When choosing between MailerLite vs ConvertKit, it’s important to understand how each platform fits your email marketing needs. Both offer powerful tools for growing and engaging your audience, but they cater to different types of users. In this comparison, we’ll break down the key features, pricing, ease of use, and more, so you can decide which platform is the best fit for your business or personal brand.
At Tusk Review, we strive to create useful blog review articles without bias. We don’t receive compensation for any product or service we review. However, Tusk Review may earn a commission through affiliate links on this website at no additional cost to you.
Table of Contents
Quick Overview
When comparing MailerLite vs ConvertKit, both are popular email marketing platforms with distinct strengths. MailerLite is known for its affordability and simplicity, offering a user-friendly experience perfect for small businesses and beginners. It provides essential features like email automation, templates, and segmentation at a budget-friendly price, even in its free plan.
ConvertKit, on the other hand, is designed with creators in mind. It focuses on building strong subscriber relationships through advanced automations and tagging systems. While pricier, it offers powerful tools for content creators, bloggers, and marketers looking for robust automation and personalization options.
Verified User Review Snapshot
When comparing MailerLite vs ConvertKit, both platforms have received solid reviews from users on G2 and Capterra.* Here’s a quick snapshot of user feedback.
MailerLite Reviews
- G2 Rating: 4.5/5 (500+ reviews)
- Capterra Rating: 4.7/5 (1,300+ reviews)
Pros (MailerLite):
- Easy-to-use interface, especially for beginners
- Excellent value for the price, including a generous free plan
- Solid automation features and email templates
Cons (MailerLite):
- Limited advanced features compared to premium platforms
- Customer support response times can be slow for free users
ConvertKit Reviews
- G2 Rating: 4.3/5 (400+ reviews)
- Capterra Rating: 4.7/5 (3,000+ reviews)
Pros (ConvertKit):
- Powerful automation and tagging systems tailored for creators
- Clean, user-friendly interface with easy workflow setup
- Excellent customer support, especially for paid users
Cons (ConvertKit):
- Higher cost compared to similar platforms
- Fewer pre-designed templates for users who prefer drag-and-drop editors
*G2 and Capterra are trusted sources of user reviews for email marketing platforms because they provide verified, real-world feedback from professionals who actively use the software. Both platforms ensure authenticity by requiring users to create accounts and verify their identity before submitting reviews, which helps maintain credibility and accuracy. Additionally, they offer detailed insights into both pros and cons, allowing potential buyers to make informed decisions based on a wide range of user experiences.
Pricing and Plans
When comparing MailerLite vs ConvertKit, pricing is one of the key differences.
MailerLite offers a generous free plan for up to 1,000 subscribers, and 12,000 monthly emails with basic email automation, templates, and support. Paid plans start at $9/month and scale based on the number of subscribers. The Advanced plan starts at $18/month and includes unlimited users and an advanced feature set. MailerLite is a cost-effective choice for small businesses or individuals needing essential email marketing tools without breaking the bank.
ConvertKit starts with a free plan for up to 10,000 subscribers, but many advanced features like automation and integrations are limited. The Creator plan starts at $25/month for two users, and the Pro plan starts at $50/month for unlimited users.
Ease of Use
When comparing MailerLite vs ConvertKit, both platforms are designed with ease of use in mind, but they cater to different user types.
MailerLite is known for its simple, clean interface, making it ideal for beginners. The drag-and-drop email builder and intuitive dashboard allow users to create and send emails quickly, with little to no learning curve.
ConvertKit, while still user-friendly, focuses more on creators and marketers with slightly more advanced needs. Its interface is clean but designed around powerful automation and tagging systems, which may require more time to understand fully.
BOTTOM LINE: MailerLite is easier for beginners, while ConvertKit offers more depth for users willing to invest time in learning its features.
Email Design and Templates
When comparing ConvertKit vs MailerLite, their approach to email design and templates differs significantly.
MailerLite offers a wide range of pre-designed templates and a drag-and-drop email editor, making it easy for users to create visually appealing emails without any coding knowledge. It’s ideal for users who want flexibility and creative control over their email designs.
ConvertKit, on the other hand, focuses more on simplicity. It offers fewer templates and a minimalist design approach, prioritizing plain-text emails over heavily designed ones. This works well for creators who want to build personal connections with their audience without relying on flashy designs.
BOTTOM LINE: MailerLite excels in creative email design options, while ConvertKit favors simplicity and personalization.
Automation and Workflow
When comparing MailerLite vs ConvertKit in terms of automation, both platforms offer solid tools, but with different levels of complexity.
MailerLite provides easy-to-use automation features, allowing users to create simple workflows such as welcome sequences or abandoned cart emails. The visual workflow builder is easy to use and works well for small businesses or beginners looking for basic automations.
ConvertKit takes automation to the next level with advanced capabilities. Its powerful automation system allows users to create complex email sequences, trigger-based automations, and detailed tagging. This makes it ideal for creators who need more personalized, behavior-based workflows to engage with their audience.
BOTTOM LINE: MailerLite is great for basic automation, while ConvertKit is best suited for those needing advanced workflows and personalization.
Audience Segmentation and Personalization
In the MailerLite vs ConvertKit comparison, both platforms offer solid audience segmentation and personalization, but they differ in approach.
MailerLite provides basic segmentation features, allowing users to create groups or segments based on subscriber behavior, demographics, or interactions. While it’s effective for simple segmentation needs, it may lack the depth needed for more complex personalization efforts. MailerLite also allows for basic personalization within emails, such as including the subscriber’s name.
ConvertKit excels in this area with its advanced tagging and segmentation system. Users can tag subscribers based on specific actions, such as link clicks or form submissions, and send highly personalized content based on those tags. This level of detail makes it ideal for creators who want to send targeted messages to specific audience segments.
BOTTOM LINE: MailerLite works well for basic segmentation, while ConvertKit offers more advanced tools for personalized, targeted marketing.
Integrations and Compatibility
When comparing MailerLite vs ConvertKit, both platforms offer various integrations to enhance their functionality, but they differ in scope and compatibility.
MailerLite integrates with popular platforms such as WordPress, Shopify, and WooCommerce, making it suitable for small businesses and ecommerce stores. Additionally, it supports third-party connections through Zapier, allowing users to connect with hundreds of other apps. While its range of native integrations is more limited, MailerLite covers the essentials for most users.
ConvertKit offers a broader range of native integrations, especially for creators and online businesses. It connects seamlessly with platforms like Teachable, Patreon, and MemberPress, making it ideal for content creators, educators, and membership-based businesses. Like MailerLite, ConvertKit also supports Zapier for more extensive compatibility with other tools.
BOTTOM LINE: MailerLite provides the necessary integrations for basic needs, while ConvertKit offers more robust integration options, especially for creators and online businesses.
Deliverability and Performance
When it comes to MailerLite vs ConvertKit in terms of deliverability and performance, both platforms offer reliable services, but there are some distinctions.
MailerLite is known for its strong deliverability rates, ensuring that most emails reach the inbox and avoid spam folders. The platform provides detailed analytics to track open rates, click-through rates, and overall campaign performance. MailerLite also offers tools to improve deliverability, such as a double opt-in option and email validation.
ConvertKit also excels in deliverability, particularly due to its focus on plain-text emails, which tend to perform better in terms of inbox placement. ConvertKit’s performance tracking is equally robust, with advanced reporting that includes subscriber behavior and engagement over time, making it a great choice for creators who want in-depth insights.
In short, both MailerLite and ConvertKit perform well in deliverability, but ConvertKit may have a slight edge for users who prioritize plain-text emails and detailed performance tracking.
Support and Community
When comparing ConvertKit vs MailerLite in terms of support and community, both platforms provide reliable customer service, but their approaches differ.
MailerLite offers customer support through email and live chat, though live chat is primarily available for paid users. While the response times can vary, especially for free users, MailerLite has a solid knowledge base with tutorials and guides that help users troubleshoot issues on their own. Additionally, MailerLite has an active community of users who share tips and best practices.
ConvertKit is known for its responsive customer support, with live chat and email options available to all users. Paid users benefit from priority support. ConvertKit also has an extensive knowledge base, including webinars, tutorials, and guides. Moreover, ConvertKit has a strong, creator-focused community, where users can connect and share strategies for growing their audience.
BOTTOM LINE: MailerLite provides essential support and a helpful community, while ConvertKit offers more robust customer service and an engaged community of creators.
Who is it Best For?
When considering MailerLite vs ConvertKit, the choice ultimately depends on your needs, budget, and the type of business or audience you serve. Each platform caters to specific user groups, offering tailored features to meet those needs.
MailerLite is best suited for small businesses, startups, and individuals who are just starting out with email marketing. Its simplicity and affordable pricing make it an ideal choice for users with limited technical skills or tight budgets. The platform provides all the essential tools for building and sending emails, along with basic automations, segmentation, and templates. If your focus is on running effective campaigns with minimal costs, MailerLite is a great solution, especially for those who want a user-friendly interface without the need for advanced features. It’s also a smart option for ecommerce businesses that need basic integrations with platforms like Shopify and WooCommerce.
ConvertKit, on the other hand, is designed for creators—bloggers, YouTubers, podcasters, and anyone who builds their brand around content creation. If you’re focused on engaging and nurturing a loyal audience through personalized email marketing, ConvertKit’s powerful automation and tagging system gives you the flexibility to create detailed, behavior-based workflows. It’s particularly useful for creators looking to deliver targeted content to specific audience segments, track detailed subscriber interactions, and sell digital products or memberships. While it comes at a higher price point, ConvertKit offers the advanced tools necessary for building a strong relationship with your subscribers and maximizing audience engagement.
BOTTOM LINE: MailerLite is the budget-friendly choice for beginners or businesses with basic email marketing needs, while ConvertKit is the go-to platform for creators and marketers seeking powerful automations and deeper audience engagement. Choosing between MailerLite vs ConvertKit depends on whether you prioritize affordability and simplicity, or advanced features and segmentation for content-driven strategies.
