Skip to content
Start here
Browse by category
AI Assistants5Accounting Software3Agency & Funnel Software4B2B Sales Outreach5Business Backup3Business Email & Office3CRM Platforms7Cloud Storage4Customer Support3Design Tools3E-Signature3E-commerce Platforms3Email Marketing1Inventory Management3Knowledge Management3Marketing Automation11POS Systems3Paid Ads Management3Password Managers3Payment Processing3Payroll & HR3Project Management7SEO Software3Sales Intelligence3Scheduling Software3Social Media Management3Team Communication1Time Tracking3Video Conferencing5Website Builders3Workflow Automation3
All categories →
Not sure what you need? Start hereTell us the job and see the software it takes, with verified prices for your team.
Recently verified
Decision brief builderTurn your shortlist into a one-page case for sign-off: verified prices for your team size, requirements and sources.
Recently updated switching guides
All 264 migration guides →
What every guide covers
What transfers, and what doesn’tThe vendor’s own import path, step by step, plus the data you will rebuild by hand. Switching cost estimatorAn adjustable estimate of the hidden labor, cleanup and retraining cost, with its assumptions shown.
Open data
Open data hub: every dataset (JSON/CSV)JSON and CSV under CC BY 4.0. Every value carries its source page and verification date. How we verify pricingThe research method behind every figure on the site.
Pricing data
Software IndexEvery tool we track in one sortable table: entry price, free plan, AI pricing and source. AI Pricing DatabaseHow each vendor bills its AI features: bundled, add-on, metered or quote. Stack Cost CheckerPrice every tool you pay for at list price, saved in a link that re-prices later.Black Friday Software DealsVerified deals plus the discounts you can get today, checked on each vendor’s site.
Original research
The B2B SaaS Sticker Shock IndexCheapest published entry price in 18 categories, ranked.The AI TaxHow 19 AI features are actually billed: bundled, add-on or metered.The Real Cost of a 10-Person Startup StackThree software stacks priced at published entry prices.
Security & compliance
Security & compliance databaseSOC 2, ISO 27001, HIPAA BAAs, and the plan you need for SSO, SCIM and audit logs. How to read security claimsSOC 2 vs ISO 27001, the single sign-on tax, and what “Not published” means.
Where your team works
Offline access databaseWhich tools work without internet, in which app, and what syncs later. Remote vs office guideIP allowlisting, device controls, data residency and office hardware, tool by tool.
Side by side
Security in every comparisonEach head-to-head now compares compliance, sign-in, offline and remote controls. Download the dataJSON and CSV, CC BY 4.0. Every value carries the vendor URL and quote.
Email Marketing

Mailchimp vs Klaviyo: Which Email Marketing Platform Fits Your Business in 2026?

A general-purpose marketing platform vs. the e-commerce-native email and SMS specialist. Here is how their pricing and automation depth compare.

Bill BelcaminoBy Bill Belcamino · Last updated August 11, 2026 · Our methodologyResearched and fact-checked by the HelpCompare team
Mailchimp logoFrom $13/mo

Mailchimp

VS
Klaviyo logoFrom $20/mo

Klaviyo

See the full spec table Read the FAQ
Mailchimp vs KlaviyoVerified Aug 11, 2026
Bill Belcamino
Bottom line up frontby Bill Belcamino, founder of HelpCompare
Editorial assessment

Bottom line up front: Does my online store need Klaviyo, or will Mailchimp do?

Klaviyo fits a store that makes money from triggered emails, and Mailchimp fits a business that mainly sends newsletters, from $13/mo against Klaviyo's $20/mo.

Klaviyo syncs purchase and browsing events from Shopify, runs flows like browse abandonment and back-in-stock, and ties revenue to each send. Treat that revenue number with care. Attribution reports usually credit email for any order placed within a set window after an open or click, so they count sales from customers who were going to buy anyway. Having built a 35,000-subscriber list, I'd judge any flow with a holdout: leave a slice of eligible customers out of it for a few weeks and compare what they spend. If you can't name three store events you'd build flows around, start on Mailchimp's free plan (250 contacts) and revisit later.

My read of the verified data on this page, checked against vendor sources on August 11, 2026. Disagree or spot an error? Tell Bill

Verified data

Mailchimp vs Klaviyo: quick facts

At a glanceMailchimpKlaviyo
CategoryEmail Marketing
Entry priceFrom $13/moFrom $20/mo
Free plan250 contacts / 500 sends per month250 active profiles / 500 emails + $5 of SMS/MMS credit per month

Is Mailchimp cheaper than Klaviyo?

Mailchimp is priced at From $13/mo and Klaviyo at From $20/mo. See the full breakdown below for what is included at each tier.

Verified data

Mailchimp vs Klaviyo at a glance

CategoryMailchimpKlaviyo
Free plan contact cap250 contacts / 500 sends per month250 active profiles / 500 emails + $5 of SMS/MMS credit per month
Pricing modelBilled by total stored contact/audience sizeBilled by ‘active profiles’ only (excludes unsubscribed/suppressed)
E-commerce / Shopify integrationNative Shopify connector with abandoned cart emails and product blocksDeep native Shopify integration with real-time sync and predictive analytics (CLV, next order date)
SMS marketingAvailable as an add-on, more limited than Klaviyo’sBuilt-in SMS/MMS unified with the same automation flows
Automation / flow builderCustomer Journey Builder with pre-built templatesWidely cited as more granular for e-commerce triggers (browse abandonment, back-in-stock)
Analytics / attributionStandard campaign and audience reportingRevenue attribution tied directly to email/SMS sends, benchmarked against AOV/CLV

Verified August 11, 2026Prices recorded from each vendor’s own pricing page. See sources

Total cost of ownership: Mailchimp vs Klaviyo for your team

Estimate built from the published starting rate shown above (as of Sep 2026). Excludes add-ons, usage overages, and negotiated discounts.

Editorial assessment

Pros & cons

Mailchimp

Pros

  • Lower entry price and a long-standing free tier
  • Broad all-in-one marketing toolset beyond just email
  • Large, mature ecosystem with many integrations

Cons

  • Contact-based pricing can climb quickly as list size grows
  • E-commerce automation seen as less deep than commerce-first tools
  • SMS capabilities are more limited/add-on based

Klaviyo

Pros

  • Purpose-built for e-commerce with deep native Shopify/BigCommerce integrations
  • Unified email + SMS in one platform with granular, event-based flow triggers
  • Higher average G2 rating and strong reputation among DTC brands

Cons

  • Pricing rises quickly with active profile count, especially once SMS is added
  • Smaller review volume and less suited to non-e-commerce use cases
  • Fewer non-email marketing extras than Mailchimp’s suite

Choose Mailchimp if…

Choose Mailchimp if you want a lower-cost, general-purpose marketing platform and you’re not running a high-volume e-commerce store.

Choose Klaviyo if…

Choose Klaviyo if you run an e-commerce store, especially on Shopify, and need deep, event-driven automation tied to purchase and browsing behavior.

Verified data

Mailchimp vs Klaviyo: security, offline & remote work

How Mailchimp and Klaviyo compare on compliance reports, sign-in controls, offline access and the setup details that matter for remote, hybrid and in-office teams. Every value links to the vendor page it came from.

What we checkedMailchimpKlaviyo
Security & compliance
SOC 2 reportSOC 2 reportType not stated by vendorsourceSOC 2 Type IIsource
ISO/IEC 27001CertifiedsourceCertifiedsource
Other certificationsNot publishedISO/IEC 27017, PCI DSSsource
HIPAA (BAA)Not publishedNot supportedsource
GDPR data processing agreementDPA offeredsourceDPA offeredsource
Single sign-on (SAML/OIDC)Not publishedYesPaid planssource
SCIM user provisioningNot publishedYesPaid planssource
Two-factor authenticationYesEnforcement: Any multi-user plan (automatic once an Owner or Admin enables 2FA)sourceYesEnforcement: Mandatory on all paid plans; Owner can require it on free accountssource
Admin audit logNot publishedYessource
Data residency choicesUS onlysourceUS onlysource
EncryptionTLS 1.2+ in transit; at-rest encryption not statedsourceEncrypted at rest and in transit ('strong encryption'; algorithm not stated)source
Self-hosting optionNot publishedNot published
Offline access
Offline modeNot documentedNot documented
Desktop appsNot publishedNot published
Mobile appsiOS, AndroidsourceNot published
Remote, hybrid & in-office
IP allowlistingNot publishedNot published
Device & session controlsNot publishedNot published
Editorial assessment

What this means for your team

  • Audit reports: both state a SOC 2 report on their own sites, but not the same kind: Mailchimp (type not stated) and Klaviyo (Type II). Mailchimp and Klaviyo also hold ISO/IEC 27001. A Type I report checks controls at a single point in time; a Type II report tests them over months. If your security team requires Type II, confirm it with Mailchimp, and ask each vendor for the latest report under NDA.
  • Single sign-on: Klaviyo includes it on Paid plans. Mailchimp doesn’t document single sign-on with your own identity provider. If your team signs in through Okta, Microsoft Entra ID or Google, price the plan that includes SSO, not the entry plan.
  • Working offline: Mailchimp and Klaviyo don’t document an offline mode. Details are in the Offline mode row above.

Mailchimp: worth knowing

  • RemoteMailchimp's iOS and Android apps cover campaigns, reports, inbox replies and adding contacts, but Mailchimp says they do not replace the full web version. source
  • SecurityMailchimp states it has SOC 2 reports but does not say on its security page whether they are Type I or Type II; reports are downloadable from the Intuit Compliance portal. source
  • SecurityMailchimp's terms leave HIPAA suitability to the customer and disclaim liability if the service does not meet HIPAA requirements. source
  • RemoteAccounts have up to five user levels (Owner, Admin, Manager, Author, Viewer), and the number of seats depends on the pricing plan. source

Klaviyo: worth knowing

  • SecurityAll Klaviyo customer data is stored in AWS us-east-1 in Northern Virginia. source
  • RemoteKlaviyo staff in Australia, Ireland, Singapore and the UK may access (but not store) customer data to provide support across regions. source
  • SecurityWhen SSO is enforced for all users, new users must accept the invite and log in via SSO; an exemption list lets chosen users bypass SSO. source
  • SecurityThe activity log is visible only to Account Owners, Admins and users with Account Settings permissions. source

Checked September 19, 2026 against each vendor’s own trust center, help docs and app pages. Hover or tap “source” to see the exact wording we relied on. “Not published” means we could not find the vendor saying it on its own site; it doesn’t mean the feature is missing. Plan names are the lowest plan the vendor says includes the feature. Security · Offline · Remote vs office · Download the data

Making the switch?

Read our step-by-step migration guides

We mapped out exactly what transfers automatically and what you will need to rebuild by hand, in both directions.

Switching from Mailchimp to Klaviyo → Switching from Klaviyo to Mailchimp →

Frequently Asked Questions

What is Mailchimp?

Mailchimp is an email marketing and marketing automation platform used to send campaigns and manage audiences.

What is Klaviyo?

Klaviyo is an email and SMS marketing platform built for e-commerce brands, with deep integrations into online store data.

How much does Mailchimp cost compared to Klaviyo?

Mailchimp starts at $13/mo (Essentials, up to 500 contacts), while Klaviyo starts at $20/mo (Email plan, 251 to 500 active profiles).

Do Mailchimp and Klaviyo offer a free plan?

Mailchimp: Yes — up to 250 contacts, 500 sends/month. Klaviyo: Yes — up to 250 active profiles, 500 emails + $5 of SMS/MMS credit per month.

Who should choose Mailchimp?

Choose Mailchimp if you want a lower-cost, general-purpose marketing platform and you’re not running a high-volume e-commerce store.

Who should choose Klaviyo?

Choose Klaviyo if you run an e-commerce store, especially on Shopify, and need deep, event-driven automation tied to purchase and browsing behavior.

Ready to pick one?

See live pricing directly from each vendor before you decide.

See Mailchimp pricing See Klaviyo pricing
Related

See more Marketing Automation comparisons

See the full Marketing Automation hub for more comparisons, including ActiveCampaign vs HubSpot and GoHighLevel vs HubSpot.

View the Marketing Automation hub →

Canonical data for the tools on this page

Every pricing fact, rating, AI billing model and switching guide we hold on each tool, on one page, with the date each figure was last verified.

KlaviyoPricing, free plan, AI cost & every comparison›MailchimpPricing, free plan, AI cost & every comparison›
beehiiv vs MailchimpHead-to-head comparisonActiveCampaign vs KlaviyoHead-to-head comparisonActiveCampaign vs MailchimpHead-to-head comparisonHubSpot vs KlaviyoHead-to-head comparisonHubSpot vs MailchimpHead-to-head comparisonKeap vs KlaviyoHead-to-head comparison

Sources

Prices on this page were recorded from each vendor’s own pricing page on the date shown at the top of the page. Vendors change pricing often — check the live source before you buy.

Every figure is also in our open dataset (JSON and CSV, CC BY 4.0), with its source page and verification date. See how we research pricing.

Cite this page: HelpCompare, “Mailchimp vs Klaviyo”, helpcompare.com/mailchimp-vs-klaviyo/ (updated ).

Source links on this site are checked every month; last check . How sources are checked.

Start with the job

Guides for the jobs this software does

Plain-language guides: the steps, what to check before you buy, common mistakes, and every tool it takes with verified prices.

Get more leads and customersAutomate follow-ups and nurture campaignsSend a newsletter or email campaignSchedule social media postsBuild an email listSend text messages to customersBuild landing pagesCollect forms and surveysAll 50 job guides
Need sign-off?

Turn this into a one-page decision brief

Verified prices costed for your team size, a check against your must-have requirements, the questions to settle before you sign, and a source for every figure. Print it, or paste it into an email to whoever approves the spend.

Build a decision brief

From shortlist to switched

Built for the leader who owns the selection, answers for the spend, drives the rollout, and lives with the results. HelpCompare covers the whole decision, not just the first step.

01 · CompareWhich tool fits your team, side by side.132 comparisons 02 · Price & approveSourced, dated pricing and a one-page brief for sign-off.Decision brief 03 · SwitchWhat moves, what you rebuild, what it costs.264 guides 04 · ShareDownload and cite the data. CC BY 4.0.Open data
Bill Belcamino, founder of HelpCompare
About the author

Bill Belcamino

Founder and author, HelpCompare

Engineer by training, operator by experience, marketer by choice. Bill spent eight and a half years as an engineer at HP, was COO of Auctiva (the number one third-party selling platform on eBay, past 200,000 users) and ran Google’s $70M/year search syndication partnership at Alot.com. Then he spent 13 years building his own web properties with his own money at stake. He has bought, trialled, integrated and cancelled more SaaS tools than he can count, and started HelpCompare because the real cost of switching tools is the part nobody covers.

“I’ve sat on both sides of the table: the agency recommending the tool and the client paying for it.”

Researched and fact-checked by the HelpCompare team. Pricing on this page was last verified on August 11, 2026. No paid sponsorships, no affiliate commissions.

Read Bill’s story How we verify pricingSpot an error? Tell Bill