Who this move suits
Kit suits creators who send a newsletter and sell or nurture with sequences and tag-based automations. Kit's model is one list with tags, which is simpler than Mailchimp's multiple audiences but means every list distinction you had becomes a tag. [1]
Check plan fit before you move. Kit's pricing page lists a Free plan for up to 10,000 subscribers that does not include sequences or Visual Automations, Creator at $33 a month or $390 billed yearly for 1,000 subscribers, and Pro at a first-year price of $50 a month that renews at the standard rate. [6] If your Mailchimp account relies on automations, you need a paid Kit plan, and that is also the plan that includes Kit's migration service. [5]
Importer or CSV: pick the route
Kit offers a dedicated Mailchimp importer: go to Subscribers, Add Subscribers, Other provider, Mailchimp, and paste a Mailchimp API key. Kit says it imports all your Mailchimp contacts with their audience, group, tag and geolocation data, and that geolocation, contact rating and subscribe date come only through this route. Kit emails you when the import finishes. [2]
The CSV route uses Mailchimp's export (Audience, Export audience, Export CSV), which may arrive as a ZIP with one file per contact type and a TAGS column. [7] Upload with Import a CSV, map email and first name, map custom fields to Kit custom fields you create first, map the tag column to Comma-separated list of tags, and repeat for each audience. Columns you do not map are not imported, duplicates are merged, and blank cells overwrite existing values. [2] [4]
| Data | API importer [2] | CSV import [2] [4] |
|---|---|---|
| Email and first name | Yes | Yes, mapped by you |
| Merge fields as custom fields | Not stated in Kit's article; check after import | Yes, if you create and map the fields |
| Audience, group, segment and tag as Kit tags | Yes | Tags column only; add an audience tag yourself |
| Geolocation, contact rating, subscribe date | Yes | Not supported |
| Choice of which status files to include | Not documented | Yes: upload only the subscribed file |
| Blank cells overwrite existing data | Not documented | Yes |
How Mailchimp tags, groups and audiences land in Kit
Kit builds tags from three sources: list names, existing Mailchimp tags, and list plus interest group combinations. A contact in a Newsletter audience with a Tech interest becomes tagged Newsletter:Tech; a contact in an audience called Photography Pros gets the tag Photography Pros. [1] [2]
Two consequences follow. First, if several Mailchimp audiences share people, they merge into one Kit subscriber carrying several tags, so your Kit subscriber count can be lower than the sum of your audiences. Second, any of those tag names that already exist in Kit as automation entry points will fire. Before importing, list your Mailchimp audiences, groups and tags, predict the Kit tag names, and compare them with your Kit automations.
Stop the welcome email firing on imported readers
Kit is explicit that imports can trigger automations: tags added to Mailchimp contacts will trigger any Automation Rules and Visual Automations that use them as an entry point. [2] Its import FAQ gives two workarounds. For Visual Automations, swap the tag or form entry point for a temporary placeholder tag, import, then restore the original entry point and delete the placeholder. For Automation Rules, disable the rule before importing and re-enable it after. [3]
Three more rules from Kit's documentation matter here. Adding imported people to an active Email Sequence starts its emails. Importing into a repeatable sequence restarts it from the beginning for them. Importing into a double opt-in form confirms them automatically, so they skip the confirmation email. [4] [3] Kit names a new import tag Imported plus the import date and time by default. [4] Importing into that tag only, with no form or sequence selected, avoids all three effects, as long as no automation listens to that tag.
- Before import: list every Visual Automation and Automation Rule, and its entry tag or form.
- Re-point any matching Visual Automation entry point to a placeholder tag; disable matching rules.
- Import into a dedicated Imported tag only; do not add to forms or sequences.
- After import: check one imported subscriber's profile for unexpected sequence or automation activity.
- Restore entry points, re-enable rules and delete the placeholder tag.
Rebuild inventory
Kit's Mailchimp guide sends you to a separate rebuild article for each item. Use this as your inventory sheet, one row per form, template, automated campaign and journey. [1]
| Mailchimp item | Kit equivalent | Kit's guidance [1] | Covered by Kit's migration service [5] |
|---|---|---|---|
| Embedded and popup forms | Kit forms | Pick the closest template; design will not match exactly | Concierge (10K+) |
| Landing pages | Kit landing pages | Rebuild from a template | Not named on the migrations page |
| Email templates | Kit email templates | Start from the closest template; add logo and persistent elements | Concierge (10K+) |
| Automated email campaigns | Email Sequences | Copy content and set send schedules | Concierge, as automation emails |
| Customer journeys and classic automations | Visual Automations | Rebuild entry points and steps | Concierge, as automation emails |
| Contacts, tags, lists, segments | Subscribers and tags | Importer or CSV | Essentials and Concierge |
Kit's included migration service
Kit's migrations page says migration is included with every paid Kit plan. Essentials is for creators with fewer than 10K subscribers and moves subscribers, tags, lists and segments in 2 to 5 business days. Concierge is for 10K or more and adds forms, automation emails, email templates and integrations such as Zapier, Kajabi and ClickFunnels, on a timeline that varies by request. [5]
The process Kit describes: you get a private portal where its team manages the move, the team builds the new setup while you keep sending as normal, tests your automations and integrations, imports your subscribers and schedules the switch during your lowest-traffic window. [5] Even with the service, own the entry-point check above yourself, because you know which readers should not get the welcome series.
Cutover checklist
- Choose the importer (keeps location, rating and subscribe date) or CSV (lets you control which statuses come across).
- Predict Kit tag names from Mailchimp audiences, groups and tags.
- Re-point or disable every automation entry point those tags would hit.
- Import into an Imported tag only; check counts against Mailchimp's subscribed total.
- Rebuild forms, landing pages, templates, sequences and Visual Automations; replace form embeds on your site.
- Restore automation entry points and test each one with your own address.
- Keep your Mailchimp export files, including unsubscribed and cleaned, as a record.
Questions before you decide
Does Kit's Mailchimp importer bring unsubscribed or cleaned contacts?
Kit's Mailchimp import article does not say. If you need certainty, export from Mailchimp and import only the subscribed CSV, then check counts in Kit against Mailchimp's subscribed total.
How do Mailchimp groups map to Kit?
Kit turns audiences, groups, segments and tags into tags. Kit's example: a Newsletter list with a Tech interest group becomes a tag named Newsletter:Tech. Kit keeps one list for all subscribers.
Is Kit's migration service free?
Kit's migrations page says migration is included with every paid Kit plan. Essentials covers lists under 10K subscribers with subscribers, tags, lists and segments; Concierge, for 10K and up, adds forms, automation emails, templates and integrations.
How do I stop imported subscribers getting my welcome email?
Kit's import FAQ says imports can trigger automations. Swap a Visual Automation's tag or form entry point for a placeholder tag during the import, disable Automation Rules, and do not add imported readers to sequences.
Sources & verification
Product details and prices can change. Check the linked provider before buying.
- Kit Help: Migrating from Mailchimp to Kit Accessed 30 Oct 2026
- Kit Help: How to import your Mailchimp contacts into Kit Accessed 30 Oct 2026
- Kit Help: Importing subscribers into Kit, what to know (FAQs) Accessed 30 Oct 2026
- Kit Help: How to import a subscriber list Accessed 30 Oct 2026
- Kit: Free migration for creators Accessed 30 Oct 2026
- Kit pricing Accessed 30 Oct 2026
- Mailchimp Help: View or export contacts Accessed 30 Oct 2026
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