Whether you know it or not, your email list is possibly your most valuable asset. Why?
It’s an asset that you own and control, it allows you to serve your audience on a far deeper level, and (if implemented correctly) it’s the key to earning any type of serious income online.*
In this ultimate ConvertKit review, we’re going to put this popular email marketing software in the side hustle tool hot seat.
By the end of this review, you’ll have a crystal clear understanding of:
Want ot try ConvertKit Right Away?
If you want to skip the review and try ConvertKit right now, you can click here. For everyone else, let's dive in and pick apart this popular email marketing software.
AFFILIATE Disclosure
I am a proud ConverKit affiliate. Please be aware that there are affiliate links on this page.
So, if you do end up purchasing ConvertKit through one of the links on this page, I will earn a commission.
Nevertheless, I have a strict policy on ONLY reviewing & recommending products that I have personally used. Unless I'm warning you about a shady product, I only will recommend tools and services that I GENUINELY think will help you.
100%
NO B.S. Guarantee
100% NO B.S. GUARANTEE
I am currently a paying, using member of ConvertKit and I promise to be FULLY transparent about all
the ins and outs of this email service. This isn't a static review. As learn things, I will update so you can know exactly what to expect. You can trust this review...no bullsh%t.
Convertkit At A Glance
Value/Price
VALUE TRUMPS PRICE
No, it isn't the cheapest email service, nor is it the most expensive.
ConvertKit shines because it allows you to EFFECTIVELY segment and do the things more expensive services allow,
But at a price tag that doesn't exclude smaller bloggers.
Utility
INVALUABLE
How badly do you need ConvertKit?
Email service providers (ESPs) are an effective way for creators to connect with their audiences.
If you're even remotely serious about earning money online, an ESP's utility is ...
CRITICAL!
Simplicity
SLIGHTLY ABOVE AVERAGE
Is ConvertKit easy to use?
If we're talking about basic functions like sequences and broadcasting, then yes.
However, if we're talking lead magnets, tagging, and setting up and other specific features... there's a learning curve.
Support
CUSTOMERS MATTER
How is ConvertKit's customer service?
Great!
You have a few ways to connect to Convertkit's team - email, slack, & live chat.
I tested out their live chat feature several times. I've seen faster response times, BUT the rep I talked to was polite & courteous.
What Is Convertkit?
Started by Nathan Barry in 2013, ConvertKit is an email marketing software platform designed to make acquiring & growing an email following easier to do.
From creating forms to sequences, to automating more of your content marketing, Converkit can help you to be a more effective content marketer.
It's designed for you to scale your marketing with or without having a huge team.
Or, in my case, no team at all.
6 Reasons Convertkit Is Amazing
1
A Clean Dashboard
Nothing sucks more than when you can't find things because things because of visual clutter. It's SO NICE to see that Convertkit nailed this! It was good before, but they've made some dashboard iterations that make navigation even easier to do.
As soon as you log-in, it's really easy to spot where should go, and what things you should be focusing on.
2
ConvertKit Integrations Galore
More and more online services are connecting, which can be a beautiful thing…when it works.
I love that when I use a service like Thrive Themes, Leadpages, or Wistia that I can easily connect them to Convertkit.
This gives makes me feel more confident about my marketing system. I that when a visitor is interested in written piece of content or video, they can join my email list without any hassles.
3
TradeCraft Magazine
Often, when I sign up for a tool or resource to help me with my online business, I kinda want to leave it at that. With so many different emails floating through my inbox, from years of trying and failing at this. I get a bit jaded with email lists.
Nevertheless, I have to give credit where it’s due. Convertkit has one of the most useful email lists I’ve ever read (and this is in addition to an already kick-ass product!).
Tradecraft, Convertkit’s online magazine is so good that I’ve found myself going back to read issues over again because they provide lessons you can actually implement. #worthit!
4
Segmentation
People who visit your site won’t all be coming for the same reason. Being able to serve your visitors/customers based on their needs can make your online marketing exponentially more powerful.
Convertkit isn’t the only email marketing platform that allows you to segment your audience. But when compared to some of the more complicated alternatives out there, Convertkit makes me feel like I’m getting one of the best segmentations systems out there; not to even mention the bargain price you’d be paying.
5
Opt-In Delivery Heavy Lifting
It can really suck having to patch together a solution for getting your opt-in delivery set up. If you’re not familiar with opt-in delivery, it means that you have something that you give your audience for free in exchange for both their name and email address. Sounds easy, right?
Yes, if you’ve done it before, it can be. But what if you haven’t?
Having opt-in delivery automatically connected to your email service by just uploading it and setting up a brief email message can REALLY simplify the process.
6
ConvertKit's Analytics and A/B Testing
Convertkit gives you easy access to your numbers and data in an organized way. The dashboard allows you to quickly and easily say if forms are performing, if your lead magnets are capturing, and to what extent (think conversion rates).
A/B Testing
If headlines are one of the most important factors in getting your posts read on a blog? What do you think is one of the most important things in getting your emails read? Subject lines!
We can use Convertkit to A/B subject lines to find out what gets a better response from your community. More clicks mean more opportunities to connect, share, and eventually convert readers into buyers.
Want To Try ConvertKit For Yourself?
There are bunch of good reasons to choose Convertkit as you email marketing service provider.
If you're interested in trying Convertkit for yourself, click the red button below.
3 Things I Don't Like About ConvertKit
1
ConverKit's Form Designs
Clean design is important, don’t get me wrong. But I don’t use Converkit’s built in forms because I think their too simple-looking sometimes.
A design can be both visually enticing and clean. That’s why I’ve been using Thrive Themes and connecting it to my ConvertKit account.
Despite me not being a big form of the “plain” design, the good thing about Convertkit’s forms, is that if you were doing the no frills approach to online marketing. Convert kit is everything you need to start capturing leads.
2
ConvertKit Costs More Than Other ESPs
For some reason, I can't stop that frugal little voice in the back of my mind from wondering "Is there a way to save money on this?" Losing money sucks. And although Convertkit isn't unreasonable, I know there are cheaper email service providers (ESPs) out there that do similar things.
No it isn't the cheapest software out there (Mailchimp is cheaper), but I take heart in knowing that you get what you pay for. In Convertkit's case you get more than what you pay for.
3
Video Tutorials Could Be Better
Having a set of amazing tools at your fingertips is wonderful! Not knowing how to use those amazing tools can drive you a little crazy. Converkit DOES have a Knowledge Base, videos, and a customer service team to help you when you need it. But sometimes, you don't want to have to always go through the customer service song and dance to figure out something small.
Great video tutorials can go a long way. Convertkit has decent tutorials, but they're not as good as I think they could be. I found I had to hunt just a little to find the "right tutorial." I just wanted some help on learning how to tag via a simple screen recording. I eventually found what I was looking for, but it was just "okay."
Negatives
Didn't Scare
You Away?
If you're anything like me, you know that nothing is perfect. Even email marketing software that's as powerful, and well-endorsed, as Convertkit.
If after hearing the negatives, you still feel like Convertkit is service for you, then hit the green,
"Get Convertkit" button below:
Who ConvertKit Is Perfect For...
- THOSE LOOKING TO BUILD A SOLID EMAIL LIST
If you subscribe to the idea that an email list is truly valuable, and you want to grow yours,
Convertkit can help you do it.
- CREATORS WANTING TO GROW BEYOND THEIR CURRENT PLATFORM
Whether your platform is WordPress, iTunes, YouTube, Instagram, television, or something else entirely, Convertkit IS for the person that's looking to grow beyond their platform.
- Want to share more of what you love to create with your most raving fans? This service is a great way to start doing just that
- PEOPLE LOOKING TO AUTOMATE THEIR BUSINESSES
One of the best ways to automate what's happening your online business is via email sequences.
Yes, you do have to put in the work up front to get these sequences created. But once you do, Convertkit can help you schedule content to go out whenever you like...automatically.
- THOS WHO WANT TO PLAY THE LONG GAME
I'm sure you've heard all of the success stories about people making hundreds of thousands of dollars from a single email launch. While it does happen, that's doing a lot of beginners a disservice. I believe that kind of success is possible (that's why I started this site), BUT for most of us is not going to be an overnight process.
If you're in this for the long game, Convertkit can help you.
Who ConvertKit Is NOT Perfect For...
- PROCRASTINATORS
No pointing fingers here. I've been so bad about this. Sometimes we can see some of the bigger marketers and start thinking that we should be earning all kinds of cash in our sleep. But I know firsthand that email sequences don't write themselves.
If you're inclined to put serving your audience on the back burner, Converkit might not be the tool for you. At least not right now.
- PEOPLE WHO BELIVE IN MAGIC BULLETS
Convertkit is a great TOOL! I'm sorry to say it, but if you think Convertkit is the magic bullet that's going to kill of your business problems, then this email marketing service isn't going to be right for you.
- THE IMPATIENT
Some people nail their lead magnets and explode their lists right off the bat. As much as I wish I could say I'm one of those people. I'm not. The majority of online businessmen and businesswomen are not.
If you can't be patient enough to test, assess, and iterate, this might not be the product for you, either.
HOW MUCH IS CONVERTKIT?
ConvertKit has several options. You can pay month to month, or if you want to save some money, you can choose the annual payment option. If you need to start small, you can. As your list grows, ConvertKit will grow with you.
Here are the different options:
0-1000 Subscribers
$ 29
/mo
This is my current Convertkit plan
1000-3000 Subscribers
$ 49
/mo
As your list grows a bit bigger...
3000-5000 Subscribers
$ 79
/mo
When your list grows even bigger...
0-1000 Subscribers
$ 25
/mo
Simple, fast and effective flexible move
1000-3000 Subscribers
$ 41
/mo
Simple, fast and effective flexible move
3000-5000 Subscribers
$ 64
/mo
Simple, fast and effective flexible move
I've built an email list on another website (about learning Japanese). I currently use the $49/month, complete membership.
IS CONVERTKIT WORTH THE MONEY?
Without a doubt. Convertkit is a service I feel VERY comfortable reviewing because of how far your $29/month goes. Yes, the price does go up as you gain more subscribers, but even at the highest price, you're getting more than what you're paying for. What exactly are you getting? Let's take a look!
ConvertKit's Features
Joining Convertkit means having some very powerful email marketing software at your fingertips:
1. Forms and Landing Pages
Forms are pretty much the core of any email marketing service. What is a form? A form, or an opt-in form, is the box that asks for your name and email, generally in exchange for something - an ebook, a checklist, quiz results, etc.
There are all kinds of forms, too: inline forms (opt-in forms you find embedded in content), pop-ups, welcome mats, sidebars, floating bars, slide-ins, etc. You can't create all of these types of forms with Convertkit (I have Thrive Themes for that) but you CAN create simple, clean forms with Convertkit that will get the job done.
Landing pages are another Convertkit feature that allows you to dedicate a single page to capturing a name and email. Often, a landing page can be even more effective than a typical form.
CORE BENEFIT - Growing Your Email List
2. Sequences And Broadcasts
Sequences are also standard for most email services. A sequence allows you to create a series of content that a will be delivered to an email subscriber over time. This is why email marketing really makes your life a heck of a lot easier. Sure you have to do the work up front, but you can set a sequence once and have it continue to work for you.
On the flip side of this you have Broadcasts which you can think of as one-off messages that you can schedule to go out to all subscribers (or a segment of your choosing). This can be great when you have time-sensitive things that you want your subscribers to know about right away.
CORE BENEFIT - Connect with Your Audience, Save Time
3. Automations
This is a feature that starts to separate Convertkit from some of its competition. Not every service can do it.
Honestly, I'm still getting used to the automation features in Converkit, but it's easy to see why they're so powerful.
Automations allow you to take content delivery to the next level. Create rules, using visual diagrams, that allow you to funnel specific subscribers through the content you want them to see.
You set up a system to automatically deliver content in the way that you think is most effective. Again, this is something that you only have to set up once! From there you can scale it by adding traffic to it.
CORE BENEFIT - Save Time, Scale Your List Growth, More Engaged Subscribers
4. Filters, Tagging, Segmentation
ConvertKit's filters allow you to see specific sets of subscribers. You can get a better idea of who's consuming what, and who's not. You can also decide who you want to (and don't want to) send content to.
Tagging allows you to group subscribers based on actions they take. Did some subscribers consume a piece of content? You can tag them. Somebody buy a product of yours? You can tag them, too. Uh, oh! This group didn't sign up for your kick-ass webinar? You can tag them.
Why does tagging matter? Because you can tailor your content to fit a tagged group of people. For example, if someone didn't sign up for a webinar, you don't want to send them the same follow up as the people who signed up, right?
Segmentation allow you to break away from one-size-fits all marketing and really start reaching your audience.
CORE BENEFIT - Deeper Audience Connection, Targeted Content
WHERE CAN I BUY CONVERTKIT?
ARE THERE ANY CONVERTKIT DISCOUNTS?
If you'd like to try ConverKit, you can buy it from ConvertKit's website. I don't know of any special discounts on price (for now) but I will post updates to this page if I find any. In the meantime though, ConvertKit does offer a free trial, I want to say it's 30 days. It's a service that's worth trying.
ULTIMATE CONVERTKIT REVIEW:
WHO ARE CONVERTKIT'S COMPETITORS?
As with most markets tied to earning a living online, there can be stiff competition. In this particular space, Thrive has some pretty heavy competition from several competitors in this space:
Mail Chimp can be an attractive option because it's a low cost (to no cost) way to build a following.
Low to mid-tier pricing with some very simple features, too. It gets the job done at a reasonable price.
This is one of the higher-priced email services but why? It's an email service & membership site portal. Some super successful internet marketers use OntraPort, so it has to be good.
This is the service I started with almost eight years ago. It was reliable then, and odds are it's still reliable now. Also a lower cost provider.
Active Campaign seems like one of the most solid options in this list in terms of what you're getting for what you pay. Value matters & I'm sure that's why it's popular.
Of the services on this list, Drip feels like it's Convertkit's strongest competitor. It can do so many things and is comparable to ConvertKit's pricing.
At one time, this was the highest-priced offering on the market & one of the few that could segment. It had a reputation of being effective, but hard to use. I wonder if it's changed?
Low to mid-tier pricing with some very simple features, too. It gets the job done at a reasonable price.
A Fierce Set Of Competitors
And this isn't even all of them! Yes, there are even more email service providers to choose from, but these are some of ConverKit's fiercest competitors. Undoubtedly, all of them are good in their own ways.
Of this list, the only other service I've tried is AWeber; it's the one I used back in the day when I got started. Even it is a great service (not as good as ConvertKit in my humble opinion, but good).
With so many great competitors in this space, I'd say do your homework before purchasing any of them. Yes, even ConvertKit.
What Separates Convertkit From Its Competitors?
In terms of longevity, Converkit is one of the newer email marketing service providers. But I don't think this is a bad thing. Convertkit is the classic story of a small, savvy, nimble company that made the right moves to grow. Instead of doing the same thing most of the major services were doing, ConvertKit chose to create something unique and recruited some powerful users along the way.
Convertkit feels like they genuinely try to do what makes sense for their customers, even when they make mistakes
(remember when they changed their name to "Seva?" WTF was that about??).
More importantly, I think Converkit is different for what they don't do. They aren't trying to be like every other service. You don't need every single feature in the market to be the best in your market. This email platform does everything in its power to be the leanest, meanest, most effective email service they can possibly be.
So far, in a market chock-fuIl of some serious competition, I think they're really succeeding at it.
Is ConvertKit the Best Email Marketing Software?
Yes, I am a ConverKit user. I genuinely do enjoy the service - it gets my true stamp of approval. However, I realize that if you interviewed ten different online marketers you'd get ten different takes on what the best email software is.
I try not to fall in love with my tools. "Best" is relative - I haven't tried every service, so I'm a bit biased towards ConvertKit.
Often people will get caught up in ESP wars.
Is Convertkit better than Mailchimp? AWeber vs Mailchimp - who wins?
Sure, there's a place for that. But don't forget that solid business fundamentals trump any tool. The best email software is going to be the one that gets the job done. Are you CONSISTENTLY delivering value to your audience? If so, the tool comes second to that goal.
TWO THINGS I LOVE MOST ABOUT CONVERTKIT
As much as I would like to claim that my favorite thing is the millions of dollars I've earned because of this software, it's not.
Because that hasn't happened.
I know when my business skills improve and I'm able to deeply serve my audience, the money will come (as Pat Flynn says) as a byproduct.
My favorite thing has to be the visual automations. Seeing the diagrams and getting a better idea of what segmenting actually is, has opened my mind a bit more.
I realize now that there is so much more that I could be doing with my email marketing - using what I already have!!
Another thing I really appreciate about Convertkit is that you can connect with other users. It doesn't just have to be you and the customer service team (as great as they are).
Seeing other people's questions, wins, and losses can really help you get a better sense of what this platform can do for you.
ULTIMATE CONVERTKIT REVIEW:
MY OVERALL RATING & WRAP-UP
How would I rate Convertkit? Think of grades, A through F, like the grades we got in school:
- A equals "Very Good,"
- B equals "Good,"
- C equals "Fair,"
- D equals "Needs Improvement," and
- F equals "Failure."
I give Convertkit an...
A
I recommend ConvertKit with the HIGHEST CONFIDENCE!
Is ConvertKit the Best Email Marketing Software?
"No." There, I said it.
Yes, I am a ConverKit user. I genuinely do enjoy the service - it gets my true stamp of approval. However, I realize that if you interviewed ten different online marketers you'd get ten different takes on what the best email software is.
I try not to fall in love with my tools. "Best" is relative - I haven't tried every service, so I'm a bit biased towards ConvertKit.
Often people will get caught up in ESP wars.
Is Convertkit better than Mailchimp? AWeber vs Mailchimp - who wins?
Sure, there's a place for that. But don't forget that solid business fundamentals trump any tool. The best email software is going to be the one that gets the job done. Are you CONSISTENTLY delivering value to your audience? If so, the tool comes second to that goal.
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