Email marketing

A first newsletter fits inside either one's free tier. MailerLite is free up to 500 subscribers, with signup forms and landing pages in the same account. Brevo counts sends instead, with up to 300 emails a day, and adds SMS and WhatsApp campaigns. Pick MailerLite for a simple editor, or Brevo if you want an EU provider and more channels later.

Klaviyo reads your Shopify order data and targets email and SMS by what customers bought. Mailchimp connects to Shopify and WooCommerce for abandoned cart reminders and product recommendations. Smaller shops can start on either without paying. If your shop runs on another platform, check the integration before you import your customers.

Many European businesses prefer it, because subscriber data then stays under EU law. CleverReach and Rapidmail send from servers in Germany, with double opt-in forms built in. Brevo is a French company and MailUp an Italian one. Check each tool's data processing terms before you import existing contacts.

Most tools charge by the number of contacts, so every new subscriber raises the price. MailUp charges for sending speed instead, with unlimited contacts and sends on every plan, from €48 a month billed yearly. Brevo prices by emails sent, which suits a large list that you mail now and then. Work out your yearly cost on two or three tools with your real list size.

Double opt-in asks new subscribers to confirm by email, which gives you proof of consent and a cleaner list. CleverReach and Rapidmail build it into their signup forms by default. MailerLite, Brevo and Mailchimp offer it as a setting on their forms. Turn it on from the first form, since adding proof later for old contacts is hard.