Is Klaviyo Free in 2026?
No. Klaviyo changed its billing model in February 2025. It now charges for every active profile in your account — including contacts you haven't emailed recently. The free tier is capped at 250 contacts and 500 emails/month, which is too small for most Shopify stores. Paid plans start at $45/month for 500 contacts and scale to $700+/month for larger lists.
Klaviyo's 2025 Pricing Change — What Changed
In February 2025, Klaviyo restructured its billing model. Previously, you were only billed for contacts you actively emailed. Under the new model, you pay for every active profile in your account — defined as any contact who has engaged or been added in the past 90 days, regardless of whether you emailed them.
This means stores with large Shopify customer bases that import contacts automatically saw their Klaviyo bills increase substantially without sending a single additional email.
If your Shopify store is connected to Klaviyo, every customer who places an order is automatically added as an active profile and counted toward your billing. A store with 3,000 customers pays for 3,000 contacts — even if you only email 500 of them.
Klaviyo Pricing Tiers in 2026
| Plan | Contacts | Email Sends | Monthly Cost | Key Limitations |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Free | Up to 250 | 500/month | $0 | Klaviyo branding, no A/B test |
| Email (500 contacts) | 500 | 5,000/month | $45/mo | — |
| Email (1,000 contacts) | 1,000 | 10,000/month | $70/mo | — |
| Email (5,000 contacts) | 5,000 | 50,000/month | $175/mo | — |
| Email (10,000 contacts) | 10,000 | 150,000/month | $350/mo | — |
| Email + SMS (10,000 contacts) | 10,000 | 150,000/month | $400+/mo | SMS charged per message |
Best Free Alternatives to Klaviyo for Shopify in 2026
| Platform | Free Contacts | Free Email Sends | Automation | Funnels / CRM | Cost |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Systeme.io | 2,000 | Unlimited | ✓ Full | ✓ Yes | $0 forever |
| GetResponse | 500 | 2,500/month | Basic | ✗ No | $0 free tier |
| Beehiiv | 2,500 | Limited sends | Basic | ✗ No | $0 free tier |
| Mailchimp | 500 | 1,000/month | Basic | ✗ No | $0 free tier |
| Klaviyo | 250 | 500/month | ✓ Full | ✗ No | $45+/mo paid |
Why Systeme.io Is the Best Free Klaviyo Alternative
Systeme.io's free plan includes 2,000 contacts with unlimited email sends, full automation sequences (welcome series, abandoned cart, post-purchase), sales funnels, a CRM, and affiliate management. No Klaviyo branding, no send limits, no upgrade pressure.
For Shopify stores not using Klaviyo's advanced predictive analytics or SMS flows, Systeme.io replicates everything needed in 30 minutes. Stack Architect's Replace Klaviyo Free guide covers the complete migration step by step.
Is Klaviyo Worth Paying For?
Klaviyo is worth paying for if your store relies heavily on Klaviyo's predictive analytics, advanced ecommerce segmentation (predicted LTV, purchase behaviour clusters), or SMS flows tightly integrated with email. These features don't exist on free-tier alternatives.
However, the majority of Shopify stores use Klaviyo for welcome sequences, abandoned cart emails, and post-purchase flows — all of which Systeme.io replicates on the free plan. If you don't use Klaviyo's predictive features, you're overpaying by $150–$400/month.
"We were paying Klaviyo $320/month. Systeme.io does everything we actually used — welcome sequences, abandoned cart, post-purchase — for zero dollars."
"Recovered $600/mo in under 10 minutes. CAPI Shield fixed attribution the same day — then we replaced Klaviyo the following week. Free stack is unreal."
People Also Ask
Answers to the questions Shopify store owners ask most about this topic.
Is Klaviyo free in 2026?
No. Klaviyo changed its billing model in February 2025. The free tier is now limited to 250 contacts and 500 emails/month. Paid plans start at $45/month for 500 contacts. Klaviyo now charges for every active profile, including contacts you have not emailed recently.
What is the best free Klaviyo alternative for Shopify?
Systeme.io is the best free Klaviyo alternative for Shopify. The free plan includes 2,000 contacts, unlimited email sends, full automation sequences, sales funnels, and a CRM. It replaces Klaviyo's core functionality at $0/month for most Shopify stores.
How much does Klaviyo cost per month in 2026?
Klaviyo costs $45/month for 500 contacts, $70/month for 1,000 contacts, $175/month for 5,000 contacts, and $350/month for 10,000 contacts. Adding SMS increases the cost further.
What changed with Klaviyo pricing in 2025?
In February 2025, Klaviyo changed from charging only for contacts you actively email to charging for every active profile — any contact who has engaged or been added in the past 90 days. Shopify stores with large customer bases saw immediate bill increases.
Can I migrate from Klaviyo to Systeme.io?
Yes. Export your Klaviyo subscriber list as a CSV, import into Systeme.io, and rebuild your key automations (welcome sequence, abandoned cart, post-purchase). Stack Architect's Replace Klaviyo Free guide covers the complete migration in under 30 minutes.
Does Systeme.io work with Shopify?
Systeme.io integrates with Shopify via Make.com webhooks or Zapier. When a customer places an order, Shopify fires a webhook that adds them to Systeme.io and triggers your post-purchase automation sequence. No code required.