Last updated on September 16th, 2022 at 10:18 pm
In this blog post, I’ve reviewed and ranked 10 of the best email marketing solutions for Shopify stores. We’ll cover everything from simple email marketing software to more complex platforms that offer a lot of features. So whether you’re just starting out or you’re looking for an upgrade, we’ve got you covered.
Why Email Marketing?
Your Shopify store looks amazing. In fact, of all the handlebar mustache waxes on the market, your website visitors won’t be able to resist the guaranteed sheen and firm hold you offer.
That is until they don’t.
For some reason, you built it, they came, but they didn’t buy. Don’t fret. That’s to be expected. In fact, the average conversion rate for a Shopify store is only 1.4%. For every 1,000 visitors, only 14 are buying your product. And this is why you need a strong email marketing strategy for your Shopify store.
Email marketing is one of the most effective ways to connect with your customers and drive traffic back to your store. In fact, when done right, you should see a return of $36 for every dollar invested in email marketing and it should make up about 30% of your eCommerce sales.
What are the best email marketing solutions for your Shopify store?
To help you build a better customer journey, here is a list of the 10 best email marketing platforms for your Shopify store.
Klaviyo
Klaviyo isn’t the best email marketing tool for all companies in all scenarios, but it is my #1 pick if you run your e-commerce through Shopify. They’re quickly making a name for themselves as the eCommerce-specific email marketing solution. And that’s exactly why Shopify store owners need to pay attention.
It is one of the most popular email marketing platforms for Shopify store owners due to its user-friendliness and robust feature set. In fact, it is one of the most intuitive email marketing platforms, if not one of the most intuitive marketing technologies in your entire marketing stack. Whether a beginner user or an advanced email marketer, Klaviyo can’t be beat.
Like many email marketing software solutions, Klaviyo integrates seamlessly with Shopify. However, its success is because it was designed explicitly with Shopify in mind.
Its use of custom forms and CRM functionality allows you to gather data on your customers that you can analyze for proper segmentation. In plain English, this means that you can automatically add customers to your email list and segment them based on their purchase history.
Klaviyo also offers a wide range of templates, so you can easily create beautiful emails that match your brand. And if you’re not a designer, don’t worry. Klaviyo’s drag-and-drop editor makes it easy to create professional-looking emails without any design experience.
Pros:
- User-friendly
- Custom forms for data collection
- Intuitive segmentation
- Prebuilt eCommerce automation and flow templates
Cons:
- Pricing can become cumbersome as it’s based upon subscriber growth and usage
Pricing:
Klaviyo offers a free plan for up to 250 contacts. Paid plans start at $20/month for up to 500 contacts.
ActiveCampaign
ActiveCampaign is a comprehensive marketing platform that offers a wide range of features, including email marketing, automation, sales CRM, and more.
If you’re looking for an all-in-one solution, ActiveCampaign might be the right fit for your Shopify store. Its email builder is robust and easy to use, and it comes with a wide range of templates to choose from. Plus, its automation features are top-notch and allow you to create sophisticated customer journeys.
With its Shopify integration, you can easily add customers to your email list and segment them based on their purchase history. One of the better parts of ActiveCampaign’s automation is Predictive Sending which uses machine learning to create triggers throughout the customer experience to allow your email campaigns to engage them wherever they may be in their customer journey.
ActiveCampaign ranks the highest in email deliverability. Of all the platforms on the list, it has the highest success rate on emails hitting your customers’ inboxes.
Pros:
- All-in-one marketing platform
- Fantastic customer service.
- Intuitive automation features
Cons:
- Deeper-level automation and reporting can quickly become difficult to understand
Pricing:
ActiveCampaign offers a free plan for up to 500 contacts. paid plans start at $15/month for up to 500 contacts.
ConvertKit
ConvertKit is one of my favorite email marketing software. Hands down. However, that’s when email marketing is from a blogger’s perspective. It’s a solid option for your Shopify store, as well, given its ease of use and simple automation features. However, it was originally designed from a creator’s POV with creators in mind.
The text-based styling makes it feel like a personalized email coming directly from your Gmail account. Maybe it’s not what you’re looking for when it comes to your marketing emails for your eCommerce store, but, as a creator, I’ve found that a no-frills approach that looks like a quick note from someone you know always works best.
Pros:
- Integrates natively into Shopify (and hundreds of other platforms)
- Robust segmentation and email sequencing
- Free Trial
Cons:
- Not as beginner-friendly
- Design is meant to be simplistic, so limited templates
Pricing:
Free trial offered. Pricing starts at $15/mo. for up to 300 contacts.
Mailchimp
You’re probably most familiar with Mailchimp. It’s the godfather of email marketing. It’s been around since the beginning. And, this strong brand recognition makes one of, if not the, most popular email marketing software on the market (they have more than 14K new customers sign up for their platform each day). And for good reason – it’s affordable, user-friendly, and comes with a wide range of features, including automation and CRM.
Mailchimp’s freemium model allows you to truly invest in building your list and learning its functionality before you ever spend a dime. With a free plan that allows you to send up to 10,000 emails a month to 2,000 subscribers, it is a solid solution for entrepreneurs on a budget.
However, Mailchimp seemed to have ignored Shopify for a bit too long and rely upon its name brand and market share while Klaviyo was building eCommerce-specific automation solutions. Their customer journey sequencing seems to be playing catch up to Klaviyo.
Pros:
- Free plan for up to 2000 contacts
- Fantastic brand recognition
- User-friendly platform
Cons:
- Lacks some of the eCommerce automation features that other platforms have built-in
- Poor customer service if you’re on the free plan
Pricing:
Mailchimp’s pricing is based on the number of subscribers in your audience. The Forever Free Plan supports up to 2,000 subscribers. Paid plans begin as low as $11/mo., but start at $34/mo. once you’ve surpassed the 2,000 subscriber limit.
Moosend
Moosend is a relative newcomer to the email marketing world, but it’s quickly become one of my favorites. It’s an all-in-one platform like Mailchimp, but with a few key differences that make it stand out in the crowded field of email marketing software.
Moosend is built on a foundation of simplicity and flexibility. Their user interface is one of the most straightforward and easy to use, yet still packed with features. You can create beautiful emails with their drag-and-drop editor or HTML editor with just a few clicks. And their automation capabilities are top-notch.
Moosend’s eCommerce AI is the reason it’s made the list for Shopify store owners. Most people think of email marketing for abandoned cart emails. That makes sense, given that nearly 70% of customers will add to cart and never complete their purchase. And Moosend’s automated abandoned cart campaigns have you covered with timely messaging to remind customers of what they were looking for at just the right moment. However, it’s their recommendation engine that truly sets them apart. By looking at buyers’ past behaviors, it can send automated sequences that will recommend based on future needs. This can increase your average cart value and lifetime value of every customer.
Pros:
- Strong support team
- Great automation
- Robust marketing suite
Cons:
- Not as high deliverability rating as competition
- Email editor is clunkier than other parts of the product
Pricing:
Moosend is extremely competitive on pricing. Plans start for as low as $9/mo. and it offers a 30-day free trial.
Hubspot
Hubspot is the 800-pound gorilla of inbound marketing. It’s an all-in-one platform that includes CRM, sales, live chat, and of course – email marketing. Hubspot calls their email marketing product “Marketing Hub.” And it’s one of the most comprehensive platforms on this list.
While you’re paying a premium for the Hubspot name, you’re also getting a top-notch product. The email editor is extremely user-friendly and packed with features. You can create dynamic content that changes based on who is viewing the email, which is perfect for personalization. And their automation capabilities are some of the best in the business.
Overall, Hubspot may be a bit more than you’d need if you’re looking specifically for an email marketing software for your Shopify store, but if you’re looking for a fully equipped marketing solution to handle email, content, ads, and more, then this may be the tool for you.
Pros:
- Packed with features
- Great automation
- User-friendly platform
Cons:
- Expensive
- Lacks some of the eCommerce automation features that other platforms have built-in
Pricing:
Hubspot offers a 14-day free trial, but plans start at $50/mo. for up to 500 contacts.
Flodesk
Flodesk is a newer player in the email marketing software space. They launched in early 2019 with a mission to make beautiful email design accessible to everyone. And they’re succeeding.
Flodesk’s user interface is clean, modern, and easy to use. It’s obvious that they’ve put a lot of thought into their product and it shows. The email editor is drag-and-drop and you can easily create beautiful, on-brand emails with just a few clicks.
Flodesk also has some of the best automation capabilities of any platform on this list. With their “Workflows” feature, you can easily automate your email marketing to Send welcome emails, cart abandonment emails, order confirmation emails, and more.
Pros:
- Beautiful email design
- Easy-to-use interface
- Great automation capabilities
Cons:
- Lacks some of the more advanced features that other platforms have like robust segmentation and advanced workflow triggers
Pricing:
Flodesk has one of the most ideal pricing structures on the list. One flat price. For everything. While $38/mo. to get started may seem like a lot out of the gate, the ability to maintain that rate and not be penalized for growth seems like a win.
Mailerlite
Mailerlite is one of the most popular email marketing software for small businesses. And it’s easy to see why.
First, Mailerlite has an excellent free plan that includes up to 1,000 subscribers and 12,000 emails per month. That’s a lot of bang for your buck if you’re just getting started.
Second, Mailerlite has a clean and user-friendly interface. Their email editor is drag-and-drop and extremely easy to use.
Third, Mailerlite offers some great automation features. You can easily automate your email marketing to send welcome emails, cart abandonment emails, order confirmation emails, birthday messages, cross-selling opportunities, and more.
Pros:
- Free plan available
- User-friendly interface
- Great automation features
Cons:
- Almost too simplistic for many of the advanced email marketing needs for many eCommerce stores
- Templates are limited
Pricing:
Free plan includes up to 1,000 subscribers and 12,000 emails per month. Paid plans start at just $17/mo. after you’ve surpassed your first 1,000 subscribers.
SendInBlue
SendInBlue is a great all-in-one marketing solution for Shopify merchants. While their email marketing product is excellent, it’s just one part of a larger suite of tools that also includes SMS marketing, chatbots, and more.
The email editor is user-friendly and offers a variety of templates to choose from. You can also create custom templates with their drag-and-drop editor.
They also offers some great automation features. You can send automated emails based on a variety of conditions like when someone subscribes to your list, abandons their cart, or makes a purchase.
Pros:
- User-friendly interface
- Great automation features
- Wide variety of marketing tools available in addition to email marketing
Cons:
- The interface can be a bit overwhelming if you’re just looking for email marketing
Pricing:
SendInBlue allows you to get started for free with up to 300 emails per day. Paid plans start at $25/mo. and go up from there.
Constant Contact
Constant Contact has been around since 1995 and is one of the most well-known email marketing platforms. They’re a great choice for small businesses and eCommerce stores alike.
One thing that Constant Contact does well is make it easy to create beautiful, on-brand emails with their drag-and-drop editor and their more than 100+ templates. They allow for split testing and have a landing page builder built-in which can help in building your email list through specific promotions
Pros:
- Well-known and trusted brand
- Easy-to-use drag-and-drop editor
- Over 100+ email templates available
Cons:
- Slow support
- Auto-save doesn’t always work as intended
Pricing:
Constant Contact offers a 60-day free trial. After that, their plans start at $20/mo. for up to 500 contacts.
FAQ
Why Should I begin email marketing?
You’ve seen the analogy of visiting your website is like dating and getting a sale is like marriage. This is why you don’t see a purchase immediately upon first site visit. Just like you wouldn’t marry the first person who said “hi”, a website visitor isn’t going to make a purchase on their first visit. They’ll browse around, get to know your products, and maybe even add something to their cart. But then they’ll leave. An effective email marketing strategy is key for your eCommerce business to continue to turn new customers into repeat customers and potential customers into loyal customers. It’s the #1 way to continue to engage your desired audience who have already been to your website or evaluated your products.
How do I do email marketing?
- Whichever of the email marketing solutions on this post make the most sense for your needs, visit their site and sign up.
- Begin collecting emails via landing pages, tripwires and lead magnets, or abandoned carts
- Select your email templates (There’s no wrong answer here. Whatever speaks to you is best.)
- Segment your audience based on the user behavior that added them to your email list
- Draft your initial “hello” email sequence based upon those user behaviors
- Begin sending emails
- Review the data, test new options, and refine your approach with the information you continue to learn
Does Shopify have free email marketing?
Shopify rolled out their integrated email marketing solution in 2019 and offer it for free to customers on a paid Shopify store plan. Their solution allows for up to 2,500 emails to be sent for free each month and then a $1 fee for every1,000 emails sent beyond the 2,500 limit.
Note that the built-in email marketing solution is actually pretty limited. If you’re interested in saving a few bucks and just testing the waters of email marketing, then this may work. However, if you’re looking for a more fully-featured solution, then I would recommend one of the other options on this post.
What is the best email provider for Shopify?
Klaviyo is my #1 choice, but any of the companies on this list would be a solid option. Select the one that most aligns with your individual needs.
Summary
In short, for Shopify, I recommend Klaviyo as the top selection. It is intuitive, was built with Shopify in mind, and is cost-effective. However, whichever email marketing platform you select, just make sure to select one and begin using email in your marketing plan. Nothing will have a greater immediate impact on customer loyalty with existing customers and allow you to better engage potential customers than to build targeted email campaigns based upon their interactions with your eCommerce business throughout their customer journey.