Looking to lower your email costs while keeping powerful marketing tools? You can get a clear view of current tiers, from the free Starter plan for up to 1,000 subscribers to Creator at $29/month and Creator Pro at $59/month. Annual billing cuts the effective rate and makes the math easier when your list grows.
In this short review you’ll see how the platform stacks up against Mailchimp and Constant Contact. You’ll also get the three features that matter most for small businesses: visual automations, tags and segmentation, and built-in landing pages and forms.
Expect transparent notes on commerce fees (3.5% + $0.30), a free plan plus a 30-day refund window on paid plans, and known limits like simple templates and rising costs as users increase.
Ready to test it? Start your free trial or switch to annual billing and apply promo codes to claim a discount now.
Key Takeaways
- Starter is free up to 1,000 subscribers; Creator $29/mo; Creator Pro $59/mo.
- Core tools: broadcasts, sequences, visual automations, landing pages, ecommerce.
- Compare favorably for creators vs. Mailchimp and Constant Contact on simplicity and automation.
- Commerce fee is 3.5% + $0.30; pricing scales with list size.
- Free plan plus 30-day refund reduces risk; use annual billing and promo codes to lower costs.
Why ConvertKit Is Trending Now for Small Businesses in the United States
You get a marketing-ready email kit built for creators and small teams. The interface centers on Subscribers, Landing Pages & Forms, Broadcasts, Sequences, and Automations so you manage campaigns in one place.
Expect lean workflows that cut setup time and reduce the need for extra tools. Unique subscriber counting helps control costs by avoiding duplicate billing across forms.
- Visual automations let you map customer journeys without coding.
- Built-in pages and forms speed list growth and lead capture.
- Integrated commerce supports digital products and subscriptions.
| Benefit | What you get | Why it matters |
|---|---|---|
| Centralized dashboard | Subscribers, broadcasts, sequences, automations | Simpler campaign management for small teams |
| Cost control | Unique subscriber counting | Lower billing surprises as your audience grows |
| Monetization | Built-in commerce + integrations | Sell digital content directly from email and pages |
Start free to test fit, then scale into a paid plan with a 30-day refund window. If you need responsive support and focused features for U.S. audiences, this platform is worth a trial.
ConvertKit Overview: What You Get Out of the Box
Here’s a clear look at the default toolkit, and how each element produces measurable email results for small teams. You’ll see how core features speed setup and push outcomes like signups, opens, and sales.
Email marketing, broadcasts, and sequences explained
Broadcasts are one-off email sends for announcements and newsletters. You pick a segment, write your message in the visual editor, test A/B subject lines, and schedule delivery.
Sequences are timed, multi-message autoresponders for onboarding, courses, or promos. Use relative delays and personalization fields so each recipient gets relevant content at the right moment.
Landing pages and forms for rapid list growth
Landing pages and forms come with responsive templates. Launch a landing page or embed a form without a separate builder. Forms can be inline, modal, or trigger-based and tag each subscriber for clear attribution.
- Personalize broadcasts and sequences with tags and subscriber fields.
- Protect deliverability with the default Incentive Email double opt-in.
- Manage pages, forms, and sequences from a single tabbed interface to save time.
| Feature | What it does | Immediate outcome |
|---|---|---|
| Broadcasts | One-off email sends with A/B subject tests | Fast announcements and improved open rates |
| Sequences | Timed multi-email flows with personalization | Automated onboarding and increased conversions |
| Landing pages & forms | Responsive templates and embed options | Quicker lead capture and clearer attribution |
ConvertKit Pricing Tiers: Starter, Pro, and Annual Options
This section breaks down the Starter, Creator, and annual choices so you can budget smartly.
Starter: the free plan covers up to 1,000 subscribers so you can test your email kit and validate marketing ideas before spending a dollar.
Creator: starts at $29/month. This option unlocks automations, sequences, and free migration—useful as your campaigns and pages scale.
Creator Pro: begins at $59/month. Choose this when you need advanced analytics, subscriber scoring, referral tools, Facebook audience sync, and post-send link edits.
Annual billing and practical tips
Select annual billing at checkout to lower your effective monthly cost. Annual plans front-load savings across 12 months and often reduce per-month spend as your list grows.
- Sliding-scale pricing adjusts with subscriber milestones—budget for 2,000, 5,000, and higher tiers.
- Paid plans include a 30-day refund window and free migration to avoid downtime.
- Factor in commerce fees (3.5% + $0.30) when forecasting revenue from digital sales.
Quick action: start on the free plan to test fit, or pick annual billing to secure savings and align costs with your growth plan.
Current Deal Snapshot and How Pricing Scales as You Grow
Get a quick snapshot of current deals and how monthly costs change as your list grows.
Sliding-scale costs as subscriber counts increase
The service prices move up at common thresholds. You plan for 2,000, 5,000, and 10,000 subscribers so you avoid surprises in your cash flow.
What to expect at 5,000 subscribers and beyond
At about 5,000 subscribers you can expect roughly $66–$93/month depending on the option you choose. Annual billing lowers the effective rate and is the simplest discount lever to use.
- Model the 3.5% + $0.30 transaction fee into revenue forecasts if you sell digital products.
- Use tags and segments to remove inactive contacts and keep costs efficient.
- Upgrade only when you need extra features like analytics or audience sync to match cost with value.
Actionable tip: confirm renewal terms and billing cadence in your account, then pick annual billing if you expect growth in the next 6–12 months to lock savings on your email marketing kit.
How ConvertKit Compares: Mailchimp and Constant Contact
When you weigh automation speed, pricing transparency, and ecommerce support, clear differences emerge between these email services. This short comparison helps you choose the best platform for your marketing needs.
Deliverability, automation ease, and creator focus
Deliverability: All three use standard safeguards like double opt-in and clean templates to protect inbox placement.
Automation: You build visual automations faster in this creator-first kit than in many legacy tools. That reduces setup time for funnels and course launches.
Workflow: Tagging and segmentation are more streamlined for creators here, while Mailchimp serves broader SMB needs and Constant Contact leans toward events and newsletters.
Pricing predictability and ecommerce differences
Cost control: Unique subscriber counting helps avoid double-charging when contacts appear in multiple forms—this improves pricing clarity vs. list-based billing.
- Native landing pages and forms reduce the need for extra builders.
- Integrated commerce supports one-time and recurring sales; factor in transaction fees when you forecast revenue.
- Compare equivalent subscriber counts and feature sets to pick the best option as you scale.
Who should choose which: pick this service if you prioritize automation ease and creator workflows. Consider Mailchimp or Constant Contact if their specific ecosystems or event tools align better with your business.
Three Key ConvertKit Features That Benefit Small Businesses
These three capabilities help you move subscribers from signups to sales without heavy lifting.
Visual automations to nurture and convert
You design visual automations that map how leads flow from a signup to purchase using clear triggers and actions.
Use templates for launches and webinars so you can clone and adapt funnels fast. This reduces setup time and keeps your content focused.
Tags and segmentation for targeted campaigns
Apply a tag when someone opens, clicks, or completes a form so you send laser-targeted broadcasts and sequences.
Build segments from tags to create dynamic audiences for product launches, resends, and announcements. That improves conversion rates and lowers noise for subscribers.
Built-in landing pages and forms to grow faster
Spin up landing pages and forms from included templates and link each page to automations without extra tools.
Control messaging in the editor to keep layouts simple and text-forward. Use double opt-in to protect deliverability and list quality.
- Outcome: Faster campaigns, clearer attribution to the page or form that captured the lead.
- Benefit: Scale marketing with a compact kit small teams can run without contractors.
Sell Digital Products with ConvertKit Commerce
Monetize your audience with one dashboard that handles product pages, payments, and email workflows.
One-time and recurring payments, hosted product pages
Create hosted pages to list courses, ebooks, and subscriptions so you can start to sell digital products without a separate storefront.
You accept both one-time and recurring payments and connect Stripe for secure checkout and automated receipts.
Know the fees: 3.5% + $0.30 per transaction
Budget for a commerce fee of 3.5% + $0.30 per transaction and price offerings to protect margins.
Attach tags on purchase to trigger onboarding sequences and grant product access automatically.
- Fast monetization: host product pages and embed purchase links in broadcasts and sequences to shorten the path from discovery to sale.
- Flexible offers: accept one-time or recurring payments to match courses, memberships, or paid newsletters.
- Operational ease: Stripe handles payment and receipts while the platform centralizes reporting with your email marketing data.
- Funnel-friendly: use landing pages to pre-sell, then route buyers to product pages for checkout and fulfillment.
Actionable step: create your first product page, set a price that covers the 3.5% + $0.30 fee, and add the purchase link to your next campaign to test conversions quickly.
ConvertKit Integrations That Save You Time
Integrations turn separate tools into a single marketing engine that runs on autopilot.
Connect your Shopify store so purchases trigger tags, sequences, and post-purchase email flows. Linking Shopify automates follow-ups and saves manual exports.
Embed forms and pages on Squarespace without custom code. That keeps your website and landing pages in sync with subscriber profiles.
Course, payment, and automation connectors
Sync Teachable to grant course access and start onboarding sequences automatically. Use Stripe to accept one-time or recurring payments on product pages and attach purchase tags.
Extend workflows with Zapier to link CRMs, webinar tools, and custom apps in minutes. This reduces manual work and keeps your content and user data consistent.
- Fast setup: prebuilt connectors cut integration time to minutes.
- Cleaner data: forms, tags, and purchase events update subscriber records automatically.
- Launch-ready: you can scale options and avoid ongoing integration maintenance.
| Integration | Main benefit | Time saved |
|---|---|---|
| Shopify | Automated post-purchase tags & sequences | Hours per week on manual emails |
| Squarespace | Embed forms and landing pages without code | Reduced developer time |
| Teachable | Auto-enroll and trigger onboarding flows | Faster course delivery |
| Stripe | Payments on hosted product pages | Simplified billing & receipts |
| Zapier | Custom app and CRM connections | Avoid manual exports/imports |
ConvertKit
This snapshot gives a focused brand identity so you can quickly see why creators favor this email service.
It’s a creator-focused kit that streamlines your email and marketing work into one simple toolbox. You manage subscribers, tags, and segments from a single dashboard to target messaging precisely.
- Native pages and forms: build landing pages and embed forms without extra software.
- Broadcasts & sequences: send timed and one-off content with easy personalization for higher engagement.
- Visual automations: map campaigns graphically so planning and maintenance stay fast and clear.
- Fair pricing: unique subscriber counting helps keep costs aligned as your audience grows.
- Commerce integration: tie revenue to your pages and email flows for a direct path from content to sale.
Keep content clean in the editor to protect deliverability and improve the reader experience. Start on the free tier, upgrade when you need extra tools, and use the 30-day refund window if a paid plan isn’t the right fit.
Use this review to evaluate fit quickly and move into implementation with a clear plan that matches your users and goals.
Known Limits and Trade-offs to Consider
Before you commit to a plan, understand the design and cost compromises that come with the service. This helps you pick the right option for your marketing goals and budget.
Template simplicity and advanced customization needs
You should expect clean, text-forward templates that favor deliverability over flashy layouts. The editor stays simple so you can send concise email content fast.
Heavy visual work, complex layouts, or image-heavy newsletters may need custom coding or an external builder. If design is core to your brand, plan for extra resources.
Pricing increases with list size
Pricing scales as subscribers rise, so forecast costs as your list grows. Advanced analytics, referral tools, and Facebook audience sync are gated behind higher tiers.
- Watch fees: commerce charges and per-transaction costs can erode margins on low-ticket sales.
- Mitigate spend: keep list hygiene—tag, prune, and segment—to reduce paid subscribers.
- Upgrade timing: choose the option to upgrade only when advanced features justify the added cost.
Refunds, Trial, and Money-Back Guarantee
Begin on the free tier to validate workflows, and use the paid refund period to confirm long-term fit. The free plan covers up to 1,000 subscribers so you can test forms, pages, and basic email content without cost.
Paid plans include a 30-day money-back window. If the service or an upgraded option doesn’t meet your needs, request a refund within 30 days and revert with minimal risk.
How to evaluate during the trial
- Use the free plan to run real campaigns and test deliverability and engagement.
- Upgrade to access free migration so lists, tags, and automations move without disruption.
- Manage your subscription from your account and confirm monthly versus annual billing at checkout.
- Contact support for setup help with landing pages, automations, and editor content.
Document outcomes while you test: opens, clicks, and conversions. That data helps you pick the best plan or option for your email marketing kit. Start risk-free today and upgrade only if the kit drives results for your users and business.
Step-by-Step: How to Claim ConvertKit Discounts or Coupons
A short checkout checklist helps you capture available coupons and avoid billing surprises as your list grows.
Start in your account. Log in, go to billing, and pick the plan that matches your growth and the features you need.
Choose annual billing
Switch to annual billing at checkout to unlock built-in savings over 12 months. This option lowers your effective monthly cost as you scale.
Apply promo codes and confirm totals
Enter any promo code in the promo field, click apply, and verify the discount in the order summary. Check your current subscriber count to pick the right tier and avoid mid-cycle upgrades.
“Confirm totals and terms before you pay to avoid unexpected charges.”
Verify and finalize
Review renewal terms, the 30-day refund window, and any commerce fees. Save the confirmation page and email receipt; keep the link for easy reference.
| Step | Action | Why it matters |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Log into account and select plan | Matches your kit and marketing goals |
| 2 | Switch to annual billing & apply promo | Reduces monthly cost and applies discount |
| 3 | Confirm subscriber count & fees | Prevents surprise upgrades and revenue erosion |
Set a calendar reminder for renewal, contact support if the discount fails, then complete checkout and launch your landing page, pages, forms, and automations so email content starts working for your users and your marketing kit right away.
Recommended Use Cases for Small Businesses
These recommendations show how creators and service pros can deploy the kit to turn leads into paying customers.
Creators selling courses, ebooks, and paid newsletters
Launch and sell digital products with hosted product pages and landing pages that capture leads and accept one-time or recurring payments.
Use sequences and automations to warm subscribers before a sale, then trigger purchase tags to deliver access to a course or membership.
Service providers nurturing leads with automation
Automate qualification for consulting, agencies, and local pros by using forms that collect brief intake data and tag prospects by interest.
Design multi-step sequences that educate, build trust, and push booking pages. After a purchase, run onboarding checklists and resource emails automatically.
- Run evergreen product pitches with warmup and launch sequences based on opens, clicks, or purchases.
- Collect testimonials via forms to power future campaigns and social proof.
- Integrate Teachable or Shopify so purchases sync and post-sale flows trigger correctly.
“Align your email marketing strategy with sales goals and measure lift from each sequence and landing page.”
Security, Compliance, and Deliverability Confidence
Secure email practices protect your sender reputation and keep your marketing kit reliable. Double opt-in (the Incentive Email) is enabled by default to reduce spam complaints and hard bounces.
You collect consent with GDPR-friendly forms and clear choices on each page and page element. Keep templates simple in the editor so messages render well on phones and desktop. Clean templates improve inbox placement and readability.
Manage users and roles in your account to limit access. Use tags and engagement segments to prune inactive subscribers and run reactivation flows. Store subscriber content centrally on the platform to reduce data fragmentation and risk.
- Payments: Stripe secures transactions when you sell products.
- Authentication: SPF/DKIM and link best practices strengthen deliverability.
- Audit-ready: Document processes and ask support to review setup if deliverability slips.
| Area | What you get | Benefit |
|---|---|---|
| Consent | GDPR-friendly forms | Clear legal protection for subscriber data |
| Deliverability | Default double opt-in + SPF/DKIM | Fewer complaints, better inbox placement |
| Account security | Role management & support audits | Controlled access and faster issue resolution |
Quick Verdict: Who Should Choose ConvertKit Over Mailchimp or Constant Contact
If you need one clear pick for fast, creator-focused email workflows, this verdict helps you choose.
Choose this platform if you prioritize:
- Fast, visual automations that map journeys without code so your marketing moves faster.
- Clean, text-forward templates and simple tools that keep content deliverable and readable.
- Built-in landing pages and forms that shrink your tool stack and speed list growth.
You’ll also benefit from: unique subscriber counting that aligns cost to real people, and integrated commerce to accelerate digital sales without stitching tools together.
If you need a broader app marketplace or highly visual design templates, Mailchimp may fit better. If your focus is event-heavy newsletters and traditional mailings, Constant Contact is worth a look.
- Pick Creator Pro when you want referral loops, Facebook audience sync, and advanced analytics for scale.
- Start on the Free or monthly Creator plan, then switch to annual billing to lock savings once you confirm fit.
“Stay focused on outcomes—leads, sales, and retention—by aligning features to your marketing plan.”
Actionable next step: Start the free plan or grab annual savings now to operationalize your next campaign and test fit quickly.
Conclusion
Use this summary to confirm pricing, features, and your next steps for email marketing.
You can start free (up to 1,000 subscribers), move to Creator at $29/month, or choose Creator Pro at $59/month. Annual billing and promo codes lower costs, and paid plans include a 30-day refund window.
The kit centers on visual automations, tags and segments, and built-in landing pages and forms so you launch pages and content fast. Commerce fees are 3.5% + $0.30 — factor that into pricing for digital offers.
Connect Shopify, Squarespace, Teachable, Stripe, and Zapier to get operational day one. This short review gives you a clear service snapshot so you can pick a plan and start testing quickly.
Start free, or choose annual billing to get discount — click the link, pick your plan, and put your email marketing into motion.
FAQ
What does the free plan include and who should use it?
How does annual billing lower your effective monthly cost?
What’s included in the Creator and Creator Pro tiers?
Can you sell digital products directly through the platform?
What are the transaction fees for commerce?
FAQ
What does the free plan include and who should use it?
The free plan covers up to 1,000 subscribers and gives you basic email broadcasts, a simple editor, and landing pages to start list building. Use it if you’re testing email marketing, launching a newsletter, or selling a single digital product before you commit to paid tools.
How does annual billing lower your effective monthly cost?
Choosing annual billing typically applies a discount compared with month-to-month rates. You pay once for 12 months, which reduces your per-month cost and often unlocks certain plan features sooner. Always confirm the total and renewal terms at checkout.
What’s included in the Creator and Creator Pro tiers?
Creator plans add advanced automation, visual funnels, tagging, and A/B testing. Creator Pro expands reporting, subscriber scoring, and priority support. Both plans help you segment your audience and run targeted campaigns to sell courses, ebooks, and subscriptions.
Can you sell digital products directly through the platform?
Yes. You can sell one-time or recurring digital products using hosted product pages and built-in commerce tools. Transactions are simple to set up and link to your email sequences for automated delivery and upsells.
What are the transaction fees for commerce?
Commerce fees are 3.5% +
FAQ
What does the free plan include and who should use it?
The free plan covers up to 1,000 subscribers and gives you basic email broadcasts, a simple editor, and landing pages to start list building. Use it if you’re testing email marketing, launching a newsletter, or selling a single digital product before you commit to paid tools.
How does annual billing lower your effective monthly cost?
Choosing annual billing typically applies a discount compared with month-to-month rates. You pay once for 12 months, which reduces your per-month cost and often unlocks certain plan features sooner. Always confirm the total and renewal terms at checkout.
What’s included in the Creator and Creator Pro tiers?
Creator plans add advanced automation, visual funnels, tagging, and A/B testing. Creator Pro expands reporting, subscriber scoring, and priority support. Both plans help you segment your audience and run targeted campaigns to sell courses, ebooks, and subscriptions.
Can you sell digital products directly through the platform?
Yes. You can sell one-time or recurring digital products using hosted product pages and built-in commerce tools. Transactions are simple to set up and link to your email sequences for automated delivery and upsells.
What are the transaction fees for commerce?
Commerce fees are 3.5% + $0.30 per transaction. Factor this into your pricing strategy for subscriptions, courses, or single purchases when forecasting revenue and margins.
How do landing pages and forms help grow my list fast?
Built-in landing pages and customizable forms let you capture leads without coding. Use targeted offers, lead magnets, and clear calls-to-action to increase conversions and feed subscribers directly into automated sequences and tags.
How do tags and segmentation improve open and conversion rates?
Tags let you track interests and actions so you can send highly relevant content. Segmenting reduces noise for subscribers and boosts engagement, which improves deliverability and conversion for promotions or product launches.
How does automation compare to Mailchimp and Constant Contact?
The visual automation builder focuses on creator workflows and is often more intuitive for sequence-based funnels than basic broadcast tools. Mailchimp may offer more templates and ecommerce integrations; Constant Contact targets small businesses with different pricing models. Choose based on your need for creator-focused features versus broader marketing suites.
What integrations are available to connect my store and course platforms?
You can connect Shopify, Squarespace, Teachable, Stripe, Zapier, and other platforms to sync purchases and automate post-purchase sequences. These integrations reduce manual work and keep your customer data unified across tools.
How does pricing scale as my subscriber list grows?
Pricing uses sliding-scale tiers based on subscriber counts. Expect higher monthly costs as you pass thresholds like 5,000 subscribers. Review tier breaks and forecast growth to pick the most cost-effective plan and billing cadence.
Are refunds or trials available?
You can start on the free plan to test features. Paid plans often come with a 30-day refund policy for eligible purchases — check the current terms during checkout to confirm trial length and refund rules.
What are common trade-offs to consider?
Templates and design options tend to be simpler, which speeds setup but limits deep customization. Also, costs rise with list size. Balance ease of use against the need for advanced design and the long-term cost of growth.
How do I claim discounts or promo codes?
During checkout, choose annual billing to access the biggest built-in savings. Apply any promo codes in the promo field and verify the updated total, plan level, and renewal terms before finalizing the purchase.
Is deliverability reliable for newsletters and product emails?
Deliverability is generally strong thanks to sender reputation, authentication, and list hygiene tools. Improve results by using segmentation, warm-up sequences, and clean subscriber lists to avoid spam filters and boost open rates.
Who should pick this platform over Mailchimp or Constant Contact?
Choose it if you’re a creator or small business focused on selling digital products, courses, or paid newsletters and you value simple visual automations and integrated commerce. If you need extensive template libraries or broader enterprise features, compare pricing and integrations with Mailchimp and Constant Contact first.
.30 per transaction. Factor this into your pricing strategy for subscriptions, courses, or single purchases when forecasting revenue and margins.
How do landing pages and forms help grow my list fast?
Built-in landing pages and customizable forms let you capture leads without coding. Use targeted offers, lead magnets, and clear calls-to-action to increase conversions and feed subscribers directly into automated sequences and tags.
How do tags and segmentation improve open and conversion rates?
Tags let you track interests and actions so you can send highly relevant content. Segmenting reduces noise for subscribers and boosts engagement, which improves deliverability and conversion for promotions or product launches.
How does automation compare to Mailchimp and Constant Contact?
The visual automation builder focuses on creator workflows and is often more intuitive for sequence-based funnels than basic broadcast tools. Mailchimp may offer more templates and ecommerce integrations; Constant Contact targets small businesses with different pricing models. Choose based on your need for creator-focused features versus broader marketing suites.
What integrations are available to connect my store and course platforms?
You can connect Shopify, Squarespace, Teachable, Stripe, Zapier, and other platforms to sync purchases and automate post-purchase sequences. These integrations reduce manual work and keep your customer data unified across tools.
How does pricing scale as my subscriber list grows?
Pricing uses sliding-scale tiers based on subscriber counts. Expect higher monthly costs as you pass thresholds like 5,000 subscribers. Review tier breaks and forecast growth to pick the most cost-effective plan and billing cadence.
Are refunds or trials available?
You can start on the free plan to test features. Paid plans often come with a 30-day refund policy for eligible purchases — check the current terms during checkout to confirm trial length and refund rules.
What are common trade-offs to consider?
Templates and design options tend to be simpler, which speeds setup but limits deep customization. Also, costs rise with list size. Balance ease of use against the need for advanced design and the long-term cost of growth.
How do I claim discounts or promo codes?
During checkout, choose annual billing to access the biggest built-in savings. Apply any promo codes in the promo field and verify the updated total, plan level, and renewal terms before finalizing the purchase.
Is deliverability reliable for newsletters and product emails?
Deliverability is generally strong thanks to sender reputation, authentication, and list hygiene tools. Improve results by using segmentation, warm-up sequences, and clean subscriber lists to avoid spam filters and boost open rates.
Who should pick this platform over Mailchimp or Constant Contact?
Choose it if you’re a creator or small business focused on selling digital products, courses, or paid newsletters and you value simple visual automations and integrated commerce. If you need extensive template libraries or broader enterprise features, compare pricing and integrations with Mailchimp and Constant Contact first.
