Klaviyo, MailerLite and Brevo compared for a first Shopify store: what is free, when the free tier runs out, and which one to start on if you have not sent an email yet.
A first Shopify store needs two automated emails and one campaign a month: a welcome flow, an abandoned-cart flow, and a newsletter when there is something to say. Every tool on this list can do that. The differences are what is free, how the bill grows, and how much of your Shopify data you can use later. Prices are monthly billing at the time of verification (2026-09-09).
How to choose
Decide two things before you compare features. First, how many subscribers you expect in twelve months; under 500, the free tiers matter more than the integrations, and above 1,000, the integration matters more than the free tier. Second, whether you want one tool for marketing and transactional email (order confirmations, shipping updates) or are happy to let Shopify send those itself. The general email marketing buying criteria cover deliverability and design; the Shopify-specific question is how much order data the tool can segment on, because "bought twice, not in 60 days" is the segment that makes money.
The picks in depth
Klaviyo is the tool most Shopify stores end up on, and starting there avoids a migration. The free plan covers 250 active profiles and 500 email sends a month, with the abandoned-cart, browse-abandonment and post-purchase flows already built and connected to your product catalogue. Paid starts at $20 a month for up to 500 profiles and 5,000 emails, and rises with the list, so a store that never grows its list does not pay more. The costs are complexity for a first-timer, email support that ends after 60 days on the free plan, and a 500-send cap that a weekly newsletter to 250 people will hit. Choose Klaviyo if you expect to pass 1,000 subscribers and want segments built on order history. Skip it if you want the simplest possible first month; see Klaviyo alternatives.
MailerLite is the easiest place to send a first email. The free plan allows 250 subscribers and 2,500 emails a month, 3 automations, 3 forms and a landing page, which is enough for the welcome and abandoned-cart flows plus a monthly campaign. Comfort is $12 a month for 500 subscribers with 50 automations and no branding. The Shopify integration syncs customers and purchases and can trigger flows on orders, but segments are simpler than Klaviyo's and there is no browse-abandonment. Choose MailerLite if you have never built a flow and want a clean editor that does not fight you. Move on when you need multi-condition segments on product data; the best email marketing for ecommerce guide covers that stage.
Brevo prices on emails sent, not contacts, which flips the economics for a big list that mails rarely. Free is 300 emails a day with unlimited contacts and Brevo branding; Starter is from $9 a month for 5,000 emails; marketing automation, A/B tests and logo removal arrive on Standard at $18. It also handles transactional email and SMS in the same account. Choose Brevo if you want order confirmations, marketing and SMS in one tool, or if you have imported a large customer list you will mail monthly. Skip it if you mail weekly to a growing list, because the send-based pricing catches up, and if you want automation on the cheapest paid tier.
What to avoid
Do not connect two email tools to the same store; you will send duplicate welcome emails and never know which tool owns a contact. Do not import a purchased or scraped list; every tool here suspends accounts for it. And do not start with a ten-email flow. Two flows that send are worth more than ten that are half built.
When not to buy
If the store has no traffic yet, email software is the wrong purchase; build the list capture on the site first with the free tier of whichever tool you pick and revisit pricing at 250 subscribers. For a full first-stack plan including the store, payments and email, see the software stack for starting an online store.