Best Abandoned Cart Email Automation Software in 2027
Abandoned cart emails are usually the first automation a store should switch on, because they target shoppers who already showed intent. Most email platforms can send one, but they differ in how easy it is to set up, how much store data you can use in the message, and what it costs once your list grows. This guide compares the main options.
The short answer
- Easiest start: Omnisend, which lists pre-built ecommerce workflows on its free plan.
- Deepest segmentation: Klaviyo.
- Recovery plus funnels: GetResponse (Marketer plan lists abandoned cart recovery).
- Budget general option: Mailchimp or Brevo, after checking the flow you need.
Vendors name and package these flows differently, so verify the exact abandoned cart trigger for your store platform in a trial before you commit. Pricing was read from vendor pages on 6 November 2026.
Abandoned cart automation compared
| Platform | What the vendor page shows | Plan to check | Cost at 10,000 contacts |
|---|---|---|---|
| Omnisend | Pre-built ecommerce workflows on Free; custom workflows on Standard | Free or Standard | $132/mo Standard (regular) |
| Klaviyo | Flows and segments are core; basic segmentation on Free | Free or paid email | $150/mo |
| GetResponse | Abandoned cart recovery listed on Marketer and Creator | Marketer | Check USD price on vendor page |
| Mailchimp | Up to 4 flow steps on Essentials; up to 200 flows on Standard | Standard | $87.67/mo regular |
| Brevo | Automation from Standard; ecommerce extras on Professional | Standard or Professional | Volume-based; check slider |
Sources: vendor pricing pages, 6 November 2026. Confirm the abandoned cart trigger for your store platform.
What a good abandoned cart flow includes
- Timing: a first reminder within a few hours and a follow-up the next day or two, tested for your store.
- Dynamic content: the actual cart items and images.
- Exit rules: stop the flow when the customer buys.
- Offer logic: add an incentive only for higher-value carts or later steps.
- Channel mix: consider SMS only if your platform supports it and consent is in place.
- Reporting: revenue attributed to the flow.
The platforms in detail
1. Omnisend
Omnisend’s free plan includes pre-built ecommerce workflows, and Standard adds custom workflows, so you can start with a template and later branch it. 24/7 support is advertised on every plan.
Pricing: Free; Standard from about $16/mo at 500 contacts
Watch out for: SMS recovery needs Pro.
Our take: The simplest route to a working cart flow. See the Omnisend review.
2. Klaviyo
Klaviyo’s flows and real-time segments let you vary the cart message by customer value and behaviour. The free plan covers 250 profiles.
Pricing: Active profiles; email from $20/mo
Watch out for: Cost grows quickly; SMS billed per message.
Our take: Best when you will segment carts heavily.
3. GetResponse
GetResponse lists abandoned cart recovery, sales funnels and promo codes on Marketer and above, with unlimited automation workflows.
Pricing: List-size pricing; 14-day trial
Watch out for: No permanent free plan.
Our take: A fit if you sell through funnels as well as a store.
4. Mailchimp
Mailchimp Standard supports up to 200 flows with dynamic content. Essentials limits flows to four steps, so a multi-step cart sequence may need Standard.
Pricing: Standard $13.27/mo at up to 500 contacts
Watch out for: Free plan has no automation flows.
Our take: Good if you already use it; check the trigger for your store.
5. Brevo
Brevo’s Standard plan ($18 a month) adds automation, and Professional adds advanced ecommerce features like back-in-stock alerts.
Pricing: Emails sent
Watch out for: Confirm the cart trigger and plan for your platform.
Our take: Strong value if you also need transactional email.
How to Design an Abandoned Cart Sequence
Abandoned cart emails recover orders from people who showed intent. Timing and message order are common starting points, not rules, so test them against your store.
| Typical timing (starting point) | Purpose | |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Within a few hours | Reminder with cart contents |
| 2 | About a day later | Address objections: shipping, returns, reviews |
| 3 | About two to three days later | Final nudge, optional incentive |
Timings are common practice, not vendor data. A/B test your own.
Keep the first email free of discounts so you do not train customers to abandon on purpose. Reserve incentives for the final email, and exclude customers who have already purchased.
What Each Tool Offers for Cart Recovery
| Tool | Cart recovery notes (from vendor information) |
|---|---|
| Omnisend | Ecommerce workflows included from the free plan |
| Klaviyo | Flows built around store data; free plan has 250 profiles |
| GetResponse | Marketer plan includes abandoned cart recovery; no free plan |
| Mailchimp | Flows on paid plans; free plan has no flows; Essentials limits flows to four steps |
| ActiveCampaign | Automation depth on Plus and Pro |
We have not verified each tool’s specific cart-trigger behaviour; test during a trial.
Whatever you choose, run a test purchase through checkout and confirm the email fires at the time you expect.
Cost of Cart Recovery by List Size
Cart recovery is usually included in the plan, so cost follows the list. At 5,000 contacts the entry paid plans we recorded on 6 November 2026 were: Omnisend Standard $81, Klaviyo $100, Mailchimp Standard $66.91, MailerLite Comfort $44.10 (yearly billing). Compare against the revenue the flow recovers: if the flow recovers a few orders a month at your average order value, it can cover the plan.
Measuring Whether It Works
- Recovery rate: recovered orders divided by abandoned carts that received the email
- Revenue per recipient for each email in the sequence
- Unsubscribe and complaint rates per email
- Holdout test: withhold the flow from a small random share to see true lift
- Overlap with other channels such as SMS or retargeting
Consent and Compliance Basics
Only send to people who gave consent, include a working unsubscribe link, and follow the rules of the regions you sell in (such as GDPR in the EU/UK and CAN-SPAM in the US). This is general information, not legal advice; consult a professional for your situation.
Three Ready-to-Test Sequence Recipes
These are testing templates, not guarantees. Copy one, run it for a month, and compare to your baseline.
| Recipe | Emails | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Lean (low volume store) | 1 reminder at a few hours, 1 follow-up at a day | Minimal effort; good for new stores |
| Standard | 3 emails across about 3 days; incentive only in the last | Balanced; most stores start here |
| Advanced | Branching by cart value; high-value carts get a personal-style message; product reviews in email 2 | Needs segmentation and dynamic content |
Whatever recipe you choose, exclude people who have purchased since abandoning, exclude recent recipients of other promotional email if possible, and make sure the cart contents display correctly on mobile.
Writing Cart Emails That Get Clicked
- Show the product image and name, price and a single clear button.
- Make the subject line specific (“Your cart is waiting”) rather than clever.
- Address common objections: shipping time, returns, payment options.
- Add social proof such as a review for the item.
- Keep incentives for the last email and cap them to protect margin.
- Always include an unsubscribe link and your business details.
Does the Maths Work? A Break-Even Example
Suppose your store gets 1,000 abandoned carts a month, with an average order value of $60 and a net margin of 30%. If a three-email sequence recovers 5% of those carts, that is 50 orders, $3,000 in revenue and about $900 in margin. Against a $100 monthly plan (Klaviyo at 5,000 profiles) or $44 (MailerLite at 5,000, yearly billing), the flow pays for itself many times over. Even at a 2% recovery rate (20 orders, $360 margin) it covers the plan. The figures are illustrative, not predictions, but they show why cart recovery is typically the first automation to build. If you are comparing platforms by price, see the pricing comparison.
Final verdict
Our take: Start with the platform that already syncs cleanly with your store and lets you build the flow without friction. For most stores that means Omnisend or Klaviyo. Test with a real cart, check that the flow stops on purchase, and measure revenue before you pay for extras. See best ecommerce email marketing software for the wider comparison.
Frequently asked questions
What is the best abandoned cart email software?
Omnisend and Klaviyo are the usual choices for stores; GetResponse lists abandoned cart recovery on its Marketer plan; Mailchimp and Brevo are lower-cost general options.
Can I send abandoned cart emails for free?
Omnisend’s free plan lists pre-built ecommerce workflows, and Klaviyo’s free plan includes basic segmentation. Check the limits: 250 contacts or profiles and 500 emails a month.
When should an abandoned cart email be sent?
Many stores send the first within a few hours and a follow-up a day or two later. Test timing for your audience.
Should I include a discount?
Consider offering one only on later steps or higher-value carts, and measure whether it improves profit.
Do I need SMS for cart recovery?
No, though some stores add it. SMS has per-message costs and consent requirements.
Does it work with Shopify and WooCommerce?
Most ecommerce platforms advertise integrations with major stores. Check the integration listing for your platform.
What is the best abandoned cart email software?
There is no single best. Omnisend, Klaviyo and GetResponse all list cart recovery; choose by store integration, price and the depth of flow control you need.
How many abandoned cart emails should I send?
Many stores start with three and test from there. The best number depends on your product and customer.
How quickly should the first abandoned cart email go out?
Many stores start with a message within a few hours, then test earlier and later timings against their own data.
Do I need SMS for abandoned carts?
No. Email is the standard starting point. SMS can add recovery but needs explicit consent and extra cost.
Still comparing options?
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How this guide was made: PreferWise compares public product pages, pricing pages and documentation. We did not independently lab-test deliverability or inbox placement, and plans change often, so confirm current pricing on the vendor site before buying. PreferWise may earn a commission if you sign up through some links on this page; that never changes how tools are ordered or scored. See our affiliate disclosure and how we rank.