Understanding What Spently Does (and Does Not Do)
Before evaluating alternatives, it is important to understand that Spently (now UpOrder) is not an email marketing platform. It is a Shopify notification email customization tool. It modifies the automatic emails that Shopify sends when orders are placed, shipped, or when accounts are created. For a broader look at e-commerce email, see our guide to the best email marketing tools for SaaS.
This means most "alternatives" to Spently are not true replacements. They are either:
- Direct competitors that also customize Shopify notifications (OrderlyEmails)
- Email marketing platforms that handle campaigns and automation (Sequenzy, Klaviyo, Omnisend)
- Complementary tools that work alongside Spently for different email needs
- Non-email channels like SMS and Messenger marketing (Postscript, Recart)
Most Shopify stores benefit from having both: a notification email tool like Spently and a marketing platform like Sequenzy or Klaviyo. See our Spently comparison page for a deeper look at where each tool fits.
| Spently alternative need | Best fit | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Keep customizing Shopify notifications | OrderlyEmails | Direct notification-template alternative with one-time pricing |
| Add full email marketing | Sequenzy | Campaigns, AI sequences, and transactional email in one platform |
| Maximize ecommerce lifecycle revenue | Klaviyo | Deep Shopify flows, segments, and SMS |
| Add email, SMS, and push quickly | Omnisend | Ecommerce omnichannel workflows |
| Add loyalty and social proof | Growave | Reviews, loyalty, wishlist, and basic email tools |
| Recover anonymous visitors | Retention.com | Solves a different revenue leak than receipt upsells |
Why Stores Switch from Spently
The most common reasons stores look for Spently alternatives:
- They need email marketing and thought Spently would cover it (it does not)
- Order-based pricing gets expensive at high volumes ($10 per 50 orders adds up)
- They are leaving Shopify for another platform where Spently will not work
- They want fewer tools and prefer one platform for both marketing and transactional email
- They want more automation beyond Spently's basic follow-up workflows
The Best Approach for Most Stores
For most Shopify stores, the best email setup combines:
- Sequenzy (or Klaviyo/Omnisend) for marketing campaigns, AI-generated sequences, and transactional email
- Spently (or OrderlyEmails) for branded notification email customization with upsells
This two-tool approach costs $29-175/month for marketing plus $0-100/month for notifications, but maximizes revenue from both marketing emails and high-open-rate receipt emails.
If budget is tight or you prefer simplicity, Sequenzy at $49/month handles marketing and transactional email in one platform, and you can add Spently later when order volume justifies the investment. Check our pricing page for details.
Best Spently alternative for receipt customization: OrderlyEmails
OrderlyEmails is the closest direct replacement because it focuses on the same Shopify notification layer. Choose it when the goal is better-looking receipts and shipping emails, not newsletters or lifecycle automation.
Best Spently alternative for marketing automation: Sequenzy
Sequenzy is the better fit when the real gap is campaigns, post-purchase flows, win-back emails, and transactional email. It will not customize Shopify's native notification templates, but it does cover the email marketing work Spently does not handle.
Best Spently alternative for advanced Shopify email and SMS: Klaviyo or Omnisend
Klaviyo is the power option for deep Shopify lifecycle marketing. Omnisend is the easier value option if you want email, SMS, and push without Klaviyo-level pricing. Neither is a receipt customizer, so they usually complement Spently rather than replace it directly.
Best Spently alternative for loyalty and reviews: Growave
Growave is not an email platform replacement, but it is a smart alternative if your repeat-purchase strategy is shifting from receipt upsells to loyalty points, reviews, referrals, and wishlist alerts.
Best Spently alternative for abandoned visitor recovery: Retention.com
Retention.com tackles a different problem: anonymous visitors who leave before checkout. It can be a better ROI move than receipt optimization if your store has high traffic but poor capture and cart recovery.
| Platform | Notification customization | Marketing campaigns | SMS | Loyalty/reviews | Best use case |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spently | Yes | No | No | No | Shopify receipt upsells |
| OrderlyEmails | Yes | No | No | No | One-time notification template design |
| Sequenzy | No | Yes | No | No | AI lifecycle marketing and transactional email |
| Klaviyo | No | Yes | Yes | No | Advanced Shopify email and SMS |
| Omnisend | No | Yes | Yes | No | Faster omnichannel ecommerce workflows |
| Growave | No | Basic | No | Yes | Loyalty, reviews, and wishlist marketing |
Best Spently alternative for SMS marketing: Postscript, Klaviyo, or Omnisend
Many Shopify stores see significant ROI from adding SMS marketing through Postscript or using a platform like Klaviyo or Omnisend that includes SMS alongside email. Text messages have 98% open rates and are particularly effective for abandoned cart recovery and flash sales. See our guide to email marketing for e-commerce for more channel strategy ideas.
Best Spently alternative for advanced automation: ActiveCampaign or Drip
If you find Spently's basic follow-up workflows limiting, platforms like ActiveCampaign and Drip offer visual automation builders with conditional branching, purchase-based triggers, and sophisticated post-purchase sequences. Use our email warmup calculator when migrating to ensure your deliverability stays strong.
| Keep Spently when... | Add or switch to another tool when... |
|---|---|
| Receipt upsells are producing measurable revenue | You need newsletters, flows, and campaigns |
| You are committed to Shopify | You are moving to WooCommerce, BigCommerce, or headless commerce |
| Notification design is the main problem | Order volume makes per-order pricing expensive |
| You already have a strong marketing email tool | You want fewer email tools to manage |



















