When it comes to email marketing for your Shopify store, two names often dominate the conversation — Shopify Email and Mailchimp.
Both tools are popular, effective, and designed to help merchants communicate with customers, increase engagement, and drive more sales. But which one should you choose in 2025?
Shopify Email offers a built-in, beginner-friendly solution integrated directly into your store, while Mailchimp provides a powerful marketing platform with advanced automation, segmentation, and analytics., and analytics.
In this guide, we’ll break down the key differences between Shopify Email and Mailchimp — their features, pricing, pros, cons, and which is better depending on your business size and goals.
Finally, we’ll introduce NotifyEZ – Messaging & Alerts, a next-generation app that takes Shopify notifications beyond traditional email marketing.

1. Overview: Shopify Email vs Mailchimp
Let’s start with a quick overview of both tools.
| Feature | Shopify Email | Mailchimp |
|---|---|---|
| Type | Built-in Shopify app | External email marketing platform |
| Ease of Use | Extremely beginner-friendly | More complex, powerful |
| Automation | Basic workflows | Advanced automation |
| Segmentation | Limited | Robust, data-driven |
| Integration | Seamless with Shopify | Requires connector app |
| Pricing | Pay per send | Pay per contact |
| Templates | Basic but clean | Hundreds of customizable designs |
In short:
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Shopify Email is great for new or small stores that want simplicity and direct integration.
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Mailchimp is ideal for growing or enterprise-level businesses needing deep automation and analytics.
2. Shopify Email – The Built-In Simplicity
Shopify Email is Shopify’s native email marketing tool, designed for merchants who want to create, send, and track emails directly from their Shopify dashboard.
No need for third-party integrations — everything runs within your existing Shopify admin.
Key Features
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Drag-and-drop email editor – Create campaigns easily using templates that automatically match your store’s branding.
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Shopify product integration – Add products, prices, and discount codes directly into emails.
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Pre-built automation templates – Send welcome emails, order updates, or promotions.
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Performance tracking – Monitor open rates, clicks, and conversions in real time.
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Built-in contact management – Automatically syncs with your Shopify customer list.
Pricing
Shopify Email offers a free monthly quota of 10,000 emails.
After that, you pay $1 for every 1,000 additional emails sent, making it very affordable for small to medium businesses.
Pros
✅ Seamlessly integrated into Shopify
✅ Easy to use, no setup required
✅ Affordable, pay-per-send model
✅ Branded templates automatically match your store theme
Cons
❌ Limited automation options
❌ Basic segmentation
❌ Fewer template customization tools
❌ No multi-channel support (email only)
Best For
🛍️ Small to medium Shopify stores that want an affordable, no-fuss way to send promotional or transactional emails.
3. Mailchimp – The Powerhouse of Email Marketing
Mailchimp is one of the most popular email marketing platforms in the world — and it’s packed with advanced features for businesses ready to scale.
It’s no longer directly integrated with Shopify by default, but you can connect it through third-party apps or APIs.
Key Features
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Advanced automation – Build multi-step campaigns for welcome sequences, cart recovery, product recommendations, etc.
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AI-powered recommendations – Suggests the best subject lines, send times, and audience segments.
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Hundreds of templates – Fully customizable, mobile-friendly email designs.
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A/B testing tools – Optimize campaigns for better performance.
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Cross-channel marketing – Integrate with ads, landing pages, and social media.
Pricing
Mailchimp pricing is based on contact list size:
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Free: Up to 500 contacts (with limited features)
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Essentials: From $13/month
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Standard: From $20/month
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Premium: From $350/month (for advanced analytics & segmentation)
Pros
✅ Excellent automation tools
✅ Beautiful, flexible templates
✅ Strong analytics and A/B testing
✅ Scalable for large businesses
Cons
❌ More complex setup
❌ Integration with Shopify requires a third-party connector
❌ Can become expensive with large contact lists
Best For
🚀 Growing or enterprise-level businesses that need detailed analytics, sophisticated automation, and high customization.
4. Shopify Email vs Mailchimp: Feature-by-Feature Comparison
| Feature | Shopify Email | Mailchimp |
|---|---|---|
| Ease of Use | Beginner-friendly | Steeper learning curve |
| Automation | Basic | Advanced, multi-step |
| Template Options | Limited | 100+ customizable templates |
| Segmentation | Basic customer tags | Behavioral & demographic |
| Analytics | Basic stats | In-depth performance insights |
| Multi-Channel Marketing | Email only | Email + social + ads |
| Integration | Native to Shopify | Requires API/connector |
| Pricing Model | Pay-per-send | Pay-per-contact |
| Support | Shopify Support | Mailchimp Support + community |
Verdict:
If you’re a new Shopify merchant, Shopify Email is the fastest way to start sending professional emails.
If you’re a data-driven marketer, Mailchimp offers far more customization and automation flexibility.
NotifyEZ – The All-in-One Messaging Alternative
If you want more than just email campaigns — if you want to automate communication across multiple channels (Email + SMS + Internal Alerts) — then NotifyEZ – Messaging & Alerts is the perfect solution.
Overview
NotifyEZ is designed for Shopify merchants who need customized, automated notifications that go beyond traditional marketing.
It helps store owners connect their own email (SMTP) or SMS gateways to deliver messages directly — without relying on third-party servers.
Key Features
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Multi-channel notifications: Email, SMS, and internal alerts — all managed in one app.
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Use your own SMTP or SMS gateway: Total control over deliverability and branding.
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Pre-built and custom templates: Design email or SMS notifications quickly.
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No-code automation logic: Set triggers for orders, restocks, cancellations, or custom events.
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Send messages to customers and internal staff simultaneously.
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Detailed logs and resend options: Track every notification and fix delivery issues easily.
Pricing
Free to install; usage-based pricing according to message volume.
Pros
✅ Combines marketing and transactional messages
✅ 100% control with your own gateways
✅ Automates workflows across multiple channels
✅ Transparent logs and analytics
✅ Ideal for businesses seeking reliability and scale
Shopify Email vs Mailchimp vs NotifyEZ: Quick Summary
| Platform | Channels | Automation | Integration | Pricing | Best For |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Shopify Email | Basic | Built-in | $1 per 1,000 sends | Small Shopify stores | |
| Mailchimp | Email + Ads + Social | Advanced | Connector required | From $13/month | Mid-large stores |
| NotifyEZ | Email + SMS + Internal | Flexible, no-code | Native Shopify app | Usage-based | All merchants needing automation control |
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The Shopify Email vs Mailchimp debate comes down to simplicity vs sophistication.
Shopify Email gives beginners a quick start with no extra setup.
Mailchimp provides seasoned marketers with automation, segmentation, and analytics for deeper engagement.
However, both tools stop short when it comes to true multi-channel communication.
That’s where NotifyEZ – Messaging & Alerts steps in — empowering merchants to automate every kind of message, across multiple channels, using their own gateways.
