Affordable email automation for Shopify store

Here are the most affordable ways to automate email for a Shopify store, depending on how much you need.

Best budget options

1. Shopify Email

• Best for: Very small stores or beginners
• Cost: Free up to a certain number of emails, then pay-as-you-go
• Pros:
  • Built into Shopify
  • Easy to set up
  • Good for basic newsletters, welcome emails, and abandoned cart emails
• Cons:
  • Limited automation and design compared with dedicated tools

2. Klaviyo

• Best for: Stores that want powerful automation and segmentation
• Cost: Free tier available, but can get expensive as your list grows
• Pros:
  • Excellent Shopify integration
  • Strong automation flows
  • Great for abandoned cart, post-purchase, win-back, and product recommendation emails
• Cons:
  • Pricing rises with contacts/SMS use
  • Can be more than you need if you’re just starting out

3. Omnisend

• Best for: E-commerce stores wanting a balance of cost and features
• Cost: Free plan available, paid plans are usually more affordable than premium tools for many small stores
• Pros:
  • Built for e-commerce
  • Easy automation
  • Includes email + SMS options
• Cons:
  • Advanced features require paid plan

4. Mailchimp

• Best for: Simple email marketing
• Cost: Free plan available
• Pros:
  • Familiar interface
  • Easy newsletters and basic automations
• Cons:
  • Not as strong for Shopify-specific automation
  • Can be pricier and less flexible than e-commerce-focused tools

Cheapest practical setup

If you want to keep costs very low:

1. Start with Shopify Email
2. Set up these automations first:
   • Welcome series
   • Abandoned cart
   • Post-purchase follow-up
   • Win-back email
3. Upgrade later only if you need:
   • Better segmentation
   • More advanced flows
   • SMS
   • More customization

My recommendation

• Tiny budget: Shopify Email
• Best value for growing Shopify stores: Omnisend
• Best if you want advanced automation: Klaviyo

If you want, I can also give you:

1. a side-by-side pricing comparison, or
2. the best option for your store size and monthly order volume.