Klaviyo is the default for Shopify catalogs, flows, and revenue attribution; Email starts around $20 a month for 251 to 500 contacts (verified August 2026). Omnisend is the store-first email plus SMS plus push alternative. Drip unlocks the full automation set from its $39 floor. Attentive is SMS-first, not an email suite. Yotpo sits next to reviews and loyalty. Mailchimp and Brevo (Starter $9, send-based) cover stores that are not ready for Klaviyo pricing. Mailjet is another send-based cheap rung. Kit (ConvertKit) is creator-first, not store-first.
Ranked for Shopify catalogs, checkout flows, and SMS on the same customer profile, not for creator newsletters.
A store does not need a prettier newsletter editor. It needs a catalog sync, cart and checkout events, flows that fire on browse and purchase, and often SMS on the same profile. Toolradar data: Toolradar lists 10,429 published tools as of September 1, 2026, including 103 published email-marketing tools, 58% of them free or freemium (10 free-only, 50 freemium, 39 paid).
This guide ranks 9 email and messaging products for ecommerce work: Shopify (and similar) catalogs, lifecycle flows, and SMS. We reused the August 2026 vendor-page check from the cheapest-email guide for Klaviyo Email at about $20 a month for 251 to 500 contacts and 5,000 sends, and for Brevo Starter at $9 a month on emails sent. We treated Attentive as an SMS platform that happens to sit in the same buying conversation, and we treated Kit (still listed under the convertkit slug) as a creator product that stores sometimes try anyway.
The split that matters is store-native event data versus a generic list. If your catalog, checkout, and post-purchase sequence live in Shopify, Klaviyo or Omnisend will beat a creator ESP that only knows subscribers. If you send a lot of campaigns to a large list and barely use product events, Brevo or Mailjet can stay cheaper for longer.
Top Picks
Picked by editorial review, informed by G2 and Capterra review volume and rating and by media mentions, the signals behind our category rankings. How we rate
Email plan is about $20 a month for 251 to 500 contacts and 5,000 sends (verified August 2026). Free covers 250 profiles. The Shopify catalog and flow default.
Starting price
From $20 /mo
4.6 (1,901 reviews)
Best for
Shopify and similar stores that want catalog sync, lifecycle flows, and revenue attribution in one profile
Store-first email, SMS, and push on one Shopify-friendly profile, with a usable free rung before Pro.
Starting price
From $16 /mo
4.6 (2,080 reviews)
Best for
Ecommerce brands that want email plus SMS plus push without buying Attentive and a second ESP
Entry tier is $39 a month for up to 2,500 contacts with unlimited sends and the full automation set unlocked.
Starting price
From $39 /mo
4.4 (480 reviews)
Best for
Ecommerce brands that want workflows, dynamic segments, and onsite pop-ups without feature-gating by tier
| Tool | Starting price | Rating | Best for |
|---|---|---|---|
| Klaviyo | From $20/mo | 4.6 1,901 reviews | Shopify and similar stores that want catalog sync, lifecycle flows, and revenue attribution in one profile |
| Omnisend | From $16/mo | 4.6 2,080 reviews | Ecommerce brands that want email plus SMS plus push without buying Attentive and a second ESP |
| Drip | From $39/mo | 4.4 480 reviews | Ecommerce brands that want workflows, dynamic segments, and onsite pop-ups without feature-gating by tier |
| Attentive | Custom | 4.6 1,599 reviews | Brands that already have email covered and want a dedicated two-way SMS program |
| Yotpo | From $15/mo | 4.4 642 reviews | Shopify brands that already want photo reviews and points, and may add Yotpo messaging later |
| Mailchimp | From $13/mo | 3.9 31,997 reviews | Small catalogs that want templates and journeys without Klaviyo's ecommerce price climb yet |
| Brevo | From $9/mo | 4.6 6,219 reviews | Stores with a large list and modest send volume that want the lowest send-based floor |
| Mailjet | From $9/mo | 4.1 630 reviews | Stores that send a moderate campaign load and want a send cap, not a contact cap |
| Kit | From $33/mo | 4.5 480 reviews | Founder newsletters and digital products sitting beside a store, not as the store's cart-abandonment engine |
- Starting price
- From $20/mo
- Free plan
- Yes
- Rating
- 4.6 (1,901 reviews)
Best for: Shopify and similar stores that want catalog sync, lifecycle flows, and revenue attribution in one profile
- Pro: Email at about $20 a month for 251 to 500 contacts matches the cheapest-email guide check from August 2026
- Pro: Free plan covers 250 profiles, 500 monthly emails, and enough AI composer credits to draft first flows
- Pro: Shopify, WooCommerce, and catalog events ship on every tier, including free
- Con: SMS is billed apart from Email, so the real store bill is email plus texts plus contacts
- Con: Contact-based pricing climbs as the list grows, which hits active stores faster than send-based Brevo
Since February 2025, billing is based on total active profiles (not just emailed contacts), which effectively raised prices for most users.
Watch out
Since Feb 2025, you pay for ALL active profiles, not just contacts you email. Imported but unengaged contacts still count toward billing
- Starting price
- From $16/mo
- Free plan
- Yes
- Rating
- 4.6 (2,080 reviews)
Best for: Ecommerce brands that want email plus SMS plus push without buying Attentive and a second ESP
- Pro: Email, SMS, and push share one customer record, which keeps opt-in and revenue in one place
- Pro: Shopify and WooCommerce automations (cart, order, browse) are first-class, not a plugin afterthought
- Pro: A free or low paid rung exists so a new store can launch flows before Pro
- Con: Per-contact and per-message pricing still climbs once SMS volume is material
- Con: Reporting depth trails Klaviyo on large catalogs and multi-brand setups
Omnisend's pricing is fair, especially with a generous free tier for up to 250 contacts.
- Starting price
- From $39/mo
- Free plan
- No
- Rating
- 4.4 (480 reviews)
Best for: Ecommerce brands that want workflows, dynamic segments, and onsite pop-ups without feature-gating by tier
- Pro: $39 a month for 2,500 contacts includes unlimited email sends, so campaign frequency does not raise the bill
- Pro: Up to 50 workflows, dynamic segmentation, and onsite pop-ups ship from the entry tier
- Pro: Open API and sub-accounts are not held for a later upsell
- Con: No permanent free plan; the only no-cost path is the 14-day trial
- Con: Live chat support starts at higher spend ($99 a month in the cheapest-email check), not at $39
Drip's pricing is on the higher side for smaller contact lists, with the 2,500 People tier at $39/month offering standard features.
- Starting price
- Custom
- Free plan
- No
- Rating
- 4.6 (1,599 reviews)
Best for: Brands that already have email covered and want a dedicated two-way SMS program
- Pro: Sign-up units, two-way conversations, and journeys are built around SMS, not an email UI with a text field
- Pro: Shopify checkout, purchase, and browse events trigger texts without a custom integration
- Pro: Compliance tooling for opt-in matters once SMS volume is a real line item
- Con: This is not your email ESP; you still need Klaviyo, Omnisend, Drip, or similar for the inbox
- Con: Platform fee plus SMS fees add up faster than email, so it is the wrong first buy for a tiny list
The 'Text Only' tier likely offers a competitive entry point for SMS, but the value of 'Text and Email' and 'Text, Email, and Push' depends heavily on the cost-effectiveness of their integrated solutions compared to standalone providers.
Watch out
Overage fees for exceeding message limits
- Starting price
- From $15/mo
- Free plan
- Yes
- Rating
- 4.4 (642 reviews)
Best for: Shopify brands that already want photo reviews and points, and may add Yotpo messaging later
- Pro: Star, photo, and video reviews display on product pages and feed post-purchase asks
- Pro: Loyalty and referrals share the customer record with reviews, so a review can earn points
- Pro: Shopify-native widgets reduce custom script work for UGC
- Con: Paid from the start; a reviews-only store can overpay versus a thinner reviews app plus Klaviyo
- Con: Yotpo is not a replacement for Klaviyo or Omnisend on catalog flows and attribution
The Enterprise tier is custom, indicating higher costs for large-scale operations.
Watch out
Overage fees for exceeding order limits
Mailchimp
Essentials is $13 a month for 500 contacts and 5,000 sends. A recognizable ESP that can connect a store, not a store-native default.
- 4.5 on Capterra (17,598 reviews)
- 4.3 on G2 (12,988 reviews)
- 2.6 on Trustpilot (1,411 reviews)
- Starting price
- From $13/mo
- Free plan
- Yes
- Rating
- 3.9 (31,997 reviews)
Best for: Small catalogs that want templates and journeys without Klaviyo's ecommerce price climb yet
- Pro: Essentials at $13 a month for 500 contacts undercuts Klaviyo Email at about $20 for the same contact band
- Pro: A/B testing, custom branding, and multi-step journeys ship on Essentials
- Pro: Shopify connection and ecommerce templates exist, so a small store can launch without a second vendor
- Con: Free plan is 250 contacts and 500 monthly sends as of 2026, and automation past single-step is gone from free
- Con: At 5,000 contacts Essentials is roughly $75 a month, which is not a bargain versus send-based Brevo
Mailchimp was once the default email marketing tool for small businesses, and its free tier was legendary.
Watch out
ALL contacts count: subscribed, unsubscribed, non-subscribed, and 'cleaned' contacts all count toward your plan limit. You pay for contacts who unsubscribed last year unless you manually archive them. This inflates costs by 20-40% for most lists
- Starting price
- From $9/mo
- Free plan
- Yes
- Rating
- 4.6 (6,219 reviews)
Best for: Stores with a large list and modest send volume that want the lowest send-based floor
- Pro: Starter begins at $9 a month for 5,000 emails, then $18 for 20,000 and $29 for 40,000
- Pro: Free plan allows up to 300 emails a day with unlimited contact storage
- Pro: SMS and WhatsApp are add-ons from Starter, not gated to Enterprise
- Con: Removing the Brevo logo costs an extra $9 a month on Starter
- Con: Advanced automation and A/B testing sit on Business, not Starter
Brevo's pricing is quite competitive, especially at the entry level.
- Starting price
- From $9/mo
- Free plan
- No
- Rating
- 4.1 (630 reviews)
Best for: Stores that send a moderate campaign load and want a send cap, not a contact cap
- Pro: Starter at $9 a month for 8,000 emails, with a 10 percent annual discount on the cheapest-email check
- Pro: Free plan includes 6,000 emails a month and 1,000 contacts, plus API and SMTP relay
- Pro: No daily send cap on Starter, unlike the free plan's 200-emails-per-day limit
- Con: Advanced segmentation and marketing automation sit on higher tiers
- Con: Not built as a Shopify flow engine the way Klaviyo or Omnisend are
Mailjet's Free tier is quite generous with 6,000 emails per month, making it a good starting point.
- Starting price
- From $33/mo
- Free plan
- Yes
- Rating
- 4.5 (480 reviews)
Best for: Founder newsletters and digital products sitting beside a store, not as the store's cart-abandonment engine
- Pro: Free plan supports up to 10,000 subscribers, the highest free subscriber cap in this set
- Pro: Creator is $33 a month billed annually for 1,000 subscribers, versus $39 monthly
- Pro: Landing pages, forms, and broadcasts exist on free; creator commerce sits on paid
- Con: This is a creator ESP (ConvertKit rebranded to Kit). It is not a Shopify catalog and checkout-flow product
- Con: Free is capped to one automation, and Kit branding stays until you pay
ConvertKit's pricing is fair for creators, with a generous free tier up to 10,000 subscribers.
What Ecommerce Email Marketing Actually Means
Ecommerce email marketing is an ESP wired to a store: products, variants, prices, carts, orders, and often reviews. A flow is a message that fires on an event (checkout started, order placed, product viewed) rather than a campaign you send to a static list. SMS is the same profile, a different channel, with a higher cost per send and stricter opt-in rules.
Klaviyo, Omnisend, and Drip are built around that event model. Mailchimp can connect a Shopify store and still behaves like a general ESP once you leave the ecommerce templates. Brevo and Mailjet price by emails sent, which helps a large list that emails rarely. Attentive is SMS-first: sign-up units, two-way texts, and journeys built around the phone, not the inbox. Yotpo is a reviews and loyalty suite that also sells messaging, so it shows up when a brand wants UGC and lifecycle in one vendor. Kit (ConvertKit) is a creator ESP: tags, landing pages, digital products. It is not a store catalog engine.
Why Store Events Beat a Pretty Template
A cart-abandonment flow that cannot see line items, images, or checkout URL is a newsletter with a coupon. Revenue attribution that cannot tie a send to an order is a vanity open rate. Stores pay for those two jobs, then add SMS when email frequency is maxed out.
Billing units also punish the wrong buyer. Klaviyo and Mailchimp climb with contacts. Brevo Starter at $9 and Mailjet Starter at $9 climb with emails sent. A 40,000-profile list that sends one campaign a month can look cheap on Brevo and expensive on Klaviyo. A 400-profile Shopify brand that runs ten flows will hit Klaviyo Email near $20 before it hits a send cap. Drip at $39 for 2,500 contacts with unlimited sends is the opposite bet: pay more on day one, stop counting emails.
Attentive versus Klaviyo SMS is a second decision. Running both SMS programs on one list splits compliance and burns the same subscriber twice. Pick one SMS owner.
Key Features to Look For
Flows versus campaigns (Essential)
Abandoned cart, browse abandonment, post-purchase, win-back, and replenishment are flows. A weekly campaign is not a substitute.
SMS ownership (Essential)
Attentive is SMS-first. Klaviyo and Omnisend sell SMS next to email. Do not run two SMS stacks on the same numbers.
Contact-based versus send-based price (Important)
Klaviyo Email is about $20 a month for 251 to 500 contacts. Brevo Starter is $9 for 5,000 emails. Mailjet Starter is $9 for 8,000 emails. Those are different meters.
Reviews and loyalty next to the send (Important)
Yotpo ties photo reviews and points to the same customer record. That is useful if you already pay Yotpo; it is not a reason to skip a dedicated ESP.
Creator tools that look like ecommerce (Nice to have)
Kit (ConvertKit) has a huge free subscriber cap and creator commerce. It does not replace a Shopify catalog sync.
Mistakes to Avoid
Expert Tips
- →
- →
- →
Keep Attentive for SMS-first programs. Keep Klaviyo or Omnisend if SMS is a second channel on the same profile.
- →
Use Yotpo when reviews and points are already in the stack. Do not add it as your first email vendor.
- →
The Bottom Line
For Shopify catalogs and flows, Klaviyo is the default (Email about $20 a month for 251 to 500 contacts) and Omnisend is the store-first email plus SMS plus push alternative. Drip unlocks automation from $39. Attentive is SMS-first. Yotpo is reviews and loyalty first. Mailchimp, Brevo (Starter $9 send-based), and Mailjet ($9 for 8,000 emails) cover stores that are not ready for Klaviyo's contact ladder. Kit (ConvertKit) is creator-first, not store-first.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the best email marketing tool for ecommerce in 2026?
Klaviyo is the usual pick for Shopify catalogs, flows, and revenue attribution. Omnisend is the closest store-first alternative if you want email, SMS, and push in one product. Drip is the better fit if you want the full automation set unlocked from the $39 floor.
How much is Klaviyo for a small store?
Klaviyo Email is about $20 a month for 251 to 500 contacts and 5,000 monthly sends, verified against the vendor page in August 2026 for the cheapest-email guide. Free covers 250 profiles and 500 emails. SMS is a separate bill.
Is Attentive an email platform?
Is Kit (ConvertKit) good for a Shopify store?
Kit is a creator ESP: tags, landing pages, digital products, and a free plan up to 10,000 subscribers. It is not store-first. Use it for a founder newsletter. Use Klaviyo or Omnisend for cart, checkout, and catalog flows.
When is Brevo cheaper than Klaviyo for a store?
When you have a large list and modest send volume. Brevo Starter is $9 a month for 5,000 emails, send-based. Klaviyo Email is about $20 for 251 to 500 contacts. A big list that emails rarely favors Brevo. A small list with many flows favors Klaviyo.
Cite this page: Toolradar, "Best Email Marketing for Ecommerce in 2026", updated September 2026, https://toolradar.com/guides/best-email-marketing-for-ecommerce
Sources
Prices and plan details on this page come from each vendor's own pricing page, re-checked by the Toolradar pricing tracker:
- Klaviyo pricing, checked
- Omnisend pricing
- Drip pricing, checked
- Attentive pricing, checked
- Yotpo pricing
- Mailchimp pricing, checked
- Brevo pricing, checked
- Mailjet pricing, checked
- Kit pricing, checked
Spotted an outdated price or a wrong fact? Suggest a correction: we check it against the vendor's own page. Work for one of these vendors? Claim your listing to update it yourself.
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