ConvertKit vs Drip: Which Is Better in 2026?
ConvertKit, now called Kit, is email marketing for creators: writers, podcasters, course sellers and newsletter operators. Drip is marketing automation for small online stores. ConvertKit’s strength is growing and selling to an audience without a marketing team; Drip’s is ecommerce automation without Klaviyo’s complexity.
01Pricing
ConvertKit: paid plans start at $33/mo for 1,000 subscribers. Drip: paid plans start at $39/mo for up to 2,500 active people. Both price by the size of your list or sending volume, so the entry prices above only hold for a small audience; check each vendor’s calculator at your list size. ConvertKit has a free plan (up to 10,000 subscribers). Drip has no free plan; the trial runs 14 days.
| Plan | Billed annually | Billed monthly | Limits | Adds |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Free | $0 | $0 | Up to 10,000 subscribers | |
| Creator † | $33 | $39 | 1,000 subscribers at this price | Full set of core email marketing tools |
| Pro † | $66 | $79 | 1,000 subscribers at this price | Advanced reporting; Advanced automation, audience and growth features |
| Plan | Billed annually | Billed monthly | Limits | Adds |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Drip † | n/a | $39 | Up to 2,500 active people at this price; Unlimited email sends | Every feature included at all sizes; Billed only for active people |
Prices are per month on annual billing, except Drip (monthly billing; no annual price published). † marks prices taken from the vendor’s documentation or page data instead of its visible pricing page. ConvertKit pricing and Drip pricing have the full detail.
02The Two Tools
ConvertKit
ConvertKit, now called Kit, is email marketing for creators: writers, podcasters, course sellers and newsletter operators. Subscribers are organized with tags instead of lists, automations are drawn as simple visual flows, and you can sell digital products and paid subscriptions from the same account. Emails are plain and text-first by intent.
- Best at
- Growing and selling to an audience without a marketing team.
- Falls short
- Design options and reporting are limited, and it is not built for stores or sales teams.
Drip
Drip is marketing automation for small online stores. It connects to store platforms, segments customers by what they bought and browsed, and runs visual workflows for carts, welcomes and win-backs. It covers much of what Klaviyo does with a simpler product.
- Best at
- Ecommerce automation without Klaviyo’s complexity.
- Falls short
- There is no free plan, the integration catalog is smaller, and it offers little to businesses that are not stores.
03Which Fits Your Situation
| If you are | Better fit | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Small Business | Neither | Neither is a natural fit for small business. |
| Ecommerce | Drip | Store-driven automation for smaller shops that find Klaviyo too much. |
| Startups | ConvertKit | Fits founder-led companies that grow through content and a newsletter. |
| Creators | ConvertKit | Made for creators: tagging, simple automations and built-in ways to sell. |
| Agencies | Neither | Neither is a natural fit for agencies. |
04Verdict
Choose ConvertKit if you are a creator building and monetizing an audience. Choose Drip if you run a small online store and want automation that is easy to manage.
05FAQ
Is ConvertKit or Drip cheaper?
ConvertKit starts at $33/mo and Drip at $39/mo. Both rise with the size of your list. Prices are per month on annual billing, except Drip (monthly billing; no annual price published).
Do ConvertKit and Drip have free plans?
ConvertKit has a free plan (up to 10,000 subscribers). Drip has no free plan; the trial runs 14 days.
Which is easier to learn, ConvertKit or Drip?
ConvertKit is quick to set up; Drip is moderately involved to set up. There is no free plan, the integration catalog is smaller, and it offers little to businesses that are not stores.
Which is better for ecommerce, ConvertKit or Drip?
Drip. Store-driven automation for smaller shops that find Klaviyo too much.