ChatGPT answers, unedited

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

My practical shortlist:

1. Cheapest experiment: Brevo

• Good if you mainly want newsletters, promos, and occasional texts.
• SMS is an add-on/usage cost rather than a big subscription commitment. Brevo Help
• Small Shopify brand that expects to grow: Klaviyo

• More expensive as you scale, but its ecommerce data model (products viewed, carts, purchases) is designed around lifecycle marketing. Klaviyo
• Middle ground: Omnisend

• Often a strong fit for small stores because it focuses on ecommerce workflows like abandoned cart and product-based messaging. Omnisend

For a very early test, I’d avoid paying $50+/month until you’ve proven:

• welcome series converts,
• abandoned cart recovery works,
• SMS opt-ins are growing,
• repeat purchase campaigns generate revenue.

If you tell me your ecommerce platform (Shopify, WooCommerce, Etsy, custom, etc.) and approximate list size (<500 / 500–5k / 5k+), I can narrow it down.

For a tiny ecommerce brand testing both email + SMS, I’d look at Brevo first if keeping the monthly bill very low is the priority.

• Brevo: Free plan includes both email and SMS campaigns; paid Starter starts at $9/month for 5,000 emails/month. SMS is purchased separately by credits. Brevo Help
• Omnisend: More ecommerce-focused, but as of May 2026, SMS requires the Pro plan, starting at $59/month, plus SMS usage. Omnisend Help Center
• Klaviyo: Excellent ecommerce functionality, but paid Email + SMS starts around $35/month at the smallest paid tier, with SMS credits included. Omnisend

My practical shortlist

If you're genuinely just testing: Brevo is the inexpensive option I'd investigate first. Its free tier gives you email + SMS without committing to a monthly subscription, although SMS usage itself isn't free. Brevo Help

If you tell me roughly how many email/SMS subscribers you have (e.g. 500, 1,000, 5,000) and whether you're on Shopify, I can calculate the likely monthly cost for each.

For a tiny ecommerce brand that’s mainly testing, I’d shortlist Brevo and Omnisend.

• Brevo — cheapest starting point. Its free plan includes both email and SMS campaigns, with 300 emails/day; paid Starter starts at $9/month, while SMS is purchased separately as credits. Brevo Help Omnisend
• Omnisend — better ecommerce-focused option. Its current Standard plan starts at $16/month normally ($11.20/month for the first 3 months with the current promotion), and SMS is available as an add-on starting at $0.007/SMS for high-volume U.S. sends. Omnisend Help Center Omnisend
• Klaviyo — excellent, but I'd skip it for a tiny-budget test. The free tier supports up to 250 profiles, but paid Email + SMS becomes materially more expensive as your list grows. Klaviyo Omnisend

My pick

If you're validating the channel with minimal spend: Brevo.
If ecommerce automation (abandoned cart, post-purchase, segmentation) is the priority: Omnisend.

One important wrinkle: Omnisend changed its SMS pricing in May 2026, so older comparisons saying SMS is bundled into the basic paid plan are now outdated. Omnisend Help Center

brevo.com · omnisend.com

If you tell me roughly how many email/SMS subscribers you have (e.g. 200, 1,000, 5,000), I can calculate the cheapest option for your actual monthly usage.

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

• Klaviyo — best overall for testing. Its free plan supports both email and SMS: up to 250 profiles, 500 emails/month, plus $5/month of mobile messages. That makes it genuinely useful for testing automations and SMS without a subscription. Klaviyo
• Brevo — best ultra-low-cost paid option. Free includes both email and SMS, with 300 emails/day; its Starter plan begins at $9/month and removes the daily email limit. Brevo Help
• Omnisend — very ecommerce-focused, but less attractive for a new account now. Its Standard plan starts around $16/month, but for accounts subscribing after May 4, 2026, SMS requires the Pro plan ($59/month starting price), with SMS billed separately. Omnisend Help Center Omnisend

My pick

Start with Klaviyo if you're under 250 contacts. You can test abandoned-cart flows, welcome sequences, campaigns, segmentation, and SMS without paying a monthly platform fee. The $5 SMS allowance is small, but that's actually enough to validate whether customers respond to texts before committing more money. Klaviyo

If you expect to outgrow 250 contacts quickly, Brevo is probably the better budget choice.

klaviyo.com · help.brevo.com · omnisend.com

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

• brevo.com — best low-cost starting point. Its free plan includes both email and SMS campaigns, and the paid Starter plan starts at $9/month. The catch is that email volume and SMS are priced separately, so it can get less attractive as you scale. Brevo Help
• omnisend.com — best ecommerce-focused option. It's built specifically around ecommerce and has strong automations. However, as of May 2026, new customers need Pro ($59/month starting price) to use SMS, so it's no longer the cheap basic-plan choice it used to be. SMS is then usage-based, starting at $0.007/message in the US/Canada. Omnisend Help Center Omnisend
• Klaviyo is excellent, but I wouldn't choose it for a tiny brand whose primary goal is cheap testing; you tend to pay more as your contact list and messaging volume grow.

My pick

Start with Brevo if you're genuinely just testing. You can validate whether email + SMS generate sales without committing to a $50–$100+/month marketing stack.

If you're on Shopify and expect to lean heavily into abandoned-cart, post-purchase, welcome, win-back, and product-specific automations, I'd consider Omnisend despite the higher entry price.

If you tell me roughly how many email contacts you have (e.g. 500/1,000/2,500) and how many SMS messages/month you expect, I can calculate the cheapest option for your actual volume.

For a tiny ecommerce brand that is 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 and want to test:

• abandoned cart flows
• welcome sequences
• post-purchase emails
• basic SMS experiments

It’s built specifically around ecommerce customer data. Klaviyo UK

2. Try Brevo if your main goal is “spend as little as possible while validating whether SMS converts.”
3. Use Omnisend if you want a simpler ecommerce marketing tool and don’t expect to need advanced segmentation immediately. Omnisend

For a very small list (say <1,000 subscribers), I would avoid paying $50+/month until you’ve proven:

• welcome flow revenue
• abandoned cart recovery
• SMS opt-in conversion
• repeat purchase campaigns

If you tell me your store platform (Shopify, WooCommerce, Etsy, etc.) and approximate list size, I can narrow it to the cheapest fit.

For a tiny ecommerce brand, Omnisend is probably the best fit if you want email + SMS under one roof.

• Omnisend Free: $0, up to 250 contacts / 500 emails per month, but new subscribers as of May 4, 2026 can’t use SMS on Free or Standard. Omnisend Help Center Omnisend
• Omnisend Pro: starts at $59/month ($41.30/month for the first 3 months with its current introductory discount), with SMS available as an add-on starting around $0.007/SMS for U.S./Canada at qualifying volume. Omnisend Help Center Omnisend

So there's an important catch: there isn't currently a truly cheap $10–20/month Omnisend plan that includes both channels for new customers.

If your priority is the absolute lowest monthly cost for testing both email and SMS, I can compare Klaviyo, Brevo, Mailchimp, and Omnisend and give you the cheapest option at, say, 250 / 500 / 1,000 contacts.

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

My pick for a tiny ecommerce test:

1. Omnisend — probably the best “small brand trying email + SMS” starting point. It’s ecommerce-focused, simple, and the free plan lets you validate whether customers engage with both channels. Omnisend
2. Klaviyo — choose this if you expect to scale into sophisticated flows (abandoned cart, post-purchase, segmentation, VIP customers). The free plan is useful for early testing, but you’ll likely outgrow it sooner. Klaviyo AU
3. Brevo — choose this if keeping the monthly bill as low as possible matters more than ecommerce-specific features. Brevo

For a first 30–60 day test, I’d set up only:

• Welcome email/SMS capture flow
• Abandoned cart flow
• Post-purchase thank-you + review request
• One promotional campaign per month

I’d avoid paying for a bigger platform until you know your opt-in rate and revenue per subscriber.

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

My pick: Brevo

Brevo is probably the best budget-first choice. Its free plan includes email and SMS campaigns, and its paid Starter plan begins at $9/month; SMS credits are purchased separately. Brevo Help Omnisend

The important catch: Brevo is priced largely around email volume, rather than purely subscriber count. That can be excellent if you have a growing list but don't email constantly. Omnisend

If you're Shopify-focused: Omnisend

Omnisend is the one I'd test if you want ecommerce-specific automations—welcome series, abandoned cart, post-purchase, SMS, etc. Its entry paid plan is around $16/month at 500 contacts. Omnisend

One caveat for 2026: Omnisend changed its SMS pricing/model, so don't assume the old "email + SMS bundled together" pricing you'll see in older comparisons. RealCostLabs

What I'd avoid initially: Klaviyo

Klaviyo is excellent, but for a tiny brand testing whether email/SMS works, you're probably paying for sophistication you don't yet need. Its paid Email + SMS entry point is roughly $35/month, versus Brevo starting at $9. Omnisend

Bottom line:

• Absolute cheapest test: Brevo
• Best inexpensive ecommerce-specific option: Omnisend
• Best eventual upgrade for sophisticated lifecycle marketing: Klaviyo

If you tell me roughly how many subscribers you have (e.g. 500, 1,000, 5,000) and how many SMS messages/month you expect, I can calculate the likely monthly cost of all three.

Brevo is probably the best budget-first choice. Its free plan includes email and SMS campaigns, and its paid Starter plan begins at $9/month; SMS credits are purchased separately. Brevo Help Omnisend

The important catch: Brevo is priced largely around email volume, rather than purely subscriber count. That can be excellent if you have a growing list but don't email constantly. Omnisend

If you're Shopify-focused: Omnisend

Omnisend is the one I'd test if you want ecommerce-specific automations—welcome series, abandoned cart, post-purchase, SMS, etc. Its entry paid plan is around $16/month at 500 contacts. Omnisend

One caveat for 2026: Omnisend changed its SMS pricing/model, so don't assume the old "email + SMS bundled together" pricing you'll see in older comparisons. realcostlabs.com

What I'd avoid initially: Klaviyo

Klaviyo is excellent, but for a tiny brand testing whether email/SMS works, you're probably paying for sophistication you don't yet need. Its paid Email + SMS entry point is roughly $35/month, versus Brevo starting at $9.

Bottom line:

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

My pick for a tiny brand testing both channels:

1. Start with Klaviyo Free if you have a small list (around a few hundred subscribers) and want to learn what converts. It lets you test email flows and SMS without committing immediately. Klaviyo
2. Choose Omnisend if your priority is keeping monthly costs low and you mainly need ecommerce automations (welcome series, abandoned cart, post-purchase). Omnisend Help Center
3. Avoid paying for a full SMS platform separately until you know SMS revenue justifies it.

For a very early store, the first flows I’d set up are:

• Welcome email + first-purchase incentive
• Abandoned cart email/SMS
• Post-purchase thank-you + review request
• Win-back campaign after ~60–90 days

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

For a tiny ecommerce brand, Brevo is probably the best cheap all-in-one option if you want both email + SMS without jumping into an expensive ecommerce marketing stack.

Brevo's current free plan includes 300 email sends/day plus email and SMS campaigns, with SMS usage charged separately. Its Starter plan begins at $9/month. help.brevo.com

Klaviyo is particularly attractive if you're testing ecommerce automation: its free plan supports up to 250 active profiles, 500 emails/month, and $5/month of mobile messaging. www.klaviyo.com

I'd pick Klaviyo if your goal is ecommerce growth/abandoned-cart flows, and Brevo if your #1 priority is keeping the monthly bill as close to $0 as possible.

One important change: Omnisend changed its pricing in May 2026, and new customers need the $59/month Pro plan to use SMS, so I wouldn't choose it for a shoestring test anymore. support.omnisend.com

Brevo pricing · Klaviyo pricing · Omnisend pricing 

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

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

My pick: Klaviyo. Its free tier currently lets you test both email and SMS, including $5/month of mobile-message credit, and it's particularly well suited to ecommerce events like abandoned carts, purchases, and customer segmentation. www.klaviyo.com

If your goal is absolute minimum cost, though, Brevo is worth considering: its free plan includes email and SMS campaigns, while the paid Starter plan begins at $9/month. help.brevo.com

One important change: Omnisend used to be an obvious budget recommendation, but since May 4, 2026, new customers need Pro for SMS, starting at $59/month before SMS usage charges. support.omnisend.com

Bottom line:

• 🥇 Klaviyo — best tiny-ecommerce testing platform
• 💰 Brevo — best if minimizing software cost is the priority
• ❌ Omnisend — skip if you're specifically looking for cheap SMS + email

If you tell me roughly how many email contacts you have and how many SMS subscribers (e.g. 200/50), I can calculate the likely monthly cost of Klaviyo vs Brevo vs Omnisend.

For a tiny ecommerce brand, I’d shortlist these:

Klaviyo is probably the best fit for testing. Its free tier genuinely includes both channels, although the SMS allowance is small. Klaviyo

Brevo is worth considering if you want to keep the monthly platform cost at $0: its free plan includes both email and SMS campaigns, with email limited to 300 sends/day and SMS charged separately. Brevo Help

One important update: Omnisend changed its pricing in May 2026. New customers can't use SMS on the Free or Standard plans; SMS now requires Pro, starting at $59/month before SMS charges. Omnisend Help Center Omnisend Help Center

My pick: Start with Klaviyo if you're primarily Shopify/ecommerce and want sophisticated abandoned-cart, welcome, post-purchase, and SMS flows. Start with Brevo if minimizing your fixed monthly cost is the priority.

klaviyo.com · help.brevo.com · omnisend.com

For a tiny ecommerce brand that wants to test both email + SMS without a big monthly commitment, I’d shortlist these:

My pick for a tiny ecommerce brand just validating demand:

1. Start with Klaviyo Free if you have a small list (roughly a few hundred contacts) and want to learn what flows convert. It gives you email + limited SMS testing without paying upfront. Klaviyo
2. Try Omnisend if you want a simpler ecommerce-focused interface and lower-cost scaling. Omnisend
3. Move to a paid plan only after you prove you have repeat buyers and enough list growth to justify it.

For a first test, I’d set up only:

• Welcome email + SMS
• Abandoned cart email + SMS
• Post-purchase thank-you/review request
• One weekly campaign

That will tell you far more than paying for advanced features early.

If you tell me your store platform (Shopify, WooCommerce, Etsy, custom site) and approximate list size (0–500, 500–5k, 5k+), I can narrow it down.

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

Brevo is probably the cheapest serious option if you're mainly experimenting: its free plan supports both email and SMS campaigns, with paid plans starting at $9/month. Brevo Help

However, if you're on Shopify, I'd lean Klaviyo for the test. Its current free tier supports up to 250 profiles, 500 emails/month, and $5/month of mobile-message credit, while giving you ecommerce integrations and automation capabilities. Klaviyo

My pick:

• Cheapest possible test → Brevo
• Best tiny-brand ecommerce test → Klaviyo
• If you expect to send a lot of SMS → compare Klaviyo's SMS costs before committing

One important 2026 wrinkle: Omnisend changed its pricing in May 2026, and SMS is now only available to new customers on its Pro plan, starting at $59/month. So I wouldn't pick Omnisend if your main criterion is cheap access to both channels. support.omnisend.com

If you tell me roughly how many email/SMS subscribers you have (e.g. 200, 1,000, 5,000), I can give you the cheapest option in actual monthly dollars.

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

The important catch is Omnisend changed its SMS structure in May 2026: for new subscriptions, SMS isn't included on Free/Standard; it's a Pro feature, with SMS starting around $0.007/message in the U.S./Canada. Omnisend Help Center Omnisend Help Center

Brevo is probably the one I'd test first if minimizing cash burn is the priority. Its Starter plan starts at $9/month, and SMS is priced separately based on message volume/destination. Brevo Help Brevo

If you're on Shopify and care more about ecommerce automation than absolute lowest price, I'd choose Omnisend. It is specifically built around ecommerce workflows like abandoned cart, post-purchase, email + SMS campaigns, etc. omnisend.com

If you tell me roughly how many email subscribers you have and how many SMS subscribers, I can calculate the cheapest option for your actual list size.

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

• Brevo: Free plan includes both email and SMS campaigns, with 300 email sends/day. Its paid Starter plan starts at $9/month and includes up to 5,000 emails/month for up to 500 contacts. SMS is charged separately based on usage. Brevo Help
• Omnisend: Excellent ecommerce-specific option, but the current pricing is less attractive for a tiny brand: its $16 Standard plan does not include SMS for new customers. SMS now requires the $59/month Pro plan, plus SMS charges. Omnisend Help Center Omnisend Help Center
• Klaviyo: Very capable for ecommerce, but I'd generally skip it for an early-stage test if keeping costs low is the priority.

My pick

Brevo if you're primarily testing cheaply.
Omnisend if you're willing to pay more for ecommerce-focused automation.

One important distinction: Brevo's SMS isn't included in the $9 subscription—you pay for SMS usage separately. But you can genuinely start with $0/month for the platform and test both channels. Brevo Help

brevo.com

If you tell me roughly how many email contacts you have (e.g. 500/1,000/5,000) and how many SMS/month you expect, I can calculate the cheapest option for you.

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

My pick by scenario:

• You have <250–500 subscribers and are validating demand: start with Klaviyo Free. It gives you a taste of ecommerce flows (welcome series, abandoned cart, post-purchase) without paying upfront. Klaviyo
• You want the absolute cheapest way to send occasional campaigns: try Brevo Free. It includes email and SMS capabilities, making it a good low-risk test. Brevo Help
• You’re on Shopify and expect to grow into automated marketing: consider Omnisend because it is built around ecommerce workflows. Omnisend

For a tiny brand, I would avoid paying for a full SMS platform separately at first. The biggest early wins usually come from:

1. Welcome email/SMS sequence
2. Abandoned cart reminders
3. Post-purchase follow-up
4. Occasional product launches

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

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

Klaviyo is probably my pick for you. Its free tier explicitly supports both email and SMS, with 250 active profiles, 500 email sends/month, and $5 of mobile messaging. That's enough to test signup flows, abandoned-cart messaging, welcome sequences, and a small number of texts without committing money. Klaviyo

Brevo is the budget winner if your main objective is simply to get both channels running as cheaply as possible. Its free plan includes email and SMS campaigns, while the $9/month Starter plan increases email capacity; SMS credits are purchased separately. Brevo Help Brevo

I'd skip Omnisend for a new tiny brand right now: since May 4, 2026, new customers need the $59/month Pro plan to access SMS, although SMS itself starts at $0.007/message in the US/Canada. Omnisend Help Center Omnisend Help Center

My ranking: Klaviyo if ecommerce automation matters → Brevo if minimizing cost matters most → Omnisend once you're big enough to justify it.

If you tell me roughly how many email/SMS subscribers you have (e.g. 100, 500, 2,000), I can calculate the likely monthly cost for each.

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

• Brevo — Free plan includes email + SMS campaigns, transactional SMS, and automation. Paid Starter starts at $9/month. SMS is usage-based, so you aren't paying for a big SMS bundle before you know whether SMS works for you. Brevo Help
• Omnisend — Very ecommerce-focused and has strong abandoned-cart/product automation, but there’s an important 2026 pricing change: new customers need the Pro plan for SMS, starting around $59/month normally, with SMS charged separately. Omnisend Help Center Omnisend Help Center
• Klaviyo — Excellent for ecommerce, but usually more expensive once you combine email + SMS. For example, its current comparison puts 500 contacts at about $35/month for email + SMS. Omnisend

My pick

Start with Brevo if your priority is minimizing cost while testing the channels. Its free tier actually supports both channels, which is unusually good for a tiny brand. Brevo Help

If sophisticated ecommerce automation is more important than absolute cost, choose Omnisend. But I wouldn't pick it specifically because it looks cheap on the surface—the current SMS restriction makes its entry point considerably higher for new customers. Omnisend Help Center

If you tell me roughly how many email contacts you have (e.g. 500 / 2,000 / 5,000) and how many SMS subscribers, I can calculate the likely monthly cost for Brevo vs Omnisend vs Klaviyo and tell you which is cheapest.

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

• Brevo — Free plan includes both email and SMS campaigns, with 300 emails/day. Its paid Starter plan starts at $9/month. Brevo Help brevo.com
• Omnisend — Very ecommerce-focused and excellent for Shopify-style automations, but there’s an important 2026 pricing change: new customers need the $59/month Pro plan for SMS, with SMS charged separately starting around $0.007/message. Omnisend Help Center Omnisend
• Klaviyo — Excellent, but generally not the inexpensive choice when you're just validating email/SMS.

My pick

Brevo if minimizing fixed cost is the priority. You can start at $0 and test both channels before committing to a substantial monthly bill.

Omnisend if ecommerce automation is more important than absolute cost. It has particularly strong ecommerce workflows, but its current SMS pricing makes it much less attractive for a tiny brand than it used to be. Omnisend Help Center

If you tell me roughly how many email/SMS subscribers you have (e.g. 500, 1,000, 5,000), I can calculate the likely monthly cost for Brevo vs. Omnisend vs. Klaviyo and tell you which is cheapest.

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

• brevo.com — Free plan includes both email and SMS campaigns, with 300 emails/day; its Starter plan begins at $9/month. SMS is charged separately based on volume/destination. This is probably the cheapest way to genuinely test both channels without jumping to a bigger plan. Brevo Help Brevo
• omnisend.com — very ecommerce-focused, but there's an important 2026 pricing change: for new customers, SMS is now Pro-only, starting at $59/month normally, plus SMS charges. So I wouldn't choose it if minimizing cost is the priority. Omnisend Help Center Omnisend

My pick

Brevo if you're genuinely experimenting and want to keep costs near zero.
Omnisend if ecommerce automation/Shopify-specific workflows matter more than price.

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

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

My pick: Brevo

Brevo is probably the best fit if “inexpensive” is the priority. Its free plan includes both email and SMS campaigns, and Starter begins at $9/month. SMS itself is charged based on usage rather than requiring an expensive marketing plan. Brevo Help Brevo

Klaviyo is my pick if you care more about ecommerce sophistication. Its free tier now includes 250 active profiles, 500 emails/month, and $5/month of mobile messaging, so you can genuinely test both channels without paying. Klaviyo

One important update: I wouldn't choose Omnisend based on older comparisons saying its cheap plans include SMS. Since May 4, 2026, new subscribers need the Pro plan for SMS, starting at $59/month, with SMS charged separately. Omnisend Help Center Omnisend Help Center

Bottom line:

• Cheapest: Brevo
• Best tiny ecommerce test: Klaviyo
• Avoid if budget is the main constraint: Omnisend

If you tell me roughly how many email/SMS subscribers you have (e.g. 250 / 500 / 1,000), I can compare the actual monthly cost of Brevo vs. Klaviyo for your volume.

Brevo is probably the best fit if “inexpensive” is the priority. Its free plan includes both email and SMS campaigns, and Starter begins at $9/month. SMS itself is charged based on usage rather than requiring an expensive marketing plan.

Klaviyo is my pick if you care more about ecommerce sophistication. Its free tier now includes 250 active profiles, 500 emails/month, and $5/month of mobile messaging, so you can genuinely test both channels without paying.

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

• omnisend.com — best ecommerce-focused value. Its free tier supports 250 contacts/500 emails, and the paid plans combine email + SMS. The current Pro tier starts around $41/month for 2,500 contacts, with SMS charged separately. Omnisend
• brevo.com — cheapest paid entry. Starter is $9/month, includes email + SMS capability, and uses send-based rather than contact-based pricing. SMS credits are purchased separately. Brevo Brevo Help
• klaviyo.com — best if you expect to scale. Excellent ecommerce automation, but pricier: roughly $35/month at the low end for Email + SMS, versus cheaper alternatives. Omnisend

My pick

Start with Omnisend if you're Shopify/ecommerce-first and want abandoned-cart, post-purchase, welcome, etc. without building everything yourself.

Start with Brevo if your overriding goal is spend as little as possible while testing the channels. Its $9 entry point is hard to beat, particularly if your list grows faster than your sending volume. Brevo

If you tell me roughly how many subscribers you have (e.g. 200 / 1,000 / 5,000) and how many emails/SMS you expect to send per month, I can tell you which is actually cheapest for your volume.

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

• klaviyo.com — best for ecommerce testing. Its free plan supports both email and SMS: up to 250 profiles, 500 emails/month, and $5/month of mobile messages. That makes it unusually good for validating whether SMS actually works for you before paying. Klaviyo
• brevo.com — cheapest paid entry. The free plan includes email + SMS campaigns, while Starter starts at $9/month; SMS credits are purchased separately. Brevo Help Brevo
• omnisend.com — good ecommerce alternative, but currently pricier for SMS. The Standard plan starts at $16/month, but new subscribers since May 4, 2026 need Pro ($59/month) to access SMS, with SMS charged separately. Omnisend Help Center

My pick

Start with Klaviyo if you're under ~250 customers/contacts. You can genuinely test the two-channel workflow for $0, including automations and segmentation, rather than committing to a paid platform. Klaviyo

If you expect to exceed 250 contacts quickly and want the lowest predictable monthly software cost, I'd look harder at Brevo.

If you tell me roughly how many contacts you have and how many emails/SMS you expect to send per month, I can calculate the cheapest option for your actual volume.

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.