Shopify Newsletter Apps: Shopify Email, Klaviyo, and Japanese Tools Compared
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When choosing an email marketing app for Shopify, the basic conclusion is this: "Shopify Email if you want to start immediately without cost, Klaviyo if you want to increase sales with segmented delivery and automation, and Omnisend if you want to manage email and SMS together at a low cost." The optimal choice depends not on which is best overall, but on your store's size and the strategies you want to implement.
In this article, we, a team specializing in CRM support for Shopify x Klaviyo, will compare the five major apps (Shopify Email, Klaviyo, Omnisend, Mailchimp, and MailerLite), explaining the selection criteria and precautions when migrating. Please note that pricing is subject to frequent changes, so all figures in this article are estimates at the time of writing. Always check the official pricing page before committing.
Conclusion: Recommended Apps by Objective
Below is a quick reference table. Detailed reasons will be explained in the comparison table and app reviews that follow.
| Store Status/Objective | Recommendation |
|---|---|
| Want to start with 1-2 free announcements per month | Shopify Email |
| Want to genuinely generate sales with abandoned carts, step flows, and segmented delivery | Klaviyo |
| Want to manage email and SMS with one app at a lower cost | Omnisend |
| Want to use for non-eCommerce (e.g., blog, service industry) in addition to eCommerce | Mailchimp / MailerLite |
| Monthly revenue of several million JPY or more, want to make CRM a core business pillar | Klaviyo (almost the only choice) |
Before Comparison: 5 Key Points to Look for in Email Marketing Apps
1. Pricing Structure (What are you charged for?)
Each app has different billing criteria: "per email sent," "per subscriber (contact)," or a combination of both. For apps that charge per subscriber, you'll incur costs even for dormant lists that aren't being sent emails, so you need to estimate costs with list cleaning in mind.
2. Flexibility of Segmentation and Automation
The success of email marketing largely depends on "who you send it to." How precisely you can segment based on purchase frequency, purchased items, browsing history, last purchase date, etc., and how freely you can branch automated flows like abandoned cart and welcome sequences, are where apps truly differ in capability.
3. Depth of Shopify Data Integration
To what extent are order, customer, and product data synchronized in real-time and at what granularity? If this integration is shallow, you won't even be able to implement basic strategies like "sending to customers who purchased a specific product."
4. Japanese Language Support and Templates
Check for Japanese language support in the admin panel, aesthetic display with Japanese fonts, and ease of creating vertical smartphone-friendly layouts. While many overseas apps have English-centric admin panels, emails themselves can be created in Japanese without issues.
5. Analytics and Reporting
Beyond open and click rates, it's crucial to be able to measure email-driven sales by linking them to order data. Without sales-based evaluation, you cannot make informed investment decisions for your strategies.
Comparison Table of 5 Major Apps
All prices and free tiers are estimates at the time of writing.
| App | Free Tier (Estimate) | Paid Pricing (Estimate) | Automation & Segmentation | Shopify Integration | Admin Panel |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Shopify Email | Up to 10,000 emails/month free | Pay-as-you-go for exceeding limit (~$1 per 1,000 emails) | Basic automation only. Lacks detailed branching. | Most native as a standard feature | Japanese |
| Klaviyo | Up to 250 profiles, 500 emails/month | Starts from around $20/month. Scales with list size. | Very strong. Flexible branching/segmentation based on behavior data. | Deep official integration, detailed syncing of browsing/order data. | English-centric |
| Omnisend | Up to 500 emails/month | Starts from around $16/month | Strong. Excels in multi-channel flows (email + SMS). | Good integration, eCommerce-focused. | English-centric |
| Mailchimp | Up to 500 contacts (with feature limitations) | Starts from around $13/month | General-purpose. Lags behind specialized tools for detailed eCommerce strategies. | Possible via integration apps | English-centric |
| MailerLite | Up to 1,000 subscribers | Starts from around $10/month | Simple. Basic step flows are possible. | Integration possible but shallow. | English-centric |
Detailed Reviews of Each App
Shopify Email: The First Step, Starting for Free
This is Shopify's standard email function. With no additional installation required, a Japanese admin panel, and up to 10,000 free emails per month, it's the lowest barrier to entry. You can drag and drop product blocks, making it sufficient for new product announcements and sale notifications. However, it lacks fine-grained segmentation based on customer behavior history, and complex multi-stage step flows or conditional branching are difficult. This app is suitable for the initial stage of "establishing a sending habit," and you would consider migrating to a dedicated app once you want to expand your strategies.
Klaviyo: The Mainstay for eCommerce-focused CRM
Klaviyo is an eCommerce-specific email marketing tool that leverages its strong integration with Shopify. Behavioral data such as browsing, cart activity, and orders are stored for each customer, allowing you to create segments like "people who viewed a specific category in the last 30 days but haven't purchased" in minutes. Flows like abandoned carts, welcome series, and post-purchase follow-ups can be freely designed with time delays, branching, and A/B testing. While the admin panel is primarily in English, there are no issues creating Japanese emails for delivery, and it's being operated successfully by our clients. For an overview of its features, see "What is Klaviyo? Functions and Features Explained," and for understanding pricing based on list size, refer to "Complete Guide to Klaviyo Pricing Plans."
Omnisend: Managing Email + SMS Together
Omnisend is also eCommerce-specific, characterized by its ability to combine email, SMS, and Web Push into a single flow. Its pricing tends to be slightly lower than Klaviyo, making it suitable for stores that prioritize a balance between features and cost. While it may lag slightly behind Klaviyo in the granularity of behavioral data and depth of analysis, it is more than capable of handling standard flow operations.
Mailchimp: A Track Record as a General-Purpose Tool
Mailchimp boasts unparalleled history and recognition as an email delivery tool, and Japanese explanatory information is easy to find. However, its design philosophy is general-purpose (not eCommerce-specific), so it falls short compared to specialized tools for detailed strategies utilizing Shopify's behavioral data. It's an option if you want to consolidate email delivery for both eCommerce and other businesses.
MailerLite: Simple and Low-Cost
With a generous free tier and simple operation, it's suitable for small businesses prioritizing cost. Basic features like step flows are available, but the depth of Shopify data integration is limited. It's important to understand that while it can handle "email delivery," it's challenging to delve into "CRM."
Why We Recommend Klaviyo If You're Undecided, and Cases Where It's Not Suitable
The reasons we almost always recommend Klaviyo to Shopify stores with monthly sales of several million JPY or more are threefold: "email-driven sales can be measured at the order level, allowing for investment decisions," "flow branching offers high flexibility, preventing strategies from hitting a ceiling," and "it scales without needing migration even as your list grows." Migrating email marketing apps is a significant undertaking, involving recreating lists, flows, and measurement systems. Therefore, if you anticipate growth, choosing a tool with a high ceiling from the start will ultimately reduce your total costs. The setup process is summarized in "Shopify and Klaviyo Integration Setup Guide."
On the other hand, if your sending frequency is less than once a month, your list size is only a few hundred, and you have no immediate plans for segmented delivery, Klaviyo might be an overinvestment. In such cases, it's more realistic to prioritize building a sending habit with Shopify Email and consider migrating when you feel the need to "segment" or "create multi-stage abandoned cart emails." For designing abandoned cart emails themselves, refer to "Complete Guide to Creating Abandoned Cart Emails."
Precautions When Migrating Apps
- Transfer lists including consent information: Always migrate email addresses and subscription status (consent/unsubscribe) together. Sending to unsubscribed users by mistake is detrimental both legally and to trust.
- Stop old app flows before enabling new ones: To prevent accidental duplicate sending, set a specific cut-over date and switch simultaneously.
- Reconfigure domain authentication (SPF/DKIM): Changing sending tools means redoing authentication settings. Neglecting this will significantly increase spam delivery.
- Send in small batches immediately after migration: The reputation of a new sending environment builds from scratch. For the first 1-2 weeks, gradually increase sending volume, starting with highly engaged customer segments.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I continue operating with just the free plan?
It's possible when your list is in the hundreds. However, free tiers of each app have limitations on sending volume and features, and you'll soon hit those limits when you get serious about abandoned cart flows and step campaigns. It's recommended to view the free tier as a "trial period" and choose an app with the intention of upgrading to a paid plan once you see results.
Klaviyo is in English, but can it be used without problems for Japanese eCommerce?
Yes, it can. While the admin panel is primarily in English, emails themselves can be created and delivered in Japanese without issues, and Japanese fonts display stably on common email clients. Operations are easily standardized, so once the initial flow setup is complete, the burden of daily operation is not significant.
Is it okay to use multiple email marketing apps concurrently?
It is not recommended. Unsubscribe information can become fragmented between apps, making it easy for customers who have unsubscribed from one app to receive emails from another. Managing sending domain reputation also becomes complex. Except for temporary parallel operation during a migration period, consolidate all email sending to a single app.
After choosing an app, what's the first type of email I should create?
For automated flows, the welcome email delivered immediately after registration and the abandoned cart email are the top priorities. Both, once created, run automatically and offer the highest return on investment. For design methods, refer to "Complete Guide to Welcome Email (Step Flow) Design."
How much do prices fluctuate?
Overseas apps are priced in US dollars, so they are affected by both exchange rates and price revisions. The amounts in this article are merely estimates at the time of writing. Many apps increase their monthly fee incrementally as the number of subscribers grows, so it's advisable to estimate costs based on your anticipated list size one year from now.
Yulie is a CRM operations support team specializing in Shopify x Klaviyo (Klaviyo Certified Partner). We provide comprehensive support, from app selection consultation to Klaviyo implementation and migration, flow design, and email production and operation. If you're wondering which app is suitable for your business size or want to discuss migration steps, please feel free to contact us for a free consultation.
