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Flodesk vs ConvertKit – which one is better? Which Email Service Provider is right for you as a small business owner or content creator or a complete beginner?
This was a dilemma I was facing when I first started my online business.
In this post, I’ll go through a full side by side comparison of pricing, features and more when it comes to these two Email Service Providers.
So that by the end, you can make an informed decision on whether Flodesk or ConvertKit is right for you.
*AD: This blog post was sponsored by Flodesk. However, I had been using Flodesk for years before becoming a brand partner with them. All opinions are my own.
Flodesk vs ConvertKit Guide: Side by side comparison
When I first started my blog, Cappuccino and Fashion, I quickly learned the importance of building an email list.
There are many advantages to having an email list as a small business owner:
- It’s one of the best ways to keep your blog readers coming back to your blog to read it each week. It’s a great way to stay in touch with them.
- An email list provides a lot more opportunity to monetize your content and your blog.
- There’s no algorithm like social media so everybody who who is on your email list will automatically receive each email you send out. there’s no competing with a feed or an algorithm.
- I noticed when I send out an email every week I get an influx of either blog traffic or YouTube channel views depending on what links I promote in the email. In return, this helps me grow my business even further.
- You can also use affiliate links in your emails or sell a digital product that you own and this is a way to help you make more money through your business.
- An email list also has the highest conversion rates compared to any social media platform. So no, email is not dead.
And these are just a few reasons why having an email list is so important as the content creator or a small business owner.
Okay, we all got it.
Having an email list is important, but which one do you choose, Flodesk or ConvertKit?
Note: ConvertKit is now rebranding to the name Kit in 2024.
Pricing
When it comes to pricing, there’s a big difference between Flodesk and ConvertKit (Kit) and I learned this the hard way.
Both ConvertKit and Flodesk have free plan options, however I found that you usually outgrow the limits of those free plans quite quickly.
So let’s talk a bit about how much each of these ESPs cost.
I first started my email list with ConvertKit back in 2019.
I was paying $29 per month which I didn’t feel like was that much at the time.
But my blog started quickly growing at one point, which meant that I started reaching the next milestone in pricing faster and faster.
So I went from the 1,000 subscribers tier to the 3,000 tier, to the 5,000 tier, to 8,000 tier very quickly. And the price of ConvertKit was increasing a lot each time.
But because I was quite new at blogging and growing an online business I wasn’t making a lot of money yet because I was still learning the ropes of how to monetise my content.
Within 6 months of starting my email list, I had reached almost 25,000 subscribers and the monthly fee for that with ConvertKit is $199.
It was quickly becoming a huge expense in my monthly budget.
It felt a bit like being punished for growing your business.
That’s when I started to look around and I found out about Flodesk.
With Flodesk you only pay $38 per month (or $19 per month for your first year using my code CAPPUCCINOANDFASHION), and the price never increases regardless of how many subscribers you have on your email list.
For example, as I’m writing this in 2024, I have reached about 80,000 email subscribers. If I were still with ConvertKit, I would be paying $559 per month ($6,708 per year).
Since I use Flodesk, I still only need to pay the $38 per month ($456 per year).
So using Flodesk instead of ConvertKit is saving me over $6,000 every year. Money that I can use in my budget for other things or I can keep as profit from my business.
That was one of the main reasons why I switched from ConvertKit to Flodesk.
Writing emails
When it comes to writing email newsletters, I found that Flodesk was more intuitive and had more beautiful minimalist templates available. It suited my minimal airy vibe more.
In ConvertKit, I had to try and create the template myself using HTML code to get the same look I wanted. This took more effort and I needed to research how to create those emails using code.
I found Flodesk to be much easier to use from this point of view.
Branding options
One thing I found trickier in ConvertKit (Kit) was to add my own branding for my business. Just like writing emails, in order to add your branding elements you need to know how to use some HTML code in order to add them.
In Flodesk, you can easily add all your branding elements (colours, logo, brand fonts, social links), which will then be automatically added to any new emails you create.
Also, in Flodesk you have the option to remove their Flodesk branding if you prefer (aka where it says “This email was created with love in Flodesk”) on any of their plans.
In ConvertKit (Kit), you can only remove their ConvertKit branding on paid plans.
Forms options
In both Flodesk and ConvertKit, you can easily create a variety of forms (such as inline, popup, full page), opt-ins, or landing pages.
However, with Flodesk’s new features, you can now also create different forms, such as Link in bio forms (this has proven very successful on my Instagram account). You can also add video forms, spinner forms or even countdown forms in Flodesk – all really great for creating more engagement and getting a higher conversion rate (aka how many people sign up on your email list after seeing that form).
Tags and Segments
Flodesk has segments, and ConvertKit (Kit) has tags.
They are both the same thing though and I found both Email Service Providers very similar in this respect.
It is simply a way for you to label the people who join your email list, in order to know exactly what they are interested in and how you can serve them better through your emails.
For example, if someone signs up for my freebie 12 Month Blog Plan, they are added to my email list in the segment “Interested in blogging”.
This way, it helps me know exactly what to send more blogging tips to that segment of my email list.
Workflows and Automations
Both Flodesk and ConvertKit (Kit) have options to create an automated series of emails that go out to your email list or to only certain people who sign up for a certain freebie.
In Flodesk, these series of emails or actions are called Workflows.
In ConvertKit (Kit), these are called Automations.
I found both to offer similar functionalities.
However, I did find Flodesk to be a bit easier to set up and more intuitive for me.
Flodesk also has a new feature called Link actions. This is how you can add someone to a certain segment in your list when they click on a certain link.
This is helpful because accurately labelling the people on your email list will help you create more personalised content for them and even have higher conversion rates when you promote one of your products to them.
Analytics
Both Flodesk and ConvertKit (Kit) have analytics for you to dive in.
They are both similar when it comes to this.
The way analytics are visually in Flodesk, I found it really easy to understand exactly how my emails are performing, which days and even times are better for me to send out emails.
It helped me figure out what content resonates best with my audience, which email subject lines perform best or which opt-in forms were the most popular.
All great insights when you’re trying to grow your online business.
If you want to start using Flodesk, use my code CAPPUCCINOANDFASHION to get 50% off your first year of Flodesk.
A/B Testing
Does Flodesk have A/B testing? What about ConvertKit?
Flodesk doesn’t currently have A/B testing. However they are constantly adding new features, so I wouldn’t be surprised if this would be an option soon.
ConvertKit does have A/B testing, but it is only in the form of subject lines. So you can send out an email with two different subject lines. Half your list will get subject line A, and the other half will get subject line B. You will then be able to see which subject line was the most clicked on.
Integrations
When it comes to integrations, ConvertKit does seem to have more direct integrations available.
Flodesk does have some direct integrations too, and anything else you can simply connect through Zapier (an intermediary service).
For my business needs, I have found it very easy to connect Flodesk to any other platform I use. For example, connecting Teachable for my online courses.
Templates and Share as template
Both Flodesk and ConvertKit (Kit) have ready-made email templates for you to use. For my own style, I found Flodesk to be more similar to the vibe of my brand.
Also both Flodesk and ConvertKit have the option for you to share an email as a template with others. This means you can use this to monetise the emails you create by possible selling them as a digital product.
Folders to keep organised
In Flodesk, you can add your emails in folders, which is really helpful to organise your work. It helps you easily find any emails from a previous product launch or a flash sale you had.
I haven’t found a similar way to organise folders in ConvertKit so far.
Deliverability
These are 3 things I noticed after making the switch from ConvertKit to Flodesk:
- My deliverability has been similar with both platforms.
- My email open rates are pretty much the same in Flodesk as they were in ConvertKit.
- However, my click rates are higher in Flodesk from what I can tell so far.
Flodesk vs ConvertKit: The Verdict. Which Email Service Provider is right for you?
As you can tell, both Email Service providers are great options with lots of helpful features. It’s all up to you to decide which of these features better apply to your own business and brand.
For me, beautifully-designed emails, highly-visual interface and in-depth analytics are a must. When I add the huge price difference (hello, saving over $6k a year) – all these made Flodesk a clear winner for me.
If you want to start using Flodesk, use my code CAPPUCCINOANDFASHION to get 50% off your first year of Flodesk.
How do I migrate from ConvertKit to Flodesk?
If you’ve started your email list on ConvertKit (Kit) like myself, but you’re now contemplating going for Flodesk, then I have here an easy guide on how to switch from ConvertKit to Flodesk.
Which Email Service Provider sounds like a better fit for you? Let me know in the comments, I’d love to hear from you.
