Klaviyo Plans Overview (2026)
Klaviyo offers three main plan tiers in 2026, with pricing that scales by contact count:
The "Email" plan gives you unlimited email sends for your contact count. The "Email + SMS" plan adds a monthly SMS credit allotment. Both scale with contact count — the more contacts you have, the higher the price.
Klaviyo Email Pricing by Contact Count
Here's the full price ladder for the email-only plan in 2026. These are approximate monthly prices (annual pricing is typically the same as monthly in Klaviyo's current model):
| Contacts | Email Plan (Monthly) | Email + SMS (Monthly) | Monthly Email Sends |
|---|---|---|---|
| 0–250 | Free | Free (150 SMS credits) | 500 |
| 251–500 | ~$20/mo | ~$35/mo | Unlimited |
| 501–1,000 | ~$30/mo | ~$45/mo | Unlimited |
| 1,001–1,500 | ~$45/mo | ~$60/mo | Unlimited |
| 1,501–2,500 | ~$60/mo | ~$75/mo | Unlimited |
| 2,501–5,000 | ~$100/mo | ~$115/mo | Unlimited |
| 5,001–10,000 | ~$175/mo | ~$200/mo | Unlimited |
| 10,001–20,000 | ~$275/mo | ~$310/mo | Unlimited |
| 20,001–30,000 | ~$400/mo | ~$450/mo | Unlimited |
| 30,001–50,000 | ~$575/mo | ~$640/mo | Unlimited |
| 50,001–100,000 | ~$875/mo | ~$975/mo | Unlimited |
| 100,001–150,000 | ~$1,300/mo | ~$1,450/mo | Unlimited |
| 150,001–250,000 | ~$1,875/mo | Contact Klaviyo | Unlimited |
| 250,000+ | Custom pricing | Custom pricing | Unlimited |
Klaviyo SMS Pricing
SMS in Klaviyo is priced per message, on top of your email plan fee. Here's how it works:
- US SMS: ~$0.01 per message (1 credit per message)
- US MMS (with images): ~$0.03 per message (3 credits)
- International SMS: Varies significantly by country — typically $0.02–$0.08 per message
- SMS credits are included in the Email + SMS bundle (amount varies by plan tier)
- Additional SMS credits can be purchased when your included credits run out
| Use Case | Monthly SMS Volume | Estimated Monthly Cost (US) |
|---|---|---|
| Small brand (just abandoned cart) | 5,000 SMS | ~$50/mo additional |
| Growing brand (flows + 1 campaign/month) | 20,000 SMS | ~$200/mo additional |
| Established brand (full SMS program) | 100,000 SMS | ~$1,000/mo additional |
| High-volume brand | 500,000 SMS | ~$5,000/mo additional |
The Email + SMS bundle includes a monthly credit allotment. For brands sending moderate SMS volume, the bundle pays for itself vs. buying email + SMS separately. For high-volume SMS, dedicated SMS platforms like Postscript or Attentive may be more cost-efficient at scale.
Klaviyo Hidden Costs to Watch Out For
Klaviyo is generally transparent, but there are pricing nuances that trip up new customers:
1. Suppressed & Unsubscribed Contacts Count
2. Contact Spikes at Plan Boundaries
Klaviyo's pricing tiers are set at fixed contact thresholds. If your list grows from 4,900 to 5,100 contacts, you jump from one pricing tier to the next — potentially a $75+/month increase overnight. During seasonal peaks (Black Friday, holiday promotions), temporary list growth can push you into a higher tier even if you'll drop back afterward. Klaviyo does bill monthly, so a temporary spike doesn't lock you into the higher rate permanently if you clean your list before the next billing cycle.
3. Onboarding & Migration Costs
Klaviyo's free plan and documentation are solid for self-serve setup. However, larger brands migrating from Mailchimp, HubSpot, or another tool often invest $500–$3,000+ in a Klaviyo-certified agency or consultant to set up flows correctly and migrate historical data cleanly. This is a one-time cost, not ongoing, but factor it into your total investment calculation.
4. International SMS Rates
If you have a global customer base and send SMS internationally, rates can be 2–8x higher than US rates. A brand sending 50,000 SMS/month to UK customers pays approximately $3,000–$4,000/month just in SMS costs — vs. $500 for the same volume in the US. Always calculate your SMS costs against your actual audience geography.
5. No Annual Discount
Many SaaS tools offer 10–20% off for annual prepayment. Klaviyo's standard pricing is monthly with no standard annual discount. This isn't a "hidden cost" per se, but it means you're not getting a break for committing long-term the way you might with HubSpot or other CRM tools.
Is Klaviyo Worth the Price?
Klaviyo's pricing is premium-tier compared to Mailchimp, ConvertKit, or Omnisend. The justification is in performance — specifically for ecommerce brands running automated flows.
Klaviyo vs Competitors on Price
| Platform | 10K Contacts (Email) | 10K Contacts (Email+SMS) | Free Plan? | Ecommerce Focus? |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Klaviyo | ~$175/mo | ~$200/mo | Yes (250 contacts) | ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ (Shopify-first) |
| Omnisend | ~$115/mo | ~$150/mo (incl. SMS) | Yes (250 contacts) | ⭐⭐⭐⭐ (ecommerce focused) |
| Mailchimp | ~$135/mo | Add-on (extra) | Yes (500 contacts) | ⭐⭐ (general) |
| ActiveCampaign | ~$139/mo | N/A (no SMS native) | No (14-day trial) | ⭐⭐⭐ (B2B/D2C mixed) |
| Drip | ~$154/mo | N/A | No | ⭐⭐⭐⭐ (ecommerce CRM) |
At 10,000 contacts, Omnisend is meaningfully cheaper (~$115/mo vs $175/mo) and includes more SMS credits. For brands where the Shopify integration depth and Klaviyo's larger template library aren't critical differentiators, Omnisend is a legitimate and cheaper alternative worth evaluating. See our Omnisend review for the full comparison.
How to Reduce Your Klaviyo Bill
- Clean your list regularly — Delete (not just suppress) contacts who have been unsubscribed for 90+ days and haven't purchased. This is the single highest-impact way to reduce Klaviyo costs.
- Use suppression lists strategically — Suppressed contacts still count toward your bill. Actually delete old contacts you'll never mail.
- Don't collect contacts you can't use — Low-quality subscriber collection (aggressive pop-ups, giveaway traffic) creates billing overhead. Focus on quality over quantity.
- Start on Email-only, add SMS when ready — Don't pay for the Email + SMS bundle until you've built out your email flows first. Upgrade when SMS becomes a real priority.
- Check Klaviyo's partner marketplace for deals — Some Shopify agencies include Klaviyo credits or discounts as part of their service packages.
Frequently Asked Questions
Klaviyo is free for up to 250 contacts. Paid email plans start at ~$20/month for 500 contacts and scale with list size: ~$100/month for 5,000 contacts, ~$175/month for 10,000, and ~$400/month for 25,000. Email + SMS plans add ~$15–$30/month to the base price at each tier, plus per-message SMS costs.
Yes — up to 250 contacts and 500 emails/month for free. The free plan includes all core features (flows, campaigns, segmentation). It's genuinely useful for early-stage stores, not a crippled trial. You also get 150 free SMS credits per month on the free tier.
Yes — this is the biggest Klaviyo pricing gotcha. Klaviyo charges based on total profiles in your account, including unsubscribed, bounced, and suppressed contacts. To keep costs down, regularly delete inactive profiles from your account (not just suppress them).
SMS is priced per message: ~$0.01/SMS and ~$0.03/MMS in the US. International rates vary (typically $0.02–$0.08/message). The Email + SMS bundle includes a monthly credit allotment; additional credits are purchased when you run out. Always calculate your expected SMS volume × per-message cost before committing to the bundle.
For ecommerce brands actively using automation flows (abandoned cart, welcome series, post-purchase), yes — Klaviyo typically generates 5–15x return on its cost through automated revenue. If you're only sending broadcast campaigns or are just starting out, start on the free plan and upgrade when automation revenue covers the cost.
Omnisend is the closest comparable at lower price — ~$115/month for 10K contacts vs Klaviyo's ~$175/month, and it includes SMS. Omnisend's ecommerce integrations are strong, though Klaviyo's Shopify integration is deeper. For non-ecommerce brands, ActiveCampaign or Mailchimp may serve you better at a lower cost.
Bottom Line on Klaviyo Pricing
Klaviyo's pricing is fair for what it delivers — but you need to be actively using it to justify the cost. The free plan is generous and a great starting point. Paid plans are competitive for ecommerce brands running automation, but more expensive than alternatives if you're not leveraging the full feature set.
Key actions: (1) Start on the free plan. (2) Set up abandoned cart flow first — it pays for the upgrade. (3) Clean your list quarterly to avoid billing bloat. (4) Add SMS only when you're ready to build a dedicated SMS program.
🔗 Related reading: Full Klaviyo Review · Omnisend Review (Cheaper Alternative) · Best Klaviyo Alternatives