The Hidden Truth About Shopify Email Pricing

The Hidden Truth About Shopify Email Pricing

You’ve probably heard the myth: Shopify charges per email sent. It’s a common misconception—but it’s completely false. In 2025, Shopify does not charge per email, and never has. Instead, it offers a smart, cost-effective model that benefits growing e-commerce brands.

Understanding the real pricing structure can save you money and help you scale efficiently.

Shopify includes Shopify Email, a free built-in tool, with every active store subscription. This service lets you send up to 10,000 emails per month at no extra cost—ideal for startups and small businesses.

Once you exceed that limit? Shopify doesn’t offer a paid upgrade. You’ll need to integrate third-party platforms like Klaviyo, Omnisend, or MailerLite to keep scaling.

Key facts: - ✅ Free for all active Shopify stores - ✅ 10,000 emails/month included - ❌ No pay-per-email option - ❌ No overage fees - 🔗 Seamless integration with Shopify data

This model reflects a broader industry shift: email pricing is based on audience size, not volume. Platforms now charge by the number of subscribers, not the number of emails sent.

According to Thunderbit, the average email open rate is ~21.5%, and 56–60% of emails are opened on mobile devices—making deliverability and design just as important as cost.

No major email marketing provider—including Shopify—uses per-email pricing anymore. The reason? Automation drives value, not volume.

Modern e-commerce relies on triggered campaigns like: - Abandoned cart reminders - Welcome series - Post-purchase follow-ups - Re-engagement sequences

These automated flows generate 320% more revenue than one-off broadcasts (Email Tool Tester). Charging per email would discourage this high-ROI behavior.

Instead, platforms charge based on: - Number of contacts - Access to advanced automation - Analytics and A/B testing features

For example, Klaviyo and Omnisend offer free tiers for small lists and scale affordably as you grow—while providing deeper behavioral tracking and AI-powered personalization.

A skincare brand on Shopify started with Shopify Email, sending monthly newsletters and basic promotions. At 800 subscribers, they stayed under the 10,000-email cap and saved over $300/year.

But as sales grew, so did engagement opportunities. They hit a bottleneck: no A/B testing, limited segmentation, and no SMS integration.

They migrated to Omnisend (free up to 500 contacts), enabling: - Automated abandoned cart flows - SMS + email sequences - AI-driven product recommendations

Result: 27% increase in email-driven revenue within three months—without increasing email volume.

This shift highlights a key truth: success isn't about how many emails you send, but how smart they are.

With email marketing delivering an average ROI of $36 for every $1 spent (Mailfloss, Forbes), the focus should be on strategy, not per-message costs.

Now, let’s explore how to choose the right email solution as your business scales.

Why Per-Email Pricing Is Dead (And What Replaced It)

Why Per-Email Pricing Is Dead (And What Replaced It)

Email marketing used to come with a simple cost: pay per message sent. Today, that model is obsolete. Platforms like Shopify have shifted to smarter, scalable pricing—prioritizing value over volume.

This transformation reflects a broader industry move toward subscriber-based models, deeper integrations, and automation-first strategies. The focus is no longer on how many emails you send—but who you’re sending them to, and how personalized the message is.

Modern e-commerce platforms bundle email tools or charge based on list size—not sends. Shopify, for example, offers Shopify Email free for up to 10,000 emails per month with any active store plan. No per-email fees. No hidden charges.

Once merchants grow beyond basic needs, they integrate platforms like Klaviyo, Omnisend, or MailerLite, which charge based on subscriber count, not volume.

Key drivers behind this shift: - Scalability: Easier for stores to grow without unpredictable costs. - Value alignment: Platforms earn more when users succeed, not just send more emails. - Reduced friction: Free tiers help new brands launch quickly.

According to Mailfloss and Thunderbit, email marketing delivers an average ROI of $36 for every $1 spent, with e-commerce seeing up to $45 ROI per dollar—proof that results matter more than volume.

Automated emails generate 320% more revenue than one-off broadcasts, according to Email Tool Tester. This makes per-email pricing counterproductive—why penalize a store for running high-performing cart recovery flows?

Instead, platforms reward engagement through intelligent pricing: - Abandoned cart emails recover 10–15% of lost sales. - Welcome series convert at 50% higher rates than standard promotions. - Post-purchase sequences boost repeat orders and LTV.

Example: A Shopify store using Klaviyo automates its welcome flow. Over 90 days, it generates $28,000 in revenue from first-time buyers—without increasing email volume or cost per send.

Platforms now measure success in revenue per subscriber, not cost per email.

Today’s dominant pricing models focus on audience size and functionality:

AI adoption is accelerating this shift—63% of marketers now use AI for subject line optimization, send-time prediction, or dynamic content, per Forbes and Spiceworks.

With over 60% of emails opened on mobile, platforms also prioritize mobile optimization and list hygiene—cleaning lists every 3–6 months improves deliverability and open rates.

The bottom line? Pricing follows performance. Modern platforms invest in helping stores grow their audience and revenue—not just count emails.

Next, we’ll explore how Shopify’s free email offering compares to third-party leaders—and when to make the switch.

Best Email Tools for Shopify Stores: Free vs. Paid

Hook: In 2025, Shopify doesn’t charge per email—so what does it cost to run high-impact campaigns?

With over 4.7 billion global email users and an average ROI of $36 for every $1 spent, email remains the most profitable channel for Shopify stores. Yet confusion persists: does Shopify charge per email? The answer is no. Instead, it offers Shopify Email—a free tool included with every active store, allowing 10,000 emails per month at zero cost.

Beyond that threshold, Shopify does not offer paid email tiers. Stores must integrate third-party platforms like Klaviyo or Omnisend to scale.

This shift reflects a broader industry trend: modern email pricing is based on subscriber count, not message volume. As your list grows, so do your needs for automation, segmentation, and deliverability tools.

Key takeaway: Cost-effectiveness isn’t about sending fewer emails—it’s about choosing the right tool at the right growth stage.

For new or small Shopify stores, Shopify Email is a solid entry point—especially since it’s free for up to 10,000 emails/month and fully integrated into the Shopify dashboard.

It supports core functions like: - Welcome emails - Abandoned cart recovery - Product recommendations - Basic A/B testing

However, it lacks advanced segmentation, multi-step automation, and deep behavioral tracking. Once your subscriber list exceeds 500–1,000 contacts, limitations become evident.

Real example: A boutique skincare brand used Shopify Email for six months, sending weekly newsletters and cart reminders. When their list hit 1,200 subscribers, they hit deliverability issues and saw open rates drop to 14%, below the industry average of 21.5% (Thunderbit).

Still, for early-stage brands, free access reduces friction and upfront costs—a strategic advantage.

Bottom line: Use Shopify Email to launch—but plan your upgrade path early.

When growth demands more power, third-party tools deliver advanced automation, AI-driven personalization, and omnichannel reach.

Here’s how top platforms compare:

Klaviyo leads in e-commerce with real-time Shopify data sync, predictive analytics, and automated flows that generate 320% more revenue than non-automated campaigns (Email Tool Tester).

Omnisend stands out by bundling email, SMS, and push notifications—critical as 60% of emails are opened on mobile (Thunderbit).

Pro insight: Brands using automated flows recover 10–15% of abandoned carts, directly boosting revenue.

Transitioning from Shopify Email to Klaviyo or Omnisend isn’t just about features—it’s about unlocking scalable ROI.

So when should you leave free tools behind?

Upgrade if you: - Have over 1,000 subscribers - Want behavior-triggered automations - Need A/B testing with statistical significance - Rely on SMS or multi-channel campaigns - See open rates below 18–20%

Stick with Shopify Email if: - You're pre-revenue or testing product-market fit - Sending under 5,000 emails/month - Running simple broadcast campaigns

Case study: A DTC coffee brand grew from $2K to $20K/month in six months. After migrating from Shopify Email to Klaviyo, they launched a segmented welcome series and post-purchase upsell flow—increasing email-driven revenue by 68% in 90 days.

Actionable move: Audit your list size, engagement metrics, and automation needs every quarter.

The best strategy isn’t picking between free and paid—it’s using both strategically over time.

Start with Shopify Email to validate your audience and build initial momentum. Then, invest in AI-powered personalization and list hygiene before upgrading.

Top 5 cost-saving best practices: - Clean your list every 3–6 months (Mailfloss) - Use A/B testing to optimize subject lines (up to 83% higher ROI, EmailMonday) - Focus on mobile-responsive templates - Leverage AI for copywriting (e.g., ChatGPT, Claude) - Prioritize automated flows over batch emails

With 47–63% of marketers now using AI for email (Forbes, Spiceworks), falling behind isn’t an option.

Next step: Align your tool choice with business stage—not just budget.

The question isn’t how much Shopify charges per email—it’s which tool delivers the highest ROI at your stage?

Shopify Email wins for startups and microbusinesses. But for scalable growth, Klaviyo and Omnisend offer unmatched e-commerce integration and automation.

Remember: The future of email is AI-driven, mobile-first, and hyper-personalized—not pay-per-send.

Choose a path that scales with your ambition.

How to Optimize Email Marketing Without Breaking the Bank

Email marketing remains the highest-ROI digital channel—delivering an average of $36 for every $1 spent, with e-commerce brands seeing up to $45 ROI per dollar (Forbes, Thunderbit). The good news? You don’t need a big budget to achieve these results.

Shopify doesn’t charge per email. Instead, it offers Shopify Email, a free tool included with all active store plans, allowing 10,000 emails per month at no cost. This makes it ideal for startups and small businesses just getting started.

But cost savings only matter if your emails convert. The key isn’t volume—it’s precision, automation, and relevance.

Leveraging Shopify’s free email allowance effectively can delay or eliminate the need for paid tools. Focus on high-impact, low-cost strategies first.

• Use automated flows like abandoned cart and welcome emails—these generate 320% more revenue than broadcast messages (Email Tool Tester).
• Segment your audience based on behavior: purchases, browsing history, or cart value.
• Keep subject lines under 50 characters for higher open rates (Thunderbit).
• Design mobile-first—60% of emails are opened on mobile devices (Mailfloss).
• Test one element at a time: subject line, CTA, or send time.

Take Bloom & Vine, a Shopify-based plant store. By setting up a simple abandoned cart flow using Shopify Email, they recovered 12% of lost sales within two months—without spending a dime on email software.

Automated emails don’t just save time—they drive disproportionate returns.

Even the best content fails if it lands in spam. Poor list quality damages sender reputation and tanks engagement.

Shopify Email doesn’t offer advanced deliverability tools, so proactive maintenance is essential.

• Clean your list every 3–6 months to remove invalid or inactive addresses (Mailfloss).
• Use double opt-in to ensure subscriber quality.
• Monitor unsubscribe rates and spam complaints closely.

Brands that maintain clean lists see 20–30% higher open rates on average. Tools like Mailfloss or ZeroBounce can automate verification without high costs.

Deliverability isn’t a one-time setup—it’s an ongoing investment in inbox placement.

Next, we’ll explore how to scale beyond the free tier without overspending.