How Circle and Klaviyo compare
Circle is where serious community hosts go when the community is the business. Spaces for discussion and chat, courses and events in the same place, paid memberships with branded checkout, gamification, workflows, Circle AI, and on Circle Plus your own branded iOS and Android apps. It has grown into an all-in-one for membership businesses, and the Website Builder and Email Hub mean many hosts no longer need a second tool for the front door. If your members log in every week to talk to each other, Circle is built for exactly that.
Klaviyo is the marketing brain of many online stores. Deep integration with Shopify and other platforms, behavior-based flows, predictive segments, email plus SMS plus push, and reporting that ties every send to revenue make it the standard for brands that live on repeat purchases. It is powerful and it is priced for that power.
Where they are different
Circle
- Circle's pages are the front door to a members-only space.
- Circle's Email Hub is an add-on priced per contact on top of the plan.
- Circle's DMs live between members inside the community.
- Circle has courses, live streams, paid tiers for users, and gamification.
Klaviyo
- Klaviyo needs a store to listen to.
- Klaviyo sends.
- Klaviyo optimizes revenue per send.
Choose Circle when a paid, private community with courses and events is the product, and you want members in a branded app.
Choose Klaviyo when you run an e-commerce brand and want email and SMS driven by store data.
Compare features
What's on Circle and Klaviyo
A check means that capability is available. Circle and Klaviyo are marked only when the offer is comparable, not the same product.
Site and brand
- Workspace siteCircle: IncludedKlaviyo: Not included
- Custom domainCircle: IncludedKlaviyo: Not included
Audience and email
- AudienceCircle: IncludedKlaviyo: Included
- Email templates and From addressesCircle: IncludedKlaviyo: Included
- Marketing emailsCircle: IncludedKlaviyo: Included
- Campaign workflowsCircle: IncludedKlaviyo: Included
Commerce
- Shop paymentsCircle: IncludedKlaviyo: Not included
Team
- Admin usersCircle: IncludedKlaviyo: Included
- Per-admin permissionsCircle: IncludedKlaviyo: Included
- AI AssistantCircle: IncludedKlaviyo: Included
* Note: This table does not capture every feature of Circle or Klaviyo, and is not intended as a comprehensive list. We keep this page current, but Circle or Klaviyo may add or remove features that are not shown here.
Circle vs Klaviyo pricing
Compare plans, prices, and what it costs to get started.
Circle
Current plans and prices
See what Circle charges on their pricing page.
Klaviyo
Current plans and prices
See what Klaviyo charges on their pricing page.
Cardel: An alternative to
Circle and Klaviyo
You don't pay until you publish.
Cardel provides a home for your craft. Share and sell your work, grow your audience, and bring your community together on a site of your own.
Common questions
Is Cardel an alternative to Circle or Klaviyo?
Cardel is a home for your craft: a site of your own with a blog, newsletter, shop, community, and one inbox. It can replace Circle or Klaviyo when you want your work, audience, and sales in one place. The feature list on this page shows where Circle and Klaviyo are marked.
Can I use Cardel with Circle or Klaviyo?
Yes. Cardel pages can link out to other products, so you can keep Circle or Klaviyo for what it does best and bring the rest of your work to Cardel.
How much does Cardel cost compared with Circle and Klaviyo?
You don't pay for Cardel until you publish. Choose Starter, Pro, or Studio when your site goes live. Circle and Klaviyo set their own prices, so check their pricing pages on this page for current plans.
How do I switch from Circle or Klaviyo to Cardel?
Start with Build Your Site, set up your home, and bring your work over at your own pace. You do not have to move everything on day one.