Drip alternatives that don't bill a small store like a big one

Why small stores move off Drip, and what they give up

Drip has one plan with every feature included, and its first band starts at $39/month billed monthly. That band covers a couple of thousand people, which is fair for a store that already has them. For a shop still collecting its first customers it means paying for room it won't use for months, and once the 14-day trial ends there is no free plan to fall back on.

When to stay. Stay on Drip if your list is already near the top of its first band or past it: then you are using what you pay for, every feature is included, and at the list size priced here Drip costs less than Klaviyo. Stay too if you run several brands and rely on its unlimited sub-accounts.

The tools side by side

Each row is the plan a growing store pays once its list reaches this size, with the automation it allows and how you can start without paying.

one store's list at 5,000 customers and subscribers, one user: plan priced, monthly and annual cost, Automation on this plan, Users on this plan, Free start

Tool and plan	Cost per month	Automation on this plan	Users on this plan	Free start
KlaviyoMarketing	Not sold annually $100 monthly	Yes	Not published	Free plan
OmnisendStandard	Not sold annually $81 monthly	Email and push automation, pre-built and custom workflows; SMS Automation ticked on Pro only	unlimited	Free plan
ActiveCampaignStarter	$79annual $99 monthly	5 actions per automation	1	14-day trial
MailerLiteComfort	$44.10annual $49 monthly	50	3	Free plan and a 14-day trial
SenderStandard	$39annual $39 monthly	Yes	3	Free plan and a 14-day trial
BrevoStarter	$28.75annual $32 monthly	Limited to 2,000 contacts	1	Free plan

Six picks, in the order I'd consider them

Each one says who it is for, what it costs for a store grown to 5,000 customers, and what you give up.

1

Klaviyo

Best Drip replacement for a store starting small

Desk research

Choose it if

You plan to grow the store seriously and want to start on the tool many Shopify brands end up on, without a large-list price on day one.

Consider Omnisend instead if

You want the bill to stay lower once the list grows, with seats for the whole team included.

Why it fits a store grown to 5,000 customers

Klaviyo's free plan holds 250 profiles and 500 emails a month, with flows, segments and the Shopify and WooCommerce connections included. Once you outgrow it, Marketing starts at $20/month billed monthly for the smallest band of active profiles, so a store pays for the list it has rather than for Drip's first band.

The plan I priced

Marketing for this store is $100/month billed monthly. Free covers 250 profiles and keeps the Klaviyo logo in emails.

Closest alternative

Omnisend becomes the better choice when you want cart workflows on a free plan and a lower bill at the size priced here.

See Klaviyo plans

A store grown to 5,000 customers: Marketing

Billed monthly

$100/mo

Above 150,000 subscribers: no bigger plan is published.

The trade-off

As the list grows Klaviyo overtakes Drip's price: Marketing is $100/month billed monthly at the size priced here. There is no yearly plan, SMS is billed per send on top, and I have no affiliate link for Klaviyo.

What my review says

Best for: A small store leaving Drip that wants to start free and grow into detailed store segmentation.

Skip it if your list is already past Drip's first band and price is what matters.

Strengths

• A free plan with flows, segments and store sync.
• A small first paid band, priced by active profiles.

Limits

• Costs more than Drip once the list is large.
• SMS billed per send on top of the plan.

See Klaviyo plansMy Klaviyo reviewKlaviyo pricingNo affiliate link: plain link

Drip alternatives that don't bill a small store like a big one

2

Omnisend

Lowest-cost store tool from the first customer

Desk research

Choose it if

You want ecommerce automation running before the list justifies a paid plan, and a bill that rises in small steps.

Consider Sender instead if

You'd rather stay free longer, since Sender's free plan holds far more subscribers.

Why it fits a store grown to 5,000 customers

Omnisend Free holds 250 contacts and already runs the pre-built ecommerce workflows, abandoned cart included. Standard then climbs in narrow bands, and for this list it is $81/month billed monthly, below Drip at the same size. Standard also includes unlimited seats.

The plan I priced

Standard for this store is $81/month billed monthly. The free plan keeps Omnisend branding in campaigns and forms.

Closest alternative

Klaviyo becomes the better choice when you want finer segments on purchase data and accept a higher bill as the list grows.

See Omnisend plans

A store grown to 5,000 customers: Standard

Billed monthly

$81/mo

Above 150,000 subscribers: no bigger plan is published.

The trade-off

No yearly plan, and SMS waits for Pro, from $59/month billed monthly. Each store needs its own subscription, so nothing here replaces the unlimited sub-accounts Drip gives you.

What my review says

Best for: A new store leaving Drip that wants cart emails working on a free plan and small price steps after it.

Skip it if you run several brands from one account.

Strengths

• Pre-built cart workflows on the free plan.
• Narrow contact bands, so the price rises gradually.

Limits

• Monthly billing only.
• One subscription per store.

See Omnisend plansMy Omnisend reviewOmnisend pricingAffiliate link

Drip alternatives that don't bill a small store like a big one

3

ActiveCampaign

Best if you want a CRM beside the store

Desk research

Choose it if

You sell through quotes or calls as well as the shop and want contacts, deals and email in one place.

Consider MailerLite instead if

You only need store emails and want the smaller bill.

Why it fits a store grown to 5,000 customers

ActiveCampaign Starter begins at $19/month billed monthly for its smallest band of 1,000 contacts, includes abandoned cart, and connects to Shopify and WooCommerce. For this store Starter is $79/month billed annually. Plus removes the action cap and opens the CRM add-on.

The plan I priced

Starter for this store is $79/month billed annually, or $99/month billed monthly. The 14-day trial needs no card, and the first paid subscription has a 30-day money-back guarantee.

Closest alternative

Brevo becomes the better choice when you want sales tools and SMS for less, on a bill set by sends.

See ActiveCampaign plans

A store grown to 5,000 customers: Starter

Billed annually

$79/mo

Billed monthly

$99/mo

Above 25,000 subscribers: Plus (+$370/mo billed annually).

The trade-off

Starter allows 5 actions per automation and 1 user, and SMS needs Plus or higher. Drip's workflows carry no such cap, so a store with long flows ends up on Plus, which costs more than Drip for this list.

What my review says

Best for: A store leaving Drip that also sells outside the shop and wants a CRM next to its email.

Skip it if all your sales happen in the store.

Strengths

• A small first band of 1,000 contacts.
• Abandoned cart on every plan, Starter included.

Limits

• Starter caps actions per automation.
• Plus, needed for long flows, costs more than Drip.

See ActiveCampaign plansMy ActiveCampaign reviewActiveCampaign pricingAffiliate link

Drip alternatives that don't bill a small store like a big one

4

MailerLite

Best small first band with a yearly rate

Desk research

Choose it if

You want to commit to a year at a lower price without paying for a list you haven't built.

Consider Sender instead if

You'd rather pay nothing until the list passes a couple of thousand.

Why it fits a store grown to 5,000 customers

MailerLite's first paid band is small, and Comfort comes with 50 automations, 10 landing pages and 3 users. Its own Shopify app runs abandoned cart and other ecommerce automations on every plan, the free one included. For this store Comfort is $44.10/month billed annually, below Drip at the same size.

The plan I priced

Comfort for this store is $44.10/month billed annually, or $49/month billed monthly. Paid features can be tried for 14 days without a card.

Closest alternative

Omnisend becomes the better choice when you want more store workflows pre-built and seats for everyone.

See MailerLite plans

A store grown to 5,000 customers: Comfort

Billed annually

$44.10/mo

Billed monthly

$49/mo

Above 200,000 subscribers: no bigger plan is published.

The trade-off

The free plan stops at 250 subscribers, and paid plans move to the next band on their own once you pass the limit. Comfort counts automations; unlimited ones need Power.

What my review says

Best for: A small store leaving Drip that wants a low first band and a yearly discount.

Skip it if you need SMS in the same tool.

Strengths

• A small first paid band and yearly billing.
• Store automations, abandoned cart included, on every plan.

Limits

• A small free plan.
• Unlimited automations only on Power.

See MailerLite plansMy MailerLite reviewMailerLite pricingAffiliate link

Drip alternatives that don't bill a small store like a big one

5

Sender

Best free plan for Drip's first band

Desk research

Choose it if

You'd rather pay nothing at all while the list is the size Drip charges its entry price for.

Consider Omnisend instead if

You want more ready-made store workflows and don't mind paying sooner.

Why it fits a store grown to 5,000 customers

Sender's free plan covers 2,500 subscribers and 15,000 emails a month with unlimited automation workflows, and its Shopify app is listed on every plan. The automation builder has a cart-abandoned trigger once a store is connected. When the list outgrows the free plan, Standard for this store is $39/month billed monthly, less than half of Drip at the same size.

The plan I priced

Free Forever covers a list up to 2,500 subscribers. Standard for this store is $39/month billed monthly, and its yearly discount applies to the first year only.

Closest alternative

Brevo becomes the better choice when your list will grow large but you'll email it rarely.

See Sender plans

A store grown to 5,000 customers: Standard

Billed annually

$39/mo

Billed monthly

$39/mo

Above 200,000 subscribers: no bigger plan is published.

The trade-off

Free emails and forms carry Sender's branding, the free plan has 1 seat and no SMS, and its flows are simpler than Drip's segments and onsite campaigns.

What my review says

Best for: A new store leaving Drip that wants to pay nothing until the list outgrows a free plan.

Skip it if branding in your emails would cheapen the store.

Strengths

• A free plan sized like Drip's whole first band.
• Automation workflows on the free plan.

Limits

• Sender branding on free emails.
• No SMS on the free plan.

See Sender plansMy Sender reviewAffiliate link

Drip alternatives that don't bill a small store like a big one

6

Brevo

Best if the list will be big but quiet

Hands-on

Choose it if

You collect many sign-ups through giveaways or checkout but only mail them a few times a month.

Consider Sender instead if

You want automation across the whole list on a free plan.

Why it fits a store grown to 5,000 customers

Drip prices by the people on your list. Brevo prices by the emails you send: the free plan stores up to 100,000 contacts, and Starter for this store's weekly campaigns is $28.75/month billed annually. SMS campaigns are on every plan, and the Shopify app has Shopify-specific cart flows. I use Brevo myself.

The plan I priced

Starter for this store is $28.75/month billed annually, or $32/month billed monthly, for a weekly campaign. Free stores the list but sends it slowly.

Closest alternative

MailerLite becomes the better choice when you want a contact-priced bill with landing pages and more automation per plan.

See Brevo plans

A store grown to 5,000 customers: Starter

Billed annually

$28.75/mo

Billed monthly

$32/mo

Above 500,000 subscribers: Professional (+$420.33/mo billed annually).

The trade-off

Free sends 300 emails a day, so a campaign to a big list takes days. On Starter, automation is "Limited to 2,000 contacts" and the account has 1 user.

What my review says

Best for: A store leaving Drip with a fast-growing list it mails only occasionally.

Skip it if you mail the whole list several times a week.

Strengths

• Stored contacts don't set the price.
• SMS campaigns from the free plan up.

Limits

• A daily send cap on the free plan.
• Starter automation limited by contact count.

See Brevo plansMy Brevo reviewBrevo pricingAffiliate link

Drip alternatives that don't bill a small store like a big one

What a store grown to 5,000 customers really costs

Bars show the cost once the list has grown, yearly where sold and monthly where not. Drip's own price at this size sits between Omnisend and Klaviyo.

Other options, and why they missed the list

I kept to tools that connect to Shopify, publish a price for a small list and either have a free plan or start at a smaller band than Drip. Each pick is also priced at the list size in the table, so you can see the cost once the store grows.

• 

  Moosend

  Moosend Pro starts at a smaller band than Drip and includes automation, but there is no free plan either, so a new store still pays from the first month after the trial.

• 

  GetResponse

  A free plan for a small list and low entry prices, but cart recovery starts on Marketer, so a store pays well above the entry price to match what Drip includes.

How I chose, and how I earn from this page

Who is behind this guide

Joonas Rotko

I co-ran a marketing agency in Finland and spent more than ten years buying SEO and marketing software with real client budgets. I write these guides for the person who has to pay for the tool and use it.

• Hands-on with 1 of these 6 tools
• Prices checked 30 Sep 2026
• How this page earns

More about me and how I review

Questions people ask

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• Drip vs Klaviyo