Quick signals
Complexity
Low
Pre-built e-commerce workflows make setup fast; limited customization keeps complexity low but caps advanced use cases.
Common upgrade trigger
Contact list exceeds 250 (free tier cap)—Standard starts at $16/mo
When it gets expensive
SMS credits on Standard (60/mo) are minimal—a single SMS campaign to 500 contacts exceeds the included credits
What this product actually is
E-commerce marketing automation with pre-built Shopify/WooCommerce workflows, email + SMS + push in one plan. Free for 250 contacts; Standard at $16/mo for 500 contacts.
Pricing behavior (not a price list)
These points describe when users typically pay more, what actions trigger upgrades, and the mechanics of how costs escalate.
Actions that trigger upgrades
- Contact list exceeds 250 (free tier cap)—Standard starts at $16/mo
- Need SMS credits beyond the 60/mo included—additional credits or Pro tier ($59/mo)
- Need advanced reporting and segment comparisons—Pro tier features
- Multiple store management—requires higher tier for cross-store campaigns
- Need priority support and dedicated account manager—Pro tier
When costs usually spike
- SMS credits on Standard (60/mo) are minimal—a single SMS campaign to 500 contacts exceeds the included credits
- Web push notification delivery depends on browser support—Safari has limited push support
- Product recommendation accuracy depends on catalog size and order history volume
- No native Facebook/Google Ads integration for retargeting audiences—requires Shopify or manual setup
- Email builder product blocks require active product catalog sync—broken sync = broken emails
- Free tier is limited to 250 contacts and 500 emails—forces upgrade very quickly for active stores
Plans and variants (structural only)
Grouped by type to show structure, not to rank or recommend specific SKUs.
Free
- Free - $0 for 250 contacts - 500 emails, 60 SMS, 500 push/mo
Plans
- Standard - $16/mo for 500 contacts - Unlimited emails, 60 SMS, automation
- Pro - $59/mo for 500 contacts - Unlimited emails, SMS credits, advanced reporting
Enterprise
- Enterprise - Custom pricing - Dedicated account manager, migration support
Costs and limitations
Common limits
- Predictive analytics and advanced segmentation less sophisticated than Klaviyo's—basic audience insights only
- Revenue attribution exists but is simpler than Klaviyo's per-email granularity and CLV predictions
- Contact-based pricing: 25,000 contacts on Standard is $180/mo; 50,000 contacts is $330/mo
- No B2B features—no lead scoring, no CRM, no ABM; purely e-commerce focused
- Template design quality is functional but less polished than Mailchimp's premium templates
- SMS credits on Standard are limited (60/mo included); additional SMS purchased separately
What breaks first
- SMS cost surprises: 60 included credits are inadequate for any real SMS program; Pro or credits needed fast
- Analytics ceiling: growing brands need Klaviyo-level predictive analytics and CLV that Omnisend can't provide
- Contact-based pricing at scale: 50,000 contacts is $330/mo vs Brevo at $25/mo (send-based)
- Segmentation limitations: advanced behavioral segments and computed properties not available
- Brands outgrowing e-commerce-only: any B2B or mixed-model needs force migration to a general-purpose tool
Decision checklist
Use these checks to validate fit for Omnisend before you commit to an architecture or contract.
- Email Simplicity vs Automation Depth: Map your current automation needs: simple drip sequences vs multi-branch conditional flows
- Contact-Based vs Send-Based Pricing: Calculate total contacts vs average monthly sends to model cost on both pricing models
- E-commerce Native vs General Purpose: Determine if revenue-per-email and order-level attribution are must-have metrics
- Upgrade trigger: Contact list exceeds 250 (free tier cap)—Standard starts at $16/mo
- What breaks first: SMS cost surprises: 60 included credits are inadequate for any real SMS program; Pro or credits needed fast
Implementation & evaluation notes
These are the practical "gotchas" and questions that usually decide whether Omnisend fits your team and workflow.
Implementation timeline
1–3 days for Shopify integration and pre-built flows; 1 week to customize segments, SMS, and advanced campaigns.
Switching cost
Low — e-commerce data stays in Shopify/WooCommerce; automation flows are simple enough to rebuild on another platform.
Implementation gotchas
- No native Facebook/Google Ads integration for retargeting audiences—requires Shopify or manual setup
- Pre-built workflows for quick setup → Less customizable than ActiveCampaign's automation builder
- Smaller integration ecosystem than Mailchimp or HubSpot—focused on e-commerce platforms only
Questions to ask before you buy
- Which actions or usage metrics trigger an upgrade (e.g., Contact list exceeds 250 (free tier cap)—Standard starts at $16/mo)?
- Under what usage shape do costs or limits show up first (e.g., SMS credits on Standard (60/mo) are minimal—a single SMS campaign to 500 contacts exceeds the included credits)?
- What breaks first in production (e.g., SMS cost surprises: 60 included credits are inadequate for any real SMS program; Pro or credits needed fast) — and what is the workaround?
- Validate: Email Simplicity vs Automation Depth: Map your current automation needs: simple drip sequences vs multi-branch conditional flows
- Validate: Contact-Based vs Send-Based Pricing: Calculate total contacts vs average monthly sends to model cost on both pricing models
Fit assessment
Good fit if…
- Small to mid-size Shopify/WooCommerce stores wanting e-commerce automation at lower cost than Klaviyo
- E-commerce brands wanting email + SMS + push in one plan without managing separate channel tools
- Stores needing quick setup: pre-built automation flows can be live within hours, not weeks
- Budget-conscious DTC brands that need 80% of Klaviyo's functionality at 60% of the cost
- WooCommerce and BigCommerce stores (where Klaviyo's integration is less mature than Shopify)
- Brands prioritizing list building with integrated popups, forms, and landing pages
Poor fit if…
- Need advanced predictive analytics and CLV modeling—Klaviyo's data science features are superior
- High-AOV brand where per-email revenue precision justifies Klaviyo's premium pricing
- B2B business with lead nurturing needs—Omnisend has zero B2B capabilities
- Need advanced segmentation with custom events and computed properties—Klaviyo or ActiveCampaign are better
- Large list (50,000+) with moderate engagement—Brevo's send-based pricing is significantly cheaper
- Need deep CRM integration—Omnisend's integrations are limited to e-commerce platforms
Trade-offs
Every design choice has a cost. Here are the explicit trade-offs:
- Affordable e-commerce automation → Less advanced analytics than Klaviyo
- Email + SMS + push in one plan → SMS credits are limited; costs add up
- Pre-built workflows for quick setup → Less customizable than ActiveCampaign's automation builder
- Native Shopify/WooCommerce focus → No B2B capabilities whatsoever
- 30–40% cheaper than Klaviyo → 30–40% less analytical depth
Common alternatives people evaluate next
These are common “next shortlists” — same tier, step-down, step-sideways, or step-up — with a quick reason why.
-
Klaviyo — step-upWhen you need predictive analytics, advanced segmentation, and per-email revenue attribution at enterprise scale.
-
Mailchimp — step-sidewaysWhen you need general email marketing with broader integrations beyond e-commerce.
-
Brevo — step-sidewaysWhen your list is large and send-based pricing matters more than e-commerce-specific features.
-
ActiveCampaign — step-upWhen you need CRM, lead scoring, and deeper automation workflows beyond e-commerce flows.
Sources & verification
Pricing and behavioral information comes from public documentation and structured research. When information is incomplete or volatile, we prefer to say so rather than guess.