Head-to-head
Mailchimp vs Klaviyo: which one in 2026?
Mailchimp is a general email marketing platform from Intuit that sells tiered plans by contact count, while Klaviyo is a customer data and messaging platform from Klaviyo, Inc. built around online store behavior. Choose Mailchimp for newsletters and simple campaigns, Klaviyo when orders, carts and browsing should trigger the sending.
Verdict
Mailchimp is the safer default for a small team that mostly sends campaigns and wants a readable plan ladder, while Klaviyo is the better fit once a store's order and browsing data should drive the sending. Both are US companies and both cap free sending at 500 emails a month. European buyers should read Klaviyo's EU residency wording and Mailchimp's US server statement before signing.
Mailchimp and Klaviyo side by side
| Mailchimp | Klaviyo | |
|---|---|---|
| Price entry | Quoted | Quoted |
| Free plan | Mailchimp's free tier covers 250 contacts and caps sending at 500 emails a month and 250 a day, with one seat and one audience. | Klaviyo's free tier covers 250 active profiles and 500 email sends a month, plus $5 of mobile messages and $5 of its Composer assistant monthly. |
| How paid tiers scale | Mailchimp offers Essentials, Standard and Premium, each priced by a contact band picked on the pricing page, with sending limits set as a multiple of contacts. | Klaviyo prices paid email by profile count through a plan builder, and the public page showed no paid email figures when opened in October 2026. |
| Seats | The seat count rises by tier: one on Free, three on Essentials, five on Standard and unlimited on Premium, which also lists enterprise SSO. | The public pricing page did not publish a seat count per plan, so team size has to be confirmed in the plan builder or with sales. |
| Store data and automation | Mailchimp connects to stores such as Shopify and WooCommerce and runs automation flows, but its core model is an audience of contacts with tags and segments. | Klaviyo syncs orders, products and on-site activity into each profile, so flows and segments can be built from purchase history and revenue attribution. |
| Beyond email | Mailchimp sells SMS as an add-on to paid plans in select countries after an application, and also offers a separate transactional email product. | Klaviyo lists SMS, RCS, WhatsApp, mobile app messaging, a helpdesk and a data platform under one login, which adds modules a newsletter sender may never touch. |
| Support and onboarding | Phone and priority support, personalized onboarding and help migrating data are reserved for the Premium plan; lower tiers get email and chat support. | Free accounts get email support for the first 60 days only, then rely on the help center, academy and community. Professional services are sold separately. |
| Data hosting | Mailchimp's security page says its owned servers sit in data centers in the United States and lists EU-U.S. Data Privacy Framework participation. | Klaviyo's data processing agreement promises EU storage where the customer stipulated EU residency, yet allows processing outside the EU for delivery of the service. |
| Audits and certifications | Mailchimp's security page cites SOC 2 reports and ISO 27001, with certificates available through the Intuit compliance portal. | Klaviyo's trust page says it undergoes annual third-party audits against standards such as SOC 2 and ISO 27001, with reports downloadable from its trust center. |
| Integrations | Mailchimp advertises more than 300 integrations, including Shopify, WooCommerce, Canva, Zapier, Stripe and Salesforce, plus a marketing API. | Klaviyo advertises more than 350 apps and integrations, led by Shopify, WooCommerce, BigCommerce and Salesforce Commerce Cloud, with developer APIs. |
Where each one wins
Mailchimp wins on
- Seat counts by tier are published, so a team can budget access before talking to anyone.
- Suits newsletters, forms and plain campaigns without needing a store connected first.
- Premium bundles migration help and phone support for teams moving a large list.
Klaviyo wins on
- Order, cart and browsing data feed segments and flows directly, with revenue attribution built in.
- The free plan includes reporting, web forms and revenue attribution for campaigns.
- Stores can add SMS, RCS or WhatsApp within the same profile and reporting.
Which to pick
Pick Mailchimp if
You send newsletters or promotions to a mixed audience, want a familiar editor, and need to know seat counts and tier limits up front.
Pick Klaviyo if
You run an online store and want purchase behavior to trigger and segment your messages, and you accept quote-style paid pricing.
Each tool in context: Mailchimp, Klaviyo, and the full Best Email Marketing Software in 2026.
Frequently asked questions
Is Klaviyo better than Mailchimp for an online store?
For a store, Klaviyo usually fits better because orders, products and site activity sync into each profile and drive segments and flows. Mailchimp also connects to stores such as Shopify and WooCommerce, but its model centers on an audience of contacts rather than purchase behavior.
Which of the two has a usable free plan?
Both free plans stop at 250 contacts or profiles and 500 emails a month, so both suit a test or a very small list. Mailchimp adds a 250-a-day cap and one seat. Klaviyo adds $5 monthly mobile message and Composer credits, and email support for 60 days.
Can I keep my data in the EU with Mailchimp or Klaviyo?
Mailchimp's security page says its owned servers are in United States data centers. Klaviyo's data processing agreement says it stores personal data within the EU where the customer has stipulated EU residency, but processing outside the EU may still occur. Confirm both in writing.
What does switching between Mailchimp and Klaviyo involve?
Plan to export contacts and consent status, rebuild automations and templates by hand, and recheck your sending domain setup. Mailchimp's Premium plan lists migration help for people moving in. Whether Klaviyo offers equivalent help on lower plans was not checked, so ask its sales team.