If you are looking for ways to improve your marketing strategy, why not start with your email campaigns? Statistically speaking, a good email marketing strategy can bring you $42 for every $1 you spend. To make sure you achieve these results, you can rely on an email marketing platform. Learn more about what these tools can do for you by analyzing two of the most popular options: Klaviyo vs MailChimp.
Written By Jason Rowse - Digital Marketing Expert Updated: 09/02/2021 |
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Score | 7.9/10 | 8/10 |
Summary | Klaviyo offers a reliable set of automation and reporting features. It is intuitive and helps you segment your audience fast and easily. | MailChimp offers all the basic tools you need to set up an efficient email marketing strategy; automation, analysis, templates, segmentation. |
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Best fit for | Medium or advanced marketers who need in-depth analytics and segmentation features. Companies of any size. | Marketers of any level, small companies. |
One of the main benefits of email marketing platforms is their ability to manage contacts. This is possible through segmentation features. Both Klaviyo and MailChimp provide segmentation tools. Let’s take a closer look.
Once you log in, you can immediately find several list-building options in your dashboard. You can start creating custom lists by importing contacts from your subscribers’ lists. Some of the main criteria you can use to segment your contacts include their behavior on your website, transactional data, or specific events such as a recent purchase or a viewed product.
You can build lists also by collecting data from other tools such as eCommerce platforms or CRM systems. You can also add different tags to better segment your audience. The integrations with social tools like Facebook can also help you define and segment your audience.
MailChimp also features segmentation tools, although they seem basic compared to Klaviyo. The segmentation process you get with MailChimp is not based on tags. Here, you get two distinct segmentation options - Groups and Segments. The Segments category refers to larger groups, such as new subscribers or latest purchases. Groups refer to smaller segments created based on user behavior or transactional data.
We choose Klaviyo this time because it boasts more complex segmentation tools and includes the possibility to tag your contacts.
Landing pages and forms are useful tools you can rely on to generate more leads. Both MailChimp and Klaviyo can support you with different ready-made templates and an easy implementation process.
With Klaviyo, you can choose one of the 300+ pre-designed form templates that come in different formats you can adapt to your website: pop-ups, flyouts, embedded forms.
Furthermore, there are multiple elements you can modify according to your tastes to make the forms more appealing such as the background colors or fonts. To leverage these forms to their maximum potential, you can embed them into customized landing pages. This platform also offers you several options to create these types of pages and optimize them through A/B testing.
MailChimp also offers the possibility to create forms and you can do this fast from a straightforward builder. The signup or pop-up forms can easily connect to your CRM system to facilitate data transfer. You can embed the forms on your website or any other page, customize them according to your brand, and choose when you want them to appear.
To boost efficiency, MailChimp allows you to share these forms across different channels to generate more leads.
This platform also enables you to create landing pages using several templates that can be customized through a drag-and-drop editor, which allows you to easily change the text, images, videos, buttons, or other elements. These pages' performance can also be tracked using the integrated tracking features or Google Analytics.
Both platforms provide a similar form and landing page building process, so we consider both winners.
Your email marketing tool should provide you with different testing tools that allow you to evaluate your emails' effectiveness.
This platform allows you to preview any email you create before sending it to minimize the possibility of it ending up in the spam folder. Moreover, you can also configure a live campaign and test it for spam. You can also integrate third-party tools with your account to carry out the spam testing process.
MailChimp is also a reliable tool when it comes to testing your emails. You can use the platform's built-in testing tool to experiment with your emails and figure out which variant brings the best open rates. Alternatively, you can also rely on third-party spam filter testing tools like GlockApps that allow you to test your emails' inbox placement and spam score.
MailChimp seems to provide a wider range of testing options due to its third-party integrations.
| You may also like the following comparison: MailerLite vs Mailchimp |
Deliverability refers to an email marketing platform's capacity to deliver messages to the intended recipients’ main inboxes.
Klaviyo manages to avoid spam filters since it is fairly new and is not considered a spam source. Klaviyo's deliverability rates are pretty good. However, to make sure your emails avoid spam filters, you have to be careful when you design them, especially if you send out promotional messages for your online shop because they can easily reach the promotions tab.
Although your emails can end up in the spam folder if they are poorly designed, MailChimp is generally considered a reliable tool. Compared to Klaviyo, it has better deliverability. According to Emailtooltester, MailChimp has deliverability rates of 82.6 %. Based on tests performed by Emaildeliverabilityreport.com, MailChimp can achieve a deliverability rate of 95%, with almost 70% of emails reaching the main inbox.
Both tools bear great deliverability, but MailChimp seems more efficient.
Automation tools are an essential feature every email marketing platform provides nowadays. Here is a quick Klaviyo vs Mailchimp automation comparison.
Klaviyo offers a robust set of automation tools. You can access them from the Flows section. Here, you can find welcome emails and several other options, such as the possibility to generate analytics or look for ideas. The latter is a truly useful option, especially for newbies who are not used to creating email workflows. By browsing for ideas, you will discover different pre-built workflow templates, for example, abandoned cart emails, thank you emails, or different follow-up emails.
You can also merge workflows based on your necessities or customize them. Alternatively, you can create everything from scratch. Any email flow will respond to certain triggers based on the specific response your contacts provide.
This platform also provides a robust suite of automation tools. The intuitive dashboard allows you to easily choose what type of workflows you want to create based on your specific goals and the insights MailChimp provides you into your contacts’ behavior.
You can configure event-based automated emails, for example, for special occasions such as birthdays. You can also send welcome emails to your new contacts, targeted emails once a new contact is placed on a list, reminders for abandoned carts, blog updates, or shipping updates.
MailChimp’s automation is perfect for beginners who need reliable workflows that are easy to set up.
Pricing is an important aspect to consider when purchasing email marketing software. Here are the different options you get with Klaviyo vs MailChimp.
Klaviyo offers a free plan you can use for up to 250 contracts and a sending limit of 500 emails. The next tiers' prices depend on the number of contacts you have.
With the paid plans, you get an unlimited sending limit. The customer support options are also upgraded with the upper tiers. Besides these variations, the package of features is similar. The price can go as far as $1,700 per month for 146,000 contacts. If your subscribers' list is larger, you get a custom price.
Mailchimp offers a free plan you can use for up to 2,000 contacts. This plan enables you to use the platform's CRM, forms, website builder, landing pages. The next tier is the Essential plan, which starts at $9.99 for 500 contacts. This plan brings additional features such as A/B tests, 24/7 support, custom branding. The next level is the Standard plan and its price starts at $14.99. Additional features you can access with this plan are customer journeys, optimization features, send time tool, or behavioral targeting.
The final tier is the Premium plan. The prices for this tier start at $299 per month for 10,000 contacts. Some of the benefits you gain with this plan include advanced segmentation features, comparative reports, multivariate tests, or role-based access.
Moreover, you can also use MailChimp by purchasing credits, instead of a monthly plan, which might be useful if you don't need an email marketing platform on a regular basis.
We choose MailChimp this time because it also allows you to use its features on a pay-as-you-go basis.
A reliable email marketing tool is one that doesn’t require you to spend a lot of time learning how to use it. Here is what Klaviyo vs MailChimp can offer you in terms of ease of use.
Klaviyo has a clean and simple interface that allows you to find the features you’re looking for fast and easily. The integrations are also nicely configured so that you spend little time accessing them.
The email builder is based on drag-and-drop functionality, which enables you to easily set up your campaign. To add content to your emails, you simply have to choose among different content blocks. The overall procedure is streamlined and intuitive.
MailChimp boasts great usability. Its email editor is one of the easiest tools of this kind. To build emails, you can rely on one of the existing templates you can easily adapt to your needs or create everything from scratch, a process that can take a few minutes only.
You don’t need any coding experience, and you get a great array of design options, Moreover, the automated workflows are also easy to set up.
MailChimp gets the medal this time too because it is truly easy to use even for people with zero experience.
Nowadays, it’s more important than ever to be able to connect your tools to make your marketing job easier. This is possible through integrations.
Klaviyo provides a generous suite of integrations. One of the strong points of this platform is its capacity to extract data from CRM systems or other marketing platforms. There are more than 2000 apps you can connect to this email marketing platform.
Some of the best and most in-depth integrations you can access with Klaviyo include Shopify and BigCommerce. Other significant integrations are Magento, Eventbrite, Desk, Convertful, Eventbrite, Lightspeed, Facebook, ConvertPro.
MailChimp also provides plenty of integrations with different marketing, content management, social channels, etc. Some of these integrations include SimpleTexting, Zendesk Activity, Unsplash, Google Analytics, Shopwarem WooCommerce, ShopSync, Firebase, Mixpanel, WordPress, Facebook, Vimeo. You can also iterate your Linkedin account with MailChimp to connect with your leads using pre-filled forms. The same applies to Facebook.
Both tools offer numerous integrations, however, for eCommerce, Klaviyo is the best choice because of its powerful integration with Shopify.
To realize how engaging your emails are and what elements can be improved, you need to access different reports.
There are numerous metrics you can gain access to with Klaviyo. Some of the main aspects you can analyze are clicked links, opened emails, bounced messages, the number of new subscribers, or the unsubscribe rates, spam complaint rates.
The customizable analytic dashboard makes it easy to keep track of your campaigns and change the elements that need improvement. There is also the possibility to customize the way in which you view data (bar graphs, charts, line graphs). Moreover, the platform also features powerful data science tools that enable you to predict customers’ buying behavior.
MailChimp also provides a wide array of reports. No matter what performance analytics you want to access, MailChimp will offer you the tools you need. You can either opt for generic reports or in-depth analysis.
You can check all the basic details that help you figure out how well your campaigns are going: open rates, clicked links, the number of unsubscribe/subscribes, etc. There is also a useful ‘’time warp’’ function that allows you to send emails at the best time by analyzing different user time zones.
Both tools offer reliable reports and analyses. We can’t choose a winner this time.
| You may also like the following comparison: Klaviyo vs ActiveCampaign |
No matter how powerful an email marketing tool is, you also need to know that there's good customer service you can rely on.
Klaviyo manages to offer an outstanding help center. Their customer support department can help you via phone, email, or live chat. The live chat support is available from Monday through Friday from 9 AM to 5 PM. If you need help at weekends, you can reach Klaviyo's team by email, until 4 PM.
Furthermore, the platform also boasts a vast knowledge base where you can access guides, free training sessions, videos, webinars, and other useful resources that teach you how to use Klaviyo.
You can get help from MailChimp’s team via email, live chat, or phone. The support options are directly linked to the type of plan you purchase. Helpbot support and email support are available with all plans.
The live chat option becomes available once you upgrade to one of the paid plans. This type of support is available 14.7. Phone support, however, can only be accessed with the premium plan. MailChimp also offers a comprehensive array of educational resources that includes numerous guides, tutorials, etc.
We chose Klaviyo this time because it provides wider access to its support options with all tiers.
Here is a quick overview of the main pros and cons of the two tools we discussed in this Klaviyo vs MailChimp comparison.
Klaviyo may not offer the same deliverability rates as MailChimp but does, however, do a good job if you design your campaigns well and avoid common pitfalls that trigger spam filters. Its testing tools are also a bit basic. However, Klaviyo does an outstanding job in terms of segmentation, allowing you to segment and tag your audience easily in order to enhance your campaigns' open rates and conversions. The advanced automation and reporting tools can also do wonders, especially in the hands of an experienced marketer. The free plan and good customer support are other advantages.
MailChimp may not be as advanced as Klaviyo in terms of its segmentation or automated workflow options. However, this platform is incredibly intuitive and it offers all the necessary email marketing tools you need even with the basic plan. The fact that you can use its features by purchasing credit instead of a subscription is another great plus. Moreover, their customer support service is fast and reliable.
Each one of the two tools we compared in this article is better for particular users. Learn which one can suit your needs.
Klaviyo is a good option for more experienced marketers who have been using similar tools before. Although the platform is intuitive enough and provides multiple training resources due to its in-depth analytics, highly detailed reports, and segmentation tools, it can be harder to use for beginners.
MailChimp is a good choice for people with different backgrounds. You don't have to be a marketing expert to learn how to use this platform. It is simple, straightforward, and packed with valuable features such as testing tools or easy-to-use templates.
If you are looking for alternatives to MailChimp or Klaviyo, two of the most popular and suitable options are Benchmark and ConvertKit.
Both platforms have their advantages, and each one of them outperforms the other when it comes to certain features. However, we consider MailChimp the overall winner due to its ease of use, testing abilities and deliverability, and flexible pricing options.
Check out our other comparisons
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