Why I left Mailchimp, and what I use for email in 2026
By Richard Patey. Last updated 29 October 2026.
Short answer: I left Mailchimp for Drip because I needed automation based on what people did, not just which list they were on. Today my newsletters run on beehiiv, because what I need now is growth tools and sponsorship, not ecommerce automation.
Why I left Mailchimp
Back then I was running funnels for FunnelEngine. I needed to tag people by what they clicked and bought, and send them down different sequences.
Why Drip
Drip treated each person as one subscriber with tags, not a copy on every list. Automations were visual and triggered by behaviour. For a funnel business that was the right tool.
What I use now
My businesses changed, so the tool changed. I run newsletters now, not funnels. Redundant is on beehiiv, which is built for newsletters: referrals, recommendations, a sponsor marketplace and paid subscriptions in one place. For B2B audiences I also publish on LinkedIn, where The Business of Padel reaches padel club owners directly.
How I’d choose in 2026
- Selling products with flows: an ecommerce tool like Klaviyo or Drip.
- Running a newsletter as the business: beehiiv.
- Reaching a B2B niche: a LinkedIn newsletter, then move readers to email.
More on that in newsletter business models.