Compare Klaviyo to alternative email marketing services
Klaviyo provides their own comparisons to three of the most popular alternatives. Sure, they will be biased. However, it’s a great place to start, if you want to understand the key benefits of Klaviyo.
Klaviyo vs Mailchimp
Klaviyo capitalised on the split between Mailchimp and Shopify, announced in March 2019, emphasising its focus on growing ecommerce revenue.
“Mailchimp is for sending email. But if you want to make more money, join over 6,000 Mailchimp customers who switched to Klaviyo. Customers who switched see an average increase of 46% in total store revenue. Just one of the many reasons why Klaviyo averages 4.4 / 5 stars on G2 Crowd—over 70% of Klaviyo G2 Crowd reviews are 5 stars..”
Klaviyo vs Mailchimp
Klaviyo vs Bronto
Klaviyo points to their all-in-one approach, where everything you need to power your ecommerce marketing is included upfront. By contrast, Bronto requires you to buy into a customized contract with piecemeal add-ons.
“High growth ecommerce merchants need enterprise grade power at entrepreneurial speeds. That’s why Klaviyo customers who switch from Bronto tell us they needed a tool that’s easier to set up, easier to use, and offers better ROI.”
Klaviyo vs Bronto
Klaviyo vs Dotdigital
Klaviyo claims ease of implementation and superior support. On the other hand, Dotdigital can be challenging.
“Klaviyo is built for merchants who want to grow fast. That’s why we offer enterprise-grade segmentation, automation, multi-channel support and more… without the implementation and usability headaches that slow you down.”
Klaviyo vs Dotdigital
10 comparison websites
If you have the time and the inclination to pour over comparison tables of features and prices, there is no shortage of websites to choose from. Following are just a few to help you compare Klaviyo…
- GetApp
- FinancesOnline
- Capterra
- SourceForge
- Email Vendor Selection
- G2
- Similar Tech
- Trust Radius
- Datanyze
- A Better Lemonade Stand
A word of caution: comparison websites may not be as ‘impartial’ as they first appear. Some include sponsored listings and others exist purely to generate affiliate revenue from referring business.
Full disclosure: as a Klaviyo Partner, I do receive small referral fees from Klaviyo for introducing ecommerce businesses. However, my income is certainly not dependent on these incremental payments and I would still happily recommend Klaviyo without them.
Facebook Klaviyo user groups
Anyone considering Klaviyo, should definitely look at what actual users are saying about the platform. Two great sources for this are these closed Facebook groups:
If you choose to go ahead with Klaviyo, they are also a great source of peer support. Furthermore, a number of email marketing consultants (like myself) regularly answer user queries for free.
Shopify Email
Shopify merchants just starting out in ecommerce will soon be able to use Shopify Email, the ecommerce platform’s own native email marketing tool. Currently, Shopify Email is only available to select merchants, but due to roll out widely early in 2020.
It doesn’t have the sophistication of Klaviyo, or the email platforms mentioned above. But it will enable new merchants to learn about the importance and value of owning their marketing channels from the very beginning.
Purpose and value
Before making a decision, consider ‘fit for purpose’. If your primary focus is lead generation, there are better alternatives to Klaviyo. If you’re looking for something purpose-built for ecommerce, Klaviyo is rapidly becoming the ‘best of breed’.
From a personal perspective, I worked as an ecommerce manager for around 15 years. I used several email platforms in that time, including Mailchimp, Campaign Monitor and Active Campaign. In my experience, none came close to Klaviyo.
One of the most common criticisms of Klaviyo is the cost. Two things to consider here:
- Make sure you understand Klaviyo cost structure, because you may be paying more than you should
- If you’re serious about growing your ecommerce business, focus on value rather than cost.
Conclusion
And finally… at the end of the day, the beauty of most SaaS platforms is that you’re usually committed to no more than a month. So if you make the wrong choice, you can always change. And there are always plenty of alternatives to choose from.
Also remember, an email marketing platform is just that. Real ecommerce growth is going to come from how strong and unique your value proposition is. Software is not a miracle cure!
How would you compare Klaviyo? What has your experience been? Please have your say in the comments section below.
