pricing means it’s accessible to even the tiniest of budgets.

Klaviyo also offers pricing on a tiered scale, but is essentially more costly when you’re dealing with more than 250 customer contacts. So, perhaps a tick in the Mailchimp column when it comes to cost, although, as they say – you get what you pay for.

Take even just a brief look at the customer support offered by both and you’ll see that Klaviyo is a clear winner. They offer chat-support for those who pay for their accounts and free email support for free account users. They’re known for being very responsive and helpful too, so you’ll never feel like you’re on your own when you have an issue.

With Mailchimp there are guides, but no email support. You can get phone support, but be prepared to pay through the nose for it. When an issue arises, you’ll likely end up fending for yourself. So, as we said at the start, a major tick in the Klaviyo column for this one.

Email segmentation is a big deal for any marketer and we can say that there is no real comparison to be made between the two. Klaviyo wins hands down because it’s far more extensive in terms of features and it allows the user to create a winning strategy and get the right products in front of the eyes of the right consumers.

Mailchimp has a segmentation tool, but it’s a pale imitation of the Klaviyo option, so if you’re serious about getting real results, it’s not Mailchimp.

Both providers can be connected to a wide range of ecommerce platforms and Mailchimp allows you to buy data to enhance your customer marketing. Klaviyo on the other hand offers a nice, smooth service for integrating the full range of online store types, including those hosted on major retail platforms like Shopify.

Having used both for roughly the same kind of thing, we’d have to say that Klaviyo wins on integration, as it was just smoother. Its customer-friendly UX makes it ideal and its ceiling puts it ahead too, as with a pro on board, the scope of what’s possible is that much higher.

Ok, so here’s where the verdict comes. When matching the two platforms against each other, what’s possible with Klaviyo puts it far ahead. We’ve only briefly summarized what each offers, but if you want advanced features, analysis and reporting, cutting-edge integrations and more besides – it has to be Klaviyo. It costs more, but boy do you see where that extra money goes!

That said, if you’ve got a relatively small budget, you want something simple, you’re not looking for in-depth integrations or analytics, then Mailchimp might be a better email marketing platform for you. Ultimately, it’s your prerogative, so we hope that the info here proves useful in helping you decide.