The 6 best ConvertKit alternatives
Short answer
The best ConvertKit alternatives are beehiiv, Mailchimp, Flodesk. beehiiv is our top pick — it scores 9.2/10 and is best for Newsletter-first creators. The right choice depends on your budget, team size, and which features matter most.
Why look for a ConvertKit alternative?
ConvertKit scores 8.8/10 in our review and works well for many teams — but it is not the right fit for everyone. The most common reasons readers look elsewhere:
- ✗More expensive than beehiiv at scale
- ✗Landing page builder is basic
- ✗No built-in community features
ConvertKit alternatives, ranked
beehiiv
Top pickThe newsletter platform built for growth
beehiiv is a newsletter platform built by ex-Morning Brew engineers. It combines newsletter publishing, subscriber management, monetization (paid subscriptions, boosts, ad network), and basic website hosting in one tool. The growth infrastructure — referral programs, recommendations, segmentation — is unmatched at any price.
Strengths
- ✓Best-in-class growth tools (referral program, boosts, recommendations)
- ✓Built-in ad network for monetization
- ✓Generous free tier up to 2,500 subscribers
Best for
- →Newsletter-first creators
- →Creators wanting audience monetization built in
- →Anyone coming from Substack wanting more control
Mailchimp
The world's most popular email marketing platform
Mailchimp is the most widely used email marketing tool globally, known for its ease of use and large integration ecosystem. Best for businesses that want a familiar, beginner-friendly option — though competitors now outperform it on value and creator-specific features.
Strengths
- ✓Integrates with virtually everything
- ✓Beginner-friendly drag-and-drop editor
- ✓Large knowledge base and community
Best for
- →E-commerce businesses (deep Shopify integration)
- →Teams already in the Intuit ecosystem
Flodesk
Beautiful emails, flat-rate pricing
Flodesk is an email marketing tool focused entirely on design and simplicity. It offers the best-looking email templates in the industry and charges a flat monthly rate regardless of subscriber count — making it extremely attractive for growing lists.
Strengths
- ✓Flat rate — price never increases with list size
- ✓Best-designed email templates available
- ✓Very easy to use
Best for
- →Design-conscious creators and consultants
- →Anyone with a large or fast-growing list
ActiveCampaign
Marketing automation and CRM for growing businesses
ActiveCampaign is the most powerful email marketing automation platform in its price range. Deep segmentation, conditional logic, site tracking, and a full CRM. The go-to for agencies running marketing campaigns for clients and for businesses with complex customer journeys.
Strengths
- ✓Best-in-class email automation at mid-market price
- ✓Powerful conditional logic and segmentation
- ✓Built-in CRM with pipeline
Best for
- →Agencies running email marketing for clients
- →Businesses with complex customer journeys
Klaviyo
Email and SMS marketing built for e-commerce growth
Klaviyo is the e-commerce email and SMS marketing platform — the deepest Shopify, WooCommerce, and BigCommerce integration available. It pulls purchase history, browsing behavior, and cart abandonment data directly from your store to power precise segmentation and automated flows. Abandoned cart recovery, post-purchase sequences, and predictive analytics are its core strengths. Less relevant for pure creator or service businesses with no product catalog.
Strengths
- ✓Unmatched Shopify integration — pulls real-time store data
- ✓Powerful segmentation using purchase behavior and predictive analytics
- ✓Email + SMS in one platform with unified customer profiles
Best for
- →E-commerce brands using Shopify, WooCommerce, or BigCommerce
- →Agencies running email marketing for DTC clients
Omnisend
Email and SMS automation built for e-commerce
Omnisend is an email and SMS marketing platform purpose-built for e-commerce brands, competing directly with Klaviyo. It offers pre-built automation workflows for abandoned cart, welcome series, browse abandonment, and post-purchase sequences — with deep Shopify and WooCommerce integration. The free plan is generous at 500 emails per month with no contact limit, and includes SMS credits. Omnisend is generally considered easier to use than Klaviyo with competitive pricing at lower list sizes.
Strengths
- ✓Generous free plan — 500 emails and SMS credits with unlimited contacts
- ✓Easier to use than Klaviyo while offering similar e-commerce automation
- ✓Pre-built automation workflows for all major e-commerce scenarios
Best for
- →Small-to-mid e-commerce brands that find Klaviyo too complex or expensive
- →Shopify stores wanting email + SMS automation without a steep learning curve
ConvertKit vs. the alternatives
| Tool | Score | Starting price | Free plan | Ease of use |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| ConvertKit(current) | 8.8/10 | — | Yes | 8/10 |
| beehiiv | 9.2/10 | — | Yes | 8.5/10 |
| Mailchimp | 7.5/10 | — | Yes | 8.5/10 |
| Flodesk | 7.8/10 | $38/mo | No | 9.5/10 |
| ActiveCampaign | 8.8/10 | $15/mo | No | 7/10 |
| Klaviyo | 8.7/10 | — | Yes | 7.5/10 |
| Omnisend | 8.3/10 | — | Yes | 8.5/10 |
ConvertKit alternatives — FAQ
What is the best ConvertKit alternative?
beehiiv is our top-rated ConvertKit alternative, scoring 9.2/10. It is best for Newsletter-first creators.
Is there a free ConvertKit alternative?
Yes — beehiiv, Mailchimp, Klaviyo, Omnisend offer a free plan you can use to evaluate the tool before paying.