Choosing a platform: Mailchimp vs Klaviyo vs Kit vs Beehiiv
How the four most common email marketing platforms differ, which kinds of business each one suits, and the questions to ask before you commit.
Most small businesses end up choosing between four email platforms: Mailchimp, Klaviyo, Kit (formerly ConvertKit) and Beehiiv. All four can send a good-looking newsletter and run basic automations. Where they differ is who they were built for, and that shapes everything from the editor to how they price.
This guide compares their general strengths. We've deliberately left out prices and plan names, because they change often. Check each platform's current plans before deciding.
Start with how you'll use email
Before comparing features, answer three questions:
- What do you sell? Physical products online, services, digital products, or the newsletter itself?
- What will most of your email be? Automated flows triggered by purchases and browsing, a regular newsletter, or a mix?
- What does it need to connect to? Your store, booking system, CRM, course platform or website forms.
Your answers usually point clearly to one or two platforms.
Help me choose
Which platform should you look at first?
Klaviyo: for online stores
Klaviyo was designed around e-commerce data. When you connect it to your store, it can see what each customer has bought, browsed and left in their cart, and use that to trigger emails and build segments.
Where it's strong
- Deep integrations with Shopify and WooCommerce, among others.
- Ready-made e-commerce flows: welcome, abandoned cart, browse abandonment, post-purchase, win-back.
- Segmentation based on purchase history, such as "bought twice, not in the last 90 days".
- SMS alongside email, if you want both in one place.
- Revenue reporting that ties emails to orders.
Where it's less suited
- Service businesses and creators may find it more complex than they need.
- Pricing is based on contact count, so a large list of non-buyers can get expensive. Clean your list regularly.
Kit: for creators and expertise businesses
Kit (formerly ConvertKit) grew up serving bloggers, podcasters, course creators and coaches. Its model is simple: every subscriber is one person, and you describe them with tags and custom fields rather than putting them on separate lists.
Where it's strong
- Tag-based organization that makes it easy to track interests and what people have bought.
- Visual automations that are easy to follow.
- Built-in landing pages and forms, useful if you don't have a website yet.
- Selling digital products and paid newsletters directly.
- A plain, text-focused email style that suits personal brands.
Where it's less suited
- Heavily designed, image-rich promotional emails are not its focus.
- E-commerce integrations exist but are lighter than Klaviyo's.
Beehiiv: for newsletters as a product
Beehiiv was built by people who came from newsletter publishing. It treats your newsletter as a publication: every issue can live on a hosted website, and the tools focus on growing readership and making money from it.
Where it's strong
- Publishing: issues appear as web posts, which helps people discover your archive.
- Growth tools such as referral programs and recommendations between newsletters.
- Monetization options including an ad network and paid subscriptions.
- A clean writing experience aimed at regular publishing.
Where it's less suited
- Complex automation based on store data isn't its core purpose.
- If your newsletter is a small part of a service or product business, some features will go unused.
Mailchimp: the generalist
Mailchimp is the name most people know, and it's where many businesses start. It covers a wide range of needs reasonably well.
Where it's strong
- Familiar and well documented, with lots of tutorials and freelancers who know it.
- A large library of integrations with other tools.
- A drag-and-drop editor and templates suited to designed newsletters.
- Customer journeys (its automation builder) that handle common flows.
Where it's less suited
- Its "audiences" model can lead to duplicate contacts and higher costs if you set up several audiences. Mailchimp's own advice is generally to use one audience with tags and segments.
- Businesses with specialist needs often find a more focused platform fits better as they grow.
Side-by-side
| If you are... | Look first at | Why |
|---|---|---|
| A Shopify or WooCommerce store | Klaviyo | Purchase and browsing data drive the best e-commerce emails |
| A coach, consultant or course creator | Kit | Tags, simple automations, selling digital products |
| Publishing a newsletter as your main product | Beehiiv | Publishing, growth and monetization tools |
| A service business wanting a designed newsletter | Mailchimp or Kit | Broad features, easy editors |
| A small store just starting out | Klaviyo, or your store's built-in email tool | Get abandoned cart and welcome flows running first |
Shopify also has its own email tool, Shopify Email, which handles basic campaigns and automations inside your store admin. For a new store it can be enough to start.
Questions to ask before you commit
- How is pricing calculated? By contacts, by emails sent, or by features? What happens at two and five times your current list size?
- Does it count unsubscribed contacts? Some platforms charge for everyone stored, so cleaning your list saves money.
- Does it integrate properly with your store or website? Check that the integration is maintained by the platform or a reputable developer, and that it syncs what you need.
- Can you export everything? Your list should always be portable. Make sure you can export contacts with their tags and consent data.
- Who will run it? Pick the tool your team will actually use. A powerful platform nobody logs into is worth nothing.
Switching later
You're not locked in. Subscriber lists move between platforms; automations and templates need rebuilding. If you're already on Mailchimp and considering a move, see migrating from Mailchimp to Kit or Beehiiv. The main rule: import only people who are still subscribed, so you never email someone who opted out.
Plan for some disruption after any move. Sending from a new platform means new sending infrastructure, so ramp up gradually and watch your spam complaints.
Frequently asked questions
Should I use the email tool built into my website builder?
For a very small list, it can be fine. Squarespace, Wix and Shopify all offer email tools. They're convenient but usually less capable than a dedicated platform. If email becomes important to your business, you'll likely outgrow them.
Can I use two platforms at once?
Some stores use Klaviyo for store emails and Beehiiv or Kit for a content newsletter. It works, but you need to keep unsubscribes in sync and you pay twice. Most small businesses are better off with one.
Which one has the best deliverability?
All four are established senders. Your own practices (authentication, list quality, complaint rates) matter far more than which platform you choose.
Related guides
Learn more
Go deeper on chykalophia.com
- Our approachDigital marketingCampaigns, content and channels built around pipeline, not vanity metrics.
- Free resourcesGuides, checklists and worksheetsWhat our team uses on every engagement. No email gate.
- Read furtherInsights from the teamLonger articles on strategy, conversion and running a website.
Talk it through
Want a second pair of eyes on this?
Book a free discovery call, up to an hour. Bring the question you're stuck on and we'll tell you honestly what we'd do.
Already a client? Email support@chykalophia.com.
Last updated
Email marketing basics for small businesses
What email marketing is, why it still works for small businesses, and the handful of things you need in place before you send your first campaign.
Building your email list without buying one
Practical, permission-based ways to grow an email list of people who actually want to hear from you, and why bought lists do more harm than good.