# Klaviyo vs Mailchimp (2026) - Verdict

**Verdict:** both live and price-verified as of Jul 21, 2026. Choose Klaviyo if you lean toward the more recent build, from 2012. Choose Mailchimp if it starts cheaper, at $13/mo against $20/mo.

Category: Marketing Automation with AI · Verified: Jul 21, 2026

## Choose Klaviyo if

- you lean toward the more recent build, from 2012.

Link: https://verdict.tools/go/klaviyo (rel="sponsored nofollow")

## Choose Mailchimp if

- it starts cheaper, at $13/mo against $20/mo.
- a longer track record matters to you; it has run since 2001.

Link: https://verdict.tools/go/mailchimp (rel="sponsored nofollow")

## What each one is

**Klaviyo.** A marketing automation platform built for ecommerce, Klaviyo pulls order, catalog, and behavioral data from a connected store and turns it into segments and automated message flows across email, SMS, WhatsApp, and mobile push. Its distinguishing trait is how closely it binds to store data: native integrations with Shopify and similar platforms feed a customer-data layer that triggers sequences such as abandoned-cart, browse-abandonment, and back-in-stock alerts. A free tier covers up to 250 active profiles and 500 monthly email sends, after which pricing scales by active-profile count, with SMS charged through separate message credits. The core users are small and midsize direct-to-consumer brands, though newer AI agents for campaign building and customer service extend it toward larger merchants.
Sources: Klaviyo homepage (product positioning, channels, AI agents, integrations) (https://www.klaviyo.com/) · Klaviyo pricing page (https://www.klaviyo.com/pricing) · Klaviyo on Shopify App Store (https://apps.shopify.com/klaviyo-email-marketing) · Klaviyo - Wikipedia (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Klaviyo)

**Mailchimp.** Owned by Intuit, Mailchimp is an email and SMS marketing platform built for small businesses and e-commerce sellers. Its campaign builder embeds Intuit Assist, a generative AI assistant that edits email copy in line (adjusting length, tone, or grammar) and drafts product-announcement campaigns, included at no added charge on the Standard and Premium plans. Pricing runs from a free tier capped at 250 contacts to Essentials at $13 per month, with Standard at $20 and Premium at $350. Billing scales with contact count, so costs climb as an audience grows.
Sources: Mailchimp Marketing Pricing (official) (https://mailchimp.com/pricing/marketing/) · Introducing Intuit Assist for Mailchimp (official newsroom) (https://mailchimp.com/newsroom/introducing-intuit-assist/) · Mailchimp homepage (https://mailchimp.com/)

## Side by side

| Metric | Klaviyo | Mailchimp |
|---|---|---|
| From $/mo | $20 | $13 |
| Free tier | Yes | Yes |
| Founded | 2012 | 2001 |
| Best for | solo & SMB | solo & SMB |
| Status | Live | Live |

All figures = lowest paid monthly plan · verified Jul 21, 2026.

## Where they differ

**Price.** Mailchimp is the cheaper entry at $13/mo, versus $20/mo for Klaviyo.

**Free access.** Both Klaviyo and Mailchimp offer a permanent free tier.

**Track record.** Mailchimp has been operating since 2001; Klaviyo since 2012. A longer survival record matters.

## FAQ

### Klaviyo or Mailchimp - which is better in 2026?
Both are live and price-verified as of Jul 21, 2026. Choose Klaviyo if you lean toward the more recent build, from 2012. Choose Mailchimp if it starts cheaper, at $13/mo against $20/mo.

### Is Klaviyo cheaper than Mailchimp?
Mailchimp has the lower entry price - from $13/mo vs $20/mo (verified Jul 21, 2026).

### Does Klaviyo or Mailchimp have a free tier?
Both Klaviyo and Mailchimp offer a permanent free tier.

### Are Klaviyo and Mailchimp still maintained?
Yes - both are live as of Jul 21, 2026, with no official sunset announced for either.

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