About 14; min
Mailchimp is the email marketing giant. ConvertKit (now called Kit) is the creator favorite. They serve different audiences at very different price points. We compared their free plans, paid tiers, and hidden costs to help you pick the right one without overpaying.
Last updated: March 18, 2026. Prices sourced from mailchimp.com and kit.com (formerly ConvertKit).
Pricing Comparison
| Mailchimp | Kit (ConvertKit) | |
|---|---|---|
| Free plan | 500 contacts, 1,000 emails/mo | 10,000 subscribers, unlimited emails |
| Entry paid | Essentials: $13/mo (500 contacts) | Creator: $39/mo (1,000 subscribers) |
| Mid-tier | Standard: $20/mo (500 contacts) | Creator Pro: $79/mo (1,000 subscribers) |
| Premium | Premium: $350/mo (10,000 contacts) | Scales with subscribers |
| At 5,000 contacts | ~$75/mo (Essentials) | ~$79/mo (Creator) |
| At 25,000 contacts | ~$250/mo (Essentials) | ~$199/mo (Creator) |
Kit’s free plan is dramatically more generous: 10,000 subscribers vs Mailchimp’s 500. But Kit’s paid plans start higher. The pricing crossover depends entirely on your list size.
Free Plan: Kit Wins By a Mile
| Mailchimp Free | Kit Free | |
|---|---|---|
| Subscribers | 500 | 10,000 |
| Monthly emails | 1,000 | Unlimited |
| Automations | Limited | None |
| Landing pages | Yes | Yes |
| Forms | Yes | Yes |
| Sell digital products | No | Yes (built-in commerce) |
Kit’s free tier supports 20x more subscribers. If you’re a creator building an audience and don’t need automations yet, Kit Free is the obvious choice. Mailchimp’s 500-contact limit is barely enough to get started.
The catch: Kit Free has no email automations. You can send broadcasts but can’t set up automated sequences. That’s a significant limitation for anyone doing email marketing seriously.
The Contact Billing Trap (Mailchimp’s Hidden Cost)
This is Mailchimp’s most criticized pricing policy: Mailchimp counts ALL contacts toward your billing tier — including unsubscribed, cleaned, and inactive contacts.
If you have 5,000 contacts but 1,000 have unsubscribed, Mailchimp still bills you for 5,000. Kit only counts active subscribers. You don’t pay for people who left.
$150 vs $119 /month
Mailchimp: bills for 10,000 contacts = ~$150/mo
Kit: bills for 7,000 active subscribers = ~$119/mo
Mailchimp charges $31/month for contacts who’ll never open your emails.
Feature Comparison
| Feature | Mailchimp | Kit (ConvertKit) |
|---|---|---|
| Email builder | Drag-and-drop, visually rich | Simple, text-focused |
| Templates | 100+ designed templates | Minimal templates (plain by design) |
| Automations | Visual automation builder | Visual automation builder (simpler) |
| Tagging & segmentation | Advanced segments | Tag-based (simpler, effective) |
| Landing pages | Yes | Yes |
| Digital product sales | No | Built-in (courses, ebooks, etc.) |
| E-commerce integrations | Shopify, WooCommerce, etc. | Limited |
| A/B testing | Subject line + content | Subject line only |
| Reporting | Detailed analytics | Basic but sufficient |
| Send time optimization | Yes | No |
| Audience: designed for | Small businesses, e-commerce | Creators, bloggers, solopreneurs |
Where Mailchimp Wins
- Email design — drag-and-drop builder with beautiful templates. If your brand needs visually rich emails, Mailchimp is significantly better.
- E-commerce integration — deep Shopify, WooCommerce, and BigCommerce connections. Product recommendations, abandoned cart emails, purchase-based automation.
- Reporting depth — click maps, comparative reports, revenue tracking. More data than most small businesses need, but it’s there.
- All-in-one marketing — social media ads, postcards, websites, CRM. Mailchimp tries to be your entire marketing stack.
Where Kit (ConvertKit) Wins
- Free tier generosity — 10,000 subscribers free. No other major email tool comes close.
- Creator-focused design — built for people selling courses, newsletters, ebooks, and memberships.
- Built-in commerce — sell digital products directly from Kit. No Gumroad or Teachable needed.
- Fair subscriber billing — only active subscribers count. Unsubscribes don’t inflate your bill.
- Simplicity — fewer features, but what’s there is well-designed and easy to use.
- Newsletter-first approach — Kit treats email as content, not just marketing. Better for writers, educators, and creators.
Who Should Pick What
E-commerce store: Mailchimp. The Shopify/WooCommerce integrations, abandoned cart flows, and product recommendations are purpose-built for selling physical products.
Creator, blogger, or course seller: Kit. Built-in commerce, generous free tier, and creator-focused tools. This is your platform.
Just starting, small list: Kit Free (10,000 subscribers). Mailchimp Free’s 500-contact limit is too restrictive.
Need beautiful email designs: Mailchimp. Kit’s templates are intentionally plain. If your brand relies on visual email design, Mailchimp’s builder is far superior.
Budget-sensitive with large list: Kit. Fair billing (active subscribers only) saves 20-30% at scale vs Mailchimp’s all-contacts billing.
Need advanced marketing automation: Mailchimp. More triggers, more conditions, more integration points for complex workflows.
Frequently Asked Questions
Why did ConvertKit change its name to Kit?
ConvertKit rebranded to “Kit” in 2024 to simplify the brand. Same product, same team, shorter name. The URL is now kit.com.
Is Mailchimp free?
Yes, but the free plan is very limited: 500 contacts and 1,000 emails/month. Most users outgrow it within weeks.
Can I sell products with Kit?
Yes. Kit has built-in commerce for digital products (courses, ebooks, memberships, paid newsletters). Transaction fees are 3.5% + $0.30 per sale on paid plans.
Does Mailchimp charge for unsubscribed contacts?
Yes. All contacts (subscribed, unsubscribed, cleaned, non-subscribed) count toward your billing tier. Regularly clean your list to avoid paying for dead contacts.
Which has better deliverability?
Both have good deliverability. Kit’s simpler, text-focused emails often have slightly better inbox placement because they look like personal emails rather than marketing blasts. But proper list hygiene matters more than the platform.
Pricing data sourced from mailchimp.com/pricing and kit.com/pricing on March 18, 2026. Both platforms adjust pricing by subscriber count. Verify current rates for your list size.
