Overview
Shopify Email sends emails. Privy captures subscribers with popups. Comparing them directly is a bit like comparing a hammer to a screwdriver.
If you need to send basic campaigns, Shopify Email is free and works. If you need to grow your subscriber list from store traffic, Privy's popup builder is excellent. Many stores use Privy for list growth and a separate platform for email marketing.
The more useful question is: what do you pair with each? Privy's email features are basic, and Shopify Email has no list growth tools. Most stores end up needing both capabilities from somewhere.
The Smart Setup
The most common approach for Shopify stores that want both list growth and real email:
- Privy (free plan) for popups and subscriber capture
- A real email platform (Sequenzy, Omnisend, or Klaviyo) for automation and campaigns
This gives you Privy's excellent popup builder for growing your list, and a dedicated email platform for converting those subscribers into revenue.
Sequenzy at $29/month with AI-built campaigns is a good option for the email side. Omnisend includes basic popups alongside email and SMS if you want one tool. Klaviyo is the premium choice with the most powerful automation.