Best Email Marketing Platforms for Shopify in 2026: The Definitive Guide

TL;DR: The Best Email Marketing for Shopify in 2026

We installed, configured, and tested every major email marketing platform on a live Shopify store. Here are our top picks by store size:

Store size	Best pick	Why	Monthly cost
Under 1K subscribers	Shopify Email	Free for 10K emails/mo, zero setup	$0
1K–10K subscribers	Spoks	Flat $35/mo with unlimited contacts, built for Shopify	$35/mo
10K+ subscribers	Klaviyo	Deepest analytics and segmentation at scale	~$150+/mo

But those are shortcuts. If you're choosing the best email marketing for Shopify, the right answer depends on your budget, technical comfort, and growth trajectory. This guide breaks down all seven platforms we tested so you can make the call yourself.

How to Choose Email Marketing for Your Shopify Store

Before we rank platforms, here are the five things that actually matter when picking a Shopify email marketing app:

1. Shopify integration depth. Every platform on this list connects to Shopify. The question is how deep that connection goes. Can it sync real-time browsing data? Can it trigger flows from Shopify Flow events? Does it pull in product variants, not just product titles? The gap between a basic integration and a native one is the difference between "sends emails" and "drives revenue."

2. Automation quality. Abandoned cart emails are table stakes. What separates the best platforms is how they handle post-purchase flows, browse abandonment, win-back campaigns, and conditional branching. You want a flow builder that can handle "if cart value is over $100, wait 2 hours, then send email A — otherwise send email B" without requiring a computer science degree.

3. Pricing model. This is where Shopify store owners get burned. Most platforms charge by contact count, which means your bill grows every month even if your sending habits stay the same. Some charge by email sends. One charges a flat rate. Know which model works for your growth curve before you commit.

4. SMS capability. Email-only platforms are a shrinking category. In 2026, the best Shopify email tools include SMS as a built-in channel — not an afterthought bolted on at extra cost. Multi-channel automations that combine email and SMS in a single flow outperform email-only campaigns by 2–3x on recovery rates.

5. Deliverability. None of the features above matter if your emails land in spam. All seven platforms on this list maintain solid deliverability when used properly, but some offer dedicated IPs and better authentication support than others.

Top Shopify Email Marketing Apps: The 7 Best Platforms

1. Spoks — Best Flat-Rate Email Marketing for Shopify

Verdict: The only platform that charges a flat $35/month regardless of contact count — purpose-built for Shopify stores that want powerful automations without watching their bill climb.

Best for: Growing Shopify stores between 1K and 50K contacts who are tired of contact-based pricing.

Pricing: $35/month flat. Unlimited contacts. Unlimited emails. Email and SMS included. No tiers, no overages, no surprises.

Standout feature for Shopify: Native Shopify integration with real-time order sync, product recommendations in emails, and pre-built Shopify-specific automation flows (abandoned cart, post-purchase, browse abandonment, win-back) that you can launch in minutes. The flow builder handles conditional logic without complexity — you set the rules, and it runs.

What it lacks: Spoks is newer to the market than Klaviyo or Omnisend, so its template library is smaller and it doesn't yet offer predictive analytics like customer lifetime value scoring or churn probability. If you need enterprise-grade reporting dashboards, you'll want Klaviyo.

Rating: 4.5/5

Why we ranked it #1: For the vast majority of Shopify stores — those doing $10K to $500K per month — the combination of flat pricing, solid Shopify integration, and included SMS makes Spoks the best overall value. You can see how Spoks compares to Klaviyo or to Omnisend in our detailed comparisons.

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2. Klaviyo — Best for Data-Driven Shopify Stores

Verdict: The most powerful email marketing platform for Shopify — if you have the budget and the team to use it. Read our full Klaviyo review.

Best for: High-volume Shopify stores ($50K+/month revenue) with dedicated marketing staff.

Pricing: Free for 250 contacts and 500 emails/month. Paid plans start at $20/month for 500 contacts. Scales to ~$100/month at 5K contacts, ~$150/month at 10K, and ~$400/month at 25K. Email + SMS plans start at $35/month. Pricing is based on total active profiles — not just contacts you email.

Standout feature for Shopify: Predictive analytics powered by your Shopify data. Klaviyo can estimate each customer's expected next order date, predicted lifetime value, and churn risk — then trigger automations based on those predictions. No other platform on this list does this as well.

What it lacks: Affordable scaling. Once you pass 5,000 contacts, Klaviyo's costs accelerate quickly. Support response times on lower-tier plans have been a consistent complaint. The learning curve is real — budget 2–3 weeks for full onboarding if you're new to email marketing.

Rating: 4.5/5

If you're evaluating Klaviyo specifically, check our guides on Klaviyo pricing, Klaviyo alternatives, and Klaviyo vs Mailchimp for Shopify.

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3. Omnisend — Best Balance of Features and Price

Verdict: A strong mid-range option that gives you 80% of Klaviyo's capabilities at 60% of the cost. See our Omnisend vs Klaviyo comparison for a deep dive.

Best for: Shopify stores doing $20K–$100K/month that want solid automations without Klaviyo's price tag.

Pricing: Free for 250 contacts and 500 emails/month. Standard plan starts at $16/month for 500 contacts, scaling to ~$81/month at 5K contacts and ~$245/month at 25K. Pro plan ($59/month for up to 2,500 contacts) includes unlimited emails and SMS credits.

Standout feature for Shopify: Pre-built automation templates that are actually good. Omnisend's abandoned cart, welcome series, and post-purchase flows come ready to activate with tested copy and timing. You can have a full automation stack running within an hour of installation.

What it lacks: Advanced analytics. If you want predictive customer scoring, cohort analysis, or custom reporting dashboards, Omnisend won't satisfy. The template library, while functional, is smaller and less polished than Klaviyo's.

Rating: 4/5

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4. Mailchimp — Best for Stores That Need More Than Email

Verdict: The Swiss army knife of email marketing — it does everything, but nothing as well as the Shopify-focused platforms above. See how it stacks up in our Klaviyo vs Mailchimp for Shopify breakdown.

Best for: Shopify stores that also need landing pages, social ads management, and basic CRM features in a single tool.

Pricing: Free for up to 500 contacts (limited to 500 sends/month with Mailchimp branding). Essentials plan starts at ~$13/month for 500 contacts. Standard plan ~$20/month. Premium plan starts at ~$350/month. Note: Mailchimp removed its direct Shopify integration in 2019 and rebuilt it — the current integration works but has a rocky history.

Standout feature for Shopify: Multi-channel marketing hub. Mailchimp includes landing page builder, social media ad management, postcards, and basic CRM functionality. If you want one login for email, social, and ads, Mailchimp consolidates those tools.

What it lacks: E-commerce depth. Mailchimp was built for general marketing, not Shopify specifically. Its Shopify integration is functional but not as deep as Klaviyo's or Omnisend's. Automation flows are less sophisticated for e-commerce use cases. The free plan is now so limited (500 sends/month) that it's essentially a trial.

Rating: 3.5/5

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5. Shopify Email — Best Free Option for Beginners

Verdict: If you're just getting started and want to send basic campaigns without adding another app, Shopify Email is free and built right in.

Best for: New Shopify stores doing under $10K/month that need to start email marketing with zero budget.

Pricing: 10,000 emails per month free. After that, $1 per additional 1,000 emails. No monthly subscription. You pay only for what you send. For a store with 2,000 contacts sending 4 emails per month, that's 8,000 sends — entirely free.

Standout feature for Shopify: It's native. No app to install, no integration to configure, no data sync to troubleshoot. Your products, customer data, and branding are already there. Template editor pulls directly from your theme. Campaign creation takes minutes.

What it lacks: Almost everything beyond basic campaigns. Automation is limited to a handful of pre-built flows (abandoned cart, welcome email) with no conditional branching. No SMS. No advanced segmentation. No A/B testing. No revenue attribution per flow. You'll outgrow it quickly if email becomes a meaningful revenue channel.

Rating: 3/5

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6. Brevo (formerly Sendinblue) — Best Email-Volume Pricing

Verdict: If you have a large contact list but send infrequently, Brevo's per-send pricing model can save you serious money compared to contact-based platforms.

Best for: Shopify stores with large subscriber lists (10K+) that send 2–4 campaigns per month.

Pricing: Free for 300 emails/day (~9,000/month). Starter plan at $9/month for 5,000 emails/month. Business plan at $18/month for 5,000 emails with marketing automation, A/B testing, and advanced stats. Unlike every other platform on this list, Brevo charges per email sent — not per contact stored. A store with 20,000 contacts sending 40,000 emails per month would pay roughly $25–$35/month on Brevo vs. $200+ on Klaviyo.

Standout feature for Shopify: Per-send pricing model. If you maintain a large list but send targeted campaigns to segments rather than blasting everyone, Brevo's economics are unbeatable. Also supports transactional emails (order confirmations, shipping notifications) from the same platform.

What it lacks: E-commerce-specific features. Brevo's Shopify integration exists but is basic compared to Klaviyo, Omnisend, or Spoks. Product recommendation blocks are limited. Automation templates are generic, not Shopify-optimized. The drag-and-drop editor feels dated compared to competitors.

Rating: 3.5/5

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7. Drip — Best for E-Commerce Storytelling

Verdict: A strong e-commerce email platform with excellent visual workflows and content-focused features, but priced out of reach for most small Shopify stores.

Best for: Established Shopify stores ($100K+/year) that invest heavily in brand storytelling and content marketing through email.

Pricing: Starts at $39/month for up to 2,500 contacts. Scales to ~$99/month at 5,500 contacts and ~$154/month at 10,000 contacts. 14-day free trial, no free plan.

Standout feature for Shopify: Visual workflow builder that's arguably the most intuitive on this list. Drip's automation canvas makes complex multi-step flows easy to visualize and edit. Their Shopify integration includes dynamic product content, purchase-behavior segmentation, and revenue tracking per automation.

What it lacks: Affordable entry point. At $39/month for just 2,500 contacts (no SMS included), Drip is more expensive than Klaviyo at the same tier and significantly more expensive than Omnisend or Spoks. The platform has also shifted focus away from small business in recent years, which shows in their pricing and feature priorities.

Rating: 3.5/5

Full Comparison: All 7 Shopify Email Marketing Platforms

Platform	Starting price	Cost at 5K contacts	Cost at 25K contacts	SMS included	Shopify integration	Automation	Best for
Spoks	$35/mo flat	$35/mo	$35/mo	Yes	Strong	Strong	Flat-rate simplicity
Klaviyo	$20/mo (500)	~$100/mo	~$400/mo	Add-on	Best-in-class	Advanced	Data-driven stores
Omnisend	$16/mo (500)	~$81/mo	~$245/mo	Pro plan	Strong	Solid	Balanced value
Mailchimp	~$13/mo (500)	~$75/mo	~$310/mo	Add-on	Basic	Basic	Multi-channel marketing
Shopify Email	Free	Free*	Free*	No	Native	Basic	Beginners, zero budget
Brevo	$9/mo (5K sends)	~$25/mo**	~$35/mo**	Add-on	Basic	Solid	Large lists, low send volume
Drip	$39/mo (2,500)	~$99/mo	~$289/mo	No	Good	Strong	Brand storytelling

*Shopify Email: free for 10K emails/month, $1/1K after. Cost depends on send volume, not contacts. **Brevo: pricing based on 40K emails/month send volume, not contact count.

Free vs. Paid: What You Actually Get at $0

Four platforms on this list offer free plans. Here's what each one actually includes — and where the walls go up:

Shopify Email (Free): 10,000 emails per month with no contact limit. Uses your Shopify admin — no separate login. Limited to basic campaigns and a handful of pre-built automations. No segmentation beyond basic Shopify customer groups. No SMS. This is genuinely useful for stores sending under 10K emails monthly.

Klaviyo (Free): 250 contacts, 500 emails per month. Access to most features including flows and segmentation. The catch: 250 contacts is roughly 100 customers. You'll hit the paywall within your first month of real business. It's a trial, not a free plan.

Omnisend (Free): 250 contacts, 500 emails per month, 60 SMS messages. Similar constraint to Klaviyo — useful for testing the platform, not for running your marketing long-term.

Brevo (Free): 300 emails per day (about 9,000/month) with unlimited contacts. The most generous free plan by contact count, but the daily send limit is frustrating if you want to send a campaign to your full list in one batch.

The honest take: Free email marketing for Shopify works if you have under 500 subscribers and send fewer than 10,000 emails per month. The moment your store gains traction, you'll need a paid plan. The question is whether you want pricing that scales with your contacts (Klaviyo, Omnisend, Drip), your sends (Brevo), or stays flat regardless (Spoks).

How to Set Up Email Marketing on Shopify

If you're starting from scratch, here's the 5-step process that works regardless of which platform you choose:

Step 1: Install and connect. Go to the Shopify App Store, search for your chosen platform, and click Install. Every platform on this list offers a Shopify app with one-click data sync. Authorization takes about 30 seconds — you'll grant the app access to your customer data, order history, and product catalog.

Step 2: Import your existing contacts. If you have subscribers from a previous tool or a CSV file, import them now. Most platforms offer a migration tool for common platforms (Mailchimp to Klaviyo, Klaviyo to Omnisend, etc.). Deduplicate your list before importing — paying for duplicate contacts is a waste on contact-based platforms.

Step 3: Set up your core automations. At minimum, activate these three flows on day one:

• Welcome series — Triggers when someone subscribes. 2–3 emails over 5 days introducing your brand, offering a discount, and highlighting best sellers.
• Abandoned cart recovery — Triggers when someone adds to cart and doesn't purchase. 2–3 emails over 48 hours. This single flow typically recovers 5–15% of abandoned carts.
• Post-purchase follow-up — Triggers after an order is delivered. Asks for a review, suggests complementary products, or offers a repeat purchase discount.

Step 4: Create your first campaign. Design a simple broadcast email — a product launch, a seasonal promotion, or a newsletter. Use the platform's template editor and pull products directly from your Shopify catalog. Send it to your full list (or a segment) to test deliverability and engagement.

Step 5: Set up signup forms. Add an email capture popup to your storefront. Most platforms include a form builder that integrates with your Shopify theme. Best practice: offer a discount (10–15% off first order) in exchange for an email address. Set a delay so the popup appears after 5–10 seconds of browsing, not immediately on page load.

That's it. You can have a complete email marketing system running on your Shopify store within a single afternoon.

FAQ: Email Marketing for Shopify

What is the best email marketing platform for Shopify?

It depends on your store size and budget. For most growing Shopify stores, Spoks offers the best overall value with flat $35/month pricing and unlimited contacts. For data-driven stores with large budgets, Klaviyo provides the deepest analytics. For stores watching spend closely, Omnisend balances features and price well. Shopify Email works for stores just starting out with zero budget.

Is Shopify Email good enough for my store?

Shopify Email is good enough if you send basic campaigns (sales announcements, product launches) to a small list and don't need advanced automations. You'll outgrow it when you want conditional flows, advanced segmentation, SMS, A/B testing, or detailed revenue attribution. Most stores hit that point between 1,000 and 5,000 subscribers.

How much should I spend on email marketing for Shopify?

A healthy benchmark is 5–10% of the revenue email generates for your store. If your email channel drives $5,000/month in revenue, spending $250–$500/month on your email platform, design, and content is reasonable. For smaller stores, keeping costs under $50/month is realistic with platforms like Spoks ($35/month flat) or Omnisend's Standard plan.

Can I use multiple email marketing platforms on Shopify?

Technically yes, but you shouldn't. Running two platforms causes subscriber tracking conflicts, duplicated messages, and attribution confusion. The only exception is using Shopify Email for transactional notifications while using a dedicated platform for marketing — but most platforms handle both.

What email automations should every Shopify store have?

The five essential flows are: (1) welcome series for new subscribers, (2) abandoned cart recovery, (3) post-purchase follow-up and review request, (4) browse abandonment for window shoppers, and (5) win-back campaigns for lapsed customers. These five flows alone can generate 30–50% of your total email revenue on autopilot.

Is Klaviyo worth the price for small Shopify stores?

For most stores under $50K/month in revenue, Klaviyo's advanced features don't justify the premium pricing. You'll pay ~$100/month at just 5,000 contacts — and most of Klaviyo's power features (predictive analytics, advanced segmentation, custom reporting) require a dedicated marketer to use effectively. Platforms like Spoks or Omnisend offer better value for stores that don't have a full-time email marketing person on staff. See our Klaviyo alternatives guide for more options.

Does email marketing actually work for Shopify stores?

Yes — email marketing generates an average of $36–$45 for every $1 spent, making it the highest-ROI marketing channel for e-commerce. For Shopify stores specifically, automated flows (abandoned cart, post-purchase, welcome series) typically drive 25–40% of total email revenue. The key is choosing a platform that integrates deeply with Shopify so your emails are personalized with real product and purchase data, not generic blasts.

How do I migrate from one email platform to another on Shopify?

Most platforms offer migration tools that import your subscriber lists, segments, and sometimes basic automations from your previous platform. The general process is: (1) export your contact list from the old platform, (2) install the new platform's Shopify app, (3) import contacts and verify data mapping, (4) rebuild your core automations (most platforms have templates), and (5) update your signup forms and popups. Plan for 1–3 days of overlap where both platforms are active, then deactivate the old one. Make sure to cancel your old subscription after confirming everything is running on the new platform.

Final Verdict: Which Shopify Email Marketing Platform Should You Choose?

Choose Spoks if you want flat, predictable pricing that never increases as your list grows, solid Shopify-native features, and email + SMS in a single plan. Best value for stores from 1K to 50K contacts. See pricing.

Choose Klaviyo if you're a data-driven operation with dedicated marketing staff, high revenue ($50K+/month), and the budget to leverage advanced predictive analytics. Read our full review.

Choose Omnisend if you want a balanced option — more affordable than Klaviyo, more capable than Shopify Email — with strong pre-built automations and good Shopify integration. Best for stores in the $20K–$100K/month revenue range.

Choose Mailchimp if you need a multi-channel marketing hub that goes beyond email (landing pages, social ads, CRM). Not the best Shopify-specific option, but the broadest feature set.

Choose Shopify Email if you're just starting out, have zero budget, and need to send basic campaigns today. You'll outgrow it, but it's the right starting point for brand-new stores.

Choose Brevo if you have a large contact list but low send volume. Their per-email pricing model saves serious money for stores that send targeted campaigns to segments rather than full-list blasts.

Choose Drip if your brand invests heavily in storytelling and content-driven email marketing, and you have the budget for a premium platform without needing SMS.

The best email marketing platform for your Shopify store is the one that fits your budget today and won't force a painful migration when you grow. If you're not sure where to start, explore our guides on Klaviyo alternatives, Omnisend vs Klaviyo, and Klaviyo vs Mailchimp for deeper comparisons.