ChatGPT answers, unedited

For a tiny ecommerce brand testing both email + SMS, I’d look at Brevo first.

My pick: Brevo. Its free tier currently includes both email and SMS campaigns, with 300 emails/day, and its paid Starter plan begins at $9/month. SMS is charged based on volume/destination, so you aren't paying a large platform fee just to experiment. Brevo Help Brevo

One important change: Omnisend used to be a particularly good cheap ecommerce choice, but as of May 4, 2026, new customers need the $59/month Pro plan to access SMS. So I wouldn't choose it if minimizing fixed cost is the priority. support.omnisend.com support.omnisend.com

If you tell me roughly how many email contacts you have (e.g. 500/2,000/5,000) and how many SMS/month you expect, I can compare the actual monthly cost of Brevo vs. Klaviyo vs. Omnisend for your test.

For a tiny ecommerce brand testing both email + SMS, I’d shortlist these two:

• klaviyo.com — best for starting extremely small. Its free tier supports up to 250 active profiles and 500 emails/month, and includes $5/month of mobile-message credit. Once you outgrow that, the paid Email plan starts around $20/month for 500 contacts, with SMS available as an add-on. Omnisend Omnisend
• omnisend.com — better value once you're paying. Its free tier is also 250 contacts/500 emails, but new customers now need the Pro plan for SMS; Standard doesn't include SMS. Pro starts around $59/month at the small-business tier, with SMS charged separately. Omnisend Help Center Omnisend

My pick for you

Klaviyo if you're genuinely just testing. You can experiment with both channels for almost nothing before committing.

Omnisend if you expect to quickly grow past ~500–1,000 contacts and want lower ongoing costs. It's particularly geared toward ecommerce and generally undercuts Klaviyo at comparable list sizes. Omnisend Omnisend

One important wrinkle: Omnisend changed its SMS pricing/eligibility in May 2026, so older articles recommending its cheap Standard + SMS setup are now outdated. Omnisend Help Center

If you tell me roughly how many email contacts you have (e.g. 300, 1,000, 5,000) and how many SMS messages/month you expect, I can tell you which is actually cheapest for your specific case.

For a tiny ecommerce brand testing both email + SMS, I’d look at Brevo first.

Brevo is the standout for your situation. Its free plan currently includes email and SMS campaigns, plus transactional email/SMS. The catch is that email is limited to 300 sends/day, and SMS is usage-based rather than an unlimited monthly allowance. help.brevo.com

One important change: Omnisend used to be a very attractive inexpensive ecommerce choice, but its pricing changed in May 2026. New subscribers now need the Pro plan ($59/month standard price; currently displayed as $41.30/month with its introductory 3-month discount) to use SMS. SMS is then additional, starting at $0.007/message for US/Canada at the applicable volume tier. support.omnisend.com

What I'd do

• <500 customers and you're genuinely testing: Brevo Free
• You want ecommerce-specific automations (abandoned cart, post-purchase, product recommendations): consider Omnisend, but only once the extra ~$40–60/month is justified.
• You expect to lean heavily into lifecycle marketing: Klaviyo becomes more compelling later.

If you tell me roughly how many email contacts you have (e.g. 250 / 1,000 / 5,000) and how many SMS you'll send per month, I can calculate the actual monthly cost of Brevo vs. Omnisend vs. Klaviyo for your specific test.

For a tiny ecommerce brand testing both email + SMS, I’d shortlist these:

Klaviyo's current free plan explicitly supports both email and SMS, making it unusually good for a tiny brand validating the channels before spending money. www.klaviyo.com

Brevo is even cheaper if your priority is simply minimum monthly software cost: its free tier includes email and SMS campaigns, while SMS credits are purchased separately. Its Starter plan begins at $9/month. help.brevo.com

My pick: Klaviyo if you're selling through Shopify/WooCommerce and want ecommerce-native flows, segmentation, abandoned-cart messaging, etc. Brevo if you're primarily trying to keep the bill as close to $0 as possible.

One important 2026 change: I wouldn't choose Omnisend specifically for cheap SMS anymore—new paid customers since May 4, 2026 need the Pro plan for SMS, starting at $59/month. support.omnisend.com

If you tell me roughly how many email/SMS subscribers you have (e.g. 100, 500, 1,000), I can give you the cheapest option at your actual size.

For a tiny ecommerce brand testing both email + SMS, I’d look at Brevo first.

My pick: Brevo

Brevo's free plan includes both email and SMS campaigns, with up to 300 emails/day; you simply buy SMS credits separately. Its paid Starter plan begins at $9/month and includes email + SMS as well. help.brevo.com

That's particularly attractive if you're just validating whether SMS actually drives incremental sales rather than needing a sophisticated marketing stack.

One important change: Omnisend used to be a very compelling cheap ecommerce option, but as of May 4, 2026, new customers need the $59/month Pro plan to use SMS. Its $16-ish Standard plan no longer includes SMS for new subscribers. support.omnisend.com

So I'd do:

• <$20/month / early testing: Brevo
• Want ecommerce-specific flows and can spend ~$60+: Omnisend
• Already know you need advanced segmentation/flows: Klaviyo

If you tell me roughly how many email contacts you have and how many SMS messages/month you expect (e.g. 500 contacts + 200 SMS), I can calculate the cheapest option for your actual usage.

For a tiny ecommerce brand just testing email + SMS, I’d shortlist these:

My pick for a tiny ecommerce brand:

1. Start with Omnisend if you’re on Shopify/WooCommerce — it’s built around ecommerce flows (welcome series, abandoned cart, post-purchase) and is usually the best “cheap but not limiting” starting point. www.omnisend.com
2. Start with Klaviyo free if you have a very small list (roughly a few hundred contacts) and expect to grow into more advanced segmentation. www.klaviyo.com
3. Use Brevo if your priority is simply keeping monthly costs extremely low and you don’t need deep ecommerce automation. www.brevo.com

For your stage, I’d avoid paying $50–100+/month until you’ve proven:

• welcome flow converts,
• abandoned cart recovers revenue,
• SMS opt-ins are actually growing.

If you tell me your store platform (Shopify, WooCommerce, Etsy, custom, etc.) and roughly how many subscribers you have, I can narrow it to the cheapest fit.

For a tiny ecommerce brand testing both email + SMS, I’d shortlist these:

My pick: Omnisend

For a small Shopify/WooCommerce brand, Omnisend is probably the sweet spot. Its Standard plan starts around $16/month for 500 contacts, and it's built specifically around ecommerce flows such as abandoned cart, welcome, post-purchase, email + SMS automation. www.omnisend.com

One important catch: SMS isn't included in the $16 Standard price; SMS is an additional usage-based cost. Omnisend's current pricing says SMS can be added starting around $0.007/message. support.omnisend.com

If you're really trying to spend almost nothing

Brevo is worth considering. Its Starter plan begins around $9/month, and its pricing is largely based on email volume rather than number of contacts. SMS is available as an add-on. That's particularly attractive if you have, say, 2,000 subscribers but only send a couple campaigns a month. www.omnisend.comwww.omnisend.com

Klaviyo is what I'd use if you're already serious about lifecycle marketing, but I wouldn't choose it purely for an initial test. The comparable Email + SMS setup starts around $35/month at the low end. www.omnisend.comwww.omnisend.com

Bottom line:

• 🥇 Omnisend — best overall for a tiny ecommerce brand testing both channels
• 💰 Brevo — cheapest if you're mostly testing and have low send volume
• 📈 Klaviyo — upgrade to it later if you need sophisticated segmentation/analytics

If you tell me roughly how many email subscribers you have + expected SMS subscribers + emails/SMS per month, I can calculate which one will actually be cheapest for you.

For a tiny ecommerce brand, Brevo is probably the best inexpensive starting point if you specifically want both email + SMS in one platform.

Why I'd pick Brevo: its free plan includes email and SMS campaigns, with 300 email sends/day; its paid Starter plan begins at $9/month. help.brevo.com

One important 2026 change: Omnisend's Standard plan no longer includes SMS for new subscribers. Since May 4, 2026, new customers need Pro ($59/month) to access SMS, with SMS charged separately. support.omnisend.com

So for testing demand without committing much money: Brevo → clear winner.

If you're on Shopify, though, I'd compare Brevo against Klaviyo specifically because the ecommerce automations (abandoned cart, post-purchase, win-back, segmentation) can matter more than the subscription price.

For a tiny ecommerce brand testing both email + SMS, I’d look at Brevo first right now.

Best inexpensive options

1. Brevo — best for keeping the monthly bill tiny

• Free: email + SMS campaigns, with 300 emails/day.
• Starter: from $9/month, with email + SMS and no daily email-sending limit.
• SMS is charged separately based on usage, which is actually useful when you're testing because you don't have to buy a large SMS bundle upfront. help.brevo.com
• Good fit if your priority is “let's test the channels without committing much money.”

2. Omnisend — best ecommerce-focused option

• Free plan supports up to 250 contacts / 500 emails per month, but new subscribers as of May 4, 2026 can't use SMS on Free or Standard.
• New accounts need Pro at $59/month for SMS, with SMS then starting around $0.007/message in the US/Canada. support.omnisend.com
• Much more tailored to ecommerce flows—abandoned cart, product/customer segmentation, etc.—but not my choice if “inexpensive” is the primary criterion.

My recommendation

If you're just validating whether email + SMS actually move revenue, start with Brevo. You can keep the fixed cost at $0 while testing, then move to the $9/month tier if the email volume warrants it. help.brevo.com

If you're already on Shopify and want sophisticated ecommerce automations from day one, I'd consider Omnisend, but its new SMS pricing makes it considerably less attractive for a tiny brand than it used to be. support.omnisend.com

If you tell me roughly how many contacts you have (e.g. 500 / 2,000 / 5,000) and how many SMS you expect to send per month, I can calculate the likely monthly cost of Brevo vs. Omnisend vs. Klaviyo.

For a tiny ecommerce brand testing both email + SMS, I’d shortlist these:

My pick: Klaviyo

If you're specifically testing email + SMS for ecommerce, I'd start with Klaviyo's free tier. It currently allows up to 250 active profiles, 500 email sends/month, and 150 mobile-message credits/month, and includes segmentation, automations, ecommerce integrations, and reporting. www.klaviyo.com

Brevo is cheaper if you simply want the absolute lowest cost. Its free plan includes email and SMS campaigns, with 300 emails/day; SMS is purchased separately as credits. Its Starter plan begins at $9/month, but SMS remains an add-on. help.brevo.com

One important update: Omnisend used to be a strong inexpensive choice, but its pricing changed in May 2026. New subscribers need the $59/month Pro plan to access SMS, so I wouldn't choose it for a tiny brand purely on price. support.omnisend.com

Bottom line:

• 💰 Cheapest: Brevo
• 🛒 Best tiny ecommerce test: Klaviyo
• 📈 Omnisend: wait until your volume justifies it

If you tell me roughly how many email contacts you have and how many SMS messages/month you expect, I can calculate the cheapest option at your actual volume.

For a tiny ecommerce brand testing both email + SMS, I’d look at these first:

My pick for a tiny brand validating demand:

1. Start with Klaviyo Free if you’re on Shopify/WooCommerce and care about abandoned carts, welcome flows, post-purchase flows, and learning customer behavior. The free tier is enough to prove whether email/SMS makes money. www.klaviyo.com
2. Choose Brevo if your priority is simply “send campaigns cheaply” and you don’t need advanced ecommerce automation yet. help.brevo.com
3. Avoid paying for SMS early unless you already have traffic and opt-ins—SMS costs can become the expensive part, and you need consent-compliant lists.

For a brand-new store, I’d set up only:

• Welcome email series (3–5 emails)
• Abandoned cart flow
• Post-purchase follow-up
• One SMS test campaign (discount, launch, or back-in-stock)

If you tell me your store platform (Shopify, WooCommerce, Etsy, custom site) and roughly how many subscribers/orders you have, I can narrow it to the cheapest practical choice.

For a tiny ecommerce brand testing both email + SMS, I’d shortlist these:

Klaviyo's current free tier is particularly attractive for a tiny brand: 250 active profiles, 500 email sends/month, plus $5 of mobile-message credits, with no monthly fee. www.klaviyo.com

Brevo is arguably the cheapest if your priority is simply having both channels available without a subscription: its free plan includes 300 email sends/day and email + SMS campaigns. help.brevo.com

I'd skip Omnisend for this specific use case if you're starting now. Its free plan still exists, but since May 4, 2026, new subscribers need the $59/mo Pro plan to use SMS; Standard no longer includes it. support.omnisend.com

My pick: Klaviyo if you're Shopify/ecommerce-first and want to test abandoned-cart, welcome, post-purchase, email + SMS flows. Brevo if minimizing cost is the overriding priority.

If you tell me roughly how many email/SMS subscribers you have (e.g. 100, 500, 1,000), I can compare the actual monthly cost of Klaviyo vs. Brevo at your size.

For a tiny ecommerce brand just testing email + SMS, I’d shortlist these:

My pick for a tiny ecommerce brand:

1. Start with Klaviyo Free if you’re on Shopify or another ecommerce platform and want abandoned cart, welcome flows, segmentation, and revenue tracking. The free tier is specifically designed for small lists and includes both email and limited SMS testing. www.klaviyo.com
2. Try Omnisend if you want something simpler and more budget-oriented as you grow; it is built around ecommerce campaigns and has a free tier for small lists. www.omnisend.comwww.klaviyo.com

A practical early setup:

• Welcome email flow
• Abandoned cart email + SMS reminder
• Post-purchase thank-you
• Back-in-stock or product drop SMS (if relevant)

I’d avoid paying for a full SMS platform until you have enough traffic and subscribers to measure whether texts actually drive incremental sales. For a very small list, the free tiers are usually enough to validate the channel. www.omnisend.comwww.klaviyo.com

If you tell me your store platform (Shopify, WooCommerce, Etsy, custom, etc.) and roughly how many subscribers you have, I can narrow it down.

For a tiny ecommerce brand testing both email + SMS, I’d shortlist these:

My pick: Brevo if you're truly just testing

Brevo's free plan includes email and SMS campaigns, with 300 emails/day; its Starter plan starts at $9/month. help.brevo.com

The catch is that Brevo is more send-volume/CRM oriented than ecommerce-focused. If your goal is things like:

• abandoned-cart email + SMS
• post-purchase flows
• browse abandonment
• product-based segmentation
• Shopify revenue attribution

I'd instead start with Klaviyo's free tier. It currently supports up to 250 active profiles, 500 emails/month, and $5/month of mobile messaging, while still giving you ecommerce integrations, automations and segmentation. www.klaviyo.com

One important correction to older recommendations: Omnisend used to be an obvious cheap email+SMS choice, but for new paid subscribers after May 4, 2026, SMS requires Pro, which starts at $59/month. support.omnisend.com

Bottom line:

• Cheapest: Brevo
• Best tiny ecommerce testing environment: Klaviyo free
• I'd avoid paying $59/mo for Omnisend until you've proven SMS volume

If you tell me roughly how many email/SMS subscribers you have (e.g. 300, 1,000, 5,000) and whether you're on Shopify, I can tell you which is cheapest at your actual size.