If you’re running a Shopify store, email marketing is one of the easiest ways to turn visitors into buyers and buyers into repeat customers. But with so many tools out there, it’s tough to figure out which one is best. Two of the most popular options are Shopify Email and Omnisend. Both are great tools, but they serve different types of users. This guide breaks down what each platform offers and helps you decide which one fits your business better.
Check out our YouTube breakdown for a full walkthrough of both platforms
Shopify Email: Simple and Straightforward
Shopify Email is built right into your Shopify dashboard. It’s designed for ease of use and is a great choice for store owners who want to send out basic campaigns without needing a separate app.
Starting from $17/month
Get your free trial and $1 for the first month + Free store builder
Key Features
AI-powered product recommendations and marketing
Advanced fulfillment and inventory management
Seamless omnichannel selling
Why We Recommend It
Storage and Bandwidth:
Unlimited storage allows you to upload as many products and images as needed
Unlimited bandwidth means your site can handle many visitors and lots of activity without slowing down
Extras and Inclusions:
Secure, integrated payment gateway, with transaction fees waived if you use Shopify Payments
Access to an extensive app store to add features and functionality
Built-in tools for SEO, marketing, and analytics
Pros & Cons
- Comprehensive store management tools
- Wide range of themes and apps
- Excellent 24/7 customer support
- It can get expensive with additional apps and transaction fees
- Limited SEO capabilities compared to other platforms
Key features:
- Seamless integration with Shopify
- Pre-built templates that pull in your brand and products automatically
- Automated product recommendations
- Basic analytics like open rate and click-through rate
- Simple automation like abandoned cart emails
Pricing:
- First 2,500 emails per month are free
- After that, $1 per 1,000 additional emails
Who it’s for: If you’re new to email marketing, or you just want a clean, fast way to stay in touch with customers, Shopify Email is a solid option. It’s low-cost, easy to use, and doesn’t require setting up a new platform.
Omnisend: More Power, More Channels
Omnisend is a full-blown marketing automation platform built for e-commerce. While it works great with Shopify, it also supports over 30 other platforms. This makes it ideal if you’re planning to expand or want more advanced features right now.
Key features:
- Email, SMS, push notifications, and WhatsApp all in one place
- Pre-built and customizable automation workflows
- Personalized product recommendations
- Advanced segmentation and targeting
- A/B testing
- In-depth performance reporting
Pricing:
- Free plan includes up to 250 contacts and 500 emails/month
- Paid plans start at $16/month and scale with your list size
Who it’s for: If you want to grow aggressively, build automated customer journeys, and use multiple channels to connect with your audience, Omnisend is a better fit. It takes more time to set up but gives you a lot more power in the long run.
Key Differences
Final Recommendation
- Use Shopify Email if you’re just starting out, need something simple, and don’t want to mess with extra tools.
- Use Omnisend if you want to scale fast, use advanced automation, or run multi-channel campaigns.
Both tools offer free plans, so you can try each one and see what works best for your store. If you’re serious about growing your e-commerce business through automation and deeper customer insights, Omnisend is worth the investment. But if you’re just looking to keep in touch with your customers and stay consistent, Shopify Email gets the job done with less effort.
