Why people leave Drip
Drip made waves when it launched with powerful visual automation and smart tagging. It was the sophisticated choice for e-commerce stores that outgrew Mailchimp. But times have changed, and so has Drip's position in the market.
The price creep
Drip used to be the affordable powerful option. Now at $184/month for 10,000 subscribers, it's in the same tier as Klaviyo. When you're paying premium prices, you start asking if you're getting premium value. Many users find Klaviyo offers more e-commerce features at similar pricing.
Read more about choosing the right email platform for your business.
E-commerce tunnel vision
Drip doubled down on e-commerce after Leadpages acquired it. Great if you run a Shopify store. Not great if you run a SaaS, agency, or content business. You're paying for Shopify integrations, product recommendations, and cart abandonment flows you'll never use.
For SaaS companies, tools built specifically for SaaS like Sequenzy make more sense.
Competitors caught up
When Drip launched, its automation was genuinely ahead. Now ActiveCampaign matches it with a CRM included. Klaviyo exceeds it for e-commerce. Customer.io beats it for behavioral automation. The unique value proposition has narrowed.
The alternatives, honestly
If you're a SaaS: Sequenzy
Sequenzy is what I'd recommend for SaaS founders looking at Drip. AI generates entire email sequences from descriptions like "5-email onboarding for project management SaaS." Stripe integration syncs customer data automatically.
No e-commerce features - it's email for SaaS, done well. $19/mo for 10k emails vs Drip's $184. See our Drip comparison page for details.
If you want better e-commerce: Klaviyo
If you're leaving Drip because e-commerce features aren't good enough, Klaviyo is the upgrade. Best-in-class Shopify integration, sophisticated flows, predictive analytics, SMS included. More expensive but the features justify it for serious stores.
Check our Klaviyo comparison page for a detailed breakdown.
If you want automation + CRM: ActiveCampaign
ActiveCampaign gives you Drip-level automation plus a built-in CRM, site tracking, and lead scoring. At $79/month for 10k contacts (Plus plan), it's significantly cheaper while offering more. Good for businesses beyond pure e-commerce.
If budget matters: Brevo or MailerLite
Brevo offers unlimited contacts from $25/month with pay-per-email pricing. MailerLite is $73/month for 10k with a cleaner interface. Neither matches Drip's automation depth, but they cover 80% of use cases at 20-40% of the price.
The pricing comparison
At 10,000 subscribers/contacts:
- Drip: $184/month (all features included)
- Sequenzy: $19/month (SaaS focus + AI)
- Klaviyo: $175/month (best e-commerce + SMS)
- ActiveCampaign Plus: $79/month (automation + CRM)
- MailerLite Growing Business: $73/month
- Brevo: ~$25/month base + per email
Note: Drip and Klaviyo pricing has converged. If you're paying Drip prices for e-commerce, Klaviyo likely offers more value. See our pricing page for Sequenzy details.
When Drip is still the right choice
Drip wins if:
- You've built complex automations you don't want to recreate
- The tagging system is deeply integrated in your workflow
- You're an e-commerce store comfortable with the pricing
- You prefer Drip's cleaner interface over Klaviyo's complexity
Don't switch just because everyone's talking about alternatives. Migration has costs. If Drip is working well for your e-commerce business, the grass isn't necessarily greener. But if you're not e-commerce, or if you're questioning the value at current prices, the alternatives are genuinely competitive now.
Use our email validator tool to clean your list before migrating, and check your deliverability setup with our SPF checker and DMARC checker.