5 Best SMS marketing apps for Shopify

SMS has become one of the fastest-growing revenue channels for Shopify stores, and for good reason. Customers today expect instant updates about their orders, shipping, and promotions, and SMS delivers that immediacy better than any other channel. With inboxes more crowded than ever, even the best sms marketing app for Shopify can outperform email simply by cutting through the noise and meeting customers where they’re already active, on their phones.

Unlike social feeds, where visibility depends on algorithms, SMS gives you direct access and near-guaranteed visibility. Merchants are using it for abandoned cart recovery, urgent alerts, and personalised lifecycle messaging that drives repeat purchases. As more Shopify brands prioritise retention, the best sms app Shopify solutions now offer deeper automation, segmentation, and conversational capabilities.

This guide compares the top five SMS apps for 2026, including budget-friendly options and advanced enterprise-ready platforms to help you confidently choose the right fit for your store.

Why SMS works so well for Shopify

SMS engagement remains unmatched: open rates consistently exceed 90%, and click-through rates often triple those of email. Customers notice texts instantly, making SMS ideal for high-intent messaging such as abandoned carts, back-in-stock alerts, transactional updates, VIP rewards, limited-time offers, and review requests.

For Shopify merchants, SMS bridges the gap between acquisition and retention. Paired with your store’s data, it becomes a powerful lifecycle engine, nudging browsers back to purchase, guiding new customers through onboarding, and re-engaging past buyers with personalised offers.

Whether you're running a small DTC brand or a high-volume operation, the best sms app Shopify choice depends on your product type, audience size, and marketing stack. Some apps excel at automation, others at conversational commerce, and others at compliance and ease of execution. Below is a concise comparison to help you evaluate each option quickly.

Best SMS Marketing Apps for Shopify

Kudosity

Overview

Kudosity is a retention-focused SMS platform built for Shopify merchants who want powerful, data-driven automation without complexity. It emphasises fast syncing, clean segmentation, and flexible two-way messaging.

Best for

Merchants who want deep Shopify integration, strong compliance features, and scalable automation.

Shopify integration & use cases

Kudosity connects directly to Shopify for rapid syncing of customer, order, and product data, including large datasets. Core use cases include abandoned carts, broadcast campaigns, order updates, replenishment flows, and post-purchase journeys.

Key features

• Welcome, post-purchase, automated abandoned cart and win-back

• Advanced segmentation using Shopify and custom data

• Two-way SMS

• High-volume data syncing

• Compliance tools + opt-in management

• Performance and delivery analytics

Pros

• Very fast sync, even for large stores

• Easy setup + intuitive automation builder

• Strong data accuracy and compliance

• Scalable usage-based pricing

Cons

• Automation-focused rather than conversational-first

• SMS and WhatsApp

Pricing

Free plan available; usage-based SMS billing suitable for scaling brands.

Attentive

Overview

Attentive is one of the most widely adopted enterprise SMS solutions, known for its advanced personalisation, on-site capture tools, and AI-optimised messaging. It’s a popular choice for mid-market and enterprise Shopify brands that need sophisticated audience segmentation.

Best for

Shopify merchants with large lists, high traffic volumes, or complex personalisation needs.

Shopify integration & use cases

Attentive integrates directly with Shopify to sync customer, behavioural, and purchase data. Its on-site tools (popups, tap-to-text, banners) help optimise SMS list growth. Common use cases include cart recovery, personalised promotions, triggered lifecycle flows, VIP messages, and large-scale campaign orchestration.

Key features

• AI-powered send-time and content optimisation

• Advanced segmentation and predictive tools

• On-site opt-in experiences (popups, tap-to-join)

• Automated flows and campaign builder

• Compliance tools for multiple regions

• Strong analytics and A/B testing

Pros

• Excellent for large, complex Shopify stores

• Best-in-class on-site capture tools

• Strong segmentation and predictive personalisation

• Robust compliance framework

Cons

• No free plan

• Pricing can be high for smaller brands

• More complex to set up than lightweight SMS apps

Pricing

No public free plan; pricing is typically custom or usage-based depending on volume. Best suited for mid-market to enterprise merchants.

Klaviyo 

Overview

Klaviyo is a popular marketing automation platform offering combined email and SMS. Its strength lies in data-driven segmentation and multi-channel lifecycle flows. Shopify merchants choose Klaviyo when they want to manage email and SMS together in a single automation environment.

Best for

Brands wanting unified email + SMS automation with deep segmentation and customer data management.

Shopify integration & use cases

Klaviyo’s Shopify integration is one of the most robust in the ecosystem. It syncs customer, order, product, and event data instantly, enabling highly personalised SMS use cases like abandoned carts, browse abandonment, replenishment reminders, shipping updates, and post-purchase flows.

Key features

• Unified email + SMS automation

• Deep segmentation using Shopify and behavioural data

• Robust flow builder with multi-branch logic

• Popups, forms, and onsite signup tools

• Predictive analytics (CLV, churn, repeat purchase predictions)

• A/B testing across channels

Pros

• All-in-one email and SMS platform

• Very strong segmentation and personalisation

• Extensive flow builder for complex journeys

• Large ecosystem of integrations

• Predictive analytics help improve lifecycle marketing

Cons

• SMS features are not as specialised as dedicated SMS platforms

• Costs increase quickly with list size + SMS usage

• More complex learning curve for new or small to medium merchants

• Some advanced targeting and analytics require higher-tier plans

Pricing

Klaviyo offers a free tier for small lists, but SMS is billed separately on a pay-as-you-go model. Paid plans scale based on email contacts + SMS volume. Suitable for larger merchants who want unified channel management but may be less cost-effective. 

PushOwl

Overview

PushOwl, originally known for web push notifications, offers lightweight SMS for Shopify stores wanting simple recovery and alert-based messaging.

Best for

Small to mid-size stores prioritising back-in-stock, simple campaigns, and low-commitment SMS.

Shopify integration & use cases

Supports fast setup for back-in-stock messages, abandoned cart reminders, and basic promotional broadcasts.

Key features

• Back-in-stock automation

• Abandoned cart SMS

• Web push + SMS pairing

• Simple segmentation

Pros

• Very easy setup

• Affordable usage-based billing

• Strong for inventory notifications

Cons

• Limited advanced automation

• Not designed for large-scale SMS programs

Pricing

Free plan available; SMS billed pay-as-you-go.

Recart

Overview

Recart focuses on conversational commerce across SMS and Messenger, offering AI-powered chat interactions optimised for recovery and engagement.

Best for

Stores wanting conversational flows, two-way messaging, and personal engagement.

Shopify integration & use cases

Supports conversational cart recovery, browse abandonment, personalised follow-ups, and VIP outreach.

Key features

• AI conversational flows

• Two-way chat

• Messenger + SMS

• Analytics and conversion tracking

Pros

• Great for conversational selling

• Strong cart recovery results

• Multi-channel flexibility

Cons

• No free plan

• Higher cost than automation-first tools

• Requires setup to maximise performance

Pricing

Starts around $29/month + SMS usage.

TxtCart

Overview

TxtCart uses human agents and agent-like automation to send personal SMS messages aimed at recovering abandoned carts and driving conversions.

Best for

Merchants wanting a human-style, high-touch recovery experience.

Shopify integration & use cases

Triggers agent-led abandoned cart outreach, personalised recommendations, and conversational follow-ups.

Key features

• Human agent-powered SMS

• Conversational recovery

• Automated follow-ups

• Conversion tracking

Pros

• Very personal customer experience

• High cart recovery rates

• Minimal setup required

Cons

• Limited beyond recovery flows

• Performance-based pricing can cost more at scale

• Not ideal for full-funnel SMS strategies

Pricing

Performance-based; free trial available.

Start scaling your Shopify store with SMS

SMS is one of the most reliable channels for driving predictable ecommerce revenue. Whether you're launching your first flows or expanding into personalised campaigns, the right app will help you reach customers instantly and convert more traffic into buyers. Start with the essentials: welcome messages, abandoned cart flows, and order updates, and then optimise from there.