ConvertKit vs Klaviyo: Which Is Better in 2026?
These two rarely suit the same sender. Kit, formerly ConvertKit, serves creators selling content, courses and subscriptions to an audience. Klaviyo serves online stores selling physical products, with automation driven by purchase data. If you have a storefront and a catalog, choose Klaviyo. If you have an audience and something to teach or publish, choose Kit.
01Pricing
ConvertKit: paid plans start at $33/mo for 1,000 subscribers. Klaviyo: paid plans start at $20/mo for 251-500 active profiles. 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). Klaviyo has a free plan (up to 250 active profiles and 500 sends a month).
| 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Free | $0 | $0 | Up to 250 active profiles; 500 email sends per month; $5 of mobile messages per month; Email support for first 60 days | |
| n/a | $20 | 251-500 active profiles at this price | Expanded email send capacity | |
| Email + SMS | n/a | $35 | 251-500 active profiles at this price | Email plus SMS/MMS credits |
Prices are per month on annual billing, except Klaviyo (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 Klaviyo 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.
Klaviyo
Klaviyo is built for online stores. It pulls order and browsing data from platforms such as Shopify and uses it for segmentation and automated flows: abandoned carts, post-purchase follow-ups, win-backs. Email and SMS run from the same data. It is the specialist’s choice for ecommerce and priced like one.
- Best at
- Turning store data into targeted, revenue-tracked email and SMS.
- Falls short
- Pricing follows the number of active profiles and rises quickly, and it offers little to a business that is not selling online.
03Which Fits Your Situation
| If you are | Better fit | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Small Business | Neither | Neither is a natural fit for small business. |
| Ecommerce | Klaviyo | Built on store data, with flows and revenue reporting that general tools cannot match. |
| 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 | Klaviyo | The tool ecommerce clients expect an agency to know. |
04Verdict
Choose ConvertKit if you are a creator building and monetizing an audience. Choose Klaviyo if you run an online store and want marketing driven by purchase data.
05FAQ
Is ConvertKit or Klaviyo cheaper?
ConvertKit starts at $33/mo and Klaviyo at $20/mo. Both rise with the size of your list. Prices are per month on annual billing, except Klaviyo (monthly billing; no annual price published).
Do ConvertKit and Klaviyo have free plans?
ConvertKit has a free plan (up to 10,000 subscribers). Klaviyo has a free plan (up to 250 active profiles and 500 sends a month).
Which is easier to learn, ConvertKit or Klaviyo?
ConvertKit is quick to set up; Klaviyo is moderately involved to set up. Pricing follows the number of active profiles and rises quickly, and it offers little to a business that is not selling online.
Which is better for ecommerce, ConvertKit or Klaviyo?
Klaviyo. Built on store data, with flows and revenue reporting that general tools cannot match.