What is Shopify email marketing?

As active online users continue to increase, more people possess two or more email addresses. With consumer behavior shifting heavily toward the mobile experience, marketers and brands can use email marketing to create meaningful connections with their email subscribers.

As the second most popular e-commerce platform, Shopify accounts for ten percent of the global e-commerce market. Shopify merchants rely on email marketing to update their subscribers about discounts, sales, and new offerings. And as a marketing tool, the return on investments for emails has risen to $36 for every $1 spent.

Naturally, the view of email marketing has changed. It enjoys a transcendence from regular email newsletters to a potent tool that triggers cart recovery. But to do email marketing in a way that flows, merchants use different e-commerce and omnichannel marketing apps.

How does it work?

Most apps include email marketing automation as a standard feature. This function enables entrepreneurs to launch email marketing campaigns and effective customer segmentation. Through segmentation, merchants can create email marketing campaigns that are personalized.

This means that email content isn't solely essential. Collected information in sign-up forms (or Shopify apps like Archive) and consumer behavior allows merchants to write emails that speak to the needs of their subscribers. However, merchants must  ensure that their emails reach their subscribers’ inboxes, not spam folders.

Dodging the spam folder involves carefully preparing an email and subject line free of spam-trigger words. Most email marketing apps include spam and A/B testing options to make editing email campaigns convenient and fast.

To ensure subscribers open Shopify merchant's emails, they can use the subject line to pique their subscribers' interest. The email itself needs to contain simple sentences. Merchants must also select their brand's tone (e.g., friendly and neutral, inspirational) and commit to it.

Leverage the Email Marketing App

Email marketing apps offer a range of features that help track real-time campaign performance. As an e-commerce business, selecting apps that meet business goals, support scalability, facilitate segmentation and customization, and automate critical tasks is essential.

Below are just some of the factors to consider in finding the top email marketing app.

Flexibility and functionality

Depending on the business' needs, merchants can pick apps with flexible features (or unlimited emails) and user thresholds. This makes sense for small businesses looking to save or try out apps before getting a paid plan. Merchants should be able to check their email marketing app's automated functionalities and automation workflows.

Customization and convenience

Shopify merchants are also looking for capabilities that speed up their campaign process. Email templates, email editors, and other customization tools are a merchant's best choices. These features come in handy during peak seasons and holidays.

Scalability and segmentation

App features should support scaling up marketing campaigns and hyper-targeting subscribers through segmentation features. The ideal app must help merchants adjust their movements and provide in-depth analytics, including click-throughs, cart abandonment, and more.

15 Best Shopify Email Marketing Apps

Not all email marketing apps are created equal. Some have solid standard features and Shopify integration, making them a reliable tool for most email marketing tasks. Others have advanced features hiding behind a paywall but are provided through a limited trial period for Shopify store owners.

Besides a built-in email marketing solution, we’ve rounded up a total of 15 email marketing apps. Read on to learn about each app’s unique offering to e-commerce merchants.

1. Archive

Shopify merchants use Archive to support their existing email marketing platforms by growing a robust subscriber list. The social listening and user-generated content (UGC) curation tool detects and automatically detects TikTok and Instagram content that cites a Shopify brand.

• Entrepreneurs use the detected content created by top influencers and customers before they disappear in 24 hours. The Archive AI technology feeds email marketing campaigns with the necessary subscriber list and customer information. As a bonus, the app can also help Shopify merchants implement their email marketing strategy on Instagram.
• You can test the app for 30 days without charge. Beyond that, paid plan pricing starts at $29 per month and the pro plan at $99 per month. Advanced features like the AI-powered Smart Search and unlimited storage come at $299 monthly.

2. Automizely

Merchants ready to splurge on an all-in-one marketing automation platform go for Automizely. As a full-featured platform, it offers email marketing automation and email newsletters that help merchants improve their brand’s conversion rates.

• Automation features empower Shopify businesses to recover abandoned carts, send engaging and personalized emails, and even include text messaging for welcome emails. And because the platform allows users to filter by website, campaign, and shopping behaviors, they can send emails that reflect their subscribers' needs at the moment.
• The email marketing functionality also comes with pre-built templates and A/B tests, and effortless performance monitoring. Automizely's free plan is much shorter than most, with only a week. Paid plans start at $11 monthly, while a pro plan is $119 monthly. To access Ai-powered recommendations, price-drop, and back-in-stock emails, users pay a premium fee of $179 monthly.

Did you know? Shopify makes payment easy and safe with Stripe, many "buy now, pay later" options, and its built-in fraud protection.

3. Avada

The Avada platform focuses on helping marketers convert customers through omnichannel, including email marketing. The app integrates with three e-commerce platforms, Shopify, ShopifyPlus, and Magento. This comprehensive app offers email marketing automation tailored for e-commerce stores.

• It boasts a quick automation setup of 5 minutes and multiple ready-to-use email templates optimized for email deliverability and timing. Shopify merchants love its cross-sell and upsell items and its newsletter emails that come with pre-built email templates.
• Avada allows users to adjust these templates to match the store's branding best. The app offers a campaign booster to boost the email's open rates, but merchants favor its segmentation feature. Its pre-built segments enable merchants to group subscribers by new subscribers, most engaged subscribers, repeat customers/VIP buyers, not engaged subscribers, and high order value.
• Its free plan covers 12K emails and email support, but its pro ($16 monthly) and advanced ($47 monthly) comes with a free trial. The Enterprise plan comes with a whopping 2M plus contacts. Avada offers a 30-day refund guarantee for its paid plans and free migration from other e-commerce platforms (e.g., Mailchimp, Klaviyo, Omnisend, or Active Campaign).

4. Campaign Monitor

Like Archive.com, this e-commerce marketing app offers merchants the best of both worlds: email marketing and UGC tools. The tool instantly syncs order and customer data so Shopify merchants can use customer profiles and create segment lists.

• As an email service provider, Campaign Monitor helps its users reduce cart abandonment through follow-up emails. It also offers time-saving features like pre-built journeys, so merchants don't have to start from scratch and focus on optimizing their email marketing campaigns.
• Its pricing options allow for Pay As You Go or a robust plan, so merchants don't have to spend for unused contacts. The starter plan is $9 monthly, while the growth plan is $29. The latter plan offers visual product reviews, social proof widgets, and more.

5. EcomSend

Merchants looking for tools that complement their email marketing app through high-quality pop-ups love EcomSend. Its easy-to-use editor enables users to customize its discount pop-ups to grow their subscriber list.

• The tool easily integrates with Shopify email marketing apps. Merchant sets the automation, so subscribers in opt-in popups are captured. Adding discounts in opt‑in or exit intent popups allows users to keep existing customers and boost sales.
• EcomSend ramps up in data visualization and includes supporting features for customer segmentation. Its customer support is also one of the best among Shopify apps.

6. Klaviyo

Entrepreneurs use Klaviyo for seamless customer communications that include email and SMS templates. Merchants save time and avoid ineffective email blasting through customizable campaigns for price drop alerts, cart reminders, and confirmation emails.

• The SMS and email marketing platform support customized tasks; it uses event data such as prior orders, the newest products, and recently viewed products. It also offers behavior-triggered automation and captures channel engagement data so merchants can push for repeat sales.
• Its free plan includes email and SMS campaigns, segmentation, and predictive analytics. Its email plan starts at $20 monthly, while SMS is $15 monthly.

7. Mailchimp

Merchants need features that support precise emails to make the most of their platforms. These merchants match well with Mailchimp's all-in-one email marketing and automation platform. Advanced features include user recommendations to improve content, targeting, and imagery.

• This platform includes marketing customer relationship management (CRM), so Shopify sellers can scale up. Merchants who need to re-engage customers can use expert insights and add brand-tracking URLs for transactional emails.
• For new users, Mailchimp allows sellers to send 500 transactional emails without needing to upgrade to a priced plan. The pricing works by buying blocks (one block equals 25,00 emails). Starting blocks of 1 to 20 (1 to 500K emails per month) will cost $20 per block. The most blocks you can purchase are only $10 per block, which includes 4M+ emails per month (161+ blocks).

8. Omnisend

This app is an excellent addition for merchants looking for tools to grow their email lists. It comes with email templates, which are great for peak season. The email marketing and SMS tool also offers newsletter templates, landing pages, and pop-ups.

• Omnisend is the preferred solution for merchants juggling different apps for email, SMS marketing, and push notifications. Its mobile-responsive design allows users to create and send emails on the go. Merchants can spice up their lead generation through pop-ups that feature spin-to-win.
• You can start with 500 free emails monthly. Both standard and pro plans come with a free trial. The standard plan costs $16 monthly and is designed for medium-sized businesses. But if your e-commerce business comes to the point of high demand, you can send high-volume emails (with SMS) with its pro plan at $59 monthly.

9. Privy

When merchants work hard, they deserve an email marketing app that works harder. The Privy app is one of the most user-friendly apps used by fast-growing Shopify merchants now. It provides an easy-to-use drag-and-drop email editor, a great feature for merchants who like to design good emails but have no background in design or art.

• The Privy app comes with automated abandoned cart emails, which merchants deploy through email touchpoints. This app makes it a reality for merchants serious about making an excellent first impression by adding emails with limited-time offers. Merchants use its product newsletters to showcase the latest products and promo deals.
• Merchants who want to launch win-back campaigns can do so with limited-time deal emails and coupons that sync with the seller's store. Shopify store owners also love its follow-up emails, which are best for collecting more product reviews after the customer makes a purchase.
• Privy offers a 15-day trial for their email marketing tool and ensures that store owners only need to pay for what they use. The starter plan starts at $30 monthly (including conversion and email features), and the growth plan is $45 monthly. Their website offers a calculator to determine which plan fits your contact needs or limits.

10. Seguno

Many merchants with terrible experiences with other email marketing services switched to Seguno. They love the simplicity offered by its automated emails (over 200 templates) and spam protection. Canva lovers find it a bonus to use this app because it enables them to use the graphic design platform for creating emails.

• Seguno boasts a great customer support experience because old and new customers get in touch with email experts. Merchants can use the app for free for up to 250 subscribers. They also provide a 10-day free trial with all features available during the trial period.
• However, many Shopify merchants find themselves going for the standard plan because it starts at as low as $10 per month and increases as subscribers increase. This plan features multi-email automation, remailing non-openers, and premium sections. Merchants can also cancel anytime.

11. Sendinblue

This app offers marketing, chat, sales CRM, and transactional email platforms. Sendinblue patrons enjoy creating campaigns in a connected email, SMS, and WhatsApp ecosystem. The app empowers businesses to implement targeted communication and build better customer relationships.

• Its design features include a drag-and-drop editor, an email template gallery, and advanced templating language. Merchants leverage its top email features, including core API, deliverability, dedicated IP, and zero daily sending limit.
• Shopify business owners can adjust email marketing campaigns to perform better through real-time email statistics and customized log retention. Growing stores can use it for free with the 300 emails per day cap. Like most pricing models, you pay more as you send more emails. For instance, for 20,000 emails per month, merchants pay $15. Then for 150,000 emails monthly, you’d be paying $95.
• Bigger Shopify stores that want to scale further can avail of its Enterprise Email API plan. This includes enterprise-grade security, dedicated IP with priority sending, and a flexible contract on top of personalized transactional and notification emails.

12. Shopify Email

Of course, the e-commerce platform also offers its built-in email marketing tool. It has the standard drag-and-drop email templates and automation, which merchants can use from the Shopify admin. Users can send the first 10K emails each month for free; they'd have to pay $1 for every 1,000 emails.

But the real deal is the order functionality, allowing shoppers to buy products from emails! Yes, shoppers don't have to go to the Shopify store to make the purchase. The capability is complemented by customized emails, including welcome emails, which can rack an average open rate of 86%.

13. Smartrmail

Advanced email flows enable marketers to focus on email automation tasks. Smartrmail does this through deep integration, which feeds its email automation through purchase and onsite tracking data.

Their complete list of email templates includes the following:

• abandoned cart email
• birthday email
• browse abandonment email
• cross-sell email
• upsell email
• review requests
• thank-you email
• welcome email 
• win-back email

And they don’t stop at prebuilt templates only; the app offers a pre-built series of emails and SMS so merchants can focus on creating the emails. Trigger email marketing ensures that emails are sent at the right moment.

Merchants can run win-back campaigns as well as abandonment cart recovery. They also like to use their personalized product recommendation emails to turn subscribers into repeat buyers. Smartrmail ensures that automated emails are optimized for mobile phone users.

Shopify merchants can use its 15-day trial to test its key features. The free plan covers up to 1K subscribers and 5K emails per month, while the standard plan starts at $19 a month ($0.0075 per subscriber). The unlimited plan costs $99 monthly ($0.01 per subscriber monthly) and covers innovative A/B testing, send boost, and more.

14. SMSBump

Recover abandoned carts and boost your SMS and email lists through easy-to-create emails, templates, and A/B testing. SMSBump is available on Shopify and BigCommerce platforms.

• Merchants like to use SMS flows because they are based on real-time consumer events and hyper-targeted segments. Its collection of tools enables Shopify sellers to maximize email engagement. These tools include QR codes, sign-up pages, keywords, and more.
• The emails comply with consumer privacy data guidelines, including Telephone Consumer Protection Act (TCPA), Cellular Telecommunications and Internet Association (CTIA), and General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR). The free plan includes 10K emails every 30 days. But its powerhouse plan covers an onboarding specialist and monthly SMS strategy sessions.

15. Upsell

This app is a fuse of conversion, analytics, and A/B testing features, allowing merchants to convert customers into repeat buyers effectively. It simplifies workload through a single dashboard and offers a range of A/B test discounts (coupon code, upsell, gift card).

• The app automates email and SMS marketing and integrates with other marketing apps, like MailChimp. It’s available in 37 languages, including Arabic, Czech, Danish, German, and Greek. Merchants can use it free of charge for ten days.
• The starter plan costs $6 per month; the basic plan at $9 per month, and the pro plan at $12 monthly. The pro plan covers 50 Active Campaigns, 24/7 live support, and customer profile sync.

Best Email Marketing Practices To Boost Your Subscribers

The best Shopify email marketing apps cannot substitute for the best email marketing practices. Follow these steps to boost your subscribers:

1. Use your welcome email to leave a good impression.
2. Make it a habit to clean your email list to avoid sending out emails that customers don’t open.
3. Make sure to complete A/B testing of your emails to avoid poor-quality emails.
4. Send re-engagement emails; if there’s no response, remove the contacts from the list to avoid going to the spam folder and reduce email-sending costs.
5. Keep the unsubscribe option visible and avoid hiding it (it’s unethical).    
6. Polish your understanding of email marketing metrics: email deliverability, open rate, click-through rate, bounce rate, conversion rate, opt-in rate, and unsubscribe rate.

Elevate Your Shopify Email Marketing

The top 15 email marketing apps made it onto this list because they offer features specific to emails alone or expand access to others like SMS, CRM, and social media. But for beginners, it is best to pick up on the best email marketing practices and use tools that can build a robust subscribers list, such as Archive app. Then, as your Shopify business grows, you can start scaling up.

Do you want to find the best Shopify email marketing app? Visit us at Archive.com today and check out on-demand features and more.

FAQs on Best Shopify Email Marketing Apps

How do I get email subscribers on Shopify?

Customers who accept marketing from your online store appear on the Customers page of the merchant's Shopify admin. The email addresses of these customers are available in the Email subscribers segment.

Can I use Shopify for free forever?

No. Merchants can use the platform for a trial period of three days. To continue using Shopify, merchants must select a paid plan that fits their business needs.

How do I send a lot of emails without going to spam?

To avoid sending emails that go to the subscriber’s spam folder, merchants need to follow some best email marketing practices, such as cleaning their list, writing quality emails with a strong subject line, monitoring their metrics, testing the emails, and adding an Unsubscribe link.

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