Drip vs ConvertKit: Which Is Better in 2026?
Drip and ConvertKit (now branded as Kit) are both email marketing platforms with strong visual builders, but they serve different audiences. Drip targets ecommerce stores selling physical products. ConvertKit targets creators selling newsletters, courses, and digital products. Choosing the wrong one means paying for features you'll never use.
The 10-second answer
Pick Drip if: you run a Shopify, WooCommerce, BigCommerce, or Magento store and want pre-built ecommerce flows (abandoned cart, post-purchase, win-back) plus native SMS. Pick ConvertKit (Kit) if: you're a newsletter writer, course creator, or selling paid subscriptions and digital products. ConvertKit's free plan covers 10,000 subscribers (broadcasts only), Drip has no free plan.
Quick comparison
| Feature | Drip | ConvertKit (Kit) |
|---|---|---|
| Free plan | None (14-day trial) | 10,000 subs (broadcasts only) |
| Starting paid plan | ~$39/mo (2,500 contacts) | ~$15/mo (300 subs) |
| At 5,000 subscribers | ~$89/mo | ~$66/mo (Creator) |
| At 10,000 subscribers | ~$154/mo | ~$100/mo (Creator) |
| Built for | Ecommerce stores | Creators, newsletter writers |
| Visual workflow builder | Yes (powerful) | Yes (simpler) |
| Pre-built ecommerce flows | Yes | No |
| Native digital products | Via Shopify/Woo integration | Yes (built in) |
| Paid newsletters | No | Yes (built in) |
| SMS marketing | Yes (per-message) | No |
| Tag-based segmentation | Yes | Yes |
| Sponsor Network monetization | No | Yes |
| Cold email support | No | No |
| Best for | Shopify, WooCommerce, BigCommerce stores | Newsletter writers, course creators, paid subscriptions |
What is Drip?
Drip is an ecommerce-focused email marketing platform built for online stores selling physical products. Founded in 2013 by Rob Walling, acquired by Leadpages in 2016, and now operating as a standalone product. Strong on visual workflows, pre-built ecommerce flows, and native ecommerce platform integrations.
Key strengths:
- Friendly visual workflow builder for ecommerce automations
- Pre-built abandoned cart, browse abandonment, post-purchase, win-back flows
- Native integrations with Shopify, WooCommerce, BigCommerce, Magento
- Native SMS marketing alongside email
- Single feature set on every plan, no upsell tiers
Key weaknesses:
- No free plan
- Pricing scales steeply past 5,000 contacts
- No native digital product or paid newsletter features
- Reporting weaker than Klaviyo for serious Shopify stores
Read our full Drip review and Drip pricing breakdown.
What is ConvertKit (Kit)?
ConvertKit (rebranded as Kit in 2024) is an email marketing platform built for creators: newsletter writers, podcasters, course creators, and anyone selling digital products. Founded by Nathan Barry in 2013. Tag-based subscriber management, native paid newsletters, and a Sponsor Network for monetization.
Key strengths:
- Free plan up to 10,000 subscribers (broadcasts only)
- Tag-based segmentation built for creators, not marketers
- Native paid newsletter and digital product selling
- Sponsor Network connects creators with sponsors for monetization
- Simple, focused interface
Key weaknesses:
- Automation is simpler than Drip or ActiveCampaign
- No native ecommerce integrations on the depth of Drip's Shopify support
- No SMS marketing
- Strict signup approval process for new accounts
Read our full ConvertKit review and ConvertKit pricing breakdown.
Pricing comparison
ConvertKit is cheaper at most list sizes, especially for creators who can use the free plan up to 10,000 subscribers. Drip starts higher because every plan includes the full feature set.
| Subscribers | Drip | ConvertKit (Creator) | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Up to 300 | ~$39/mo | ~$15/mo | -$24/mo |
| 1,000 | ~$39/mo | ~$29/mo | -$10/mo |
| 2,500 | ~$39/mo | ~$49/mo | +$10/mo |
| 5,000 | ~$89/mo | ~$66/mo | -$23/mo |
| 10,000 | ~$154/mo | ~$100/mo | -$54/mo |
| 25,000 | ~$374/mo | ~$199/mo | -$175/mo |
Pricing is approximate and changes frequently. Verify on each tool's pricing page.
Free plan comparison
| Feature | Drip | ConvertKit Free |
|---|---|---|
| Free plan | None (14-day trial) | 10,000 subscribers |
| Email sends | Trial only | Unlimited broadcasts |
| Visual automations | Trial only | Not on free plan |
| Sequences (autoresponders) | Trial only | Not on free plan |
| Forms and landing pages | Trial only | Unlimited |
| Subscriber tagging | Trial only | Yes |
ConvertKit's free plan is more generous on subscriber count but excludes automations and sequences, the features creators eventually need. Drip has no permanent free plan, only a 14-day trial.
You're a creator with 6,000 newsletter subscribers and you don't need automations yet. What's the cheapest path?
Right! ConvertKit's free plan covers up to 10,000 subscribers and unlimited broadcasts, the cheapest path while you don't need automations. Drip has no free plan and would charge ~$89/mo at this list size.
ConvertKit's free plan is the cheapest, covering 10,000 subscribers and unlimited broadcasts. Drip has no permanent free plan and starts at $39/mo (or $89/mo at 6,000 contacts).
Feature-by-feature breakdown
| Feature | Drip | ConvertKit | Winner |
|---|---|---|---|
| Pricing | Higher entry, no free plan | Lower entry, free up to 10k | ConvertKit |
| Free plan | None | 10,000 subscribers | ConvertKit |
| Visual workflow builder | Powerful | Simpler | Drip |
| Ecommerce automation | Pre-built ecommerce flows | Manual setup | Drip |
| Native digital products | Via integrations | Built in | ConvertKit |
| Paid newsletters | No | Built in | ConvertKit |
| Tag-based segmentation | Yes | Yes | Tie |
| SMS marketing | Yes (per-message) | No | Drip |
| Sponsor Network | No | Yes | ConvertKit |
| Ecommerce platform integration | Native (Shopify, Woo, BC, Magento) | Lighter | Drip |
| Deliverability | Strong | Strong (strict signup) | Tie |
| Cold email support | Prohibited | Prohibited | Neither |
You sell digital courses and want to manage paid subscriptions plus a free newsletter from one tool. Which fits?
Right! ConvertKit has native paid newsletter and digital product features built in. Drip is ecommerce-focused and relies on Shopify, WooCommerce, or other platforms for product sales.
For creators selling digital products and paid newsletters from one tool, ConvertKit (Kit) has those features built in. Drip would require an external platform for product sales.
Who should choose Drip?
- Ecommerce stores on Shopify, WooCommerce, BigCommerce, or Magento
- Stores with 2,500-15,000 active customers needing pre-built ecommerce flows
- Teams that want a powerful visual workflow builder for branching automations
- Stores wanting native SMS marketing alongside email
- Anyone who finds Klaviyo's interface overwhelming
Who should choose ConvertKit?
- Newsletter writers, podcasters, and bloggers building an audience
- Course creators and digital product sellers
- Creators selling paid newsletters or subscriptions
- Anyone wanting a free plan up to 10,000 subscribers
- Creators looking for sponsor monetization through Kit's Sponsor Network
Not convinced by either? MailerLite is cheaper and works for both creators and small ecommerce. ActiveCampaign has deeper automation and a built-in CRM. Compare more options in 7 best Drip alternatives or 7 best ConvertKit alternatives.
How to switch between them in 5 steps
- Export from the source tool. Subscribers, tags, and custom fields as a CSV. Drip: People, Export. ConvertKit: Subscribers, Export.
- Clean before importing. Run the CSV through our email verifier so you don't pay the destination tool for dead addresses.
- Reconnect ecommerce or commerce. Going to Drip: install the Shopify or WooCommerce app and let order history sync first. Going to ConvertKit: connect Stripe or your course platform for paid subscriptions.
- Rebuild automations. Drip's visual workflows and ConvertKit's tag-based sequences don't translate cleanly. Recreate from scratch using each tool's templates, test on a small segment, then activate.
- Switch forms last. Replace embeds on your site or store. Run both tools in parallel for one billing cycle to confirm flows fire correctly, then cancel the old one.
A note on cold email
Neither Drip nor ConvertKit allow cold emailing. Importing a list you scraped, bought, or collected without explicit opt-in will get your account suspended. If you need cold outreach:
- Cold sales email: Instantly ($30/mo) or Lemlist ($39/mo)
- Link building outreach: MentionAgent ($99/mo), automates finding blogs, contacts, writing, and follow-ups
- PR outreach: Respona or Pitchbox
A simpler alternative for outreach: MentionAgent
If you're here because you want to grow through outreach rather than newsletters or ecommerce flows, neither Drip nor ConvertKit is the right tool. MentionAgent takes a different approach: it automates the entire link building workflow, finding relevant blogs in your niche, looking up contacts, writing personalized emails, and sending follow-ups. You just approve the emails.
- Price: $99/mo flat, no subscriber-based pricing
- Setup: Minutes, no list to import, no templates to write
- Manual work: Approve emails before they send. That's it.
You want to grow your SaaS by getting mentioned on relevant blogs, not by sending newsletters or ecommerce flows. Which tool fits?
Correct! Drip and ConvertKit are for opted-in subscribers. For outbound blog outreach, MentionAgent automates finding prospects, writing emails, and following up.
Newsletter and ecommerce tools like Drip and ConvertKit can't do outbound outreach. MentionAgent ($99/mo) is built specifically for link building outreach.
Grow by getting mentioned
MentionAgent finds relevant blogs, looks up contacts, writes personalized pitches, and follows up. No leads to import, no templates to write, no subscriber limits.
Start Getting Mentioned For $99/moRelated
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Frequently asked questions
Is Drip or ConvertKit better?
Drip is better for ecommerce stores on Shopify, WooCommerce, BigCommerce, or Magento. ConvertKit (Kit) is better for creators, newsletter writers, and anyone selling digital products or paid newsletters. They target different audiences.
Which is cheaper, Drip or ConvertKit?
ConvertKit is cheaper at most list sizes, especially with its free plan up to 10,000 subscribers (broadcasts only). Drip starts at $39/mo with no free plan. The gap narrows at very large list sizes.
Can I switch from ConvertKit to Drip?
Yes. Export subscribers as CSV from ConvertKit and import to Drip. Drip support can help with guided migrations. Tags and sequences don't transfer directly, plan to rebuild automations.
Does Drip or ConvertKit allow cold email?
Which has better deliverability?
Both rank well in independent tests. ConvertKit's strict signup process helps maintain its sender reputation. Drip benefits from active spam-filter monitoring. Differences are small, your own list hygiene matters more.
Which is easier to use?
Depends on what you're building. ConvertKit is easier for creators sending newsletters and managing subscribers via tags. Drip's visual workflow builder is easier for ecommerce automation flows.
Which has better automation?
Drip's visual workflow builder is more powerful for branching ecommerce automations. ConvertKit's automation is simpler but well-suited to creator workflows. For complex automation beyond both, ActiveCampaign is deeper.
Which is best for selling digital products?
ConvertKit (Kit) wins. Native paid newsletters, ebooks, courses, and subscriptions are built in. Drip relies on Shopify, WooCommerce, or other ecommerce platforms for product sales.