There are more than a dozen email marketing apps for Shopify stores. Which one is best for you, and how does tinyAlbert stack up against the competition?
Here's my analysis. I present the facts as accurately as I can (if I get any facts wrong, let me know) regarding usability, features, automations, and pricing.
Shopify email app options
I looked at three apps. Of course, I included the Shopify Email app because, well, it's made by Shopify. I also selected Klaviyo. It's one of the biggest names in the email marketing industry.
App usability
Usability includes all the factors that shape the user's experience and their ability to achieve marketing objectives. Based on the data in the table below, here's what I found.
The tinyAlbert app gets a higher customer rating than the Shopify Email and Klaviyo apps.
The Shopify Email app is easy to install, but some users found it buggy. Many people reported a less-than-wonderful customer support experience.
The Klaviyo app scores high for an easy-to-navigate UI and a rich set of analytic tools. But, IMHO, that toolset is best suited for mid to large companies with a team of marketers with the time and skills to finesse the data and identify opportunities for more personalized segmentation. Customer support is sometimes cited as less than helpful.
tinyAlbert gets top marks for overall satisfaction thanks to an easy-to-navigate UI, a short learning curve, and responsive customer support.
All three options have good reporting dashboards. Klaviyo is great for teams that want to go deep into the data.
Table 1
App Usability Chart
Variable | Shopify Email | Klaviyo | tinyAlbert |
Trustpilot score * | na | 3.7 | 4.6 |
Shopify App Store score * | 3.8 | 3.8 | 4.7 |
Reporting & Analytics | Basic tools | Advanced tools | Essential tools |
Ease of Use | Easy to install and navigate. The app quickly integrates with the store. Some reports of buggy software | Intuitive UI with an impressive range of tools. May require a steep learning curve. | Short learning curve, thanks to a minimalist UI, ensures quick onboarding. Users spend more time crafting campaigns and less time mastering tools. |
Customer support | Customer reviews highlight support as an area that could be improved. | Tiered customer support. Customers on free plans get limited live support. Live support 24/5, with some weekend and holiday support. Email and chat 24/7. | Available to users with free and paid plans. 24/7 chat, email, and phone. |
* Scores checked on June 30, 2023.
App features
The range of available features is far greater than I could document here, so let me cover a few points.
Segmentation
Klaviyo is the gold standard for segmentation. You can create segments on almost any behavior and property. The result of all that segmenting? A steady data flow that needs analysis to convert information into revenue. Otherwise, why bother? Unless you're on a team, managing that much data would be like drinking water from a fire hydrant.
Shopify has good segmentation tools. It's possible to create segments based on six templates or custom segments with a dozen or so filters. That's all good, but the filter UI is a bit of a head-scratcher.
tinyAlbert has two segments - the Shopify audience (store customers) and prospects (leads collected from a tinyAlbert form).
Lead generation forms
Both tinyAlbert and Klaviyo have forms that are great for list-building. All the form information is pulled into a separate audience. Shopify Email does not have any lead generation forms.
tinyAlbert has three form styles (embedded, popup, and flyout) with dozens of template options and the chance to create custom forms.
AI subject line assistant
All three apps have an AI tool that helps users write compelling subject lines. Shopify Magic goes one step further with AI-generated text suggestions for product descriptions, email subject lines, theme content, and Shopify Inbox instant answers.
Table 2
Features Summary
Features | Shopify Email | Klaviyo | tinyAlbert |
Email templates | Y | Y | Y |
Template customization with drag-and-drop content blocks | Y | Y | Y |
A/B testing | N | Y | N |
Advanced segmentation | Y | Y | coming soon |
Lead generation forms | N | Y | Y |
Support available by email and chat | Y | Y | Y |
Preview text | Y | Y | Y |
AI assistant | Y | Y | Y |
App automations
All three app options have automations that cover four essential e-commerce needs: abandoned cart, win-back, welcome series, and thank you for purchase.
Klaviyo has the most automations (flows) and a robust selection of automations tied to customer purchases (e.g. first purchase upsells and direct mail to big spenders) and inventory (back in stock).
Shopify has nine ready-to-go automations with an option to create custom flows.
tinyAlbert has six automations and more in the pipeline. Users can customize each automation with a drag-and-drop editor.
Table 3
Email Automations Summary
Email automations | Shopify Email | Klaviyo | tinyAlbert |
Abandoned cart | Y | Y | Y |
Abandoned product browse | Y | Y | coming soon |
Customer win-back | Y | Y | Y |
Request a product review | Y | Y | Y |
Post-purchase thank you | Y | Y | Y |
Welcome email series (with discount) | Y | Y | Y |
Welcome new subscriber | Y | Y | Y |
Back-in-stock | N | Y | N |
App pricing
Among the three options, the Shopify Email app offers the lowest cost to send. That's great news for small store owners or anyone on a budget. But is that good value?
The Shopify list only includes people who subscribe to the store or made a purchase. It doesn't help you build a list of prospects, so store owners seek out other products, like the Klaviyo or tinyAlbert app.
Klaviyo calculates costs based on list size with some pretty high caps on total monthly sends. That's great for people with relatively small lists who send a lot. But as the list grows, the price goes up.
tinyAlbert calculates costs based on list size with no limits on sends (within reason, of course - we're always on guard for spamming). That's good value for store owners who want to maximize customer engagement.
Table 4
Cost Summary
Contacts | Shopify Email * | Klaviyo | tinyAlbert |
500 | $0 | $20 (max 5000 sends) | $10 (unlimited) |
2501 | $20 (30,000 sends) | $70 (max 30,000 sends) | $48 (unlimited) |
5001 | $45 (55,000 sends) | $110 (max 55,000 sends) | $93 (unlimited) |
10,001 | $95 (105,000sends) | $175 (max 105,000 sends) | $165 (unlimited) |
25,001 | $95 (260,000sends) | $425 (max 260,000 sends) | $369 (unlimited) |
100,001 | $676 (1,050,000sends) | $1,440 (max 1,050,00 sends) | $1,315 |
All fees above are monthly subscription fees.
* Shopify email fees are based on the number of sends and not the number of contacts. Charges apply when the number of sends in a month exceeds 10,000.
What's the bottom line?
Here's my two cents.
I'm a big fan of Shopify and see why the Shopify Email app might look good to people new to email marketing, but sometimes you have to measure price against value. Customer reviews about the product and support are not always kind. Support is really important, especially for newcomers, because there are lots of questions when starting out. So, on that front, I'd give tinyAlbert the thumbs-up.
In terms of features and functions, Klaviyo is the Cadillac of Shopify email marketing apps. But here's the thing: not everyone wants or needs the best of everything. Small store owners and solopreneurs may not have the time -- or desire -- to learn all the tools of the trade.
That's why tinyAlbert is such an appealing alternative. You get a robust suite of email marketing tools built on an easy-to-navigate platform backed up by responsive support. Learn the tools and get set up with automations and campaigns in minutes, not days or weeks. That's what I call an unbeatable time-to-value ratio.