At a glance
Describe the necessary data and messages before comparing providers. Test a complete use case with missing values, exclusions and a landing page. Then evaluate platform costs, set-up and ongoing effort together.
Write down three real-life use cases
First, note down three tasks that the tool must fulfil. These could include a regular newsletter, a welcome series following confirmed registration, and a user guide following a specific product order. For each, specify the necessary data, the desired exclusions and the responsible staff member.
This description is more precise than ‘we need automations’. It shows which shop events, profile attributes and editing options are required. Separate necessary functions from ideas for the future. A rarely used additional feature should not, without being noticed, require more set-up effort than the most important processes combined.
Compare Klaviyo, Shopify Messaging and other providers
Klaviyo publishes product information and pricing for its platform. Shopify now describes the former Shopify Email under Shopify Messaging. Mailchimp and Brevo also provide their own pricing information. Please check the current scope directly with the provider; names, package limits and prices are subject to change.
No single clear winner emerges from the product description. A small shop with simple campaigns requires different workflows to a multilingual shop with complex data and branching structures. Compare providers using your own test cases, rather than equating features from different packages in a blanket list.
Test the integration right through to the correct profile
An installed app does not yet confirm that all the required information is being received correctly. Use a test profile to check the sign-up process, an order and the relevant products. Check timestamps, identification, language and available variants. Where there are multiple shops or domains, the mapping must remain unambiguous.
To switch systems, you will also need a traceable import and export process. Which properties, proofs of consent and delivery exclusions can be transferred? Which system will remain the primary one? Make a note of the migration process before the switch. A new, well-designed editor will not automatically resolve duplicate profiles or lost exclusions.
Check the daily workflow in the editor
Create a typical message using your own images, a product block, a personalised greeting with fallback text and a main link. Have the person who will be working with it regularly in future test it. How long does it take to make a content change? Can the mobile display and language variants be reliably checked?
Include approvals, roles and handover procedures. An editor may appear straightforward in a one-to-one demonstration but can still generate a great deal of additional coordination within a team. You should therefore document the entire process from briefing to the final, reviewed test email. The Examples of our own newsletters help to describe the required design options in concrete terms.
Consider the price over an appropriate period
Compare the current rates with the same scope of contacts and sending requirements. Where applicable, take into account additional channels, booked features and integrations used. Note down the underlying volumes and the date of the pricing information. A starting price without these assumptions is difficult to compare.
Take into account set-up, migration, staff training and ongoing maintenance. A cheaper tariff may involve more manual work; a more comprehensive package may contain unnecessary features. A meaningful comparison takes into account the total costs for your actual workflow. Unverified sales forecasts do not belong in this calculation.
Create a brief decision-making document
- Document three essential use cases and their data requirements.
- Test the same cases in the shortlist.
- Check for missing data, unsubscribes and exclusions.
- Design, approval and mobile test email have been completed.
- Compare current costs using the same assumptions.
- Specify the costs involved in switching and the respective responsibilities.
Make explicit note of any outstanding issues. If the most important integration remains unresolved, the selection process is not yet complete. Where external support is provided, the Guide to choosing an agency adds checks on responsibility and handover.
Sources and further documentation
Product documentation and primary sources relating to the steps described. Editorial source date: 5 October 2026.
