Have You Been Wondering Which Email Marketing Platform to Use?

If you’ve owned a business for any amount of time, you’ve probably heard a marketing guru say: “You NEED an email list!” The reasoning is that social media is rented land, but your email list and website are things that you actually own. So, you go to Google and try to choose an email marketing platform. But there are so many options, and you’re not sure which one to choose. Don’t sweat, I’m here to help! Let’s chat MailChimp vs. Convertkit vs. Flodesk – three popular options. I’ve used each one at some point in my business. Let me break down the pros and cons of each for you, and help you choose the email marketing platform that’s best for your business. 

(Disclosure: Some of the links in this post are affiliate links and if you go through them to make a purchase I will earn a commission. Keep in mind that I only share about companies that I truly believe in!)

What You Should Know About MailChimp

MailChimp has been around for quite a while. You may have seen their signature yellow branding and chimp mascot. It’s known for being a great email marketing platform for beginners.

Pros of MailChimp

Free plan is available

Easy to use 

Email and landing page templates 

You can automatically deliver freebies with the free plan

Cons of MailChimp

You aren’t able to schedule emails with the free plan

Limited templates with the free plan

Template designs aren’t as aesthetic as Flodesk’s

It doesn’t offer the advanced automation of Convertkit

Who MailChimp is Best for

MailChimp is a great option for new business owners who aren’t looking to spend a lot of money and time on email marketing yet. You can get started for free, and they have lots of tutorials to help you easily learn how to set up your list, send emails, and set up freebie delivery automations.

What You Should Know About Flodesk

Flodesk is that email platform with the pretty emails. It’s newer than the other options I’ll share about in this article.

Pros of Flodesk

The website templates are beautiful & really customizable

They offer workflow/automation templates as well

Easy to use

Setting up freebie delivery automations is easy

Cons of Flodesk

No free plan available

It doesn’t offer the advanced automation of Convertkit

Doesn’t integrate with as many popular platforms as Convertkit

Who Flodesk is Best for

Flodesk is a great option for growing businesses who are willing to spend some money on email marketing and want to send pretty emails, but don’t need advanced automation or integrations yet. Since most of the templates are beautiful and feminine, it’s more geared towards business whose ideal clients are women.

Want to give Flodesk a try? Use my referral link to get 50% off your subscription!

What You Should Know About Convertkit

Last but not least, we have Convertkit. I had this idea that it was “the expensive option” that “only really legit” business owners use once they’ve had a thriving business for years. But they actually do have a free plan available!

Pros of Convertkit

Free plan available

Advanced automation

Integrates with other popular platforms

Awesome support team

Cons of Convertkit

Free plan doesn’t offer advanced features

More of a learning curve than other options

Harder to make your emails “look pretty”

Paid plans can get expensive

Who ConvertKit is Best for

Convertkit is best for business owners who have a growing email list that converts well. It’s great for upping your email game if you want to segment your audience more and do some advanced automation sequences and funnels. While they do have a free plan, I don’t think it’s the best option for beginners.

Wondering What I Use?

When I was brand new in business, I used MailChimp to create my very first email list. Then, Flodesk came out and I was like, “Pretty, easy to create emails? Sign me up!” Eventually, I needed to do some integrations with other platforms that weren’t possible with Flodesk, so I switched to Convertkit.

At the time that I’m writing this post, I’ve decided to stop using the integrations (for now). So, I switched to Convertkit’s free plan. It works fine, but it’s not what I recommend starting with if you’re a beginner. For more on slowing down and not trying to do it all from the start, check out my post 4 Tips for Growing Your Business: Learn to Walk Before You Run.

Honestly, I think you can have successful email marketing campaigns no matter which option you choose. Because at the end of the day, it’s not the pretty emails or fancy automations that matter most. The quality of your content (value that resonates with your target audience and encourages action) is what drives results.

Choose Your Email Marketing Platform!

So there you have it: the pros and cons MailChimp, Flodesk, and Convertkit. These are my opinions based on personal experience, but I hope they’ve helped you decide what’s best for your business. If you’re not sure, you can always give them all a try. MailChimp, Flodesk, and Convertkit all offer free trials. It’s easy to export your list from one platform and add it to another (trust me, I’ve done it multiple times!). 

Want a second opinion? Check out my biz friend Ally WIllis’ article, MailChimp vs. Convertkit vs. Flodesk. Ally is a talented copywriter, and I interviewed her about brand messaging and writing website copy! I’m also subscribed to her list, and her email copy is great.

For more brand, website, and marketing tips to help you grow your business, come hang out with me on Instagram.

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