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Shopify Email vs Klaviyo: Best Email Marketing Tools Compared

Thumbnail-shopify-email-vs-klaviyo

Shopify store owners must pick the best email marketing tool to engage with their audience. Using Shopify Email is easy for Shopify store owners to start email marketing, but if your list gets more extensive, you should look into alternative solutions.

Given the recent excitement around Klaviyo, we decided to create this Shopify Email vs Klaviyo comparison.

We’ll evaluate each tool’s wide range of features so you can choose the one that best suits your needs.

Keep reading!

1.Shopify Email vs Klaviyo: Overview & Key Differences

shopify-email

 

Shopify Email is an email marketing tool built within the Shopify platform. It enables you to draft and distribute professional-looking emails to customers from your Shopify account.

To assist you in developing focused and successful email campaigns, Shopify Email offers an intuitive user interface, pre-made templates, and sophisticated email marketing statistics.

klaviyo

 

As an all-inclusive email marketing platform, Klaviyo allows you to enhance revenue and foster customer loyalty by utilizing its robust automation and personalization tools.

You can segment your email lists, develop tailored email campaigns, automate email workflows, and access comprehensive analytics and reporting capabilities with Klaviyo. 

Shopify Email
Klaviyo
The verdict
Pricing
The first 10,000 emails are free each month. After that, there is a $1 fee for every 1000 emails.
A free subscription with 500 emails sent per month
Tie 🤝
Designs & Templates
Beautiful templates, useful design tools and AI builder are available.
Beautiful templates, useful design tools and AI builder are available.
Tie 🤝
Automation
Email marketing automation is available but needs more improvement.
Essential automation features with AI technology.
Klaviyo 🏆
Segmentation  
Various pre-made segmentation templates. More suitable for small to medium businesses.
Many pre-made segmentation templates.More complicated and suitable for tech-savvy.
Tie 🤝
Analytics & Reporting
In-depth email metrics 
Basic email metrics 
Shopify 🏆
Integrations
Limited to a small number of third-party applications
Numerous eCommerce platforms, marketing apps, support desk systems, and others are integrated with Klaviyo
Klaviyo 🏆
Customer support
Live support, educational materials and guidelines
Live support, educational materials and guidelines
Shopify 🏆

 

2. Key consideration when choosing an email platform for ecommerce

You can make an informed choice that will support the success of your marketing by concentrating on the essential factors that a perfect email platform for ecommerce should have.

2.1. User Experience & Management

You should seek systems with an intuitive user interface that facilitates easy job delegation and communication. Streamlined asset management, real-time collaboration tools, and intuitive drag-and-drop builders may boost efficiency and guarantee consistent campaign branding.

Examine the platform’s capacity to accommodate various user roles and permissions, allowing you to manage access levels and guarantee data integrity. A well-thought-out platform should enable your team to collaborate easily while upholding security and governance standards.

2.2. Integration & Data Reporting Capabilities

Ensure that your website analytics, CRM, and other pertinent technologies work together flawlessly with your choice of email marketing platform. 

Data silos will be eliminated by this smooth connectivity, enabling you to take advantage of in-depth consumer insights and provide tailored experiences across all touchpoints.

Robust reporting and analytics features will enable you to track campaign effectiveness, obtain insightful knowledge, and continually improve your tactics. 

Thus, seek solutions that provide real-time data, customizable dashboards, and the capacity to monitor important metrics like revenue attribution, open rates, click-through rates, and conversion rates.

2.3. Automation & Personalization

Platforms with sophisticated automation and personalization features, such as segmentation tools, dynamic content, and trigger-based campaigns, should be your option. 

Beyond email campaigns, automation will help you plan multi-channel experiences across different touchpoints, such as SMS, push notifications, and in-app messaging. 

Using these capabilities, you can offer a highly relevant and targeted message, improving consumer engagement and increasing conversions.

2.4. Scalability

Your email marketing platform should be flexible enough to change and expand with your business as it does. 

Examine the platform’s scalability to ensure it can accommodate growing subscriber numbers, more intricate campaigns, and future integrations without sacrificing functionality or efficiency.

Consider the platform’s design and capacity to integrate cutting-edge technologies like machine learning and artificial intelligence. These developments may open new avenues for campaign execution optimization, predictive analytics, and customization.

2.5. Support & Training Resources

Check if the supplier offers thorough customer assistance comprising informed agents, detailed documentation, and abundant educational materials. This will let you utilize the platform to the max and stay entirely on the cutting edge.

With the help of these support resources, you will be able to integrate more efficiently and continue to grow in knowledge and abilities.

Note: If you haven’t choose the platform to start your first online store, we recommend you to try Shopify & use Shopify email altogether. Shopify allows you to try out 33 days for just $1

3. Shopify Email vs Klaviyo: Side-by-side comparison

Is Shopify Email better than Klaviyo? There is only one way to find out, and that is to dig deeper into the difference between Shopify Email and Klaviyo.

2.1. Shopify Email vs Klaviyo cost

Your Shopify pricing plan includes Shopify Email, allowing you to send up to 10,000 emails monthly at no additional cost. For each 1,000 sends, you will be charged $1 if you go above this cap. The charge decreases to 65¢ per 1,000 sends if you send more than 300,000 times.

Klaviyo offers a free subscription with 500 emails sent per month. To send more emails, you must upgrade to the Email plan or the Email and SMS plan.

klaviyo-pricing

 

We like that Shopify Email and Klaviyo don’t impose paywalls on functionality; fees are determined solely by the number of messages sent. Unlike with certain email service providers, when choosing a package, you don’t have to consider every function you could require.

One key difference between Shopify Email and Klaviyo is that Klaviyo counts transactional emails toward your monthly quota, but Shopify Email does not. 

For owners of e-commerce stores, purchase confirmations, delivery notifications, and other correspondence can rapidly mount up, so you can hit your Klaviyo send limit sooner.

Contact List Size / Send Volume
Shopify Email
Klaviyo
3,000 subscribers &30,000 sends/month
$20
$70
12,000 subscribers &120,000 sends/month
$110
$250
60,000 subscribers &600,000 sends/month
$485
$860

The verdict: It is easy to see that Klaviyo is the more costly choice. Meanwhile, Shopify Email pricing is generous. If you are a Shopify owner, using Shopify Email is a better option.

2.2. Designs & Templates

shopify-email-designs-and-templates

Although Klaviyo vs Shopify Email seems to have identical email editors and templates, we discovered a few key distinctions.

Shopify Email
Klaviyo
Email Content
  • Pre-built content blocks that you can easily drag and drop into your emails. 
  • Dynamic products are only available in automated marketing campaigns, such as abandoned cart emails.
  • E-commerce-specific content blocks, including express checkout, discounts, and gift card purchases.
  • Pre-built content blocks that you can easily drag and drop into your emails. 
  • Add dynamic product feeds to email campaigns.
  • Display different products to different recipients based on the conditions you set.
  • Lack a few ecommerce-specific content blocks
Templates
  • 46 templates, and can apply your branding to them automatically.
  • Colors, fonts, and logos are already set up within the email builder.
  • “Basic layouts” are empty templates to which you may add your branding and pictures. 
  • Alternatively, you can utilize pre-built templates from your “saved templates” tab that already include stock photographs and colors.
  • It will take more work to manually add brand components to your account’s Images & Brand page.
Email Builder AI
  • Incorporate AI tools into its email builders.
  • Automatically generates AI text for subject lines and email content.
  • Shopify Email AI is available in 8 languages
  • Incorporate AI tools into its email builders.
  • Automatically generate AI text for subject lines and email content.
  • With its integrated statistics, Klaviyo’s Subject Line Assistant shows you the best-performing lines you’ve written over the previous ninety days.
  • The AI techniques developed by Klaviyo can only produce text in English.

The verdict: They provide several design tools and pre-built templates that are simple to alter to suit your preferences. Regarding designs and layouts, Shopify Email and Klaviyo are tied since each has advantages and disadvantages

2.3. Automation

You can use automation to put your marketing on autopilot using Shopify Email marketing vs Klaviyo.

In Shopify Email, you must create the email content independently before putting up an automated template. Throughout this procedure, you will be redirected from the automation editor to the email editor, requiring you to switch between two separate editing spaces. Although this is a little annoying, it’s not a deal breaker.

klaviyo-automation

 

Marketing automations are referred to as “flows” in Klaviyo. In addition to the essentials, Klaviyo provides more sophisticated marketing templates than Shopify Email.

Shopify Email
Klaviyo
  • There are 12 automation templates, although 3 need a separate app.
  • The nine basic templates cover essentials like welcome emails for new subscribers, abandoned cart notifications, and thank-you emails after a transaction.
  • An outstanding set of more than 60 pre-made flows (automation templates).
  • Resupply reminders, a sunset flow to eliminate inactive subscribers, and customer birthday emails are examples of sophisticated marketing templates.
  • Predictive AI may be applied to automate processes more efficiently by anticipating client behavior.

The verdict: Shopify Email’s automation is available but still needs improvement. On the other hand, Klaviyo has long been a leader in email marketing automation and has now made it possible to include SMS in processes. Here, Klaviyo prevailed.

2.4. Segmentation

Although Klaviyo has strong segmentation characteristics, it is a complex tool. Advanced concepts like “dimensions” and “boolean” data types in Klaviyo might be challenging to understand if you’re unfamiliar with this technical language.

Compared to Klaviyo, creating segments in Shopify Email is more straightforward. To set up your segment, navigate to Shopify Email’s “Customers” area rather than using the segment builder directly. After navigating from the “Customers” area to email this segment, you return to Shopify Email to send your campaign.

Shopify Email
Klaviyo
  • Various pre-made segmentation templates (such as subscribers who frequently view emails but haven’t recently made a purchase, high-spenders who bought items with a specific tag, recent collection viewers, consumers in a particular city, etc.).
  • Automatically divide up your contacts into predefined groups
  • Enable you to divide consumers into groups according to more complex criteria, such as purchasing patterns and prior campaign involvement.
  • Features for list management would provide more complex customization choices.
  • Your segments will need to be manually configured.
  • There is no restriction on how many criteria you apply to a section.

The verdict: Overall, the segment builders in Klaviyo vs Shopify Email need work. While Klaviyo is an excellent choice for e-commerce companies with more time and knowledge to develop highly focused segments, smaller businesses seeking a shorter setup time and easily navigable pre-built segmentation templates may find Shopify Email more suitable. Therefore, the choice of which is superior is entirely yours. This is a tie.

2.5. Analytics & Reporting

shopify-email-analytics-and-reporting

For your business to make data-driven choices, performance tracking is crucial. Although Klaviyo is just a little behind, Shopify Email offers more comprehensive statistics and data since it provides a complete view of everything that occurs on your website.

Shopify Email
Klaviyo
  • Gain instant access to every move a buyer makes on your website.
  • Provide more comprehensive analytics as they can correlate such activities and behaviors with specific email addresses or campaign outcomes. 
  • Access to additional data about website visitors.
  • Utilize a snippet of code installed on your website to monitor user activity.
  • Provide basic performance data such as click-through, conversion, and open rates (which are no longer dependable due to Apple’s iOS15 modifications).

The verdict: In this regard, Shopify Email is the clear winner. Shopify Email’s reports are more comprehensive, which makes campaign data more digestible.

2.6. Integrations

The Shopify platform is the intended use case for Shopify Email. Shopify’s email marketing tools can be used with other platforms that interact with it. Though this is adequate for companies that operate only on Shopify, it can be a limitation for businesses that want to adopt various technologies.

klaviyo-integrations

 

Meanwhile, numerous eCommerce platforms, marketing apps, support desk systems, and others are integrated with Klaviyo. Syncing your data with Klaviyo is a simple process that enables you to plan multi-channel marketing campaigns. 

Shopify Email
Klaviyo
  • Mainly integrates with Shopify’s own toolkit and a small number of third-party applications
  • It integrates with other e-commerce systems (like WooCommerce, BigCommerce, and Magento) as well as in conjunction with additional tools like logistics services (like ShipStation and AfterShip) and payment applications (like Strip, Chargebee, and ReCharge).
  • You may always utilize Zapier as a workaround if the integration you seek needs to be natively linked with Klaviyo.

The verdict: Creating smooth, effective processes requires connecting your email marketing software to other technologies in your eCommerce ecosystem. Regarding integrations, Klaviyo wins as it provides more than Shopify Email.

2.7. Customer support

The Shopify team supports the Shopify Email app so that you can anticipate the same level of accessibility and excellence as with their e-commerce platform. There’s also a comprehensive help section with well-written instructions and guidelines.

Similarly, Klaviyo’s help area features an extensive user guide library. In addition, it provides classes that walk users through maximizing the platform’s features and an active community forum.

Conversely, users on the free plan have restricted assistance. With Klaviyo’s free plan, you may only receive email and chat assistance for 60 days.

The verdict: Shopify Email stands out in this final aspect as there is no restriction on its support.

💡You might want to read: Shopify Email vs Mailchimp: The Complete Comparison

4. Choosing Between Shopify Email vs Klaviyo

Your unique demands, email list size, and financial constraints will determine which Shopify Email vs Klaviyo is best for you.

Shopify Email is affordable and simple to use. You receive up to 10,000 monthly free sends, which integrates into your Shopify dashboard.

Choose Shopify Email:

  • If you have a tiny Shopify business and few subscribers, it can be more cost-effective to continue using Shopify Email.
  • If you want to launch your SMB email marketing campaign with pre-built segmentation and automation as soon as possible.

Choose Klaviyo:

  • If you’re growing and want more advanced automation and segmentation to keep up with your pace of expansion.
  • If your goal is to boost customer lifetime value using sophisticated predictive analytics and tailored product suggestions for various customer groups
  • If you require more than one marketing channel and SMS is one of them.

5. Conclusion

The outcome of the Shopify Email vs Klaviyo battle will depend on your needs. Although the Klaviyo email marketing Shopify app offers more capabilities, Shopify Email is more user-friendly and less expensive.

The Shopify Email app should be enough if you only want a fundamental marketing platform for your Shopify business. However, Klaviyo might be ideal if functions related to marketing automation are vital to you.

If you are considering Shopify & Shopify email altogether, read our comparison of Shopify vs other platforms to figure out if it’s worth your decision. Don’t forget to browse eComStart for latest ecommerce insights

6. FAQs

Author:
Mike is a seasoned software leader with 10+ years of experience. He's skilled in system architecture, BIM, business analysis, software development, and project management. Mike has successfully launched numerous software projects and is eager to share his insights.

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