Quick answer
Start with the lifecycle job, not the channel list. Most stores get further with dependable email automations and clean data than with more channels.
Layers
The lifecycle marketing stack
A lifecycle stack connects storefront data (customers, orders, catalog, events), a messaging platform (flows, campaigns, segments), consent capture, and measurement. The platform is only as useful as the data it receives.
Channels
Email vs SMS vs RCS/push
| Channel | Typical cost mechanic | Key questions |
|---|---|---|
| Contacts/profiles + send limits | Deliverability, send caps, billing unit | |
| SMS / MMS | Per message or segment + carrier fees | Consent, country rates, segment length |
| RCS / push | Package or usage-based | Availability, device support, pricing |
Buying questions
What to evaluate
Why contact definitions matter
Active profiles, contacts, and subscribers are counted differently. Suppressed, unsubscribed, or inactive records may or may not bill.
Automation flows
Welcome, browse/cart abandonment, post-purchase, replenishment, and winback usually matter more than campaign volume.
Segmentation
Useful segments rely on accurate order, catalog, and event data—verify sync depth before trusting them.
List growth and consent
Record how and when consent was captured per channel. SMS consent rules are stricter than email in many markets.
Deliverability
Sender authentication, list hygiene, and engagement-based sending protect inbox placement more than any feature.
Channel fatigue
More channels mean more touches. Set frequency caps and watch unsubscribes and complaints, not just clicks.
International messaging
SMS availability, rates, sender types, and rules vary by country; model each market separately.
Data quality and integrations
Duplicate profiles, missing events, and delayed syncs distort segments, attribution, and billing.
Migration cost
Rebuilding flows, templates, segments, warm-up, and consent history is real labor even when migration is 'free'.
Measurement
Attribution is not incrementality
Platform-attributed revenue credits messages that preceded a purchase; some of those customers would have bought anyway. Holdout groups and controlled tests estimate the incremental share. See the Analytics desk and the analytics & attribution guide.
Judge the program on contribution margin: incremental revenue × gross margin, minus software, message, carrier, and add-on costs.
Economics
Total cost of ownership
| Example | Billing basis (verified Sep 28, 2026) |
|---|---|
| Klaviyo | Free plan; paid scales with active profiles + channel usage |
| Omnisend | Free plan; contact tiers (official: from $16/mo); SMS by country |
| Attentive | Custom: volume, list size, channels, AI products |
| Postscript | $0–$500/mo software + per-message + carrier fees; Enterprise custom |
These examples are not directly comparable. Use the email & SMS cost calculator with each vendor's current quote.
Architecture
One platform or several?
One platform simplifies data, consent, and frequency control. Specialist tools can make sense when one channel—often SMS—has distinct requirements or economics, but they add sync, deduplication, and attribution-overlap problems. Decide based on operating ownership, not feature count.
The Best Network
Related research
Review the Klaviyo, Omnisend, Attentive, and Postscript previews, the software directory, and how we test. For deeper email-platform reviews and comparisons, see BestSends.com — part of The Best Network.