The best ESPs for ecommerce brands: A practical, unbiased guide

Choosing the right Email Service Provider (ESP) is one of the most important decisions an ecommerce brand can make. Your platform affects how you communicate with customers, how your data flows, how quickly you can iterate, and how much revenue you recover through lifecycle programs. The problem is that the ecosystem is crowded and every tool markets itself as the answer for everyone.

This guide walks through the most common ESPs for ecommerce brands using real user feedback from G2, what we see across hundreds of lifecycle programs, and the patterns that show up again and again. The goal is not to crown a winner. The goal is to help you understand which platform fits your business model, your team, and your growth stage.

You will be able to figure out quickly which direction to go.

What ecommerce brands actually need from an ESP

Every ecommerce business is different, but there are a few things almost everyone cares about.

1. Strong ecommerce integrations
Your ESP should connect easily to Shopify, BigCommerce, Magento, or your custom storefront.

2. Lifecycle flows that drive revenue
Abandoned cart, browse abandonment, post purchase, win-back, review requests, and replenishment flows are essential for ecommerce brands.

3. Real segmentation
Purchase behavior, categories, AOV tiers, customer lifecycle stage, churn risk, email engagement, and more.

4. SMS support
Helpful for promotions, reminders, and time-sensitive updates.

5. Predictive or AI tools
Send time optimization, churn scoring, product recommendations, and automated grouping are increasingly important for personalization.

6. Pricing that scales fairly
Ecommerce lists grow quickly. Pricing should not turn into a surprise problem for growing teams evaluating their lifecycle stack.

With that lens, here is how the main ESPs stack up.

The best ESPs for ecommerce brands

Below is an honest look at the major players. All of them can support ecommerce, but they serve very different needs. This summary is devised using real user reviews and Scalero’s experience managing hundreds of lifecycle programs.

Klaviyo

If you run a Shopify or BigCommerce store and want something that works out of the box, Klaviyo is usually the fastest path to strong lifecycle performance. Many teams plug it in and go from zero to fully operational flows in a matter of days.

What Klaviyo is great at

• Native ecommerce integrations that just work

• Pre-built flows for every major lifecycle moment

• Intuitive builders

• Strong segmentation based on shopper behavior

• Fast time to value

What users like
Ease of use, fast setup, and strong product feed support.

Additional user feedback
Pricing becomes a factor as lists grow. Less suited to brands with complex data models or advanced cross channel needs.

Best fit
DTC brands that want strong lifecycle automation without complexity.

Braze

Braze is built for brands that need true cross-channel orchestration. If you operate both an ecommerce site and a mobile app, or if you want email, SMS, push, in-app, and web messaging all connected, Braze stands out.

What Braze is great at

• Multi-channel messaging

• Deep personalization

• Advanced customer journey tools

What users like
Strong segmentation and reliable performance at scale.

Additional user feedback
Steep learning curve and enterprise-style pricing.

Best fit
Omnichannel retailers or brands with apps that want more sophisticated customer journeys.

Iterable

Iterable sits between Klaviyo and Braze in terms of flexibility and power. It is a good option for brands that are growing quickly and want more control over data, experimentation, and personalization. Iterable offers strong capabilities for teams moving beyond basic flows.

What Iterable is great at

• Data flexibility

• Event-based triggers

• Multi-channel campaigns

• Experimentation tools

What users like
Modern interface and advanced workflow capabilities.

Additional user feedback
More technical than Klaviyo. Pricing fits mid-market better than small teams.

Best fit
Scaling ecommerce brands that want more advanced testing and personalization.

Brevo

Brevo is a strong choice for ecommerce brands that have any B2B or wholesale component. Its built-in CRM gives it an angle almost no other ESP in this list covers. If your company handles both B2C ecommerce and B2B sales cycles, Brevo simplifies your stack.

What Brevo is great at

• CRM and marketing automation in one platform

• Strong pricing for large lists

• Multi-channel messaging including WhatsApp

• Straightforward automation tools

What users like
Affordable pricing and an easy to use CRM.

Additional user feedback
Ecommerce automation and segmentation are not as deep as Klaviyo. Not as advanced as Braze or Iterable for personalization.

Best fit
Ecommerce brands that want a unified approach to CRM and lifecycle messaging.

Mailchimp

Mailchimp is often the first ESP many ecommerce brands use. It is simple, friendly, and cost effective for small lists. Mailchimp works well when you are just getting started.

What Mailchimp is great at

• Easy setup

• Large template library

• Budget friendly

What users like
Beginner friendly design and fast campaign sending.

Additional user feedback
Limited automation and segmentation. Many brands outgrow it.

Best fit
Early stage stores that are taking their first steps in email marketing.

Shopify Email

Shopify Email is best seen as a starting point. It integrates perfectly with Shopify and works for simple announcements or occasional campaigns. Shopify Email is useful when you want something very lightweight.

Strengths

• Perfect Shopify integration

• Very low cost

• Simple to use

Limitations

• Minimal automation

• Limited segmentation

• Not built for scaling retention programs

Best fit
Pre-launch stores or very small teams that want a simple way to send campaigns.

Comparison table

How to choose the right ESP

Here is a simple starting point.

• Choose Klaviyo if you want the easiest path to strong ecommerce flows.

• Choose Braze if you need multi channel messaging or have an app.

• Choose Iterable if you want advanced testing and flexible data.

• Choose Brevo if you have B2B or wholesale needs.

• Choose Mailchimp if you are early in your journey.

• Choose Shopify Email if you need something simple for now.

There is no single best choice. There is only the tool that matches your stage and your goals.

Scalero’s perspective

Across hundreds of ecommerce programs and migrations, we see clear patterns. Klaviyo is the fastest lift for most small and mid-size brands. Braze handles the complexity of larger retailers and app-based businesses. Iterable gives growing brands room to expand their experimentation and personalization. Brevo is uniquely helpful for ecommerce companies with a B2B or wholesale arm. Mailchimp and Shopify Email are useful early but are almost always temporary.

The right ESP depends on your tech stack, your customer journey, and the resources you have on your team. You can learn more inside Scalero’s full library of lifecycle and ESP insights.