Learning how to switch from Mailchimp to ConvertKit is a move many creators and small businesses make when email becomes a bigger part of their work. Mailchimp is a broad marketing platform, with campaigns, journeys, SMS, and reporting for a business that sends newsletters. ConvertKit, now called Kit, is built for creators, with subscribers, sequences, and paid newsletters at its centre, and a free plan that covers up to 10,000 subscribers.
The switch is not about which tool is better in general. It is about which tool fits the work you do now. A business that sends campaigns to customers and needs SMS and ecommerce automation should stay with Mailchimp. A creator who sells courses, writes a newsletter, and needs automations that follow the subscriber should move to Kit. This guide covers the full switch, from the list export to the automations, the forms, and the first send, without losing a single subscriber.
The move takes a weekend of work and two weeks of care, and it is worth doing properly. A rushed switch loses tags, breaks automations, and sends a welcome email to people who unsubscribed years ago. A planned switch moves every subscriber cleanly, rebuilds the automations better than they were, and ends with an email system that fits the creator it serves.
In this article
- Quick Answer. The Mailchimp to Kit Switch in 30 Seconds
- How to Switch from Mailchimp to ConvertKit in 6 Steps
- Lists, Tags, Segments and the Clean Import
- Automations, Sequences and the Welcome Email
- Forms, Landing Pages and the Website Move
- Costs, Deliverability and the First Month
- Mistakes That Lose Subscribers and Hurt Deliverability
- After the Switch, the First Broadcast and Growing the List
- A Two-Week Timetable for the Switch
- Related Guides
- Frequently Asked Questions
- The Bottom Line
Quick Answer. The Mailchimp to Kit Switch in 30 Seconds
Knowing how to switch from Mailchimp to ConvertKit means moving the list, the tags, the automations, and the forms in the right order. Export the list from Mailchimp as a CSV, clean it, import it into Kit, rebuild the tags and segments, recreate the automations as visual flows, move the forms to your site, and send a test email before the first real send. Kit offers a free plan to 10,000 subscribers, with Creator at $39 a month and Pro at $79 a month for up to 1,000 subscribers billed monthly. Mailchimp Essentials starts at $13 a month for 500 contacts, with a free plan for under 250 contacts.
Kit offers free migration help, which will move the list and the automations for you, and it is worth using. The rest of this guide proves that short answer, with the export, the import, and the automation steps in order.
| Switch element | Mailchimp | Kit (ConvertKit) |
|---|---|---|
| Free plan | Under 250 contacts, 500 sends a month | Up to 10,000 subscribers |
| Entry paid | Essentials from $13/mo at 500 contacts | Creator $39/mo at 1,000 subscribers |
| Automations | Customer journeys, up to 200 flows on Standard | Visual automations, unlimited on Creator |
| Best for | Small business campaigns, SMS, ecommerce | Creators, newsletters, digital products |
| Migration | Export as CSV | Free migration service offered |
How to Switch from Mailchimp to ConvertKit in 6 Steps
Step one is the audit. Open Mailchimp and list everything that must move. The audiences, the tags, the segments, the automations, the forms, the landing pages, and the templates. Note which automations are active, which are old and unused, and which send the most emails. The active automations are the ones to rebuild. The unused ones can be left behind, because a migration is a chance to clean house, not to move clutter.
Step two is the list export. In Mailchimp, export each audience as a CSV file, with the email address, the name, the tags, the status, and the signup date. Export only the subscribed contacts, never the unsubscribed or the cleaned addresses, because importing unsubscribed people into Kit and emailing them breaks the law in most countries and damages your sender reputation. A clean export is the foundation of the whole switch, so check it twice.
Step three is the list cleaning. Open the CSV in a spreadsheet, and remove duplicates, fix obvious typos, and delete the contacts with no engagement in two years, unless they are customers who bought something. A smaller, cleaner list will perform better than a large, dirty one, because email providers judge your sender reputation on engagement. A list of 2,000 engaged subscribers will outperform a list of 10,000 cold ones, in opens, in clicks, and in sales.
Step four is the import. In Kit, create the tags first, then import the CSV, mapping each column to the right field. Kit will ask whether to send a confirmation email to imported subscribers, and the answer is usually no, because these people already subscribed to your list. Kit’s free migration service can do the import for you, including the tags and the automations, and it is worth using, because a migration done by the Kit team is less likely to miss a field.
Step five is the automations. Rebuild each active Mailchimp journey as a Kit visual automation, one by one. A welcome sequence becomes a Kit sequence with the same emails, in the same order. A purchase follow-up becomes a Kit automation triggered by a tag. A win-back campaign becomes a Kit automation for subscribers who have not opened in 90 days. Rebuilding is a chance to improve the emails, because an automation written a year ago can usually be written better today.
Step six is the forms and the first send. Move the signup forms from Mailchimp to Kit, and place them on your website, your landing pages, and your social profiles. Test each form by signing up yourself, and confirm the welcome email arrives. Then send a test email to a small segment, check it on a phone and a desktop, and send the first real email to the full list. Announce the move in that first email, with a line such as we have moved to a new email home, and tell subscribers what will not change.
Lists, Tags, Segments and the Clean Import
Mailchimp organises contacts into audiences, with tags and segments inside each audience. Kit organises subscribers into one list, with tags and segments doing the work that audiences did. The difference matters for the migration, because a business with three Mailchimp audiences must merge them into one Kit list, with a tag for each old audience. A subscriber in two audiences will appear twice in the export, so the cleaning step must remove the duplicate, keeping the tags from both.
Tags are the labels that describe a subscriber, and getting them right is a core skill in how to switch from Mailchimp to ConvertKit cleanly. A tag for a customer, a tag for a course buyer, a tag for a newsletter reader, and a tag for the source, such as website form or webinar. In Kit, tags trigger automations, filter broadcasts, and segment the list, so they are more powerful than in Mailchimp, where tags are mostly labels. Build the tag list before the import, with clear names a team member can understand, and apply the tags during the import, not after, because tagging thousands of subscribers by hand after the import will take days.
Segments are the saved filters that define who receives an email. A segment for engaged subscribers, a segment for customers, and a segment for people who clicked a link in the last month. In Kit, segments are built from tags, fields, and activity, and they update automatically as subscribers change. Rebuild the segments that matter, and delete the segments that were built for one campaign and never used again, because a segment list with fifty entries is a list nobody can use.
The import itself needs care with the fields. Map the email address to email, the first name to first name, and the tags to tags. Check the date format, because a signup date imported wrongly will break any automation that depends on it. Import in small batches if the list is large, and check the first batch before you import the rest, because an error in the mapping will affect every subscriber if it is not caught early.
Suppression is the part of the import most people forget. Unsubscribed contacts, bounced addresses, and spam complaints must never be imported, because emailing them will damage your sender reputation and may break the law. Mailchimp marks these contacts clearly in the export, so filter them out before the import, and keep a copy of the suppression list, so a future import does not accidentally include them. A clean list is a safe list, and a safe list is a list that keeps delivering.
Automations, Sequences and the Welcome Email
Automations are the reason most creators move to Kit, because Kit’s visual automation builder is built for creators in a way Mailchimp’s journeys are not. Rebuilding them well is the heart of how to switch from Mailchimp to ConvertKit. A Kit automation starts with a trigger, such as a tag added or a form submitted, and follows with steps, such as an email, a delay, a tag change, or a condition. The visual flow makes the logic clear, so a creator can see the whole journey on one screen, and fix it without guessing.
The welcome sequence is the first automation to rebuild, because it is the first email a new subscriber receives. A good welcome sequence has three emails. The first delivers what was promised, such as the free guide or the discount, and introduces the creator. The second tells a story, such as why the creator started, or what the subscriber will learn. The third makes an offer, such as the course, the product, or the paid newsletter. Each email should be short, personal, and written in the creator’s voice, because a welcome sequence that sounds like a corporation will lose the subscriber it just gained.
The purchase follow-up is the second automation to rebuild. When a customer buys, Kit can tag them, send a thank-you, and follow up a week later with a tip for using the product. A customer who receives a helpful follow-up is more likely to buy again, and more likely to recommend the product. A customer who receives nothing after buying will forget the purchase, and the creator will lose the repeat sale.
The win-back automation is the third to rebuild. Subscribers who have not opened an email in 90 days should receive a short series that asks whether they still want to hear from you, with a clear unsubscribe link. A subscriber who replies will re-engage. A subscriber who does not reply should be removed from the regular list, because emailing people who never open will damage your sender reputation and your deliverability. A clean list is a list that keeps landing in the inbox.
Sequences in Kit are the ordered emails that make up a course, a launch, or a nurture series. A sequence can be attached to an automation, sent as a broadcast, or sold as a product. Rebuild each Mailchimp automation as a Kit sequence plus an automation, because the separation makes the emails easier to edit and the logic easier to follow. A sequence that is easy to edit will be improved. A sequence buried inside a complex journey will be left alone until it breaks.
Forms, Landing Pages and the Website Move
Forms are where new subscribers join, so they must move cleanly, and that move is a step in how to switch from Mailchimp to ConvertKit that is easy to forget and costly to miss. In Mailchimp, forms live on the website as embedded code, or on Mailchimp landing pages. In Kit, forms are built in the Kit dashboard, and they can be embedded on any site, or hosted as a Kit landing page. Rebuild each form in Kit, with the same fields and the same incentive, and replace the embed code on the website. Test each form by signing up yourself, and confirm the welcome email arrives, because a form that looks right and sends nowhere will lose subscribers silently.
Landing pages need the same care. A Mailchimp landing page cannot be moved to Kit automatically, so the page must be rebuilt in Kit, or on the website, with the same headline, the same offer, and the same form. A landing page that is rebuilt is a chance to improve it, with a clearer headline and a shorter form, because a page built a year ago can usually be built better today. Update the links to the landing page everywhere they appear, from social profiles to email footers, because an old link to a dead page will lose the subscribers it was meant to gain.
The website itself needs a check. Search the site for every Mailchimp form, every Mailchimp link, and every mention of Mailchimp in the footer or the privacy policy. Replace each one with the Kit equivalent, and update the privacy policy to name Kit as the email provider, because the policy must state where subscriber data lives. A site that still mentions Mailchimp after the switch will confuse subscribers and may breach privacy rules.
Popups and slide-ins deserve a decision. A popup that worked in Mailchimp may not work the same way in Kit, and the timing, the trigger, and the design may need adjusting. A popup that appears too early will annoy visitors, and a popup that appears too late will miss them. Test the popup on the live site, with a real visitor’s eyes, and adjust the timing until it feels helpful rather than intrusive.
Costs, Deliverability and the First Month
Kit’s free plan covers up to 10,000 subscribers, with unlimited landing pages, forms, and broadcasts, which is generous enough for most creators to run a full newsletter without paying. Creator costs $39 a month at up to 1,000 subscribers billed monthly, or $33 a month billed annually, and it adds unlimited automations. Pro costs $79 a month at 1,000 subscribers billed monthly, or $66 annually, and it adds subscriber scoring, a newsletter referral system, and advanced reporting. Prices rise with list size, so check the price for your exact subscriber count before you commit.
Mailchimp’s free plan covers under 250 contacts, with 500 sends a month, which is small for any active list. Essentials starts at $13 a month for 500 contacts, Standard at $20 a month, and Premium at $350 a month, with prices rising as the contact count grows. For a creator with 1,000 subscribers, Kit Creator at $39 a month and Mailchimp Standard at around $45 a month are close in price, so the decision should follow the features, not the cost. For a creator with 10,000 subscribers, Kit Creator at $139 a month and Mailchimp Essentials at $110 a month are also close, with the same advice.
Deliverability is the metric that matters most after the switch. In the first month, send to the most engaged subscribers first, because high opens and clicks in the first sends will build Kit’s sender reputation for your domain. A first send to the full list, including cold subscribers, will produce low engagement and may land future emails in spam. Warm up the new sender slowly, with the engaged segment first, then the full list, over two weeks.
Set up the domain authentication before the first send. Kit will ask you to add SPF, DKIM, and DMARC records to your domain, which prove the emails come from you and not from a spammer. A domain without authentication will land in spam, however good the content is. The setup takes ten minutes, and Kit’s help pages walk through it step by step. Do it before the first send, not after, because a first send that lands in spam will damage the reputation the rest of the switch depends on.
Mistakes That Lose Subscribers and Hurt Deliverability
The first mistake is importing unsubscribed contacts. A list imported with unsubscribed people, and emailed as if they were still subscribed, will generate complaints, damage the sender reputation, and may break the law. The fix is to export only subscribed contacts, and to keep the suppression list separate. A clean import is a safe import, and a safe import is the foundation of the switch.
The second mistake is no domain authentication. A first send from Kit without SPF, DKIM, and DMARC will land in spam, and the subscribers who never see it will look like they never opened it. The fix is to set up authentication before the first send, and to test it with Kit’s verification tool. Ten minutes of setup will save a month of poor deliverability.
The third mistake is rebuilding automations badly. An automation rebuilt with the wrong trigger, the wrong delay, or the wrong email will send the wrong message to the wrong people at the wrong time. The fix is to rebuild one automation at a time, test it with a test subscriber, and check the first real sends before you rebuild the next one. A slow, tested migration will beat a fast, broken one every time.
The fourth mistake is forgetting the forms. A website with a Mailchimp form that no longer works will lose new subscribers silently, because visitors will fill in the form, see no confirmation, and assume the site is broken. The fix is to replace every form on launch day, test each one, and check the site for old embed code a week later. A form that works is a form that grows the list. A form that does not is a leak.
The fifth mistake is a cold first send. A first email from Kit sent to the full list, including subscribers who have not opened in a year, will produce low engagement and may trigger spam filters. The fix is to warm up slowly, with the engaged segment first, then the full list over two weeks. A warm sender reputation is the asset the whole switch builds, and it should be protected from day one.
After the Switch, the First Broadcast and Growing the List
The first broadcast from Kit should be a short, honest email that tells subscribers about the move. A line such as we have moved to a new email home, nothing else changes, and you will still hear from us on Tuesdays, is enough. Subscribers who understand the move will stay. Subscribers who receive a strange email from a new system with no explanation will unsubscribe, because they will assume something changed without their consent.
The first month after the switch should be spent watching the numbers. Open rates, click rates, unsubscribes, and spam complaints, compared with the Mailchimp numbers from the month before. A small dip in opens is normal, because the sender has changed, and it should recover within a month. A large dip, or a rise in spam complaints, needs investigation, starting with the domain authentication and the list cleaning.
Growth after the switch should follow the same rules as before. A form on every page, a lead magnet that solves a real problem, and a welcome sequence that delivers on its promise. Kit’s landing pages and forms make growth easier, because they are built for creators, with a focus on conversion rather than design. A creator who tests one form change a month, and keeps the change that wins, will grow the list steadily, without tricks.
The list should be cleaned every quarter. Subscribers who have not opened in six months should receive a win-back series, and those who do not reply should be removed. A list that is cleaned quarterly will keep its deliverability high, and its open rates honest. A list that is never cleaned will slowly decay, with more emails landing in spam and fewer subscribers reading them. Cleaning is not losing subscribers. It is keeping the subscribers who want to hear from you.
A Two-Week Timetable for the Switch
Week one is the audit and the export. List every audience, tag, segment, automation, form, and landing page in Mailchimp, and export each audience as a CSV. Clean the lists, removing duplicates, unsubscribed contacts, and cold subscribers who have not opened in two years. By the end of week one, the clean CSV files should be ready, and the tag list for Kit should be written down. A week spent cleaning properly saves a month spent fixing a dirty import.
Week two is the import and the rebuild. Import the clean lists into Kit, rebuild the tags and segments, and recreate the active automations one by one, testing each with a test subscriber. Move the forms to the website, rebuild the landing pages, and set up domain authentication. By the end of week two, the Kit account should be ready to send, with the forms working and the automations tested.
The first send happens at the start of week three, to the most engaged segment, with a short email that explains the move. The second send goes to the full list a week later, once the engaged send has built the sender reputation. The first month ends with a review of the open rates, the click rates, and the unsubscribes, compared with the Mailchimp numbers from the month before. A switch that follows this timetable will finish on time, with a clean list and a working system.
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Frequently Asked Questions
How do I move my email list from Mailchimp to ConvertKit?
Export each Mailchimp audience as a CSV, with the email, name, tags, and status, and import only the subscribed contacts into Kit. Clean the list first, removing duplicates and unsubscribed addresses, and map the fields carefully during the import. Kit offers a free migration service that will move the list, the tags, and the automations for you.
Will I lose subscribers when I switch?
You should not lose engaged subscribers if the switch is done properly, with a clean import and a clear first email that explains the move. You will lose cold subscribers who have not opened in a long time, and that is a good thing, because they were damaging your deliverability. A smaller, engaged list will perform better than a large, cold one.
How much does ConvertKit cost compared to Mailchimp?
Kit offers a free plan to 10,000 subscribers, with Creator at $39 a month and Pro at $79 a month for up to 1,000 subscribers billed monthly. Mailchimp Essentials starts at $13 a month for 500 contacts, with a free plan for under 250 contacts. For a creator with 1,000 subscribers, the two are close in price, so the decision should follow the features, not the cost.
Can Kit import my Mailchimp automations?
Kit offers a free migration service that will move your automations, and it can rebuild most Mailchimp journeys as Kit visual automations. Complex journeys may need manual rebuilding, which is a chance to improve them, because an automation written a year ago can usually be written better today. Test each rebuilt automation with a test subscriber before it goes live.
Do I need to set up domain authentication in Kit?
Yes. Set up SPF, DKIM, and DMARC records for your domain before the first send, because they prove your emails come from you and keep them out of spam. Kit’s help pages walk through the setup in ten minutes, and the verification tool will confirm it is working. A first send without authentication will land in spam and damage your sender reputation.
Should a small business switch from Mailchimp to Kit?
A small business that sends campaigns to customers and needs SMS and ecommerce automation should stay with Mailchimp, because those features are its strength. A creator who sells courses, writes a newsletter, and needs automations that follow the subscriber should move to Kit, because those features are its strength. The decision should follow the work, not the trend.
The Bottom Line
Knowing how to switch from Mailchimp to ConvertKit is a weekend of careful work that gives a creator an email system built for their work. Export only the subscribed contacts, clean the list, import it into Kit, rebuild the tags and the automations, move the forms, set up domain authentication, and send the first email to the engaged segment first. Kit’s free migration service will help, and its free plan to 10,000 subscribers means the switch can start at no cost.
Start with the audit, and be honest about which automations still matter. That honesty is how to switch from Mailchimp to ConvertKit without carrying a year’s clutter into the new tool. The switch that works is the one that moves the subscribers cleanly, rebuilds the automations better than they were, and ends with a list that opens, clicks, and buys. That is the email system worth switching for.
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