Shopify Messaging or Klaviyo: which tool fits your store
Shopify's built-in tool is now called Shopify Messaging. According to the Shopify Help Center, it sends email, SMS and WhatsApp campaigns from your Shopify admin and is available on the Basic, Grow, Advanced and Plus plans. Many larger stores use Klaviyo instead, which connects through the Shopify App Store.
| Question | Shopify Messaging | Klaviyo |
|---|---|---|
| Where you work | Inside the Shopify admin | Separate account, synced with Shopify |
| How you pay | 10,000 free emails a month, then per 1,000 emails | By active profiles in your account |
| Abandoned checkout flow | Free, does not count toward the email limit | Sends count toward your plan's send limit |
| Segments | Based on Shopify customer data | Shopify data plus site behavior and custom events |
| Good fit | Early-stage stores, small lists, simple flows | Growing lists, many flows, several segments |
Switch when your flows need conditions or behavior data that Shopify Messaging cannot use, or when your list outgrows simple segments. If you already run Klaviyo, our Klaviyo agency page shows what we build in the account.
What Shopify email marketing costs to send
The Shopify Help Center lists 10,000 free emails at the start of every month and $1 per 1,000 additional emails up to 300,000. Automations count toward the free emails, except abandoned checkout, which stays free. Unused emails do not carry over.
| Example store, one month | Emails |
|---|---|
| 4 campaigns to 40,000 subscribers | 160,000 |
| Welcome, post-purchase and winback automations | 20,000 |
| Minus free allowance | −10,000 |
| Billable emails | 170,000 |
| Send cost at $1 per 1,000 | $170 |
The send bill is rarely the problem. A 10% code used on just 20 orders of $85 costs $170 in margin, the same as the whole month of sending. The larger cost sits in discounts and in unsegmented campaigns that train subscribers to ignore you.
The Shopify email flows to build first
Rank flows by two questions: how many people trigger it each month, and how close they are to buying. Abandoned checkouts are one step from an order, new sign-ups arrive in volume. Both flows come first.
| Flow | Shopify trigger | First email | Goal |
|---|---|---|---|
| Welcome | Customer subscribes | Right away | First order |
| Abandoned checkout | Checkout started, not paid | After 1 to 4 hours | Complete the order |
| Abandoned cart | Product added, no checkout | After 2 to 4 hours | Back to the cart |
| Browse | Product viewed, nothing added | After 1 day | Pick up the interest |
| Post-purchase | Order fulfilled | After delivery | Reviews, second order |
| Winback | No order for X days | Based on reorder cycle | Bring lapsed customers back |
Take the winback timing from your own data: the median number of days between first and second order in your Shopify admin. A supplement store with monthly packs needs a different window than a furniture store.
Tool reports or Shopify admin: which email revenue counts
Email tools count an order as email revenue when it follows an open or click within a set window. A regular customer who would have ordered anyway still shows up. We compare three numbers every week:
- Tool-attributed revenue, from Shopify Messaging or Klaviyo reports.
- Extra revenue, from a holdout group that does not receive the flow.
- Repeat-customer revenue, from your Shopify admin, minus returns.
The same logic applies to our guarantee: +$100,000 revenue in 90 days at the same ad spend, measured in your shop backend. The conditions are on the homepage.
What we take over for Shopify brands
Tool decision
Stay on Shopify Messaging or move to Klaviyo, based on your flows, list size and the segments you need.
Flows
Welcome, checkout, cart, browse, post-purchase and winback, timed to your reorder cycle.
Campaigns and segments
A send calendar tied to launches and stock, sent to buyers, repeat buyers and lapsing customers separately.
Design and copy
Melissa designs mobile-first emails that match your Shopify theme and brand.
Email is one part of how we grow a store. As a Shopify agency we also work on product pages and checkout, and for larger stores we act as a Shopify Plus agency. New customers come from Shopify Google Ads, and email turns them into repeat buyers.
How we work with you
- 01
Intro call
30 minutes with Tobias, our co-founder. We look at your Shopify numbers, your list and your current flows.
- 02
Analysis
On day 0 we lock in the baseline from your Shopify admin and rank missing flows by revenue.
- 03
Implementation
From day 15 to 45 we build flows and campaigns in your tool. Your team approves copy and designs.
- 04
Measurement in your shop backend
A status update every week and a detailed review on day 30, with revenue from Shopify, minus returns.
Results and guarantee
At Solys the share of revenue from retention grew from 12% to 35%. For Krümel we built the store from scratch and reached six figures in 3 months. Across all brands we have managed $720M in revenue.
Seven figures to eight figures.
Retention share 12 → 35%, then exit
Six figures in 3 months.
Shop built from scratch
+30% revenue in 3 months.
Acquisition cost −35%
+$100,000 revenue in 90 days at the same ad spend.
No +$100,000 on day 90? All three monthly retainers back. Measured in your shop backend, not the ad account.
The guarantee starts at $3M annual revenue. You can still book a call below that. See the conditions
The guarantee starts at $3M annual revenue. You can book a call below that, and we show you which starting point fits your store.
Shopify email marketing: FAQ
Does Shopify have email marketing?
Yes. Shopify Messaging, formerly Shopify Email, lets you send email campaigns and automations from the Shopify admin. It is available on the Basic, Grow, Advanced and Plus plans.
How much does Shopify email marketing cost?
According to the Shopify Help Center, every store gets 10,000 free emails a month. After that, sending costs $1 per 1,000 emails up to 300,000, and abandoned checkout automations stay free.
Is Klaviyo better than Shopify Messaging?
For small lists and simple flows, Shopify Messaging is enough. Klaviyo fits stores that need detailed segments, behavior-based triggers and many flows.
Which email flows should a Shopify store set up first?
Welcome, abandoned checkout and abandoned cart, because they reach many people close to a purchase. Post-purchase, browse and winback follow.
How do I measure email revenue on Shopify?
Compare repeat-customer revenue in your Shopify admin, minus returns, with a holdout group that gets no emails. Tool-attributed revenue includes orders that would have happened anyway.
What does Shopify email marketing cost at Harucon?
That depends on the size and starting point of your brand. After the intro call you get a fixed offer in writing, before anything starts.
Which flows is your store missing?
On the intro call Tobias looks at your Shopify numbers and email setup and shows you where revenue is slipping. 5 quick questions, then straight to the calendar.
Book your free intro call→