Recommended tools for email & SMS
The platform decision is really list size + SMS need + budget, not the loudest brand. AI can pull current pricing into one comparison; you confirm the live numbers on each vendor's page, because email-tool pricing is volume-based and changes often.
Fastest path: one prompt, end to end
🤖 AI prompt — paste into ChatGPT / Claude
You are an email/SMS platform advisor for a DTC brand.
List size: [# profiles] Need SMS? [yes/no] Monthly sends: [#] Budget: [bootstrapped/has budget]
Do this:
1. Browse the CURRENT pricing pages for Klaviyo (klaviyo.com/pricing), Omnisend, Postscript, Attentive, and Sendlane. Read the real 2026 tiers; do not rely on memory.
2. Return ONE comparison table: Tool | Free tier + limits | Paid entry price | SMS included? | Best for.
3. Recommend a STARTER stack and a SCALE stack for my list size + SMS need, and the exact list size that triggers the upgrade.
If a price won't load, mark "check pricing page", do not guess. Do not invent any number; cite the page next to each figure. If you can't browse, tell me which pages to open myself.
Columns: Tool | Free tier | Paid entry | SMS? | Best for
Verified 2026 pricing (confirm before committing)
| Tool | Free tier | Paid entry | SMS? | Best for |
|---|
| Klaviyo | 250 profiles, 500 emails/mo, 150 SMS credits | $20/mo (500 contacts, 5,000 emails); email+SMS $35/mo | Yes, same profile (SMS add-on from $15/mo for 1,250 credits) | Email is a real revenue line |
| Omnisend | Free Forever (A/B testing, lifecycle stages) | Standard $16/mo (500 contacts); Pro $59/mo | Yes (SMS from $15/mo for ~1,667 credits) | Pre-PMF / budget-sensitive |
| Postscript | Starter $0/mo + $0.015/SMS | Growth $100/mo + $0.01/SMS; Pro $500/mo + $0.007/SMS | SMS-only specialist | SMS is a primary channel |
| Attentive | No public free tier | Enterprise, custom quote | SMS-led | Large SMS-first brands |
| Sendlane | Check pricing page | Check pricing page | Yes | Mid-market email+SMS (verify live) |
Source: omnisend.com (Klaviyo pricing + SMS-software roundups, 2026). Attentive and Sendlane list no public entry price, so get a quote and confirm live.
Or do it in 4 steps
- Start free (Klaviyo in ~30 min). Klaviyo is free up to 250 profiles / 500 emails per month with 150 SMS credits included (omnisend.com, 2026). Sign up, connect your store, and build your first welcome flow before paying a cent. Omnisend's Free Forever and Postscript's $0 starter are the other on-ramps.
- Choose email+SMS in one tool if you'll do both. Klaviyo and Omnisend keep email and SMS on one profile and one consent record, simpler than stitching two tools together; Attentive and Postscript are SMS specialists you pair with a separate email tool.
- Match the tier to list size. Klaviyo and most ESPs price by active profiles, so cost scales with the list. Know your next-tier threshold before you cross it so the bill isn't a surprise.
- Don't over-buy features. A 5-person brand doesn't need enterprise deliverability consulting. Buy the tier your volume needs now, upgrade when growth forces it.
Starter vs scale stacks: starter = Klaviyo free (or Omnisend Free Forever) for email, SMS off until you have consent. Scale = Klaviyo email+SMS ($35/mo tier and up) once email is real revenue, or Klaviyo email + Postscript/Attentive SMS once SMS is a primary channel.
Worked example (labeled): at 250 profiles you're free on Klaviyo. Cross into the low thousands and you move to a paid profile-based tier (Klaviyo ~$20/mo at 500 contacts). Model that jump against the revenue email drives, and confirm the current number on the pricing page before you commit.
Re-check pricing tiers before each renewal or list-size jump.