Before we get into the Flodesk vs Convertkit debate, a quick note:
The best software for any task is the one you’ll use.
It doesn’t matter how gorgeous your emails could be if you’re not sending them, and it doesn’t matter that your platform can segment every which way if you don’t need or use that. I’ve used both (and currently use Flodesk), and see benefits of both (which is the whole point of this blog post)!
TL;DR: Read this post with YOUR business in mind, so it can help you choose the platform that aligns with how YOU’LL use it.
Just FYI – This post contains affiliate links, meaning I may make a commission from purchases you make through my link.
But first –
Are Convertkit and Kit the same thing?
Yep, sure are! Convertkit announced a rebrand to Kit in 2024, and I see both names used when it’s referenced by users – I’ll use both interchangeably, but know that they’re the same software.
Want more tea on the name pivot? Listen to Elizabeth McCravy’s podcast episode where she analyzes Convertkit’s rebrand to Kit!
Flodesk vs Convertkit: The TL;DR
You can read through the whole post for details – but here's the quick version of the Flodesk vs Convertkit debate!
| Category | Flodesk | Convertkit |
|---|---|---|
| Email Styling/Email Editor | Aesthetic AF ✅ | ❌ |
| Signup Forms | Includes more “fun” options, like spinners & countdowns ✅ | ❌ |
| Automations | ❌ | More options for triggers ✅ |
| Deliverability | 🟰 | 🟰 |
| Pricing | Fixed rate for any email size ✅ | ❌ |
| Integrations | ❌ | More options (and better options) ✅ |
Flodesk Vs Convertkit: Email Styling
Flodesk’s email editor is what they’re known for – their homepage literally describes their software as “Beautiful Emails. As easy as it gets.” Their email design interface is easy to use (drag, drop, done) with a ton of options for customizing your emails with features like countdowns, polls, and more.
The main complaint I see about Flodesk is that you edit your email content/design on one screen, then click “next” to edit the subject and preview text, then “next” to schedule – which is clunky and frankly, annoying.
While Convertkit’s email designs are more basic, you can still add images, headings, and more – and you edit all of the information for your email on one screen, which makes that aspect slightly more simple.
Custom Fonts
This is probably one of the first things you’ll look for to customize your forms and emails, so it gets its own shoutout –
To use custom fonts in Flodesk, simply upload the files and…use them. To do it in Convertkit, you’ll need custom CSS (which is an annoying barrier, and out of most users’ skill sets) – so if having precisely on-brand emails is your goal (and you can’t code or hire it out), choose Flodesk.
Winner
Flodesk, by a mile.
Flodesk vs Convertkit: Signup Forms
Both Flodesk and Convertkit have the ability to build a variety of sign-up forms to actually get people onto your email list.
Flodesk’s form options rapidly grew in 2024 with the addition of spinner and countdown forms.
- Link in bio (like Linktree, although I recommend you just use a page of your website for this)
- Pop-up
- Inline (embedded on the page – the form appears where you put it)
- Full page (hosted by Flodesk)
- Spinner (spin a wheel and land on a prize)
- Countdown (shows a countdown to an offer ending to create urgency)
Convertkit Forms
Convertkit’s options include forms (embedded on your website or another online page that you own) and landing pages (full-page forms hosted by Convertkit or your own domain).
When choosing an embedded form, you can select from four options:
- Inline (embedded on the page – the form appears where you put it)
- Modal (pop-up that covers the page content)
- Slide-in (at the bottom of the page, like a chat box)
- Sticky bar (across the whole top of the page, like an announcement banner)
After choosing a form type, you can pick from a variety of templates, customize your form, and take it live. My biggest beef with Convertkit forms? The need for custom CSS to make simple aesthetic changes, like adding a custom font.
Winner
Flodesk wins hands-down for having more creative form types (those spinners are SO fun)! But I’d also argue that both can work to create aesthetic forms, since I actually recommend prioritizing embedded forms on your own website (like this).
Flodesk Vs Convertkit: Automations
Both Flodesk and Convertkit allow you to create email sequences that send automatically when triggered, which is a non-negotiable feature. Flodesk calls these “workflows” and Convertkit calls them “visual automations.”
You’ll need this type of automation to send people any lead magnets or resources they’re promised, and it’s also how you deliver a welcome sequence (or another type of sequence).
To me, one of THE biggest differentiators between Flodesk and Convertkit is how subscribers can enter an automation. With Convertkit, you can create multiple points of entry into your automation (with Flodesk, it’s just when users get added to segments – so it’s a little clunky).
That means you can trigger an automation to start not just when a subscriber is added to a tag/category, but when they:
- Buy something
- Fill out a custom field
- Join a specific form
Winner: Convertkit, for more trigger and customization options (although Flodesk’s rapid increase in features in 2024 make me think it’s hot on Kit’s heels).
A/B Testing
A/B testing is just the ability to test two different emails/subject lines/pieces of writing against each other to see which performs “better.” Convertkit offers A/B split testing for email subject lines only, and Flodesk doesn’t offer it – so there’s not a lot to talk about here!
Flodesk Vs Convertkit: Deliverability
Most sources agree that the deliverability of emails sent from Flodesk and Convertkit is comparable – butttttt there’s some nuance here, because:
- Flodesk emails tend to have more images (they’re designed to be more aesthetic, and anytime you use a custom/uploaded font, Flodesk renders it as an image so that it shows up correctly everywhere).
- Spam emails tend to be image-heavy, so email servers associate having a ton of images (even if they’re text-based) with spammy content.
- This can lead to your deliverability dropping over time IF you rely on a lot of images to get your point across.
So, Flodesk has a little more room for user error – but by limiting your use of custom fonts and images (which you should do on any platform), you can keep your delivery rates high.
And while we're talking about deliverability…
I've seen people across the entire Internet yapping about email platforms and deliverability, and need to clear a few things up:
- The deliverability of your emails is mostly influenced by your domain reputation (which is exactly what it sounds like; skip here for how to make yours better)
- Part of keeping your reputation and sendability GREAT is cleaning out your list. You're more likely to clean out your list regularly if your platform forces it (like Convertkit/Kit, which charges more for more subscribers), which is why *some* Flodesk users complain about deliverability (because Flodesk is one fee for unlimited subscribers, and they forget to clean up their list)
YOUR EMAIL DELIVERABILITY IS MORE RELATED TO HOW YOU USE YOUR LIST THAN WHERE YOU KEEP YOUR LIST.
Thank you, I'll calm down now.
It's hard – almost impossible, actually – to fully come back from tanking your sender reputation, so make sure it's good from the get-go by:
- Verifying your domain with your provider
- Warming up a new domain, if you have one
- NOT CHANGING YOUR EMAIL SOFTWARE ALL THE TIME
- Sending regular emails, and not just when you're selling something
- Cleaning your list and purging inactive users (at least once a year)
You can also follow these tips (on any platform) to keep your list “clean”!
Flodesk Vs Convertkit: Pricing
The prices below are month-to-month. Both companies offer a discount for annual subscriptions.
Flodesk Pricing
Flodesk’s pricing tiers are simple – $38/month for email marketing, and add $26/month for e-commerce ($64/month total) to sell digital products through your email list.
Convertkit Pricing
Convertkit offers a “Freemium” plan, in which your first 10,000 subscribers are free (with one email sequence and one basic visual automation, which limits the speed with which you can grow your list). As you move to a paid plan (for more automations and sequences), you pay by audience size.
The lowest paid tier of Convertkit is the creator plan with up to 300 subscribers, and bills at $15/month. The prices jump dramatically (in my opinion) as your list grows, with the same plan costing $79/month for 3000-4999 subscribers, and $119/month for 8000-9999 subscribers.
In case you’re nosy like me, the highest investment quoted on Convertkit’s site is $2,599/month for up to 400,000 subscribers on the Creator Pro plan – after that, they offer a custom quote.
Integrations
Convertkit provides more direct integrations than Flodesk – so if you have a more robust tech stack or multiple revenue streams, it’ll probably work better for you. However, you can integrate nearly anything to anything with Zapier, so you can make Flodesk work (it just takes more steps).
The dealbreaker for many online service providers is Convertkit’s integration with Thrivecart, which saves you a lot of Zapier setup if you’re trying to get people into your email list (or even just send them a product delivery sequence) after they buy from you.
So, who actually wins in a Flodesk vs Convertkit face-off?
As always – it depends.
If you’re mostly promoting services (and the occasional product) and you value the aesthetic of your emails – Flodesk forever.
If you have major plans for your email list with a lot of funnels and tech – Convertkit, hands down.
Try Flodesk
Get 50% off your first year of Flodesk here!
Try Kit
Try Kit here!