Abandoned cart recovery is one of the highest-ROI things you can automate — but most merchants are either paying for the wrong app or running the same channel twice. Here's how to pick the right one.
The average Shopify store abandons 70% of checkouts. Getting even 5–10% of those back can represent a meaningful revenue lift — which is why abandoned cart recovery is almost always worth investing in.
The complication is that "abandoned cart recovery" spans three different channels — email, SMS, and push notifications — and the app landscape covers all of them differently. Many merchants end up paying for overlapping coverage without realizing it.
| Channel | Avg Recovery Rate | Requires | Cost |
|---|---|---|---|
| 5–10% of abandoned carts | Email capture at checkout | Low — often bundled | |
| SMS | 10–20% of abandoned carts | Phone number + SMS consent | Medium — pay-per-send |
| Push notifications | 1–3% of abandoned carts | Browser push opt-in | Low — subscriber-based |
Channel: Email + SMS
Best for: Stores with a real email list and desire to own their data
Pros
Cons
Verdict: The default choice for stores that want a real retention platform. If you're already paying for Klaviyo, you don't need a separate cart recovery app — the flow is built in.
Channel: SMS + Email
Best for: SMS-first brands with high AOV
Pros
Cons
Verdict: Best for brands where SMS is the primary retention channel and $300/mo is justified by volume. Don't run this alongside Klaviyo SMS — you'll pay twice for the same channel.
Channel: Push notifications
Best for: Supplementing email recovery with push
Pros
Cons
Verdict: Worth adding as a supplementary recovery channel — especially on free plan. Don't pay $50+/mo on this before maxing out email.
Channel: Live chat + email + basic automation
Best for: Small stores wanting live chat + basic abandoned cart in one app
Pros
Cons
Verdict: Good for small stores that want live chat and basic abandoned cart without managing two separate tools. Not a replacement for Klaviyo at scale.
Channel: Email
Best for: New stores or those with a small list
Pros
Cons
Verdict: Start here if you're under 500 contacts. Switch to Klaviyo once you need segmentation or are hitting $10K+/mo revenue.
The overlap trap
The most common cart recovery mistake isn't picking the wrong app — it's running two apps that cover the same channel. The most expensive version:
| Store stage | Recommended stack |
|---|---|
| Early stage (under $10K/mo) | Shopify Email (free) — that's it for now |
| Growing ($10K–$100K/mo) | Klaviyo email flow + PushOwl free tier |
| Scaling ($100K+/mo) | Klaviyo email + Klaviyo SMS — don't add Recart on top |
| SMS-first brand with high AOV | Recart for SMS + Klaviyo for email (no SMS in Klaviyo) |
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No duplicate channels
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