Privy vs Klaviyo
Which Do You Need?
Confused about Privy vs Klaviyo? They're actually different tools for different jobs. Here's how they compare and which approach is best for your Shopify store.
Understanding the Difference
Privy and Klaviyo serve different primary purposes
Privy
Primary purpose: Popup lead capture
- ✓ Email/SMS capture popups
- ✓ Spin-to-win wheels (paid)
- ✓ Basic email automations
- ✓ Simple email campaigns
- ○ Limited email features
- ○ Basic segmentation
Klaviyo
Primary purpose: Email/SMS marketing
- ✓ Advanced email campaigns
- ✓ Complex automations/flows
- ✓ Detailed segmentation
- ✓ Predictive analytics
- ✓ A/B testing
- ○ Basic popup forms
Feature-by-Feature Comparison
| Feature | Privy | Klaviyo |
|---|---|---|
| Lead Capture | ||
| Popup builder | ✓ Excellent | ○ Basic |
| Spin-to-win wheels | ○ Paid add-on | ✗ No |
| Exit intent popups | ✓ Yes | ○ Limited |
| Embedded forms | ✓ Yes | ✓ Yes |
| Email Marketing | ||
| Email campaigns | ○ Basic | ✓ Excellent |
| Automation flows | ○ Simple | ✓ Advanced |
| Segmentation | ○ Basic | ✓ Excellent |
| A/B testing | ○ Limited | ✓ Yes |
| Predictive analytics | ✗ No | ✓ Yes |
| SMS Marketing | ||
| SMS capture | ✓ Yes | ○ Basic forms |
| SMS campaigns | ○ Paid add-on | ✓ Yes |
| Pricing | ||
| Free plan | ○ 100 contacts | ✓ 500 contacts |
| Starting paid | $30/month | $20/month |
The Best Approach for Most Stores
Use the right tool for each job
Recommended Stack:
For Lead Capture:
Spur Popups (Free) - Better popups than Privy or Klaviyo forms, with spin-to-win included, auto discount codes, and no monthly fee.
For Email Marketing:
Klaviyo - Industry-leading email marketing with advanced flows, segmentation, and analytics.
How it works: Spur Popups captures emails and creates Shopify customers. Klaviyo syncs with Shopify and receives all new customers automatically. No integration needed - it just works.
Option 1: Privy Only
All-in-one but mediocre at everything
- • Good popups
- • Weak email marketing
- • $30-70/month
Best for: Very small stores with basic needs
Option 2: Privy + Klaviyo
Powerful but expensive
- • Good popups
- • Excellent email
- • $50-100+/month
Best for: Stores with big budgets
Option 3: Spur + Klaviyo
Best of both worlds
- • Best popups (free)
- • Excellent email
- • $0-45/month
Best for: Most Shopify stores
Why Not Just Use Klaviyo's Built-in Forms?
Klaviyo's signup forms are basic. Here's what you're missing:
Klaviyo is amazing at email. Let a dedicated popup tool handle lead capture.
Frequently Asked Questions
Should I use Privy or Klaviyo?
They serve different purposes. Klaviyo is primarily an email/SMS marketing platform for sending campaigns and automations. Privy focuses on popup lead capture with some email sending capability. Most stores use both: a popup tool for capture, and Klaviyo for email marketing. Or use Spur Popups for capture + Klaviyo for marketing.
Can I use Privy with Klaviyo?
Yes, many stores use Privy for popups and Klaviyo for email marketing. Privy can sync subscribers to Klaviyo. However, this creates duplicate costs. An alternative is using Spur Popups (free popup capture) with Klaviyo - subscribers sync through Shopify customers automatically.
Is Privy's email marketing as good as Klaviyo's?
No. Privy's email features are basic - good for simple automations but lacking Klaviyo's advanced segmentation, predictive analytics, A/B testing, and detailed reporting. For serious email marketing, Klaviyo is significantly more powerful.
Which is cheaper - Privy or Klaviyo?
It depends on your needs. Privy: $30-70/mo for popups + basic email. Klaviyo: Free up to 500 contacts, then $20-45/mo for 500-1500 contacts. For most stores, using a free popup tool (like Spur Popups) plus Klaviyo is more cost-effective than Privy's all-in-one approach.
Do I need both a popup tool and Klaviyo?
Yes, for optimal results. Klaviyo's built-in forms are basic compared to dedicated popup tools. Use a popup app for capture (Spur Popups is free with spin-to-win), then Klaviyo for email marketing. Subscribers sync automatically through Shopify.
Get the Best of Both Worlds
Use Spur Popups (free) for lead capture with spin-to-win and auto discounts. Use Klaviyo for email marketing. They work together perfectly.
Try Spur Popups Free