Klaviyo is built specifically around ecommerce, which sets it apart from general-purpose email marketing platforms. This guide explains why ecommerce businesses choose Klaviyo, the workflows it supports, and what type of store gets the most value from it.
See how Klaviyo stacks up against other options in our Marketing Software hub.
What Klaviyo Is
Klaviyo is an email and SMS marketing platform with deep integrations for ecommerce platforms like Shopify. See the full Klaviyo profile for pricing and feature details.
Why Ecommerce Businesses Use It
Unlike general email tools, Klaviyo ties its automation and reporting directly to store data: purchases, browsing behavior, cart activity, and customer lifetime value. This means campaigns and automated flows can be triggered by actual shopping behavior rather than generic list segments, and revenue can be attributed back to specific emails or flows.
Common Ecommerce Workflows
- Abandoned cart flows that automatically follow up when a shopper leaves items unpurchased
- Post-purchase flows for order confirmation, shipping updates, and review requests
- Win-back flows targeting customers who haven’t purchased in a defined period
- Browse abandonment flows for shoppers who viewed products but didn’t add them to cart
- Combined email and SMS sequences for time-sensitive promotions
Useful Features for Store Owners
- Revenue attribution reporting tied directly to campaigns and flows
- Customer segmentation based on purchase history and predicted lifetime value
- Deep native integration with Shopify and similar ecommerce platforms
- Combined email and SMS messaging from a single platform
Limitations to Consider
Klaviyo’s paid pricing scales with active profile count and is calculated through an interactive estimator on its own site rather than a single flat number, which can make budgeting less predictable than a flat-rate competitor as a store’s list grows. It’s also more specialized for ecommerce than for general business marketing, so a non-ecommerce business is less likely to get proportional value from its store-specific features.
What Type of Store It Suits
Klaviyo tends to suit ecommerce stores, particularly those on Shopify or similar platforms, that want automation and reporting tied directly to purchase behavior rather than generic email sends. Very small stores just starting out may find its free tier (up to 250 profiles) sufficient before needing to evaluate paid pricing.
Alternatives
Mailchimp, also profiled on this site, offers more general-purpose email marketing that can also support ecommerce stores without Klaviyo’s store-specific automation depth. See the Mailchimp vs Klaviyo comparison for a closer look, or the Best Email Marketing Software roundup for the full cluster.
FAQ
Is Klaviyo only for Shopify stores?
No, though Shopify integration is particularly deep. Klaviyo also integrates with other ecommerce platforms, but its features and marketing are most closely associated with Shopify-based stores.
Does Klaviyo replace an email marketing platform for a non-ecommerce business?
It can be used by non-ecommerce businesses, but its core strengths, like purchase-based automation and revenue attribution, are specifically built around online store data.
Is there a free way to try Klaviyo for a small store?
Yes. Klaviyo’s free plan covers up to 250 active profiles and 500 email sends per month, which can be enough for a very small or new store to evaluate the platform.
Getting Started
Most stores start by connecting Klaviyo directly to their ecommerce platform (such as Shopify), which syncs product, order, and customer data automatically. From there, the typical first step is turning on a small set of pre-built flow templates — abandoned cart and post-purchase are the most common starting points — before building more customized flows once the basics are running and generating measurable results.
Common Mistakes to Avoid
- Turning on every available flow at once instead of starting with the highest-impact ones (abandoned cart, post-purchase) and expanding gradually
- Ignoring SMS opt-in requirements and regulations when adding text-message flows alongside email
- Not segmenting by purchase behavior, which is one of Klaviyo’s core strengths compared to general-purpose email tools
- Underestimating how profile count (not just email sends) affects pricing as a list grows
For a full breakdown of how Klaviyo’s pricing scales with list size, see Klaviyo Pricing Explained.