Shopify Email: OurRecommendation forNewsletters WithoutExtra Cost

In short

Shopify Email is our default for newsletters and automated emails, as long as a store doesn't need elaborate personalization. The app comes from Shopify, runs right in the admin and uses the customer and order data that already live in the store. Its biggest advantage is price: the first 10,000 emails a month are free. Klaviyo only pays off once email becomes your most important growth channel.

Our verdict: Recommended

Many stores pay every month for an email tool whose features they never use. One newsletter a month, a welcome email and an abandoned cart reminder don't need a specialist tool. Shopify Email covers exactly that, without a second system that needs maintaining and paying for.

We use Shopify Email wherever budget matters and the email program stays manageable. For most stores, it's the right place to start. Why an overpriced tool is often the real brake is explained in When the Email Tool Costs More Than It Delivers.

What Shopify Email does better

• Price. The first 10,000 emails a month are free. After that you pay by volume, billed through your regular Shopify invoice.
• Everything in Shopify. Customers, segments, products and discount codes come straight from the store. There is no sync between two systems that can go wrong.
• Ready-made automations. Welcome series, abandoned cart and post-purchase emails come as templates. If you need more logic, connect them with Shopify Flow.

What to watch out for

• Design has limits. The templates are solid and can be adapted to your brand. If you want to design every email freely down to the last detail, you'll hit limits sooner than with Klaviyo.
• Personalization. Segments based on purchase behavior are there. Very fine-grained personalization by clicks, interests and predictions isn't offered to the same extent.
• Your own sender domain. Connect your domain and set up the authentication records before the first newsletter goes out. Otherwise emails land in spam more often. What can go wrong is shown in Login Code Not Arriving.

When you don't need Shopify Email

If email is central to your revenue, with many segments, tests and elaborately designed emails, Klaviyo is the better choice. When that pays off is covered in Klaviyo: Worth It When Email Is Your Most Important Channel. And if you already have a tool that works well, you don't need to switch. A migration takes more work than many expect: Moving Contacts Is Not the Same as Moving Email Flows.

FAQ

What does Shopify Email cost? The first 10,000 emails a month are free. Beyond that you pay by number of emails, and the cost appears on your Shopify invoice.

Can I win back abandoned carts with it? Yes, the automation for that is already prepared. How a good flow is built is explained in 5 Ways to Win Back Abandoned Carts.

When is it worth switching to Klaviyo? When you want to personalize emails heavily by behavior, maintain many segments and email is one of your most important revenue channels.

Will you set up Shopify Email for us? Yes, usually as part of a project, including templates in your brand's design and the most important automations. If you first want to know which apps your store really needs, our Audit is the fastest route.