Shopify Email vs Klaviyo vs Mailchimp in 2026

Does Shopify Have Email Marketing?

Yes. Shopify Email is built into every Shopify plan. You get 10,000 free emails per month (included with your Shopify subscription), and additional emails cost $1 per 1,000. It includes basic templates, automation, and segmentation — all native to your Shopify admin.

The question isn't whether Shopify has email marketing. It's whether Shopify Email is enough for your store, or whether a third-party tool like Klaviyo or Mailchimp justifies the added cost.

Shopify Email: What You Get

Shopify Email lives inside your Shopify admin. There's no separate login, no integration to set up, no data syncing to configure. Your products, customer segments, and order data are already there.

Strengths:

• Price: 10,000 emails/month free, then $1 per 1,000. For a store with 2,000 subscribers sending 4 campaigns/month, that's completely free.
• Simplicity: Create campaigns directly in Shopify admin. Product blocks auto-pull from your catalog. No integration setup required.
• Native data: Segments based on purchase history, average order value, and customer lifetime value — no syncing delays.
• Basic automations: Welcome series, abandoned checkout, first purchase follow-up are available as built-in templates.

Limitations:

• Automation depth: Shopify Email's automations are basic compared to Klaviyo. No conditional splits, no branching logic, limited trigger options.
• Reporting: Basic open/click metrics. No revenue attribution per flow, no predictive analytics, no A/B testing on automations.
• Template flexibility: Templates are functional but not highly customizable. Limited HTML editing compared to dedicated email tools.
• No SMS: Shopify Email doesn't include SMS. You'd need a separate tool for text message marketing.

“We used to use Shopify email. Switched to Klaviyo. Flows are going well with K but campaigns just ok. It's also very expensive for a small seasonal business with 40k customers.”— Shopify Community thread

Klaviyo: When the Price Is Worth It

Klaviyo is Shopify's officially recommended email partner. It's the most powerful email marketing platform for Shopify stores, and also the most expensive. The question is whether you'll use the features you're paying for.

Strengths:

• Automation flows: The flow builder is best-in-class. Conditional splits, branching logic, time delays, A/B testing within flows — it's why people pay for Klaviyo.
• Shopify integration: Deepest of any third-party tool. Syncs order data, browsing behavior, catalog data, and customer profiles in real-time.
• Predictive analytics: Predicted next order date, customer lifetime value predictions, churn risk scoring.
• SMS: Built-in SMS marketing (add-on from $15/mo).
• Revenue attribution: See exactly how much revenue each email and flow generates.

Limitations:

• Price: $30/mo at 1,000 subscribers. $150/mo at 10,000. $720/mo at 50,000. Since Feb 2025, you pay for all active profiles whether you email them or not.
• Complexity: The power comes with a learning curve. Building effective flows takes time and email marketing knowledge.
• Overkill for simple needs: If you're sending 2-4 campaigns/month with no automations, you're paying for features you won't use.

“Hands-down one of the most powerful email and SMS platforms out there for ecommerce. The depth of their analytics is where they really shine.”— Shopify App Store review

Mailchimp: The Awkward Middle Ground

Mailchimp is the most recognized email marketing brand, but for Shopify stores specifically, it occupies an awkward position: more expensive than Shopify Email with fewer Shopify-specific features than Klaviyo.

Strengths:

• Familiarity: Most people have used Mailchimp before. The learning curve is gentle.
• Integrations: 300+ integrations. If you sell on platforms beyond Shopify, Mailchimp connects to almost everything.
• Content tools: Social posting, landing pages, and website builder included — useful if you want an all-in-one marketing hub.

Limitations:

• Shopify integration: Mailchimp's Shopify integration works but isn't as deep as Klaviyo's. Data syncing can lag, and some Shopify-specific automation triggers aren't available.
• Pricing: $25/mo at 1,000 subscribers (Standard plan). More expensive than Shopify Email, comparable to Klaviyo at smaller list sizes but with fewer ecommerce features.
• Free plan shrinking: Free plan was reduced to 500 contacts and 1,000 sends/month. Not useful for most stores.
• Charges for unsubscribed contacts: Mailchimp counts unsubscribed contacts toward your subscriber limit on some plans.

“When I opened my current Shopify store, I used Mailchimp's free plan to send email marketing campaigns. By the time Shopify launched its own email marketing app, Mailchimp had reduced the number of emails allowed on a free plan, so I made the switch to Shopify Email.”— Shopify Community thread

Pricing Comparison

Use our pricing calculator to see exact costs for your subscriber count — it compares all six major email platforms including Omnisend, MailerLite, and ActiveCampaign.

When to Use Each Tool

Stick with Shopify Email if:

• You have under 10,000 subscribers
• You mainly send campaigns (newsletters, promos, product launches)
• You don't need complex automation flows
• You don't need SMS marketing
• You want the simplest possible setup with zero integration

Upgrade to Klaviyo if:

• You want automated flows that generate revenue on autopilot (abandoned cart, post-purchase, win-back, browse abandonment)
• You need revenue attribution to know which emails make money
• You want predictive analytics (predicted CLV, next order date)
• You need SMS + email in one platform
• You're doing $10k+/month in revenue and email is a significant channel

Consider Mailchimp if:

• You sell on platforms beyond Shopify and need one tool for everything
• You're already using Mailchimp for other marketing (social, landing pages)
• Familiarity matters more than Shopify-specific optimization

Looking beyond these three? See our full list of email marketing tools for Shopify — including Omnisend, MailerLite, and ActiveCampaign, which often beat both Klaviyo and Mailchimp on price.