Why I Ditched Mailchimp (and What I Use Now Instead)

I remember the exact moment I started hating Mailchimp. It was 2 AM, I had a newsletter to send to 2,000 subscribers, and the interface had changed again. My carefully crafted email looked like a toddler designed it. I stared at my screen, exhausted, and thought: “There has to be something better.” So I spent the next two weeks testing every alternative I could find. Here’s what I learned, and honestly, some of it surprised me. ## SendFox: The Email Tool for People Who Hate Email Tools SendFox feels like it was built by someone who actually sends emails, not a team of marketers in a boardroom. It’s dead simple. You import your list, write an email, and hit send. That’s it. No endless templates, no A/B testing overload, no “smart” features that make things dumber. I tested it for a client project, and I was shocked at how fast I could get a campaign out the door. The best part? It integrates with Carrd, ConvertKit, and even WordPress without you needing a degree in API wrangling. You can also send emails from your own domain, which makes you look less spammy. But here’s the catch: SendFox is basic. Really basic. You don’t get advanced segmentation or fancy automations. If you’re a marketer who needs complex drip campaigns, you’ll feel like you’re in a cage. For me, a freelancer who just wants to share updates and links, it’s perfect. And the price? It’s almost too cheap. Like, suspiciously cheap. But I’ve been using it for three months, and it works. No hidden fees, no surprise price hikes. Just emails that get sent. One thing I’ll note: the deliverability is solid. I’ve had fewer bounces than with Mailchimp, which is saying something. But if you’re a control freak who needs to track open rates down to the second, this tool will frustrate you. It’s for people who want to hit send and move on with their lives. ## ConvertKit: The Overachiever That Costs a Fortune ConvertKit is the tool everyone recommends, and I get why. It’s built for creators like you and me. The tagging system is genius. You can tag subscribers based on what they click, where they came from, or even their zodiac sign (okay, not that, but close). I used it for a course launch, and the automation was slick. I set up a sequence that sent different emails based on whether someone opened the first one. It felt like magic. But here’s the thing: ConvertKit is expensive. Like, painfully expensive. Once you hit 1,000 subscribers, you’re paying $29 a month. For 3,000, it’s $59. I’ve seen freelancers cry over their ConvertKit bills. And the interface? It’s clean, but it’s also… cold. There’s no warmth. You feel like you’re using a tool designed by engineers, not humans. Plus, the visual automation builder is a nightmare. I spent an hour trying to connect a trigger to an action, and I still don’t think I did it right. I’ll be honest: if you have the budget and you’re serious about email marketing, ConvertKit is powerful. But for most people, it’s overkill. You’re paying for features you’ll never use. I switched back to SendFox after my course launch, and I didn’t miss a thing. ConvertKit is like owning a Ferrari to drive to the grocery store. Sure, it’s cool, but you’re paying a lot for something you don’t need. ## Brevo (Formerly Sendinblue): The Swiss Army Knife With a Weird Pricing Model Brevo is the tool I wanted to hate but ended up respecting. It’s not flashy. The interface looks like it was designed in 2012. But it works. I used it for a client who needed both email and SMS marketing, and Brevo handled both without breaking a sweat. The drag-and-drop editor is clunky, but it gets the job done. And the reporting is detailed. You can see who opened, clicked, and even where they clicked. It’s almost too much data. The pricing is where Brevo gets weird. They charge by the number of emails you send, not by subscribers. So if you have a small list but send a lot of emails, you’ll pay more. For me, that was fine—I send once a week. But for someone blasting daily deals, it could get expensive fast. Also, the free plan is generous (300 emails a day), but the branding is ugly. You get a “Sent via Brevo” footer that looks like a virus warning. Not great for your brand. What I love about Brevo is the CRM. It’s not Mailchimp’s fake CRM—it’s a real one. You can track deals, manage contacts, and even set tasks. It’s like having a mini Salesforce in your email tool. But that also makes it complex. If you just want to send a newsletter, Brevo is overengineered. For a small business that needs everything in one place, it’s a lifesaver. ## Honest Comparison: Which One Should You Chose? Look, I’m not going to pretend there’s a perfect tool. Each one has trade-offs. SendFox is cheap and simple but lacks features. ConvertKit is powerful but expensive and cold. Brevo is versatile but clunky and has weird pricing. Here’s my rule of thumb: if you’re a solo freelancer or creator with under 5,000 subscribers, go with SendFox. Don’t overthink it. If you’re running a course or membership site with complex funnels, ConvertKit is worth the money—but only if you actually use the automations. If you’re a small business that needs email, SMS, and CRM in one tool, Brevo is your best bet. I personally use SendFox for my main newsletter and Brevo for client work. It’s not perfect, but it works. And you know what? That’s all I need. I don’t need a tool that promises to “revolutionize” my email marketing. I need one that sends my emails, doesn’t break the bank, and lets me sleep at night. ## Frequently Asked Questions (People Actually Ask These) **Can I import my Mailchimp list to these tools?** Yes, but it’s a hassle. Most tools let you export your list from Mailchimp as a CSV, then import it. But Mailchimp is sneaky—they sometimes add extra fields that break the import. I recommend cleaning your list first (remove duplicates, fix typos). And always check the formatting. I lost 50 subscribers once because of a date field error. Annoying, but fixable. **Do these tools have landing pages?** Sort of. SendFox has basic landing pages that look like they’re from 2018. ConvertKit has decent ones, but they’re limited. Brevo’s landing pages are better, but still not as good as dedicated tools like Carrd or Unbounce. If you need serious landing pages, don’t rely on your email tool. Use a separate platform. **Will my deliverability be better than Mailchimp?** Probably. Mailchimp has been flagged for spam issues in the past, and their deliverability has dropped. I’ve had better results with SendFox and Brevo. But deliverability depends on your list quality, not just your tool. Clean your list regularly. Remove inactive subscribers. And don’t send too many emails. That’s the real secret. So there you have it. Three alternatives, one honest opinion. Dont let the marketing hype fool you—pick the tool that fits your actual workflow, not the one with the fanciest website. Your inbox will thank you.