Most ecommerce teams start looking for a Mailchimp alternative for one of three reasons: the bill grows faster than the list, the automations don't react to what actually happens in the store, or SMS has to live in a separate tool. This guide is for ecommerce marketers who are ready to move. It compares nine email service providers (ESPs) on the things that decide the switch: the free tier, the real starting price, how SMS is sold, how well each one fits Shopify, and whether it can receive shipment events from AfterShip.

How we checked: All facts were checked on the vendors' own pricing pages, help centers and Shopify App Store listings on October 20, 2026. Prices are USD starting prices before taxes, add-ons and overages, and most scale with contacts or sends. Promotions, regional pricing and app ratings change often, so confirm on the vendor's site before you buy. "AfterShip events" means AfterShip documents a native integration that sends order, shipment or delivery events into the ESP; "No" means no native connector is documented, not that a webhook or middleware setup is impossible.

For reference, Mailchimp itself has a free plan for 250 contacts and 500 sends a month, and its Essentials plan starts at $13/month for 500 contacts. SMS is a paid add-on in select countries.

Mailchimp alternatives at a glance

1. Klaviyo: best for data-heavy Shopify and DTC brands

Klaviyo is the most common destination for ecommerce brands that outgrow Mailchimp. It is built on its own customer data platform, so segments and flows can use order history, browsing behavior and predicted metrics rather than list membership alone. It integrates deeply with Shopify, WooCommerce, BigCommerce, Magento and Salesforce Commerce Cloud.

• Free tier: 250 active profiles and 500 email sends a month.
• Pricing: billed monthly by active-profile tier; paid email plans start at about $20/month for a small list.
• SMS: sold as a monthly "Mobile Messaging" spend you choose, with $5/month included on every account.
• AfterShip events: yes. AfterShip Tracking's Klaviyo integration sends delivery updates (in transit, out for delivery, delivered), exceptions (failed attempt, returned to sender, stalled) and estimated delivery date changes into Klaviyo as flow triggers. AfterShip Returns also sends return request and refund events.

Watch out for: cost climbs quickly as active profiles grow, so suppress unengaged profiles regularly.

2. Omnisend: best for email, SMS and push in one tool

Omnisend is built for ecommerce SMBs that want email, SMS and web push in a single workflow builder. Prebuilt welcome, cart abandonment and post-purchase workflows get a new store running quickly, and discount codes sync with the store.

• Free tier: 250 contacts, 500 emails and 500 web push notifications a month.
• Pricing: Standard starts at $11.20/month for 500 contacts and 6,000 emails; Pro (from $41.30/month for 2,500 contacts) adds bonus SMS credits.
• SMS: charged per message from purchased credits.
• AfterShip events: yes. AfterShip Tracking sends six delivery statuses (info received, in transit, out for delivery, failed attempt, delivered, exception) to Omnisend as custom events.

Watch out for: segmentation and reporting are lighter than Klaviyo's for very large catalogs.

3. Shopify Email: best for simple, Shopify-native campaigns

Shopify Email (now part of Shopify Messaging) is the lowest-friction option for Shopify stores. It uses store data and templates directly and bills on the Shopify invoice.

• Free tier: 10,000 emails a month on Basic plans and up; abandoned checkout automations are free.
• Pricing: $1 per 1,000 emails after the free allowance, falling at higher volumes.
• SMS: pay per message (US $0.012) in 12 countries.
• AfterShip events: no native connector.

Watch out for: automation and segmentation are basic, so it suits small stores rather than lifecycle programs.

4. Brevo: best for large lists that send infrequently

Brevo (formerly Sendinblue) prices by email volume rather than contacts, which makes it cheap for brands with a big list and a modest send schedule. It also covers transactional email and a built-in CRM.

• Free tier: 300 emails a day and up to 100,000 contacts.
• Pricing: Starter from $9/month for 5,000 emails; product recommendations and back-in-stock flows sit on the Professional tier.
• SMS: prepaid credits, sold separately from plans.
• AfterShip events: no native connector; Brevo lists AfterShip only through Zapier, Make or n8n.

5. ActiveCampaign: best for advanced automation and CRM

ActiveCampaign combines marketing automation with a sales CRM, which suits brands that also sell B2B or run complex, multi-branch journeys.

• Free tier: none; a 14-day trial.
• Pricing: Starter from $15/month billed annually for under 1,000 contacts.
• SMS: paid add-on (broadcasts in the US, UK and Australia).
• AfterShip events: no native connector.

Watch out for: Shopify Plus, BigCommerce and Magento integrations require higher tiers.

6. Privy: best for list growth on small Shopify stores

Privy started as a pop-up and sign-up tool and added email and SMS on top, so it is strongest at capturing subscribers.

• Free tier: none; a 15-day trial.
• Pricing: Email + SMS from $30/month for up to 1,500 contacts, with unlimited email.
• SMS: 250 credits a month included, and unused credits roll over.
• AfterShip events: no native connector.

Watch out for: at the time of checking, Privy's Shopify App Store listing showed as unavailable, so confirm how it installs on your store.

7. Drip: best for ecommerce-focused automation

Drip is built around ecommerce behavior, with cart and win-back workflows, behavior-based segments and revenue attribution for Shopify, WooCommerce and BigCommerce stores.

• Free tier: none; a 14-day trial.
• Pricing: from $39/month for up to 2,500 people.
• SMS: currently unavailable to new users.
• AfterShip events: no native connector.

8. MailerLite: best for budget-conscious beginners

MailerLite keeps things simple and affordable, with a clean editor, landing pages and basic automations.

• Free tier: 250 subscribers, 2,500 emails a month and three automations.
• Pricing: paid plans from $12/month.
• SMS: not included in marketing plans.
• AfterShip events: no native connector.

Watch out for: its Shopify app is rated 2.4 from a small number of reviews, so test the store sync before moving your list.

9. Constant Contact: best for small businesses and events

Constant Contact suits small businesses that run events and newsletters more than deep ecommerce flows.

• Free tier: none; a 30-day trial with no card required.
• Pricing: Lite from $12/month, or $10.20/month billed annually.
• SMS: US only; 500 messages a month included on Premium, or an add-on on Lite and Standard.
• AfterShip events: no native connector.

How to choose

• Running a Shopify store with real lifecycle programs: Klaviyo or Omnisend.
• Want the simplest Shopify-native option: Shopify Email.
• Big list, low send volume: Brevo.
• Complex journeys or a sales team: ActiveCampaign.
• Priority is growing the list: Privy.
• Tight budget and simple needs: MailerLite.

Whichever you pick, run a trial with a real segment, rebuild your top three flows, and check deliverability before you move the full list.

Don't forget the post-purchase half of email

Most ESP comparisons focus on campaigns and abandoned carts, but a large share of the emails customers actually open come after checkout: shipping confirmations, delivery updates and delivery exceptions. Mailchimp and most of its alternatives can't see those moments on their own, because carrier tracking events live outside the store. That's why it is worth checking whether your new ESP can receive shipment events (Klaviyo and Omnisend can, through AfterShip) or whether you'd rather send those messages from a dedicated post-purchase tool. For that side of the decision, see our guide to Mailchimp alternatives for post-purchase emails.