Bento – Minimal commitment option for very basic needs and cost-conscious testing
Privy/SmartrMail – Lightweight tools focused on pop-ups and starter campaigns
Migration path:
Most users suggest starting simple and only moving to Klaviyo when the store has a larger list, proven traction, and needs advanced segmentation or complex automation flows. The discussion remains open with the original poster still evaluating options between Omnisend and Bento for initial testing.
Summarized with AI on October 23.
AI used: claude-sonnet-4-5-20250929.
I just started a small Shopify store and have been trying to figure out my email marketing setup.
I looked into Klaviyo, and honestly… it kinda feels like too much for me right now… both in terms of complexity and cost . I get that it’s super popular and powerful, but I’m wondering if it’s really necessary for small stores that are just starting out.
Has anyone here felt the same way? Did you stick with Klaviyo or switch to something else?
I’d love to hear what tools you guys are using instead and whether they’ve helped you improve your email marketing efficiency. Also curious if you’ve run into any issues with Klaviyo itself.
Just trying to figure out what makes the most sense at this stage! Appreciate any input!
Unless you’re doing high volume, ultra custom, or extended marketing, there’s no reason to use a third party email campaign app. Shopify’s basic automations suffice just fine for starting out. You can add and edit blocks in the emails just like the theme editor, the standard workflows are already created for you, and they have like a 10,000 monthly email limit. And it comes with your plan. Just use it until it no longer keeps with your growth.
Thanks so much, that’s super helpful!!! Yeah, I agree! Shopify’s built-in features are probably enough for now.
Just curious though, if the store grows a bit later on and needs something more advanced, do you think Klaviyo would be the next step? Or are there other tools you’d recommend trying before that?
If you foresee growth, want to build good habits and automations early, and have the time, go ahead with Klaviyo
If instead you’re still testing your market, have very few contacts and want minimal setup and cost, you might start with a lighter tool, then move to Klaviyo when things pick up.
For a small or just‑launched store you don’t have to jump straight into a heavyweight platform like Klaviyo. Shopify includes a built‑in email tool (Shopify Email) that lets you send up to 10 000 emails per month and has ready‑made automations for abandoned checkout, first purchase, welcome series etc. You can drag and drop sections just like the theme editor, and there’s no extra monthly fee until you exceed the free send limit.
If you outgrow Shopify Email or want a bit more automation without the learning curve of Klaviyo, there are a few beginner‑friendly alternatives:
Omnisend – free tier for up to 250 contacts, with easy automations (welcome, cart/browse abandonment) and SMS/WhatsApp channels.
Seguno – built specifically for Shopify, sits inside your admin and offers newsletters and simple automations on a free plan for up to 250 subscribers.
Mailchimp – has a long history in email marketing and a generous free tier; the Shopify integration was recently restored. It’s less Shopify‑centric but has intuitive templates and automations.
Privy / SmartrMail – lightweight tools that focus on pop‑ups and basic email series; good for lead capture and starter campaigns.
You can always start with Shopify Email or one of these options and migrate to Klaviyo later if you need deeper segmentation, advanced flows or more analytics. Many merchants switch only when they have a larger list and more complex marketing needs.
If I want to keep things light and just test the market for now, what tools would you recommend? I’ve had a few people mention Omnisend and Bento, do you have any thoughts on those?
If you expect to grow quickly, or you already foresee doing things like cart abandonment flows, personalized product emails, etc → go with Omnisend.
If you just want to start with “send a welcome email, maybe a basic newsletter, see how things go” and you’re very cost-conscious → Bento might be the smarter “less commitment”
If your ecommerce store is ready to test email marketing (and possibly SMS) and you want something fairly plug-and-play, Omnisend is a strong choice. Especially if you’re using Shopify or a similar platform.
Because you said you want to “keep things light”, this tool gives you a fairly low-friction path in. Just keep in mind: monitor your costs & the list size; start simple, keep the automations minimal, and only scale when you see good traction.
If you’re thinking: “I might want to test marketing beyond just email (in-product messages, custom workflows, etc)” and you’re comfortable with maybe a little more setup, Bento could be a great tool. But if you just want “email + simple automation” for now, it might be more than necessary.
Hey @Sheaaaa,
I totally get you, Klaviyo can feel a bit too much in the beginning. It’s great long-term, but when you’re still figuring things out, it can be overwhelming and pricey.
If you just want something simple that works, try Shopify Email first. It’s free for small volumes, super easy to use, and connects right to your customers and products. You can do welcome emails, thank-you notes, and even small promos without much setup.
Once your list grows and you need more automation or detailed reports, you can always switch to Klaviyo later. No rush - it’s better to get comfortable with sending consistent, genuine emails first.
I want to inform you that AiTrillion can be helpful for the small business like yours to engage with customers.
With AiTrillion, you will get 1500/Month Emails. It includes Workflow and many more apps but you can mark the customers as inactive or suppress the domain to those customers which you don’t want to engage anytime.
For small stores, an expensive app like Klaviyo isn’t really necessary.
I usually recommend alternatives like Omnisend, Mailchimp, Seguno, or CartSaver. Full disclosure: I’m the founder of CartSaver, so I’m a bit biased. The reason I built it is because personalized video messages convert dramatically better than plain text emails.
If you haven’t tried video-based recovery before, it’s absolutely worth testing. The engagement uplift is huge, and customers genuinely appreciate the personal touch. Feel free to check out CartSaver and see if it fits your workflow!
Mate, Klaviyo’s solid but it rinses your wallet once your list gets bigger. If you just need the basics like carts, back in stock and some simple blasts, Omnisend or MailerLite are way cheaper. Even Shopify Email works fine if you’re keeping it lean. Brevo’s decent too for email + SMS without the crazy bill
Recommend give Brevo a spin, it’s straightforward just that the deliverability, sometimes you’ve got to warm it up properly so your emails don’t land in spam. If you get carts/back in stock running plus a couple of nurture flows, you’ll already be ahead of most stores burning money on Klaviyo without even using half the features
Yes, Klaviyo is the natural upgrade path once you need complex flows (like splitting paths based on past behavior).
However, there is a trap many beginners fall into: Waiting to collect data until they buy the tool.
If you stick with Shopify Email for year 1, but you don’t collect extra data (like Birthdays, Pet Breeds, or Preferences), then when you finally upgrade to Klaviyo, you will have a powerful engine with no fuel. You’ll have to start building your segments from zero.
My advice: Stick to Shopify Email (it’s free/cheap). BUT, start collecting Zero-Party Data (Customer Metafields) right now.
If you capture a “Birthday” or “Interest” today using native Shopify fields:
You can actually segment by it in Shopify Email (it’s basic, but works).
When you eventually migrate to Klaviyo, all that historical data syncs automatically, and you can launch high-ROI flows on Day 1.
Build the database first, buy the expensive tool second.
. I get that it’s super popular and powerful, but I’m wondering if it’s really necessary for small stores that are just starting out.
