How we make this list: we compare pricing pages, product documentation and public user reviews. Rankite is independent; if a vendor ever pays for a featured spot, that listing is clearly labeled Partner.
Quick comparison
| Tool | Best for | Starting price | Free plan |
|---|
 Klaviyo | Ecommerce brands running email and SMS together | See website (free tier available) | Yes |
 Attentive | Retail and ecommerce brands going SMS-first | See website (custom quote) | No |
 Omnisend | Ecommerce brands wanting Klaviyo-like features for less | See website (free tier available) | Yes |
 Brevo | SMBs wanting affordable email plus SMS | See website (free tier available) | Yes |
 ActiveCampaign | Businesses needing advanced cross-channel automation | See website (tiered plans) | Free trial |
 Postscript | Shopify brands making SMS a revenue channel | See website (free tier available) | Yes |
 Sendlane | Ecommerce brands wanting email, SMS and reviews unified | See website (tiered plans) | Free trial |
 Mailchimp | Beginners and small businesses starting with email | See website (free tier available) | Yes |
 Drip | Ecommerce brands wanting CRM-style email and SMS | See website (tiered plans) | Free trial |
Is your product missing or out of date?
We review this list regularly. Vendors can request a listing, send updated pricing or ask about featured placement.
Key takeaways
- Klaviyo is the default for ecommerce: email and SMS in one platform with deep Shopify data driving both.
- Attentive and Postscript are the SMS specialists; pick Attentive for enterprise retail, Postscript for Shopify-native SMS.
- Omnisend and Brevo win on price: real free tiers and cheaper paid plans than the specialists.
- ActiveCampaign suits businesses that need sophisticated automation beyond ecommerce playbooks.
- Mailchimp works for beginners, but its SMS is an add-on, not a native channel.
The best email and SMS marketing software
Here is the blunt version: email is cheap and SMS is expensive, and most platforms would prefer you forget that. SMS gets the opens, email gets the volume, and the right tool runs both from one contact list without double-charging you into oblivion. These nine platforms all do email and SMS together, but they differ sharply in which channel they were built for and how the pricing works.
#1
Klaviyo
Best for: Ecommerce brands running email and SMS together
Visit klaviyo.com
Starting priceSee website (free tier available)
Free planYes
Klaviyo is the ecommerce standard for a reason: it treats email and SMS as one conversation. A customer abandons a cart, gets a text in an hour, an email the next day, all from one flow builder using the same purchase data. The Shopify integration is the deepest in the category, and segmentation, predictive lifetime value, churn risk, goes beyond basic list splits.
The bill is the catch. Email pricing scales with contacts and SMS is metered per message, so a big list with heavy texting gets expensive. Budget both channels separately when comparing. For ecommerce brands where owned-channel revenue matters, Klaviyo is the platform everything else is measured against.
What we like- Email and SMS share one contact profile and automation builder
- Deep Shopify and ecommerce integrations
- Strong segmentation and predictive analytics
Watch out for- Costs scale fast with list size
- SMS credits add up quickly
- The learning curve matches the power
Starting priceSee website (custom quote)
Free planNo
Attentive built its name on SMS for big retail brands: the signup popups, the two-tap opt-ins, the conversational campaigns. Its deliverability infrastructure and compliance handling are enterprise-grade, which matters when SMS mistakes mean carrier fines. The managed onboarding and strategy team is part of the product, not an upsell.
This is not self-serve software: pricing is custom and the contracts assume real volume. Email exists but is not the strength; brands wanting email-first should look at Klaviyo or ActiveCampaign. For retailers betting big on SMS revenue, Attentive is the specialist.
What we like- SMS expertise with high-performance signup units
- Strong deliverability and compliance tooling
- White-glove onboarding and strategy support
Watch out for- Quote-based pricing, no self-serve
- SMS-centric, email is secondary
- Contracts suit larger brands
#3
Omnisend
Best for: Ecommerce brands wanting Klaviyo-like features for less
Visit omnisend.com
Starting priceSee website (free tier available)
Free planYes
Omnisend is the value alternative to Klaviyo for ecommerce: email, SMS and web push in one platform, with the standard playbooks, welcome series, cart abandonment, post-purchase, ready to switch on. The free tier covers small stores genuinely, and paid plans undercut the specialists significantly.
It will not match Klaviyo's segmentation depth or predictive analytics, and the integration list is shorter. But for stores doing up to mid-seven figures that need both channels working without enterprise cost, Omnisend is the rational pick. Many brands never outgrow it.
What we like- Email, SMS and push in one automation builder
- Generous free tier
- Prebuilt ecommerce workflows that work out of the box
Watch out for- Less advanced than Klaviyo at the top end
- Reporting depth trails the leaders
- Smaller integration ecosystem
Starting priceSee website (free tier available)
Free planYes
Brevo, formerly Sendinblue, is the budget all-rounder: email marketing, SMS campaigns, WhatsApp, live chat and a CRM under one roof, with a free tier that lets small businesses start at zero cost. Pricing scales on sending volume rather than list size, which favors businesses with big lists and modest sending.
Ecommerce depth is the gap: Shopify integration and ecommerce automations exist but lag the specialists. For non-ecommerce SMBs, local services, B2B, publishers, Brevo's breadth and price are hard to beat. It is the sensible default when the budget is tight and the needs are standard.
What we like- Free tier with daily sending allowance
- Email, SMS, WhatsApp and CRM in one
- Straightforward pricing that scales gently
Watch out for- Ecommerce features trail Klaviyo and Omnisend
- Automation is solid but not the most advanced
- The interface is utilitarian
Starting priceSee website (tiered plans)
Free planFree trial
ActiveCampaign is the automation nerd's pick: a visual builder that handles branching logic, lead scoring, CRM pipeline stages and cross-channel messaging with a depth the ecommerce specialists do not attempt. Email, SMS and on-site messages run in one automation, backed by a real CRM. B2B and service businesses with complex funnels fit best.
That power has a learning curve, and simple newsletter needs drown in it. Pricing tiers multiply with contacts and add-ons, so model your real usage. SMS works fine but is not the product's identity; SMS-first brands should look at Attentive or Postscript. For sophisticated automation, nothing else here matches it.
What we like- The most powerful automation builder in this price range
- Email, SMS, site messaging and CRM together
- Strong deliverability
Watch out for- Complexity overwhelms simple needs
- Pricing climbs with contacts and features
- SMS is capable but not the headline
Starting priceSee website (free tier available)
Free planYes
Postscript does one channel extremely well: SMS for Shopify stores. It plugs into store data, purchase history, browsing, loyalty, to power conversational campaigns that feel personal, not broadcast. The compliance tooling is serious, which matters in a channel with real legal teeth, and the AI-assisted replies handle common customer responses.
Email is not included, so you pair it with Klaviyo, Omnisend or similar, which means two vendors and two bills. Non-Shopify stores get less value. But for Shopify brands where SMS drives real revenue, Postscript's depth beats the SMS modules of generalist platforms.
What we like- Shopify-native SMS with deep store data
- Conversational campaigns and AI replies
- Strong compliance and deliverability focus
Watch out for- SMS only, needs a separate email tool
- Shopify-centric, weak elsewhere
- Message costs add up at scale
#7
Sendlane
Best for: Ecommerce brands wanting email, SMS and reviews unified
Visit sendlane.com
Starting priceSee website (tiered plans)
Free planFree trial
Sendlane pitches itself as the unified alternative: email, SMS and review management in one platform, with automation driven by customer behavior. The thesis is consolidation: fewer tools, one contact record, one bill. Ecommerce brands tired of stitching point solutions are the audience.
It is smaller than Klaviyo with a shorter track record, so diligence on deliverability and support quality matters. Price it carefully against Klaviyo and Omnisend at your contact volume; the value depends on actually using the bundled pieces. For brands that will use email, SMS and reviews together, the bundle math can work.
What we like- Email, SMS and product reviews in one platform
- Behavior-based automation
- Positioned as a Klaviyo alternative
Watch out for- Smaller market presence than Klaviyo
- Pricing tiers need careful comparison
- The reviews product is newer
Starting priceSee website (free tier available)
Free planYes
Mailchimp remains the on-ramp: the free tier, the templates, the familiarity. Small businesses can start email marketing in an afternoon with no budget. SMS exists as an add-on in supported regions, which technically qualifies it for this list.
Technically is the key word. The SMS offering is not in Attentive or Postscript's league, and growing lists hit steep pricing cliffs that make Klaviyo or Brevo cheaper at scale. Start here if you are starting out; plan the migration path when email becomes a revenue line, not a newsletter.
What we like- The easiest start in email marketing
- Generous free tier for small lists
- Huge template and integration library
Watch out for- SMS is an add-on, not a native strength
- Pricing jumps sharply as lists grow
- Advanced automation lags specialists
#9
Drip
Best for: Ecommerce brands wanting CRM-style email and SMS
Visit drip.com
Starting priceSee website (tiered plans)
Free planFree trial
Drip calls itself an ecommerce CRM, and the framing fits: every customer gets a rich timeline of behavior driving email and SMS automations. The workflow builder is strong, the ecommerce integrations are solid, and brands that think in customer journeys rather than campaigns feel at home.
There is no free tier, only a trial, so evaluation costs commitment. The ecosystem and third-party content trail Klaviyo's. For ecommerce brands that want CRM depth with both channels and are willing to pay from day one, Drip is a credible alternative to the bigger names.
What we like- Ecommerce CRM framing with deep customer records
- Email and SMS automation together
- Strong workflow builder
Watch out for- No free tier, trial only
- Smaller ecosystem than Klaviyo
- Pricing scales with contacts
What to check before you buy
Check the SMS math first, because it dominates the bill. SMS is priced per message or per credit, and US carrier fees add up; model your monthly message volume at your list size before comparing platforms. Email pricing is usually per contact, so a big quiet list costs more on some platforms than others.
Check the integration with your store or CRM: the value of these platforms is behavioral triggers, and shallow integrations mean manual work. Check compliance tooling: opt-in management, quiet hours and carrier registration vary widely and the legal exposure is real. Check deliverability reputation for email, and trial the automation builder with a real campaign before signing.
How we chose
We started with the searches buyers use: best email and SMS marketing software, Klaviyo alternatives and SMS marketing platform. For each candidate we checked the vendor's own site for current plans and free tiers, read merchant and marketer reviews, and compared channel depth, automation, pricing model and ecommerce fit. Where pricing could not be confirmed on the vendor's page, we wrote "See website".
SMS compliance is not optional
SMS is the most regulated marketing channel in the US. The TCPA requires express written consent before marketing texts, with statutory damages per violation that make class actions lucrative. The 10DLC registration system means businesses must register their brand and campaigns with carriers, or messages get blocked or surcharged.
The practical checklist: get clear opt-in with the right disclosures, honor opt-outs immediately, respect quiet hours, register for 10DLC, and keep records. Every serious platform here helps with parts of this, but the legal responsibility is yours. If a vendor is casual about compliance, that is a reason to leave, not a convenience.
Frequently asked questions
Should I use one platform for email and SMS or two specialists?
One platform is simpler: shared contact data, one automation builder, one bill. Klaviyo, Omnisend and ActiveCampaign do this well. Two specialists (Postscript for SMS plus an email tool) can outperform when SMS is a major revenue channel and you want best-in-class for each.
How much does SMS marketing cost?
SMS is metered per message segment, typically a few cents each plus carrier fees, so 10,000 messages a month costs hundreds of dollars before platform fees. Model your volume carefully; SMS is an order of magnitude pricier than email per reach.
What is 10DLC and do I need it?
10DLC is the system US carriers use for business texting from standard 10-digit numbers. Yes, you need to register your brand and use cases; unregistered traffic faces blocking and higher fees. Your platform should guide the registration.
Which platform is best for Shopify stores?
Klaviyo for combined email and SMS, Postscript for SMS depth, Omnisend for value. All three integrate deeply with Shopify. The choice comes down to whether SMS is your main channel and what your budget allows.
Can I switch platforms without losing my list?
Yes. Export your contacts with consent records and import them into the new platform. Warm up sending gradually to protect deliverability. Most platforms offer migration help; the bigger risk is rebuilding automations, so document your flows before moving.
Sources we checked (9)
- https://klaviyo.com
- https://attentive.com
- https://omnisend.com
- https://brevo.com
- https://activecampaign.com
- https://postscript.io
- https://sendlane.com
- https://mailchimp.com
- https://drip.com
Is your product missing or out of date?
We review this list regularly. Vendors can request a listing, send updated pricing or ask about featured placement.
Shihab Mia · Founder, Rankite
Shihab has spent more than a decade helping SaaS and e-commerce brands grow through search. He writes Rankite's software buying guides from pricing pages, documentation and public user reviews. More about Shihab.