ClickFunnels vs ConvertKit: Which Is Best for Your Business Needs?

Finding the right online marketing tools can be overwhelming with so many options to choose from. Two of the most popular platforms are ClickFunnels and ConvertKit, trusted by thousands of businesses for sales funnel creation and email marketing. But if you had to choose just one for your needs, how do you decide?

In this comprehensive comparison guide, we’ll dive into the key differences between ClickFunnels and ConvertKit. We’ll explore their core features, ease of use, pricing, ideal use cases, and do an in-depth analysis on which solution works best for different business goals.

Whether you’re looking for an all-in-one marketing automation platform or a specialized email marketing tool, this guide will help you determine if ClickFunnels or ConvertKit is the best fit. You’ll learn how to match these powerful funnel building and email marketing tools to your specific requirements. Let’s get started!

ClickFunnels and ConvertKit Overview

Before we dive into the details, let’s quickly overview what each platform does.

ClickFunnels

ClickFunnels is an all-in-one marketing solution designed to help businesses drive more sales through high-converting funnels. It lets you easily create optimized sales funnels complete with landing pages, order forms, upsells, and more. You don’t need any technical skills since it has an intuitive drag-and-drop interface.

It’s great for businesses looking for complete funnel and page building capabilities.

ConvertKit

ConvertKit, on the other hand, is focused specifically on email marketing automation for creators and bloggers. It makes it easy to create email campaigns, automate messages, and segment your subscribers. With ConvertKit, you can grow and engage your email list without hassling with complicated set up.

It’s ideal for bloggers, course creators, and businesses focused on email marketing campaigns.

In a nutshell:

ClickFunnels	ConvertKit
Excels at building high-converting sales funnels	Specializes in email marketing automation
Complete funnel/page builder	Create email campaigns, automation
Intuitive drag-and-drop interface	Segment and engage subscribers

Features Comparison

Now that we’ve covered the core focuses of ClickFunnels and ConvertKit, let’s compare some of their key features and capabilities.

ConvertKit’s Core Features

ConvertKit comes packed with great features for email marketing automation. Here are some of the highlights:

Tag-based segmentation – Easily split your subscribers into segments so you can target emails precisely.
Automation manager – Set up sequences of timed email campaigns to go out automatically.
A/B testing – Test different email subject lines to see which perform best. Limited to subject line testing only though.
Landing pages – Create customized landing pages to capture emails with your own styling.
Email templates – Access basic built-in email templates to quickly create campaigns.
Integrations – Connect other tools like your website, payment processor, etc. through Zapier.
Excellent support – Get timely support via live chat, email, and active user communities.

Overall, ConvertKit focuses on providing powerful email marketing tools in an easy-to-use package. The segmentation makes it great for targeting content to specific subscriber groups.

ClickFunnels’ Core Features

ClickFunnels also packs in features, but focuses on building conversion-optimized funnels:

Complete funnel builder – Create entire sales funnels from scratch with the drag-and-drop builder.
Pre-built templates – Use pre-made funnel templates for common scenarios like product launches or webinars.
Funnel sharing – Easily collaborate by sharing funnels with other ClickFunnels users.
Robust A/B testing – Test entire funnel variants, not just landing pages.
Extensive integrations – Connect a myriad of third-party tools.
Training programs – Access their FunnelFlix program with marketing courses and training.
Strong support – Get quick support through email, chat, and an active community forum.

In summary, ClickFunnels provides all the tools you need for high-converting sales and marketing funnels. From funnel builder to landing pages to automation, it’s got you covered.

Ease of Use

When evaluating marketing tools, ease of use is make or break for me. Complex, confusing platforms usually don’t last long in my stack. Here’s an in-depth look at how ClickFunnels and ConvertKit compare on usability and learning curve based on my hands-on experience with both.

ClickFunnels

In my experience, ClickFunnels makes funnel building incredibly easy even for total beginners. The drag-and-drop builder interface is super intuitive and has allowed me to quickly create high-converting funnels without needing to code.

Some examples of how ClickFunnels makes funnel building easy:

Drag-and-drop page builder – Easily piece together opt-in pages, sales pages, upsell flows, and more by dragging and dropping elements like text, images, buttons, etc. No HTML/CSS skills needed.
Pre-built templates – ClickFunnels offers tons of professionally designed templates for common funnel types like product launch, webinar registration, lead magnet, etc. I can just select a template and customize it.
Step-by-step funnel guides – The platform provides suggested funnel structures and step-by-step instructions for setting up funnels for things like product sales, free plus shipping offers, online courses, and more. Super helpful for funnel newbies like myself!
Tutorials and courses – ClickFunnels offers thorough onboarding checklists and video tutorials for getting started. Their FunnelFlix program also includes hours of video courses on funnel strategy, setup, promotion and more. When I get stuck, I can quickly find an answer.

Overall, ClickFunnels offers every resource I need as a beginner funnel builder to get up and running quickly without frustration. The drag-and-drop editor makes it so much easier than trying to build funnels from scratch on a platform like WordPress. I’m able to build high-converting funnels in ClickFunnels faster than any other platform I’ve tried.

ConvertKit

ConvertKit also offers an exceptionally clean, simple user interface that makes email marketing automation accessible for me as a user. Here are some examples:

Intuitive workflow – The core workflow of creating an email campaign, sending to segments, and setting up automation makes sense and is easy to grasp as a new user. I was able to set up my first campaign in under 10 minutes without confusion.
Clean editor – The email editor has a very clean interface for crafting campaign content. I can quickly customize templates or build my own emails with their styling tools.
Easy automation – I was able to set up timed email sequences and triggers like “send an email when a subscriber is tagged” without headaches. Super intuitive even for automation newbies.
Excellent getting-started resources – ConvertKit offers thorough onboarding checklists, video tutorials, and blog articles that held my hand as a new user. When I need help, the knowledge base provides step-by-step instructions.

While ConvertKit doesn’t have the extensive training library of ClickFunnels, it provides every resource I need to master the core platform as a beginner user. Both ConvertKit and ClickFunnels have fantastic usability, but ClickFunnels goes above and beyond on educating users through their FunnelFlix program.

Pricing and Value

When selecting marketing software, pricing is always an important factor I have to weigh closely. Here is an in-depth look at how the plans and costs for ClickFunnels and ConvertKit compare based on using both platforms for my business:

ConvertKit’s Pricing Plans

ConvertKit offers four tiers:

Free Plan – The free plan allows up to 1,000 subscribers and basic features like broadcasts and sequences. I started here but quickly needed more advanced features.
Paid Creator Plan – Starting at $29/month for up to 1,000 subscribers. Key features unlocked include automations, landing pages, and split tests. This plan worked well for me as a new business with a small audience. I was impressed with the value for the price.
Paid Creator Pro Plan – Starting at $79/month for up to 3,000 subscribers. The Creator Pro plan unlocks advanced features like unlimited automations, unlimited landing pages, and advanced deliverability features. Once my subscriber list grew over 1,500, I upgraded to take advantage of the expanded capabilities.
Custom Enterprise Plan – For companies with over 3,000 subscribers, you can request a custom enterprise quote. I haven’t needed to upgrade to this level yet, but it’s nice knowing ConvertKit can scale with my business.

Overall, ConvertKit’s paid plans offer excellent value in my experience, unlocking more advanced functionality at affordable price points. I never felt like I was overpaying for features I didn’t use at any stage.

ClickFunnels Pricing

In comparison, ClickFunnels has two core paid packages:

Basic Plan – $97/month. This plan provides access to all the funnel building tools, templates, and basic integrations needed for most small businesses. For me as a new user, the basic plan met my needs for building landing pages and simple sales funnels without advanced features.
Platinum Plan – Starting at $297/month. This unlocks more advanced features like Actionetics automation, backpack affiliate tools, and funnel flix training. The platinum plan offers enterprise-level capabilities, but the price tag is steep for early-stage businesses.

One unique aspect of ClickFunnels is they offer Etison Suite bundles that include both ClickFunnels and other tools like Backpack and Actionetics. This can offer a cost savings but require paying annually.

For most small businesses, the basic $97/month plan offers the best value out of the gate. The Platinum plan is better suited for established businesses ready to invest in premium features.

My Selected Plan and Cost Analysis

Given my budget and business needs, I opted to go with ConvertKit’s $79/month Creator Pro plan plus ClickFunnels $97/month basic plan.

Here’s a breakdown of my costs:

ConvertKit: $79/month ($948/year) – Provides all the email marketing and automation capabilities I need to segment and grow my audience.
ClickFunnels: $97/month ($1,164/year) – Enables me to easily build high-converting landing pages and sales funnels.

Total = $176/month ($2,112/year)

This combination offers complete email marketing automation and funnel building for less than $200 a month. Based on the capability increases I’ve seen in email subscribers and conversion rates, the value has been well worth the costs thus far in using both tools.

Ideal Users and Use Cases

With any marketing software, it’s important to understand who the tool is designed for and common use cases. Here is an in-depth look at ideal users and situations for harnessing the power of ConvertKit and ClickFunnels:

ConvertKit for Content Creators

Based on my experience, ConvertKit shines when used by:

Bloggers – Building an email subscriber list helps bloggers promote new content to readers. ConvertKit’s automation makes it easy to set up sequences like “welcome” and “new blog post” emails to continually engage readers.
Info Publishers – Those publishing tutorials, online courses, guides, and ongoing value will thrive with ConvertKit. Complex automations with segmented groups and timed drips allow you to create multi-step onboarding journeys and continually educate subscribers.
YouTube Creators – Video creators can build their fanbase by converting viewers into email subscribers. Email keeps them engaged between uploads. Sequences help onboard fans and alerts notify them of new videos.
Podcasters – Podcasters can grow their listener base by offering lead magnets in exchange for emails. ConvertKit helps segment listeners and automate promotions of new episodes to drive more downloads.
Coaches / Consultants – Coaches and consultants often cultivate student or client email lists. Complex automations help onboard new clients with dripped training while broadcasts promote new offerings and events.

In summary, any creator focused on leveraging email marketing automation will see tremendous value from incorporating ConvertKit into their tech stack. The platform streamlines complex workflows for segmenting subscribers based on behaviors and funneling them into tailored journeys.

ClickFunnels for Customer-Focused Businesses

On the other hand, here are examples of businesses that derive immense value from ClickFunnels:

eCommerce Brands – eCommerce brands can leverage ClickFunnels to create post-checkout upsell/downsell flows to increase order values. It also helps onboard customers with automations like abandoned cart sequences.
SaaS Companies – From offering free trials to automating renewal payment collection, ClickFunnels excels at onboarding and monetizing Software-as-a-Service subscribers. Multi-step funnels convert free users to paying members.
Coaches / Consultants – Coaches use ClickFunnels to generate leads through opt-in funnels and automate follow-ups to close sales of high-ticket offers. It’s perfect for selling group programs or 1-on-1 services.
Agencies – Marketing and web design agencies leverage ClickFunnels to quickly build custom landing pages, webinar registration flows, and other high-converting funnels for clients. Easily duplicate and modify pages.

For any business focused on converting strangers into paying customers, ClickFunnels can become the command center driving higher conversion rates. Lead gen to checkout, it provides all the required tools in one place.

Pros and Cons

Based on my hands-on experience, here is an overview of the main pros and cons I encountered using both ConvertKit and ClickFunnels:

ConvertKit Pros

Simple automation – ConvertKit makes it easy for me to set up complex email sequences, triggers, and journeys without headaches. This saves me tons of time trying to automate workflows myself.
segmentation – I love the ability to tag subscribers and send them down targeted paths. Sending hyper-personalized emails has led to much higher open and click rates.
Landing pages – Creating high-converting landing pages is a breeze with ConvertKit. I can quickly customize templates or make my own for lead capture.
Affordable pricing – Especially compared to other robust email marketing platforms, ConvertKit’s pricing offers strong value in my opinion at every tier. I’ve happily upgraded as my needs scaled.
Excellent deliverability – I rarely have issues with emails ending up in spam or being blocked. ConvertKit seems to have deliverability down to a science.
Fantastic support – Whenever I need support, ConvertKit’s team is super responsive via live chat, email tickets, and the Facebook community.

ConvertKit Cons

Limited email design – While functional, ConvertKit’s editor is simpler than a dedicated design platform. Those wanting extremely custom emails may be left wanting more.
Steeper learning curve – ConvertKit has a longer ramp-up than something like Mailchimp. Mastering complex automations and sequences takes time. But the investment has been worthwhile.
No native CRM – ConvertKit focuses solely on email. There is no built-in CRM for managing contacts and sales pipeline beyond emails. But it integrates well with CRMs.

ClickFunnels Pros

All-in-one sales funnel building – Everything I need to create optimized funnels from lead capture to checkout is handled in ClickFunnels. Huge time saver.
Pre-built templates – Taking proven pre-made funnel templates and customizing them to my needs gives me a running start vs. building from scratch.
Excellent training – Resources like FunnelFlix with hours of video training have helped me level up my funnel strategy and skills tremendously.
Built-in CRM and automation – Tools like Actionetics provide robust contact management and complex automation without needing separate software.
Fantastic community – The Facebook group and other ClickFunnels communities are full of helpful members always willing to help answer questions.

ClickFunnels Cons

Steep learning curve – While ClickFunnels makes funnel building more accessible, mastering advanced functionality still requires time and commitment. But as with ConvertKit, the investment has paid off for me.
Can get expensive – Once you move beyond the basic $97/month plan, costs can rise quickly. It’s important to assess needs vs. costs carefully.
Occasional slow page builder – Due to the heavy lifting ClickFunnels does behind the scenes, I’ve noticed slow downs when building complex funnels on higher traffic sites. But their support has helped.

Conclusion

If you’ve made it this far, hopefully I’ve armed you with a comprehensive comparison of ConvertKit and ClickFunnels features, pricing, ideal use cases, pros and cons based on my own experience using both platforms extensively. Let’s recap the key takeaways:

ConvertKit – Best for Email Marketing Automation

For managing an email subscriber list, engaging your audience through broadcasts and automations, and converting readers into buyers, ConvertKit is an excellent choice.

Some of the factors that make ConvertKit my top pick for complex email marketing include:

Intuitive automations and sequences that help you create multi-step buyer journeys to nurture subscribers
Powerful segmentation for sending hyper-targeted emails based on tags and behaviors
Simple-yet-effective landing page builder to capture more email subscribers
Top-notch deliverability to ensure your emails reach inboxes
Affordable pricing and exceptional support team

If you want to streamline engaging and converting your email subscribers without needing a full sales funnel builder, ConvertKit is hard to beat.

ClickFunnels – Best for All-in-One Funnel Building

On the other hand, if you want to automate and optimize your entire sales process from converting strangers to paying customers, ClickFunnels is incredibly powerful.

Reasons I recommend ClickFunnels for funnel building and end-to-end sales process automation include:

Robust funnel builder to take leads through your sales cycle from opt-in to checkout
Pre-built templates and guides to create proven, high-converting funnels faster
Built-in CRM and email marketing to manage leads and contacts
Advanced automation through Actionetics for complex subscriber journeys
Unparalleled funnel analytics to identify and remove bottlenecks
Outstanding training resources like FunnelFlix for continuous skills improvement

For taking control of your sales process from lead generation to maximizing customer lifetime value, ClickFunnels has all the tools required in one unified platform.

Evaluate Your Specific Goals

Of course, I recommend evaluating your specific business model, resources, and goals closely to choose the best software for your needs. For many businesses, a combination of both ConvertKit and ClickFunnels offers a complete email marketing and sales funnel solution. Consider taking advantage of their free trials to experience the platforms firsthand.

ClickFunnels VS ConvertKit – FAQ

1. Is ConvertKit better for email marketing automation and ClickFunnels better for sales funnels?

Yes, ConvertKit specializes in email marketing automation like broadcasts, sequences, automation, and list segmentation. ClickFunnels excels at building optimized sales funnels with landing pages, order forms, upsells, etc. ConvertKit focuses on email subscribers while ClickFunnels manages leads through the entire sales process.

2. Can you use ConvertKit and ClickFunnels together?

Absolutely! Many businesses use ConvertKit for email marketing and ClickFunnels for sales funnels. The two platforms integrate well together. ConvertKit can feed email subscribers directly into ClickFunnels as leads flow through your funnel.

3. Does ConvertKit have funnel-building or landing page capabilities?

ConvertKit has basic landing page builder features to create opt-in pages, welcome gates, etc. However, its funnel capabilities are limited compared to ClickFunnels. ConvertKit focuses on email automation as its core competency.

4. Can you do email marketing automation in ClickFunnels?

Yes, ClickFunnels includes email marketing features to manage lists, send broadcasts, and set up automation and sequences. But ConvertKit offers more advanced deliverability, segmentation, automation and design.

5. What types of businesses use ConvertKit most?

ConvertKit is popular among bloggers, content creators, coaches, e-commerce brands, and info publishers. It excels for businesses focused on leveraging email subscribers.

6. What types of businesses use ClickFunnels most?

ClickFunnels is heavily used by B2B SaaS companies, digital agencies, coaches, e-commerce brands, and service businesses. It works well for companies focused on sales funnels.

7. Does ConvertKit have a free plan?

Yes, ConvertKit offers a free plan with basic features for up to 1,000 subscribers. This makes it easy to try ConvertKit for small businesses and bloggers. ClickFunnels also has a 14-day free trial.

8. Is ClickFunnels better for beginners or advanced funnel builders?

ClickFunnels is great for beginners thanks to easy funnel building and pre-made templates. However advanced users can also benefit from sophisticated features like Actionetics automation. ConvertKit also scales well for beginners and experts alike.