Are “specialised” email marketing services (EMS) really a marketing ploy? The answer is not as straightforward as yes or no.
It is evident that Drip’s e-commerce concentration has influenced many of its best features, such as the automation builder and signup form builder.
However, there is a significant amount of missing or recently implemented content.
Similarly, ConvertKit has several handy tools, such as the capacity to extract photographs from your Instagram feed for use in your email campaigns.
Convertkit vs Drip 2023– Overview
Everything else, however, is either missing or incredibly sparse. And I cannot identify anything that distinguishes ConvertKit as a content creator-specific EMS.
If you must choose between ConvertKit vs Drip, Drip is superior because to its user-friendliness and e-commerce options.
After exhaustive testing, it is clear that it is not the greatest EMS on the market. Drip is still superior to ConvertKit, however at times I found it to be frustrating and unclear.
ActiveCampaign is the best all-around service with hundreds, yes hundreds, of automation templates to help you build your business, as well as reporting features that are superior to those of the other two providers.
In addition, it offers a 14-day risk-free trial, allowing you to test it out at no cost.
Read on to discover why Drip is my preferred EMS and how ActiveCampaign outperforms them both in every way.
Convertkit Overview
Convertkit is used to create easily automated segments and send emails to the appropriate list audience.
It generates a series of emails or sometimes a single “broadcast” email that facilitates communication with list members.
ConvertKit is built to prevent duplicate subscribers, and its marketing automation plans facilitate this process.
Marketing automation is now easier to initiate than it was previously. It is a fantastic platform for bloggers because to its usability, dependability, and work precision.
Drip is the first email marketing solution to make autoresponders accessible to members of the upper class. The Numa Group meticulously crafts its grass-fed, organic software in California.
Drip Overview
It is a platform that is primarily used for online product sales.
Drip is an email marketing and automation software designed primarily for serious marketers and those who wish to profit from content such as coaching, e-books, and online courses.
Specifically, it contains a widget that can be embedded into every page on an existing website, in addition to email capture via embedded forms, email sequences, email broadcasts, and advanced email automation.
Features Convertkit vs Drip
These E-Commerce Automation Templates Will Make Your Life Easier
Both of these EMS offer features that are largely comparable. ConvertKit and Drip only offer a handful of really basic email designs, and I would not suggest either platform for anything beyond basic email marketing.
Drip’s workflow automation builder includes 49 workflow templates to help you automate your e-commerce emails, despite the fact that its website only lists 29 workflow templates.
In addition, it is a breeze to modify these templates with the steps you require.
Drip also allows you to create custom workflows if none of the provided templates are suitable. However, you can only add seven different step types to your workflow, which might be somewhat restrictive.
However, this is more than ConvertKit, whose automation builder offers only three step possibilities.
I suggest ActiveCampaign for more sophisticated automation. ActiveCampaign includes a large number of automation templates and options, making it one of the most sophisticated email automation platforms available.
Ease of Use
Drip Passes the Low Bar of Being Usable
The email editor in Drip operates exactly as expected. This may not sound like a ringing endorsement, but this simple fact earns it the top spot in this section.
I would even go so far as to say that Drip’s email editor is one of the most user-friendly email builders on the market.
Even documentation for the drag-and-drop builder can be accessed with a single click, which is ideal if you’re just getting started and require additional assistance.
ConvertKit, on the other hand, follows an entirely different procedure for no discernible reason.
To create a single email, you must use two cumbersome drag-and-drop editors: one to edit the template, and another to edit the text and other settings.
Sincerely, it appears to be different for the sake of being different. It does not make it any more usable.
Deliverability
Both Allow Affiliate Marketing with Few Restrictions
Deliverability is difficult to quantify, despite the fact that many websites use deliverability tests that tie everything together in a percentage.
The truth is that these tests are notoriously unreliable and provide little information. If you are interested in the specifics, you should read my colleague’s guide to improving delivery.
In terms of deliverability, Drip and ConvertKit are essentially equivalent. DKIM authentication is used by both, and both offer guides on how to use it to tell email providers that you are who you claim to be.
Drip and ConvertKit both permit affiliate marketing and have internal rules in place to handle it. Drip subjects your account to increased scrutiny.
ConvertKit will verify that you have a business beyond affiliate marketing and that affiliate marketing emails are not the only emails you send.
Both EMS platforms have dedicated IP addresses, so your emails will not be affected if someone using the same email server as you begins to spam their contact list.
ConvertKit wins by a razor-thin margin because dedicated IPs are more widely available.
You can get a dedicated IP if you send over 150,000 emails each week, as opposed to Drip’s minimum of over 12,000,000 emails per month.
I must admit, though, that both are quite ordinary in terms of delivery. ActiveCampaign is recommended if you want your emails to have a greater chance of reaching your subscribers’ inboxes.
It takes its anti-spam policy very seriously, and if you have enough subscribers, you can obtain your own private IP address for added protection.
Reporting and Analytics
ConvertKit is blown away by Drip’s E-Commerce Analytics
Drip definitely won this category because I was actually blown away by how precise the metrics were (it scored very highly for its reporting tools in our Drip review).
It’s not the best EMS for analytics on the market, but it offers a level of detail I didn’t anticipate from an EMS that, until now, hadn’t distinguished itself in any particular area.
I was particularly impressed by the fact that Drip allows you to track website analytics, such as e-commerce income, in addition to email metrics.
In addition, you can track things such as email openings by hour, which is quite useful for optimising your email scheduling.
In contrast, ConvertKit’s stats are fairly straightforward (just take a look at our ConvertKit review for more detail).
It primarily addresses user engagement, clicks, sales, and deliverability. It’s adequate for novices, but if you want to optimise your email marketing with data, you’re far better off elsewhere.
As much as I appreciated Drip’s reporting functionality, I must admit that its metrics are inferior to those of its competitors.
ActiveCampaign provides reports on everything from automation workflows to self-defined targets, which I have not seen anywhere.
In addition, you may receive information on daily and hourly interaction trends, similar to Drip, but the remainder of the service is significantly more amazing.
Convertkit Vs Drip: Pricing
Convertkit Pricing:
Pricing for ConvertKit is straightforward and simple to comprehend. Prices range from $15 per month for up to 300 contacts to $79 per month for over 3,000 subscribers.
If a user has less than 1,000 Subscribers, they have the option to switch to Free Mode, which lacks certain features but provides basic reporting.
Creator Pro is a premium plan for ConvertKit that includes comprehensive reporting and Facebook custom audiences. The creator and pro plans will move your list from another service at no additional cost.
Drip Pricing:
Drip is an excellent email marketing tool with many features for automating campaigns. The only disadvantage? It’s not gratis!
However, there are two-week trial periods for each level and plan option, allowing you to evaluate them all prior to making an investment in this software solution.
Here’s What You Get for Free
When comparing ConvertKit vs Drip, it’s important to remember that both offer a 14-day free trial, which is somewhat useful if you want to test them out before deciding.
In both cases, you will be able to test out (nearly) all of the platform’s features before you are required to pay.
Almost, because the free trial of Drip does not include SMS. When I attempted to test this feature, I discovered it is only available in the United States.
The primary distinction is that ConvertKit is free forever. You may send emails, host landing pages, and access community support so long as you have fewer than 1,000 subscribers.
Here’s What You Get if You Pay
Given that the initial cost of both platforms is very comparable, Drip provides the best value in this case. Given how much more functional Drip is as a service, it’s a touch more pricey, but it’s well worth it.
Drip provides two options, with the only distinction being that Email + SMS includes, as you’ve already figured, SMS marketing.
This plan doesn’t contain any extra email marketing tools on top of the base plan, so you don’t have to upgrade if SMS marketing isn’t your thing.
ConvertKit’s Creator Pro plan, however, is where this EMS beyond the minimal threshold of being functional.
This tier enables deliverability reporting and engagement scoring, in addition to a few other useful capabilities. It is a peculiar decision to lock open and click reporting behind the most expensive payment plan…
The following table explains why I believe Drip delivers superior value.
Customer Support
ConvertKit Offers a Good Level of Support
Despite the fact that I did not particularly love using ConvertKit, its support offerings are quite good.
ConvertKit provides a community support network modelled around social networking, 24/7 live chat, and email assistance.
Although I was unable to locate an email support option, live chat was timely and really helpful.
In addition, ConvertKit provides an abundance of learning materials, including as a knowledge base, video tutorials, workshops, and interviews with other authors.
There is also a series of guides to help you understand how to use social media and create online-selling products.
I was honestly surprised by Drip’s minimal customer service choices. Drip is one of the only EMS platforms I am aware of that does not provide 24/7 support.
Monday through Friday, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Central Time, email and live chat assistance are only available, and you can only utilise live chat if your plan costs more than $99 per month.
When I asked Drip’s customer service which plan they would recommend for 1,000 subscribers, I received a very unclear statement about how billing is determined.
Within six hours of sending an email, at least, support responded.
This round is easily won by ConvertKit. I did found it unusual that I could not locate email help anywhere, but compared to Drip’s relatively limited support choices, ConvertKit was superior.
Quick Links:
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Conclusion Convertkit vs Drip 2023
This was a concise summary of the two Email Marketing titans. On the one side, Drip offers variety, but on the other, it has substantial drawbacks.
Similarly, ConvertKit may have some advantages over Drip, but its functionality and variety are limited.
Depending on the needs of your organisation, you can determine which capabilities are most important. You may have to overlook certain disadvantages or restrictions, but you will find a better fit.
Therefore, depending on the nature of your use, a suitable platform can be selected, as both offer excellent service and growth potential.
Whether you are a blogger who sells online content via eBooks or blogs, these applications are superior to others and the workflow is very simple.