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Want to up your email marketing game without breaking the bank? If the answer is yes, ConvertKit is for you.

Founded in 2013, ConvertKit has grown from founder Nathan Barryā€™s software sandbox to one of the worldā€™s leading email service providers. ConvertKitā€™s free plan has expanded in recent years to allow unlimited email campaigns, unlimited sign up forms and landing pages, and a checkout function for digital products, making the platform the leading alternative to Substack.

If youā€™re working with fewer than 1,000 subscribers, you can even get your online business or freelancing idea off the ground for free using ConvertKit. The paid tiers are pretty great too when youā€™re ready for an email marketing software with more features.

Key Takeaways

  • ConvertKit is an email service provider (ESP).
  • ConvertKit has a free tier and checkout support, making it a great and viable alternative to Substack.
  • Most of ConvertKitā€™s marketing automation tools, like email sequences, require a paid plan.
  • ConvertKitā€™s paid plans are priced similarly to other industry leaders like ActiveCampaign.

āž”ļø Learn more about ConvertKit here.

laptop with a bar graph next to the convertkit logo

All promotional imagery c/o ConvertKit

How an Email Marketing Tool Helps You Grow

It seems like every other day thereā€™s a shiny new marketing platform to help you reach millions of people.

When the dust settles, though, the evidence is clear: Email marketing continues to deliver great results for creators and businesses looking to sell something online.

The reason for this is that, when an email subscriber signs up for your list, youā€™re able to reach them through a more private channel. Youā€™re also able to reach them without paying to advertise to them. This is good, because paid ads can often become a money pit.

Users are conditioned to open and read emails.

  • Emails often have important information.
  • Some users catch up on their inboxes throughout the week.
  • Even if a user doesnā€™t open your email, they still see your name and subject line and are reminded of who you are.

In contrast, on social media, users are conditioned to scroll. The scroll is the rewarding behavior.

Even when users like your post, the learned behavior of scrolling tempts them to leave.

Important Point:Email newsletters complement social media nicely. They allow for longer content formats, appeal to a more focused user, and can be automated.

Yeah, Yeah, Growing an Email List Is a Little Tougher

If it feels hard to attract new subscribers to your list, well, thatā€™s because it is!

Asking for someoneā€™s name and email address is a bigger commitment than asking for a like or follow on social media. This forces you to think more carefully about your messaging and why people should sign up for your newsletter.

Tools like lead magnets and landing pages can improve your email signup rates, but above all your subscribers need to trust you to sign up.

ConvertKit offers a simple way for online creators to grow an audience and even sell digital products, all without the huge software price tag. If you want email funnels to be a part of your winning formula, itā€™s a great option to pursue.

photo of convertkit employees

ConvertKit's team at a company summit in 2022. Everyone looks so nice!

ConvertKit Review: A Features Overview

Easy Email Marketing.

ConvertKit boasts a very basic email editor, and I donā€™t say that in a bad way.

The email marketing platform lets you send emails as often as you like, and built-in email templates make it easy to explore different formats, test different subject lines, and decide what works best for you.

You can make emails as simple or as visual as you want, and there are many built-in templates to give you a running start. All tiers of ConvertKit include unlimited email campaigns.

screenshot of an email with closeup of hex code color selection

No-code tools make it easy to line up your brand colors perfectly.

an email template with close-up of segmentation features

Send different emails to different subscribers using the email service provider's segmentation tools.

Built-In Landing Page Builder.

ConvertKit makes it easy to create landing pages, and all ConvertKit plans include unlimited landing pages to help you jumpstart your efforts.

examples of convertkit landing pages

There are landing page templates you can start using right away to start promoting your opt in forms.

Checkouts Widget.

If you want to try your hand at being a course creator, ConvertKit will help you test out your pitches and ideas before building out all the features of your marketing plan.

Aspiring course creators love this feature, and ConvertKit has been cultivating a creator community in recent years to support networking.

illustration of a convertkit checkout page

The checkout feature is included in ConvertKit's free tier.

You can use the checkout feature to promote one-off purchases, payment plan purchases, or subscriptions.

Frequently Asked Questions

What Is ConvertKit Good For?

ConvertKit is a freemium email service provider. Like other email marketing platforms, you can grow a list of email subscribers, then promote to them.

Why Is ConvertKit Better Than Mailchimp?

ConvertKit integrates with more software tools than Mailchimp. Mailchimpā€™s founder also made comments about gender in 2022 that later led to his resignation.

Is ConvertKit an Autoresponder?

ConvertKit is an email service provider. It includes marketing tools like an autoresponder email and other advanced features to help support your sales funnel.

What Is the Purpose of ConvertKit?

ConvertKit helps users build a list of email subscribers through its easy-to-use interface. The visual editor makes it easy to create newsletters without knowing any code.

Who is ConvertKit Good For?

ConvertKit is great for beginners and small businesses who donā€™t need a lot of automation rules yet. For a more robust data solution, go with ActiveCampaign instead.

How Long is the ConvertKit Free Trial?

ConvertKit doesnā€™t use a free trial. Instead, the CRM tools are free up to a certain number of subscribers. After that, youā€™ll move to a creator plan.

Final Takeaways

Simply put, ConvertKitā€™s free plan is tough to beat. And the overall ConvertKit pricing isnā€™t bad, either.

Learn more about ConvertKit here so you can start tinkering with an email marketing platform and figure out what works best for you. ā—†

Other Reviews to Check Out

šŸ”— The 37 Software Tools That Comprise My Whole Business

šŸ”— ActiveCampaign Review: a Robust Email Service Provider

šŸ”— Leadpages Review: Worth Every Dime, or a Waste of Your Time?

šŸ”— ThriveCart Review: The Perfect Checkout Software for Online Professionals

šŸ”— Why You Should Create an Editorial Database with Airtable

šŸ”— Why You Need Zapier Automations in Your Life, No Matter Your Level of Tech

šŸ”— Surfer SEO Review: The SEO Writing ā€˜Training Wheelsā€™ You've Always Wanted


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