CampaignHQ vs Klaviyo 2026: E-Commerce Email

If you run an e-commerce store, you have probably heard of Klaviyo. It is the default recommendation in almost every Shopify forum, marketing blog, and e-commerce podcast. And honestly? That reputation is well earned. Klaviyo has built one of the most powerful e-commerce email platforms on the planet.

But “most powerful” does not always mean “best fit.”

Maybe you have been watching your Klaviyo bill climb as your contact list grows. Maybe you are building on AWS and wondering why you are paying a premium for email sends when you already have AWS SES sitting right there. Or maybe you want email and WhatsApp marketing in one dashboard without stitching together three different tools.

That is exactly where the CampaignHQ vs Klaviyo conversation gets interesting.

In this guide, we will break down how these two platforms compare across features, pricing, integrations, and overall value so you can decide which one actually fits your business in 2026.

Quick Comparison: CampaignHQ vs Klaviyo at a Glance

Before we dive deep, here is a high-level look at where each platform stands:

Klaviyo

Best for: Shopify-first e-commerce brands that want deep native integrations and predictive analytics
Pricing model: Based on active profiles (starts at $20/month for 500 contacts)
Channels: Email + SMS (add-on)
Sending infrastructure: Klaviyo-managed
Ideal company size: Mid-market to enterprise e-commerce

CampaignHQ

Best for: AWS-native teams, cost-conscious e-commerce brands, and businesses that want email + WhatsApp in one place
Pricing model: Flat monthly fee based on contacts and features (starts at $34/month for 10,000 contacts)
Channels: Email + WhatsApp (native)
Sending infrastructure: Your own AWS SES account
Ideal company size: Startups, SMBs, and growing e-commerce brands

Right away, you can see these platforms serve different philosophies. Klaviyo owns the entire stack and charges accordingly. CampaignHQ plugs into infrastructure you already own and gives you a marketing layer on top. Both approaches have real advantages depending on your situation.

Features: Where Each Platform Shines

Klaviyo’s Feature Strengths

Let’s give credit where it is due. Klaviyo has built a genuinely impressive feature set for e-commerce marketers:

Deep Shopify integration: Klaviyo syncs with Shopify at a level that few competitors can match. Product data, browsing behavior, purchase history, and cart events all flow seamlessly into your marketing workflows. If you live and breathe Shopify, this is hard to beat.
Predictive analytics: Klaviyo can predict customer lifetime value, churn risk, and next order date. These AI-driven insights help you target the right customers at the right time.
Pre-built e-commerce flows: abandoned cart emails sequences, post-purchase follow-ups, win-back campaigns, and browse abandonment flows come ready to go. You can launch sophisticated automations without starting from scratch.
Advanced segmentation: Segment by purchase behavior, browsing activity, email engagement, predicted lifetime value, and dozens of other criteria. The depth here is genuinely best-in-class.
SMS marketing: Klaviyo added SMS as a native channel, allowing you to coordinate email and text message campaigns from one platform.
Extensive template library: Hundreds of email templates designed specifically for e-commerce use cases.
Product recommendations: Dynamic product blocks that personalize based on each subscriber’s purchase and browsing history.

Klaviyo is essentially a purpose-built machine for Shopify stores doing serious volume. If that describes you, it is an excellent choice.

CampaignHQ’s Feature Strengths

CampaignHQ takes a different approach. Instead of building a walled garden, it turns your existing AWS infrastructure into a full marketing engine:

AWS SES integration: This is the big one. CampaignHQ connects directly to your AWS SES account, which means you send emails through your own infrastructure at AWS rates. No markup on sends. No per-email pricing surprises.
Native WhatsApp marketing: While Klaviyo focuses on SMS, CampaignHQ has built WhatsApp as a first-class channel. You get campaign management, chatbot flows, template management, and a team inbox for WhatsApp, all powered through your own WhatsApp Cloud API.
Drip automations and user journeys: Build multi-step automated sequences triggered by user behavior. While not as e-commerce-specific as Klaviyo’s pre-built flows, the automation builder is flexible enough to handle complex workflows.
Campaign manager for email and WhatsApp: Create, schedule, and send campaigns across both channels from one dashboard. No switching between tools or managing separate platforms.
WhatsApp chatbot builder: Design conversational flows for WhatsApp that can handle customer inquiries, qualify leads, and drive purchases without human intervention.
CRM and contact management: Built-in contact management with segmentation, custom attributes, and contact tagging.
Domain warmup tools: If you are setting up a new sending domain, CampaignHQ includes warmup tooling to help you build reputation gradually and avoid deliverability issues.
Multi-WABA support: For businesses managing multiple WhatsApp Business Accounts, CampaignHQ supports all of them from a single dashboard.
Data stays in your AWS account: Your customer data never leaves your infrastructure. This is a big deal for privacy-conscious businesses or those operating under strict data residency requirements.

The philosophy here is clear: if you are already invested in AWS, why pay someone else to send your emails? CampaignHQ gives you the marketing tools without taking over your infrastructure.

Feature Gap: Where Klaviyo Still Leads

Let’s be honest about where Klaviyo has the edge:

Shopify integration depth: CampaignHQ does not have the same level of native Shopify sync that Klaviyo offers. If your entire business runs on Shopify and you want plug-and-play product feeds, browse tracking, and cart event triggers, Klaviyo is still ahead.
Predictive analytics: Klaviyo’s AI-driven predictions for customer lifetime value and churn risk are a meaningful advantage for data-driven e-commerce teams.
E-commerce-specific templates and flows: Klaviyo’s pre-built automations are specifically designed for online stores. CampaignHQ’s automations are powerful but more general-purpose.
Ecosystem size: Klaviyo has a massive app marketplace and integrations with virtually every e-commerce tool you can think of.

Feature Gap: Where CampaignHQ Leads

And here is where CampaignHQ pulls ahead:

WhatsApp as a native channel: This is not an afterthought or add-on. WhatsApp campaigns, chatbots, and team inbox are core features. For businesses selling in markets where WhatsApp dominates (India, Southeast Asia, Latin America, Europe), this is a game-changer.
Infrastructure ownership: Your data, your sending reputation, your AWS account. No vendor lock-in on the infrastructure level.
Cost at scale: Because you are paying AWS rates for sends rather than Klaviyo’s per-profile pricing, the cost difference becomes dramatic as your contact list grows.
AWS credits utilization: Many startups have unused AWS Activate credits. CampaignHQ lets you put those credits to work for marketing instead of letting them expire.

Pricing: The Real Cost of Each Platform

Pricing is where the CampaignHQ vs Klaviyo comparison gets really interesting for budget-conscious e-commerce brands. Let’s break it down.

Klaviyo Pricing (2026)

Klaviyo charges based on the number of active profiles in your account:

Free plan: Up to 250 active profiles, 500 email sends/month, 150 SMS credits
Email plan (500 profiles): $20/month with 5,000 email sends
Email plan (1,000 profiles): $30/month
Email plan (3,000 profiles): $70/month
Email plan (5,000 profiles): $100/month
Email plan (10,000 profiles): $150/month
Email plan (20,000 profiles): $375/month
Email plan (50,000 profiles): $720/month

Adding SMS bumps each tier up by about $15/month at the lower levels.

Important note: In early 2025, Klaviyo changed its billing model to charge based on all active profiles rather than just those you email in a given month. This effectively raised costs for many customers who had large lists but only emailed a portion of them.

CampaignHQ Pricing (2026)

CampaignHQ uses a flat monthly fee based on your plan tier:

Core: $34/month (billed annually) for 1 user, 10,000 contacts, 20,000 CampaignHQ email credits, unlimited email sends via your own AWS SES
Growth: $104/month (billed annually) for 5 users, 50,000 contacts, 100,000 email credits, WhatsApp included
Scale: $209/month (billed annually) for 10 users, 100,000 contacts, 200,000 email credits, priority support
Enterprise: Custom pricing for 20+ users, 200,000+ contacts, unlimited everything

The key difference: CampaignHQ’s email sending costs are your AWS SES costs. AWS SES charges roughly $0.10 per 1,000 emails. So sending 100,000 emails costs you about $10 in AWS fees on top of your CampaignHQ subscription.

Real-World Pricing Comparison

Let’s look at what a growing e-commerce store actually pays:

Scenario: 10,000 contacts, sending 100,000 emails/month

Klaviyo: $150/month (email plan only, no SMS)
CampaignHQ: $34/month + roughly $10 in AWS SES fees = $44/month (includes WhatsApp capabilities)

Scenario: 50,000 contacts, sending 500,000 emails/month

Klaviyo: $720/month (email plan only)
CampaignHQ: $209/month + roughly $50 in AWS SES fees = $259/month (includes WhatsApp, priority support, 10 users)

At 50,000 contacts, you are saving over $450 every single month by choosing CampaignHQ. That is over $5,400 per year. For a small or mid-sized e-commerce brand, that is real money you could put into ads, inventory, or hiring.

This is why CampaignHQ has become a popular Klaviyo alternative for small business owners who want professional email marketing without the professional price tag.

Deliverability: Can CampaignHQ Match Klaviyo?

This is a fair question. Klaviyo manages deliverability for you, with shared and dedicated IP options, authentication handling, and reputation monitoring built in.

With CampaignHQ, deliverability is tied to your AWS SES account. That means you are responsible for maintaining your sending reputation, but you also have full control over it. CampaignHQ helps with domain warmup tools and analytics to monitor your deliverability metrics.

For teams that already manage AWS SES or have technical know-how, this is actually an advantage. You are not sharing IP reputation with other senders, and you have complete visibility into your sending infrastructure.

For non-technical teams that want a fully managed experience, Klaviyo’s hands-off approach to deliverability is more convenient.

Integrations and Ecosystem

Klaviyo has one of the largest integration ecosystems in e-commerce marketing. It connects natively with:

Shopify and Shopify Plus (recommended partner)
WooCommerce, BigCommerce, Magento
Facebook, Instagram, Google Ads
Hundreds of apps through its marketplace

CampaignHQ takes an API-first approach and integrates with:

AWS SES (core)
WhatsApp Cloud API (core)
Various e-commerce platforms through API connections
Zapier and webhook integrations for custom workflows

If you need a plug-and-play connection with every e-commerce tool under the sun, Klaviyo wins here. If you are comfortable with APIs and want flexibility, CampaignHQ gives you the building blocks.

Who Should Choose Klaviyo?

Klaviyo is the right choice if:

You run a Shopify or Shopify Plus store and want the tightest possible integration
You need predictive analytics and AI-driven customer insights out of the box
Your team is not technical and you want a fully managed sending infrastructure
You primarily sell in the US market and SMS is your preferred secondary channel
Budget is not your primary concern and you value feature depth over cost savings
You need the broadest possible ecosystem of third-party integrations

Who Should Choose CampaignHQ?

CampaignHQ is the right Klaviyo alternative if:

You are already on AWS or have unused AWS credits you want to put to work
You want to keep email sending costs as low as possible as your list grows
WhatsApp is an important marketing channel for your audience
You want email and WhatsApp marketing in a single platform
Data privacy and infrastructure ownership matter to your business
You are a small business or startup that needs professional marketing tools without enterprise pricing
You sell in markets where WhatsApp is more popular than SMS (India, Brazil, much of Europe and Asia)
You have a technical team comfortable managing AWS SES

The Verdict: CampaignHQ vs Klaviyo in 2026

There is no universal winner here. Both platforms are excellent at what they do, and the right choice depends on your specific situation.

Choose Klaviyo if Shopify integration and predictive analytics are non-negotiable for your e-commerce business. It is the industry standard for a reason, and if those features drive meaningful revenue for your store, the premium pricing is worth it.

Choose CampaignHQ if you want to own your infrastructure, cut your email marketing costs significantly, and reach customers through WhatsApp alongside email. It is the smarter Klaviyo alternative for small business teams that are growing fast and watching their margins.

The e-commerce email marketing landscape has evolved. You no longer have to choose between “powerful but expensive” and “affordable but limited.” CampaignHQ gives you real marketing capabilities at a fraction of the cost, especially if you are already in the AWS ecosystem.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is CampaignHQ a good alternative to Klaviyo for e-commerce?

Yes, CampaignHQ is a strong Klaviyo alternative, especially for e-commerce brands that want to reduce email marketing costs without sacrificing core functionality. It offers campaign management, drip automations, segmentation, and analytics. The main trade-off is that Klaviyo has deeper Shopify-specific integrations and predictive analytics, while CampaignHQ wins on pricing and WhatsApp capabilities.

How much cheaper is CampaignHQ compared to Klaviyo?

The savings depend on your list size, but they are significant. For a store with 10,000 contacts, you could pay around $44/month with CampaignHQ (including AWS SES costs) compared to $150/month with Klaviyo. At 50,000 contacts, the gap widens to roughly $259/month vs $720/month. The savings come from using your own AWS SES for email delivery rather than paying Klaviyo’s per-profile pricing.

Can I use CampaignHQ with Shopify?

CampaignHQ can connect with various e-commerce platforms through API integrations. However, it does not offer the same depth of native Shopify integration that Klaviyo provides. If your marketing strategy relies heavily on Shopify-specific features like predictive product recommendations and automated browse abandonment, Klaviyo is still the stronger choice for that specific use case.

Does CampaignHQ support WhatsApp marketing?

Yes, WhatsApp is a first-class channel in CampaignHQ. You get WhatsApp campaign management, a chatbot flow builder, template management, a team inbox, and multi-WABA support. This is one of CampaignHQ’s biggest differentiators, as Klaviyo focuses on SMS rather than WhatsApp for its secondary messaging channel.

Do I need technical expertise to use CampaignHQ?

You will need some familiarity with AWS to set up your SES account and connect it to CampaignHQ. If your team already works with AWS (as many modern startups and tech companies do), the setup is straightforward. CampaignHQ also offers onboarding support with annual plans. Once connected, the day-to-day marketing experience is designed to be user-friendly for non-technical marketers.

Is Klaviyo worth the price in 2026?

Klaviyo remains worth the price for established e-commerce brands, particularly Shopify stores, that use its advanced features like predictive analytics, deep product integrations, and extensive automation flows. However, if you are a growing brand that primarily needs solid email campaigns and automations, paying Klaviyo’s per-profile pricing may not be the best use of your marketing budget. That is where a Klaviyo alternative for small business like CampaignHQ becomes a smart choice.

Ready to Cut Your Email Marketing Costs?

If you are tired of watching your email marketing bill grow faster than your revenue, it might be time to explore what CampaignHQ can do for your business.

You can sign up for a free account, connect your AWS SES, and start sending campaigns in minutes. No credit card required. No long-term contracts. Just better marketing at a fraction of the cost.

Get started with CampaignHQ today and see how much you could save compared to Klaviyo.

Already using Klaviyo? The CampaignHQ team can help you migrate your contacts, templates, and automations. Book a migration call and make the switch painless.

CampaignHQ vs Klaviyo: Best Email Platform for E-Commerce (2026)