Klaviyo vs Retainful
Klaviyo is an AI-powered email and SMS CRM focused on multi-channel personalization and analytics across large ecommerce stacks. Retainful is a leaner cart-recovery and post-purchase automation tool for Shopify/WooCommerce merchants with contact-based pricing and Twilio/WhatsApp integration via customer accounts.
Last updated
The summary above and the “Which should you choose?” section are written with AI from our two listings. The tables and answers come straight from the listings. Prices and features change, so check each vendor's website before you decide. How we use AI
Retainful
Ecommerce Email, SMS & WhatsApp marketing and automation
Free plan, paid from $14/mo
Visit RetainfulAt a glance
| Listing | Klaviyo | Retainful |
|---|---|---|
| Starting price | Free plan | Free plan, paid from $14/mo |
| Cheapest paid plan for a year | Not listed | $168 a year |
| Free plan | Yes | Yes |
| Free trial | No | No |
| Works with | Shopify, WooCommerce, BigCommerce, Salesforce Commerce Cloud | Shopify, WooCommerce |
| Features | 17 features listed | 7 features listed |
| Integrations | 8 integrations listed | 4 integrations listed |
| Public API | Yes | No |
| Business size | Startup, SMB, Mid-Market, Enterprise | Startup, SMB, Mid-Market |
| Listing data checked | Sep 25, 2026 | Aug 30, 2026 |
Pricing compared
Features compared
Both list 7 of these features. 10 are listed only for Klaviyo.
| Feature | Klaviyo | Retainful |
|---|---|---|
| Automation | Listed | Listed |
| Drag & Drop | Listed | Listed |
| Listed | Listed | |
| Reporting | Listed | Listed |
| Segmentation | Listed | Listed |
| SMS | Listed | Listed |
| Templates | Listed | Listed |
| AI | Listed | Not listed |
| Analytics | Listed | Not listed |
| API | Listed | Not listed |
| Collaboration | Listed | Not listed |
| Dashboard | Listed | Not listed |
| GDPR Compliant | Listed | Not listed |
| Import | Listed | Not listed |
| Mobile | Listed | Not listed |
| Multi-channel | Listed | Not listed |
| Personalization | Listed | Not listed |
Platforms and integrations
Ecommerce platforms
| Platform | Klaviyo | Retainful |
|---|---|---|
| Shopify | Listed | Listed |
| WooCommerce | Listed | Listed |
| BigCommerce | Listed | Not listed |
| Salesforce Commerce Cloud | Listed | Not listed |
Integrations
Both list 3 of these integrations. 5 are listed only for Klaviyo. 1 is listed only for Retainful.
| Integration | Klaviyo | Retainful |
|---|---|---|
| Mailchimp | Listed | Listed |
| Shopify | Listed | Listed |
| WooCommerce | Listed | Listed |
| Listed | Not listed | |
| Google Analytics | Listed | Not listed |
| Listed | Not listed | |
| Slack | Listed | Not listed |
| Zapier | Listed | Not listed |
| Klaviyo | Not listed | Listed |
More details
| Detail | Klaviyo | Retainful |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing model | Free plan with core features; paid plans scale based on number of contacts and channel usage (email, SMS, etc.); Enterprise pricing available for large organizations. | Free tier plus contact-based monthly pricing (starter/pro plans). SMS/WhatsApp are billed directly to the user's Twilio/Meta accounts with no markup from Retainful. |
| Support | Email, live chat, dedicated Slack channel for some plans, professional services and onboarding, partner/agency network Varies by plan: Standard: weekdays 24/5, no weekend coverage; Professional: weekdays 24/5, weekends local business hours; Enterprise: 24/7 weekdays and weekends. | Dedicated onboarding specialist, personalized onboarding, live chat support, help docs, book-a-demo and email/knowledge base support referenced. 24x6 |
| Security and compliance | SOC 2 Type II certified, GDPR support with Data Processing Agreement and self-service tools, EU–US Data Privacy Framework and Standard Contractual Clauses supported; offers EU and US data residency options. | Signup forms mention GDPR consent collection; no other explicit security certifications or compliance claims are shown on the cited pages. |
| Product maturity | Mature, widely adopted platform with large customer base (205,000+ brands) and enterprise features, professional services, and extensive integrations. | Mature SMB-focused product with a broad feature set, templates and onboarding; cited as "trusted by 20,000+ e-commerce stores" on the site. |
| Not a good fit for | Not a good fit for organizations that need a purely free, limited-contact email tool or those unwilling to manage shared GDPR responsibilities. | Not a good fit for businesses that need built-in SMS/WhatsApp credit billing or require explicit public API documentation and enterprise compliance details. |
Pros and cons
From each app's App4Ecom listing.
Klaviyo
Pros
- Unifies customer data into a real-time CDP for consistent cross-channel personalization
- AI-driven agents (Composer and Customer Agent) that automate campaign creation and customer support
- Supports omnichannel messaging including email, SMS, RCS, WhatsApp, and mobile push
- 350+ pre-built integrations and developer APIs to connect your tech stack
- Enterprise-grade throughput and uptime claims (high events, API calls, and 99.95% uptime)
Cons
- Advanced support tiers, faster response times, and enterprise SLAs are gated behind Professional or Enterprise packages
- Pricing scales based on number of contacts and channel usage, which can increase costs for large lists
- GDPR compliance is a shared responsibility; customers must manage how they collect and use customer data
Retainful
Pros
- Unified email and WhatsApp automations in one dashboard for omnichannel cart recovery and post-purchase flows.
- Large library of pre-built automation workflows and 200+ email templates to accelerate setup.
- Free migration from Klaviyo/Mailchimp and white-glove onboarding available.
- Free tier and contact-based starter pricing provide an affordable entry for small stores.
Cons
- Free plan limits email sends to 500 emails per month which can stop sends if exceeded.
- SMS and WhatsApp require connecting and paying third-party accounts (Twilio/Meta), adding setup overhead.
- Higher-volume pricing is contact-based and requires careful monitoring of contact counts to control costs.
- No explicit public API or API docs linked on the cited pages (public API not shown).
Which should you choose?
Pick Klaviyo if you need an enterprise-capable, AI-driven email/SMS/CRM platform and broad integrations; pick Retainful if you run a small-to-mid ecommerce store focused on affordable cart recovery, easy migration and contact-based pricing.
Klaviyo: Klaviyo is best for businesses that need an AI-driven, enterprise-capable email/SMS CRM with broad integrations and advanced personalization/analytics.
Retainful: Retainful is best for small-to-mid ecommerce stores on Shopify or WooCommerce focused on affordable cart recovery, easy migration, and contact-based pricing.
Frequently asked questions
Which is cheaper, Klaviyo or Retainful?
Retainful lists paid plans from $14/mo. Klaviyo lists a free plan but no paid plan prices, so ask its team for a quote to compare.
Do Klaviyo and Retainful have a free plan?
Yes, both list a free plan.
Which platforms do Klaviyo and Retainful work with?
Klaviyo works with Shopify, WooCommerce, BigCommerce and Salesforce Commerce Cloud. Retainful works with Shopify and WooCommerce. Both work with Shopify and WooCommerce.
What features do Klaviyo and Retainful have in common?
Both list Automation, Drag & Drop, Email, Reporting, Segmentation, SMS and 1 more. Only Klaviyo lists AI, Analytics, API, Collaboration, Dashboard, GDPR Compliant and 4 more.
Do Klaviyo and Retainful have an API?
Klaviyo lists a public API; Retainful doesn't.
Where this data comes from
Klaviyo
Listing data refreshed September 25, 2026.
- klaviyo.com Official website
- klaviyo.com/success/premium-support Official website
Retainful
Listing data refreshed August 30, 2026.
- retainful.com/pricing Official website
- retainful.com Official website