When it comes to email marketing, choosing the right platform is crucial for the success of your campaigns. Two popular options in the market are Constant Contact and ConvertKit. Both platforms offer a range of features to help businesses create and send email campaigns, but they differ in various aspects.
Constant Contact is an all-in-one email marketing solution, offering tools for email marketing, social media marketing, and e-commerce. It has been around for over two decades and has a large customer base. On the other hand, ConvertKit is a newer player in the market, focused on serving online creators such as bloggers, podcasters, and YouTubers.
Constant Contact: Pros and Cons
When it comes to Constant Contact, there are several pros and cons to consider.
Pros
- User-friendly interface: Constant Contact has a user-friendly interface that makes it easy to create and send emails, as well as manage contacts and campaigns.
- Great customer support: Constant Contact offers excellent customer support through phone, email, and chat. They also have a knowledge base and community forum for users to access.
- Social media integration: Constant Contact allows for seamless integration with social media platforms, making it easy to share campaigns and increase engagement.
- High email deliverability rates: Constant Contact boasts high email deliverability rates, ensuring that your emails reach their intended audience.
Cons
- Limited automation features: While Constant Contact does offer some automation features, they are not as advanced as those offered by other email marketing platforms like ConvertKit.
- Lack of landing page templates: Unlike ConvertKit, Constant Contact does not offer pre-built landing page templates, which can be a drawback for those who want to create landing pages quickly and easily.
- Pricing can get expensive: Constant Contact’s pricing can get expensive, especially for larger email lists. They also do not offer a free plan, unlike some of their competitors.
Overall, Constant Contact is a solid email marketing platform that is easy to use and offers great customer support. However, it may not be the best option for those looking for advanced automation features or pre-built landing page templates.
ConvertKit: Pros and Cons
When it comes to ConvertKit, there are both pros and cons to consider. As a business, it’s important to weigh these factors before committing to an email marketing service.
Pros
- Advanced Automation Features: ConvertKit offers advanced automation features that allow you to create complex email marketing campaigns. With features like “if this, then that” logic, you can create personalized campaigns that respond to your subscribers’ actions.
- Tagging and Segmentation: ConvertKit allows you to tag and segment your subscribers based on their behavior. This allows you to send targeted emails to specific groups of subscribers, increasing the effectiveness of your email campaigns.
- Landing Page Templates: ConvertKit offers pre-built landing page templates that make it easy to create professional-looking landing pages. This can save you time and money compared to hiring a designer to create a custom landing page.
Cons
- Limited Design Options: ConvertKit’s email editor has limited design options compared to other email marketing services. This can make it difficult to create visually appealing emails, which can impact the effectiveness of your campaigns.
- No Free Plan: Unlike some other email marketing services, ConvertKit does not offer a free plan. This can make it difficult for small businesses with limited budgets to get started with email marketing.
- Higher Pricing: ConvertKit’s pricing is higher compared to some other email marketing services. This can make it less accessible to businesses with limited budgets.
Overall, ConvertKit is a powerful email marketing service that offers advanced automation features and tagging/segmentation capabilities. However, it may not be the best option for businesses with limited budgets or those looking for extensive design options.
Constant Contact vs ConvertKit: Features Comparison
Email Marketing
Both Constant Contact and ConvertKit offer a wide range of features for email marketing. Constant Contact has over 100 email templates and a drag-and-drop editor that allows for easy customization. It also offers A/B testing, list segmentation, and scheduling options.
ConvertKit, on the other hand, has fewer email templates but offers advanced automation features like tagging and segmentation. It also allows for personalized emails based on subscriber behavior and offers a visual automation builder.
Automation
When it comes to automation, ConvertKit is the clear winner. It offers advanced automation features like tagging, segmentation, and personalized emails based on subscriber behavior. It also has a visual automation builder that makes it easy to set up complex automations.
Constant Contact offers basic automation features like triggered emails and list segmentation, but it does not have the same level of advanced automation options as ConvertKit.
Design Capabilities
Constant Contact has a wide range of design capabilities with over 100 email templates and a drag-and-drop editor that allows for easy customization. It also offers the ability to create custom landing pages.
ConvertKit, on the other hand, has fewer email templates but offers more flexibility in terms of design. It allows for custom HTML and CSS and offers pre-built landing page templates.
Analytics
Both Constant Contact and ConvertKit offer analytics to track email performance. Constant Contact offers basic analytics like open rates, click-through rates, and bounce rates. It also offers A/B testing to optimize email performance.
ConvertKit offers more advanced analytics like subscriber engagement and conversion rates. It also allows for tracking of specific subscriber behavior like link clicks and purchase activity.
Ease of Use
When it comes to ease of use, both Constant Contact and ConvertKit offer user-friendly interfaces that are easy to navigate. However, there are some differences to note.
Constant Contact offers a drag-and-drop editor that makes it easy to create emails without any coding knowledge. Additionally, they provide a library of customizable templates to choose from. Constant Contact also offers a mobile app, making it easy to manage your email campaigns on the go.
ConvertKit, on the other hand, offers a simpler interface that is focused on automation. They provide pre-built automation workflows that make it easy to set up email sequences. However, their email editor is not as robust as Constant Contact’s and may require some knowledge of HTML and CSS to customize.
Pricing Comparison
When it comes to pricing, Constant Contact and ConvertKit have different approaches. Constant Contact offers tiered pricing based on the number of subscribers, while ConvertKit offers a flat monthly fee regardless of the number of subscribers.
Constant Contact’s pricing starts at $20 per month for up to 500 subscribers, and goes up to $335 per month for up to 50,000 subscribers. They also offer a free trial for 60 days.
ConvertKit’s pricing starts at $29 per month for up to 1,000 subscribers, and goes up to $79 per month for up to 5,000 subscribers. They also offer a 14-day free trial.
While Constant Contact’s pricing may seem more expensive, they do offer more features such as event marketing and surveys. ConvertKit, on the other hand, focuses solely on email marketing and offers features such as automation and landing pages.
Customer Support
When it comes to customer support, both Constant Contact and ConvertKit offer a variety of options for their users.
Constant Contact provides support through phone, email, and live chat. They also have a comprehensive knowledge base and community forum where users can find answers to frequently asked questions and connect with other users. Additionally, Constant Contact offers a variety of resources such as webinars, guides, and tutorials to help users get the most out of their platform.
ConvertKit, on the other hand, offers support primarily through email. They do not have phone or live chat support, but they do have a comprehensive knowledge base and community forum where users can find answers to frequently asked questions. ConvertKit also offers personalized onboarding sessions for new users to help them get started with the platform.
Integration Capabilities
When it comes to integration capabilities, both Constant Contact and ConvertKit offer a wide range of options to connect with other tools and platforms.
Constant Contact provides integrations with over 400 third-party apps and services, including social media platforms, e-commerce tools, and CRMs. Notable integrations include Shopify, Salesforce, WordPress, and Facebook. Constant Contact also offers its own API for developers to build custom integrations.
On the other hand, ConvertKit offers fewer integrations than Constant Contact, but still covers most of the popular platforms. ConvertKit integrates with over 90 apps and services, including Shopify, WordPress, Zapier, and Teachable. ConvertKit also offers its own API for developers to build custom integrations.
Both Constant Contact and ConvertKit offer integrations with Zapier, a platform that allows users to connect with over 2,000 apps and services. This means that users can create custom workflows and automations between different tools and platforms.
User Reviews
We conducted extensive research on user reviews for both Constant Contact and ConvertKit. Here are some of the key takeaways:
- Constant Contact has a higher number of reviews than ConvertKit, with over 2,500 reviews compared to ConvertKit’s 190 reviews.
- Constant Contact’s average rating is 4.33 out of 5 stars, while ConvertKit’s average rating is 4.67 out of 5 stars.
- Users of Constant Contact praise the platform’s ease of use and customer support, while some users have reported issues with the platform’s email templates.
- ConvertKit users appreciate the platform’s advanced automation features and customizable forms, but some have reported issues with the platform’s email deliverability.
Overall, both Constant Contact and ConvertKit have a strong user base and positive reviews. It is important to consider your specific needs and use case when deciding which platform is right for you.
Conclusion
After reviewing and comparing Constant Contact and ConvertKit, we have found that both email marketing services have their strengths and weaknesses.
Constant Contact is a better option for small businesses that need basic email marketing tools and higher email deliverability rates. On the other hand, ConvertKit is a more advanced option for bloggers and content marketers who need robust automation and segmentation features.
Ultimately, the decision between Constant Contact and ConvertKit will depend on your specific needs and goals. We recommend evaluating your budget, audience size, and marketing objectives before choosing an email marketing service.
Frequently Asked Questions
Who is ConvertKit best suited for?
ConvertKit is best suited for bloggers, content creators, and small businesses who want advanced email automation features and flexibility in pricing. It is also a great option for those who want to build landing pages and grow their email list.
Who should consider using Constant Contact?
Constant Contact is a great option for small businesses, nonprofits, and individuals who want a user-friendly email marketing tool with comprehensive support options. It is also a good choice for those who want access to a wide range of templates and customization options.
