For most Shopify stores we recommend Klaviyo: it is built around Shopify data, ships with 60 plus prebuilt flows including abandoned cart, and is free up to 250 profiles, then about $30 a month at 1,000 profiles and $150 at 10,000, per third party price checks. If you want email and SMS for less as you grow, Omnisend costs about $132 a month at 10,000 contacts on Standard.
Shopify email apps with automated cart, browse and post purchase flows are mature and widely used. The hard part is cost: most bill on every reachable contact, including buyers who never opted in, and several hide tier prices behind calculators.- Our pickKlaviyoFree under 250 profiles; about $30/month at 1,000 profiles, per third party checks
- Best value for email and SMSOmnisendFree for 250 contacts; Standard from $16/month; Pro from $59/month
- Best free planBrevoFree for 300 emails/day; Starter from $9/month
- Budget pickMailerLiteFree for 250 subscribers; Comfort from $12/month
Klaviyo: our pick
Best for Shopify stores that want the deepest store data and flows, and will grow into SMS.
Klaviyo calls itself the preferred Shopify email platform partner and says more than 117,000 Shopify customers use it Klaviyo for Shopify ↗. Setup is a few clicks, and it syncs your store data to drive 60 plus prebuilt flows and 150 plus templates, with abandoned cart and welcome flows among them Klaviyo for Shopify ↗. Its email product page adds welcome series, cart reminders and post purchase follow ups across channels, an AI Composer that builds a campaign or flow from a prompt, and personalized send times Klaviyo email ↗.
Klaviyo's pricing page did not show plan prices in a form we could read, so we used two third party checks. Both list the email plan at $30 a month for 1,000 profiles, $100 for 5,000 and $150 for 10,000, with Email and SMS about $15 more at each tier SendX on Klaviyo ↗ Omnisend on Klaviyo ↗. The free tier covers under 250 active profiles and 500 email sends a month, according to Klaviyo's own page Klaviyo email ↗. That same page's FAQ says pricing starts at $60 a month, which does not match the calculator figures, so confirm your price at signup Klaviyo email ↗.
Read the billing rules. Klaviyo counts any profile that can be emailed as active, whether or not it opted in, including people who only gave an email at checkout Klaviyo billing ↗. Every account gets $5 of mobile messaging credit a month free Klaviyo billing ↗. On the Shopify App Store, Klaviyo has a 4.5 rating from 2,570 reviews, per a March 2026 roundup by Omnisend, a competitor Omnisend Shopify roundup ↗.
Why we like Klaviyo
- Built around Shopify data, 60 plus prebuilt flows
- AI Composer and personalized send time
- Email and SMS in one platform
- Free under 250 profiles
Where Klaviyo falls short
- Bills on every emailable profile, not just subscribers
- Pricing page and FAQ give conflicting starting prices
- Costs more than Omnisend and MailerLite at 5,000 contacts
Omnisend: best value for email and SMS
Best for growing stores that want Shopify automations and SMS for less than Klaviyo.
Omnisend is built for ecommerce, and it tracks the same shopper behavior Klaviyo does: its billing counts people who abandoned carts or browsed without subscribing, which shows those events reach your flows Omnisend pricing ↗. It has a 4.7 rating from 2,926 reviews on the Shopify App Store, per Omnisend's own roundup Omnisend Shopify roundup ↗.
Standard starts at $16 a month and sends up to 12 times your contact count each billing cycle; Pro starts at $59 a month with unlimited email under fair use Omnisend pricing ↗. Emailtooltester's August 2026 check lists Standard at $81 a month and Pro at $90 for 5,000 contacts, and $132 and $150 for 10,000 Emailtooltester on Omnisend ↗. That is less than Klaviyo's $100 and $150 email plans at the same sizes SendX on Klaviyo ↗ Omnisend on Klaviyo ↗. Paying three months up front cuts 30 percent off the first three months Omnisend pricing ↗.
SMS changed in 2026. Since May 4, 2026, new SMS is only on Pro, as an add on from $0.009 to $0.007 per US text depending on monthly spend Omnisend pricing ↗ Omnisend SMS ↗. Like Klaviyo, Omnisend bills non subscribers such as buyers who never opted in; only people who unsubscribe are excluded Omnisend pricing ↗.
Why we like Omnisend
- Ecommerce first, with cart and browse tracking
- Cheaper than Klaviyo at 5,000 and 10,000 contacts
- Unlimited email on Pro
- SMS from $0.007 a US text at volume
Where Omnisend falls short
- SMS now only on Pro
- Bills non subscribers who shopped or browsed
- Free plan sends to 250 contacts at most
Brevo: best free plan
Best for new stores that want a free plan with room for a large list.
Brevo's free plan stores up to 100,000 contacts and sends 300 emails a day, with a Sent with Brevo badge on every email Brevo free plan ↗. Up to 2,000 unique contacts can enter your automations on Free Brevo free plan ↗. That makes it the most generous free plan here for a store with a big imported customer list and a small send volume. Its Shopify app has a 4.8 rating from 1,791 reviews, per Omnisend's roundup Omnisend Shopify roundup ↗.
Brevo prices mostly on sends rather than contacts. Its help center lists Starter from $9 a month and Standard from $18, with tiers that tie a monthly send volume to a contact limit, starting at 5,000 sends and 500 contacts Brevo pricing ↗. Starter adds back in stock alerts, and Standard adds automation for unlimited contacts, A/B testing and AI send time optimization Brevo pricing ↗. Brevo does not list prices at 1,000, 5,000 or 10,000 contacts on that page, so use its calculator Brevo pricing ↗.
Its help page does not mention abandoned cart flows or Shopify features by plan, so test the Shopify connection on Free before you rely on it Brevo pricing ↗.
Why we like Brevo
- Free plan stores up to 100,000 contacts
- Paid plans from $9 a month
- Back in stock alerts on Starter
- Highly rated Shopify app
Where Brevo falls short
- Free sends capped at 300 a day
- Brevo branding on free emails
- Abandoned cart and Shopify features not described by plan
MailerLite: budget pick
Best for small stores that mostly send newsletters and want the lowest cost per contact.
MailerLite is the cheapest paid option we priced at every list size. Emailtooltester's August 2026 check lists the Comfort plan at $19 a month for 1,000 subscribers, $49 for 5,000 and $89 for 10,000, and Power at $39, $69 and $129 Emailtooltester on MailerLite ↗. MailerLite's own page lists Comfort from $12 and Power from $25 and says annual billing saves 10 percent MailerLite pricing ↗.
The trade off is Shopify depth. MailerLite lists a Shopify integration and ecommerce triggers, but its pricing page does not show which plans include them MailerLite pricing ↗. Its Shopify app has a 2.6 rating from 30 reviews, per Omnisend's roundup, far below the others here Omnisend Shopify roundup ↗. There is no SMS in its plans MailerLite pricing ↗.
The free plan covers 250 subscribers, 2,500 emails a month and 3 automations, and sending locks if you go over 250 active subscribers MailerLite pricing ↗ MailerLite free plan ↗.
Why we like MailerLite
- Lowest cost at 1,000, 5,000 and 10,000 subscribers
- Simple editor and plans
- Free plan with 3 automations
Where MailerLite falls short
- Weak Shopify app ratings
- No SMS
- Ecommerce features by plan not clearly shown
Compare them
| Tool | 1,000 contacts | 5,000 contacts | 10,000 contacts | Free plan | SMS | Shopify App Store rating | Best for |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| KlaviyoOur pick | About $30/mo | About $100/mo | About $150/mo | Under 250 profiles, 500 sends | Yes, $5 free credit monthly | 4.5 (2,570) | Most Shopify stores |
| OmnisendBest value for email and SMS | Not published; Standard from $16 | $81 Standard, $90 Pro | $132 Standard, $150 Pro | 250 contacts, 500 emails | Pro only, from $0.007/text | 4.7 (2,926) | Email and SMS on a budget |
| BrevoBest free plan | Priced by sends | Priced by sends | Priced by sends | 300 emails/day, 100,000 contacts | Add on | 4.8 (1,791) | Big lists, low send volume |
| MailerLiteBudget pick | About $19/mo | About $49/mo | About $89/mo | 250 subscribers, 2,500 emails | No | 2.6 (30) | Newsletter focused small stores |
| Mailchimp | Not shown; Standard from $20 at 500 | Not shown | Essentials $135 advertised | 250 contacts, 500 sends | Add on, select markets | 4.7 (1,048) | Stores already on Mailchimp |
| ActiveCampaign | Not published | Not published | Starter $149, per its blog | No; 14 day trial | Add on | Not listed | Complex automation |
Prices and features from each vendor’s site, checked Oct 9, 2026. Prices change often.
Who this is for
This guide is for Shopify store owners, from a first store doing a few orders a week to a brand with 10,000 customers. Our general guide to AI email marketing tools is for any small business sending newsletters. A Shopify store needs something different: an app that reads orders, products, carts and browsing from Shopify and sends the right message automatically.
The money in store email comes from automated flows, not one off campaigns: a reminder when someone leaves a cart, a follow up when they view a product, a thank you and review request after delivery, and a win back when a customer goes quiet. Klaviyo, for example, names abandoned cart, welcome and post purchase among its prebuilt flows Klaviyo for Shopify ↗ Klaviyo email ↗. A tool that cannot see your Shopify events can only send newsletters.
Billing is also different for stores. Most of these apps count every buyer they can email, not just people who subscribed Klaviyo billing ↗ Omnisend pricing ↗. A store with 5,000 past customers and 1,000 subscribers may pay for 5,000.
Why you should trust us
We read each vendor's pricing pages, plan comparisons and help articles and checked them on October 12, 2026. Several vendors only show prices inside an interactive calculator, so for tier prices we used dated third party checks from Emailtooltester, SendX and Omnisend and say so each time SendX on Klaviyo ↗ Omnisend on Klaviyo ↗ Emailtooltester on Omnisend ↗ Emailtooltester on MailerLite ↗. Omnisend sells a competing product, so we treat its numbers about rivals with care. Every fact links to its source.
No vendor paid for placement, and our picks were chosen on merit.
How we picked
We started with the email platforms Shopify stores use most and judged them on store specific jobs, not on newsletter features. Price was compared at three list sizes, 1,000, 5,000 and 10,000 contacts, using published or third party checked prices.
Shopify integration depth weighed most. We looked for a native app with strong ratings, prebuilt ecommerce flows and the ability to use cart and browse events. SMS mattered next, because texts are now a standard part of cart recovery. We also checked how each vendor counts billable contacts, since that drives real cost more than the headline price.
- Native Shopify app and Shopify App Store rating
- Prebuilt abandoned cart, browse, welcome and post purchase flows
- SMS in the same platform, and its price
- Cost at 1,000, 5,000 and 10,000 contacts
- How billable contacts are counted
- A usable free plan or trial
What it costs at 1,000, 5,000 and 10,000 contacts
At 1,000 contacts, MailerLite Comfort is about $19 a month Emailtooltester on MailerLite ↗ and Klaviyo email about $30 SendX on Klaviyo ↗ Omnisend on Klaviyo ↗. Omnisend's per tier prices at 1,000 were not in the checks we found; Standard starts at $16 for the smallest tier Omnisend pricing ↗. Mailchimp Standard starts at $20 for 500 contacts, but its page does not show tier prices Mailchimp pricing ↗.
At 5,000 contacts, MailerLite Comfort is about $49 Emailtooltester on MailerLite ↗, Omnisend Standard $81 and Pro $90 Emailtooltester on Omnisend ↗, and Klaviyo email about $100, or about $115 with SMS SendX on Klaviyo ↗ Omnisend on Klaviyo ↗.
At 10,000 contacts, MailerLite Comfort is about $89 Emailtooltester on MailerLite ↗, Omnisend Standard $132 and Pro $150 Emailtooltester on Omnisend ↗, Klaviyo email about $150 SendX on Klaviyo ↗ Omnisend on Klaviyo ↗, and ActiveCampaign Starter $149 according to ActiveCampaign's own blog ActiveCampaign cost math ↗. ActiveCampaign's article puts Mailchimp Essentials at an advertised $135 at 10,000 contacts ActiveCampaign cost math ↗.
Two warnings. First, the contact count is not your subscriber count. Klaviyo bills any profile that can be emailed Klaviyo billing ↗, Omnisend bills non subscribers who shopped or browsed Omnisend pricing ↗, and Mailchimp counts unsubscribed contacts too Mailchimp billing ↗. Clean or suppress old contacts before you move up a tier. Second, Brevo prices mainly on send volume, so a store that emails 5,000 contacts four times a month should price 20,000 sends rather than 5,000 contacts Brevo pricing ↗.
What Shopify email apps can and can't do today
They can run your core flows on autopilot. Klaviyo ships 60 plus prebuilt flows tied to Shopify data Klaviyo for Shopify ↗, and Omnisend tracks cart and browse behavior Omnisend pricing ↗. Brevo adds back in stock alerts on Starter Brevo pricing ↗.
They can write and time the emails. Klaviyo's Composer turns a prompt into a campaign or flow, and its personalized send time targets when each customer is likely to engage Klaviyo email ↗. Brevo's Standard plan includes AI send time optimization Brevo pricing ↗.
They cannot fix weak offers or deliverability on their own. Several free plans add the vendor's branding, such as Brevo's badge Brevo free plan ↗, and free tiers cap sends tightly: 500 a month on Klaviyo and Omnisend, 300 a day on Brevo Klaviyo email ↗ Omnisend pricing ↗ Brevo free plan ↗.
Before you sign up
Count your real billable contacts. Export your Shopify customers and compare that number to your subscriber count, because Klaviyo and Omnisend can bill for both Klaviyo billing ↗ Omnisend pricing ↗.
Turn on the four flows that matter first: abandoned cart, browse abandonment, welcome and post purchase. If the app cannot trigger on cart and product view events from Shopify, keep looking.
Check SMS terms before you collect phone numbers. Omnisend now sells SMS only on Pro Omnisend pricing ↗, Klaviyo gives every account $5 of free mobile messaging a month Klaviyo billing ↗, and Mailchimp sells SMS as an add on in select markets Mailchimp pricing ↗.
- Export Shopify customers and compare to your subscriber count
- Suppress or delete unengaged contacts before upgrading tiers
- Set up cart, browse, welcome and post purchase flows first
- Price SMS separately from email
- Start on monthly billing until the flows prove themselves
What to look forward to
AI is moving from writing emails to running programs. Klaviyo's Composer builds whole flows from a goal, and Klaviyo is testing a Customer Hub for Shopify stores in public beta Klaviyo email ↗ Klaviyo for Shopify ↗.
We also expect more pricing changes like Omnisend's 2026 move of SMS to Pro Omnisend pricing ↗. Recheck your plan's limits once a year.
The competition
MailchimpStarts at $13/month; AI from $20/month
Mailchimp has a 4.7 rating from 1,048 reviews on the Shopify App Store, per Omnisend's roundup Omnisend Shopify roundup ↗. Standard starts at $20 a month and Essentials at $13 for 500 contacts on 12 month promotional pricing, and Essentials limits automation flows to 4 steps Mailchimp pricing ↗. SMS is a paid add on, and MMS is only on Standard and Premium for US and Canada contacts Mailchimp compare plans ↗. Mailchimp counts unsubscribed contacts toward your bill Mailchimp billing ↗, which hurts stores with long customer lists.
ActiveCampaignNot stated (prices not displayed when checked)
ActiveCampaign is strong on complex automation, with a standard Shopify integration on lower plans and a premium Shopify Plus integration on higher ones, plus a 14 day trial with no card ActiveCampaign pricing ↗. Its pricing page shows no prices; its own blog puts Starter at $149 a month at 10,000 contacts ActiveCampaign pricing ↗ ActiveCampaign cost math ↗. SMS is an add on ActiveCampaign pricing ↗.
Questions people ask
Is Klaviyo worth it for a small Shopify store?
Under 250 profiles it is free, with 500 email sends a month Klaviyo email ↗. At 1,000 profiles third party checks put it at about $30 a month SendX on Klaviyo ↗ Omnisend on Klaviyo ↗, versus about $19 for MailerLite Emailtooltester on MailerLite ↗. Klaviyo is worth the extra if you will use its Shopify flows and SMS; for newsletters only, MailerLite is cheaper.
Klaviyo or Omnisend for Shopify?
Both are built for ecommerce and rate well on Shopify, 4.5 for Klaviyo and 4.7 for Omnisend in Omnisend's roundup Omnisend Shopify roundup ↗. Omnisend costs less at scale: about $132 a month on Standard at 10,000 contacts versus about $150 for Klaviyo email Emailtooltester on Omnisend ↗ SendX on Klaviyo ↗. Klaviyo has more prebuilt flows and AI tools Klaviyo for Shopify ↗ Klaviyo email ↗. Omnisend now sells SMS only on Pro Omnisend pricing ↗.
What is the best free email marketing app for Shopify?
Brevo's free plan stores up to 100,000 contacts and sends 300 emails a day Brevo free plan ↗. Klaviyo's free tier covers under 250 profiles and 500 sends a month Klaviyo email ↗, and Omnisend's free plan sends to up to 250 contacts Omnisend pricing ↗. Brevo adds its branding to free emails Brevo free plan ↗.
Do Shopify email apps charge for customers who did not subscribe?
Often, yes. Klaviyo counts any profile that can be emailed, regardless of consent status Klaviyo billing ↗. Omnisend bills non subscribers who placed an order, abandoned a cart or browsed, excluding only unsubscribers Omnisend pricing ↗. Mailchimp counts subscribed, unsubscribed and non subscribed contacts Mailchimp billing ↗.
Which Shopify email app includes SMS?
Klaviyo sells email and SMS together and gives $5 of free mobile messaging a month Klaviyo billing ↗ Omnisend on Klaviyo ↗. Omnisend offers SMS on Pro from $0.009 to $0.007 per US text Omnisend pricing ↗ Omnisend SMS ↗. Mailchimp, Brevo and ActiveCampaign sell SMS as an add on Mailchimp pricing ↗ Brevo pricing ↗ ActiveCampaign pricing ↗. MailerLite does not include SMS in its plans MailerLite pricing ↗.
How much does email marketing cost for 10,000 contacts on Shopify?
About $89 a month on MailerLite Comfort Emailtooltester on MailerLite ↗, $132 on Omnisend Standard Emailtooltester on Omnisend ↗, $149 on ActiveCampaign Starter per its own blog ActiveCampaign cost math ↗ and about $150 on Klaviyo email SendX on Klaviyo ↗ Omnisend on Klaviyo ↗. Brevo prices on sends instead of contacts Brevo pricing ↗.
Where this comes from
Checked Oct 9, 2026. Vendor pages describe their own products; independent sources add outside views. Built from 19 sources: the makers' own pages plus independent reviews and user reports. We have not run our own hands on test yet; if we do, the results will appear here.
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