Quick Verdict

Migrating email providers is like moving a graveyard. One wrong move and your dead ancestors (subscribers) are gone forever. Mailchimp *** (3/5) — okay for tiny lists, but they’ll bleed you dry once you grow. ConvertKit **** (4/5) — best for creators who don’t want to think about automations. Amazon SES ***** (4.5/5) — dirt cheap, but you need a PhD in DNS to set it up. The real MVP? A clean CSV and a backup plan. Don’t be a hero.

Okay. Here’s the thing nobody tells you about email migrations: your subscribers don’t give a shit about you. They care about what’s in their inbox. If you do this wrong, you’ll lose a third of your list before lunch. I’m not exaggerating. I did this twice. First time I lost 400 subscribers because I exported the list, imported it, and immediately hit "send" on my welcome email to 10,000 people who hadn’t heard from me in 18 months. That’s how I learned about re-engagement sequences. Fun.

Also, I accidentally emailed my entire client list with the subject line "Test" one time. That was on the old provider, but it taught me a valuable lesson about double-checking segments. You’ll probably do something dumber. Just try not to.

So here’s the how-to. I’m assuming you’ve already picked a new provider. If you haven’t, scroll down to the Pros & Cons section first