Adding people to your email list is THE way to build up a plugged-in potential client base and stay in touch with your existing and past clients! But it falls to the backburner for so many business owners… and it’s not until they’re building a website that they start to think about building an email list and lead generation. (And that’s totally OK!)
As I’m working with clients for my Launch Week and Scalable Site services, I often get asked which email marketing software I think is the best bet for small business owners. For most big people, it’s a toss-up between ConvertKit vs. Flodesk.
I’ve used both of these email marketing software in my business, and today I’m spilling the beans on how to decide! They’re both amazing choices; it’s just a matter of which one is the right choice for you. Let’s dive in!
The deets on ConvertKit
ConvertKit is the more established software of the two. It’s been around since 2013. So, understandably, it has more features… and it’s more expensive! It also has a bit of a reputation for being complex to use. However, what feels like feature overkill in the early days of your business can turn into exactly what you want in an email marketing software as your business grows!
The lowdown on Flodesk
Flodesk is the new kid on the email marketing software block, but it has a LOT of fans. They have gorgeous branding and templates and it’s simple to navigate. There aren’t as many features in Flodesk, but that’s exactly what most small business owners love about it. Without as many bells and whistles, it’s easier to build and send emails, even if you’re not an expert.
Fun fact: Flodesk is also a female-owned business!
ConvertKit vs. Flodesk: What I personally use
Until very recently, I used Flodesk for my business, and it was fabulous. I loved how simple it was to use, and I’m a sucker for beautiful design (which Flodesk does so well!)
That said, I’m currently planning for a switch to CovertKit. One of the benefits that comes with each Launch Week is the Launch Collective – a membership library that’s chock full of resources that help you navigate the backend and features of your new website.
In the end, ConvertKit is where it’s at for automating my Launch Collective membership emails in a more streamlined way that gives me plenty of room to grow. As much as I love Flodesk, a part of me wishes I had built my email marketing around ConvertKit from the beginning! It feels like it would have been easier to wrap my mind around it from the start and grow into it over time.
That said, Flodesk has SO much to offer to small business owners, and I don’t think you can make a “wrong” choice. Let’s explore the main features of Flodesk vs. Convert Kit, so you can explore which one is best for you.
Building emails
Let’s get to this part first, because it *might* be the most important part of choosing an email marketing software! It’s also one of the biggest contrasts between ConvertKit vs. Flodesk. They have totally different approaches.
In Flodesk, you have the option to design emails from scratch or use templates. The templates are stunning, and of course, you can customize colors, fonts, and logos to match your brand. Even if you don’t have any design skills, you can send beautiful emails using Flodesk.
ConvertKit doesn’t offer as many styling options for people who don’t have some coding skills to work with. That said, the email designer is pretty intuitive and it’s easy to add images, clickable CTA buttons, and text. ConvertKit has templates, too. But compared to Flodesk, they’re pretty pared down.
In ConvertKit, the priority is on deliverability, so emails are usually in plain text. In Flodesk, the emphasis is on approachability and aesthetics for email creators.
User-friendliness
Flodesk is incredibly easy to use, especially for total beginners. There are plenty of features to use, but their tutorials guide you through everything. The flip side is that if you know your way around email campaigns, you might be annoyed by all the hand-holding!
Many people find ConvertKit somewhat confusing at first – there’s definitely a learning curve! All the features and options make the interface feel a little clunky, but if you want a truly fully-featured program with tons of options, it’s worth figuring out.
Workflows
I am all about automation and saving time – and workflows are definitely one of ConvertKit’s strong points. You can create automated sequences to handle basically any subscriber journey you can imagine. And since ConvertKit uses a drag-and-drop builder, it’s relatively easy to do.
While Flodesk also has workflows, it’s not as strong at creating more complex sequences. On the upside, they have a lot of templates to work with, and the workflow builder is super user-friendly.
The other big difference between Flodesk vs. Convert Kit when it comes to workflows is in tagging and segmenting. (IYKYK)
Tagging lets you know how someone got onto your email list – whether they signed up from a lead magnet, landing page, or contact form, for example. Segmenting lets you group subscribers into collections based on what kind of content they might be interested in.
ConvertKit allows you to do more with segments and tags manually, while Flodesk automates tagging. As your business grows, you might appreciate having more control over these two elements!
Pricing
While Flodesk and ConvertKit are priced VERY differently, I think it’s ultimately a wash on which one saves you money.
With Flodesk, you pay a flat rate of $38 per month for all features. Ultimately, that is an incredibly good price for email marketing software – especially since most of the other services on the market have complicated pricing tiers based on features AND subscribers.
ConvertKit’s most basic plan is free for the first 1,000 subscribers. But for free.99, you won’t be able to set up automations or advanced reporting. If you want those features (which become important quickly), plans start at $9 per month for 300 subscribers.
Since you can get started on ConvertKit for free, there’s a window of time where you could save a considerable amount of money vs. paying for Flodesk from day one. However, if you hate confusing pricing tiers, then Flodesk is so much easier to understand!
Analytics
Until recently, ConvertKit’s analytics are WAY more in-depth than Flodesk’s. If you’re a solopreneur or someone who doesn’t do a ton of email launching or selling, then that might not matter as much to you. But if you’re the kind of person who loves to dive deep into your stats to see what’s working, then ConvertKit might be better!
Flodesk still has plenty of important baseline analytics, like open and click through rates. And, in May 2023, they added some pretty cool stats, like showing you which users marked email as spam, device data, and who’s opening your emails.
Ultimately, you can get great analytics data from either one!
Forms and landing pages
Both Flodesk and ConvertKit allow you to create forms and landing pages! Flodesk comes with more ready-made styles, so it’s easier to create something that looks and feels on-brand. However, with ConvertKit, you have more options for setting up your landing page – you can even set up a custom domain to host it.
Pro tip! I highly recommend working with a designer or using a website template to create landing pages on your site to create forms. While using your email marketing software works in a pinch and is convenient, landing pages that exist at your URL are better for functionality and SEO.
That’s the scoop on Flodesk vs. Convert Kit!
If you’re working on your own, aren’t super tech-savvy, and just want to use a beautiful and simple email marketing software, then Flodesk is for you!
But if you envision your business growing, don’t mind plain-text emails, and love automations and analytics, I recommend ConvertKit.
Ready to sign up for email marketing software?
Want beautiful emails, made simple? Sign up for Flodesk now! Looking for something that can grow with your biz? Try ConvertKit!
