Your DTC brand just hit $2M ARR, and suddenly everyone’s talking about SMS marketing. But you’re staring at two very different paths:
- Stick with Klaviyo’s all-in-one approach
- Go specialized with Postscript’s SMS-first platform
The truth is, both platforms can deliver results. The real question isn’t which is “better” but which fits your specific situation, team size, and growth stage.
As an email deliverability consultant and marketer who has helped hundreds of DTC brands scale their owned-channel revenue (many going from $50K to $500K+ monthly SMS revenue), I’ve prepared this comprehensive Klaviyo vs Postscript comparison guide that covers:
- Decision framework based on your business stage and team structure
- Real pricing scenarios (including hidden costs you won’t see upfront)
- Platform focus differences and what they mean for your business
- Feature-by-feature breakdown across 12 critical areas
- Migration considerations if you’re switching platforms
Let’s help you figure out which platform aligns with your goals and budget without any second-guessing or expensive trial-and-error.
What makes Klaviyo and Postscript different?
The difference is in the philosophy behind the creation of both of these products:
Klaviyo
Klaviyo started as an email powerhouse and added SMS to create a unified customer experience.
Their approach centers on cross-channel orchestration — pulling data from your entire tech stack to create sophisticated customer journeys that span email, SMS, and push notifications.
Klaviyo’s email-first architecture shows in subtle ways that matter. Customer profiles are primarily built around email addresses, which can create duplicate contacts when customers sign up with different phone numbers.
One client mentioned frustrating segmentation issues when their SMS data didn’t align properly with existing email profiles.
In terms of e-commerce, Klaviyo offers broader e-commerce platform support (BigCommerce, WooCommerce, and Adobe Commerce).
Postscript
Meanwhile, Postscript built everything around SMS from day one, specifically for Shopify brands. Every feature, integration, and workflow prioritizes text messaging excellence.
They believe specialization beats generalization, especially for businesses where SMS drives significant revenue.
Postscript’s SMS-native design means phone numbers are first-class citizens. The platform structure, integrations, and even pricing model all reflect this focus.
When my friend’s skincare brand migrated from Klaviyo to Postscript, she immediately noticed how much more intuitive the SMS-specific workflows felt.
Also, Postscript’s Shopify integration feels more native because that’s their entire world. They’ve built specific features around:
- Shopify’s checkout flow
- Product catalog structure
- Customer lifecycle events
How do Klaviyo’s and Postscript’s segmentation capabilities compare?
Segmentation determines whether your messages feel personally relevant or like mass spam. Both platforms offer sophisticated targeting, but their approaches reflect their core philosophies.
Data sources and depth
Klaviyo wins on data breadth. With 350+ integrations, they can pull customer information from practically any tool in your stack.
So if you’re looking to segment based on customer service interactions, loyalty program status, and recent ad clicks, Klaviyo makes it possible.
Their segmentation reaches SKU-level granularity, discount usage patterns, predicted lifetime value, and browsing behavior.
One DTC nutrition brand I worked with segments customers based on supplement purchase frequency combined with email engagement patterns — something that requires Klaviyo’s cross-platform data aggregation.
On the other hand, Postscript focuses intensely on SMS and Shopify data.
They offer 45+ filters specifically designed around SMS behavior and Shopify customer attributes.
You can segment by total spend, order frequency, SMS engagement history, and product preferences with impressive granularity.
Predictive analytics capabilities
Klaviyo’s predictive features set them apart here.
Customer lifetime value forecasting, churn risk scoring, and cohort growth trends help you identify high-value segments before they fully develop.
These insights drive smarter spending decisions and more targeted campaigns.
Postscript lacks these predictive capabilities.
Their analytics focus on SMS performance tracking rather than customer behavior prediction — for brands prioritizing long-term customer value optimization, this represents a significant gap.
Real-world examples of segmentation
A client running a skincare subscription uses Klaviyo to create segments like “high LTV customers who engaged with email but haven’t received SMS” — combining predictive analytics with cross-channel behavior.
Now, Postscript users typically segment around SMS-specific actions: “customers who clicked abandoned cart SMS but didn’t purchase” or “VIP segment based on order history.”
Both approaches work, but Klaviyo’s segments tend to be more sophisticated while Postscript’s are more actionable for immediate SMS campaigns.
Klaviyo vs Postscript — which platform handles automation better?
Automation capabilities separate good SMS platforms from great ones. The complexity of your customer journeys often determines which platform serves you better.
Flow builder sophistication
Klaviyo’s visual flow builder supports complex, multi-channel journeys with conditional logic that would make a programmer proud.
You can create flows that branch based on cart value, sending larger discounts to higher-value abandoners while triggering different email sequences simultaneously.
Their automation can combine SMS triggers with email actions and vice versa.
For example:
Customer abandons cart → send SMS after 1 hour → if they click but don’t buy → send email with different offer → if still no purchase → add to Facebook retargeting audience.
Meanwhile, Postscript’s automation focuses exclusively on SMS excellence.
Their flow builder offers 65+ trigger events specifically for text messaging scenarios. While they can’t orchestrate email sequences, their SMS automations are more intuitive and faster to implement.
Template libraries and triggers
Klaviyo provides automation templates for multi-channel scenarios.
Their abandoned cart flow might include 3 emails and 2 SMS messages with sophisticated timing logic — the templates assume you want to coordinate across channels.
On the other hand, Postscript’s templates concentrate on SMS conversions.
Their abandoned cart automation sends targeted texts based on cart value and previous SMS engagement, but won’t coordinate with your email platform (unless you integrate with Klaviyo separately).
Integration with existing workflows
If you’re already running complex email automations in Klaviyo, adding SMS to existing flows is straightforward.
Everything lives in one dashboard with unified customer profiles and shared trigger events.
On the other hand, Postscript requires more manual coordination. You’ll need to ensure your email and SMS automations don’t conflict or overwhelm customers.
However, their SMS automations often perform better than Klaviyo’s because they’re built specifically for text messaging psychology and timing.
Out of Postscript and Klaviyo, which is better for two-way messaging and conversational commerce?
Two-way messaging transforms SMS from a broadcast tool to a conversation channel. The platforms approach this differently, reflecting their core strengths.
Conversation management features
Postscript excels here.
Their conversation features feel natural because they were designed around two-way SMS from the beginning.
The platform centralizes all conversations in a “Responses” tab with full customer context — purchase history, engagement patterns, and conversation sentiment analysis.
One of my clients switched to Postscript specifically for their conversational commerce features.
Their customer service team can now handle product questions, process returns, and even close sales directly through SMS. The AI sentiment analysis helps them prioritize urgent conversations.
Meanwhile, Klaviyo supports two-way conversations but feels less refined.
The functionality works for basic interactions, but lacks the depth needed for sophisticated conversational flows.
You won’t find sentiment analysis or advanced conversation management tools.
AI capabilities and automation
Postscript offers AI for sentiment analysis and topic labeling, helping you filter and prioritize conversations effectively.
Their keyword response system can automatically handle common questions while escalating complex issues to human agents.
On the other hand, Klaviyo’s AI focuses more on content generation and segmentation rather than conversation management.
Their SMS AI can help write message copy, but won’t manage ongoing customer conversations.
Live agent support
Postscript provides “SMS Sales” — actual US-based sales associates who can proactively engage with your customers through two-way conversations.
This service costs extra but can significantly boost conversion rates for high-value products (tested).
On the other hand, Klaviyo doesn’t offer live agent services.
So, if conversational commerce is crucial to your strategy, you’ll need third-party solutions or dedicated staff to manage customer conversations.
How do compliance features stack up at Klaviyo and Postscript?
SMS compliance violations can cost thousands in TCPA penalties. Now, both platforms prioritize compliance, but with different levels of sophistication.
TCPA and CTIA compliance approaches
Postscript built compliance into their platform DNA.
They have an in-house compliance team that continuously updates features to match evolving regulations.
Mandatory double opt-in, compliant language suggestions, and automatic removal of problematic numbers happen by default.
Also, their opt-in process includes automatic “Reply Y to Subscribe” confirmation texts that can’t be deleted or modified — protecting you from compliance violations even if you make mistakes.
On the other hand, Klaviyo offers solid compliance tools, including automatic consent management, quiet hours, and mobile terms of service builders.
However, sources note their CTIA compliance “isn’t completely up to snuff” compared to SMS-first platforms.
Consent tracking and management
Both platforms track consent meticulously, but Postscript’s tracking feels more comprehensive.
Customer profiles show exactly when and how subscribers provided consent, with audit trails that would satisfy legal scrutiny.
Now, Klaviyo’s consent tracking works well for most businesses, but sometimes struggles with cross-channel consent scenarios (email subscribers who later provide SMS consent through different channels).
Deliverability safeguards
Klaviyo uses unverified toll-free numbers, which can impact SMS deliverability compared to platforms using verified numbers.
Postscript emphasizes guaranteed 99% deliverability rates through their carrier relationships and number verification processes.
For brands sending high volumes, deliverability differences can significantly impact campaign performance and costs.
Out of Klaviyo and Postscript, which offers better analytics and reporting?
Data without insights is just noise. The platforms approach analytics differently, reflecting their target audiences and core competencies.
Attribution models and accuracy
Klaviyo’s unified reporting across email and SMS provides clearer attribution and prevents double-counting sales across channels.
Their cooperative last-touch attribution model with customizable windows (as short as 1 hour) gives realistic revenue attribution.
One client loves Klaviyo’s attribution because it removes guesswork around which channels drive actual sales.
When email and SMS campaigns coordinate, you can see exactly how each contributes to conversions.
On the other hand, Postscript’s attribution focuses exclusively on SMS performance.
While they offer customizable attribution windows, some users report over-attribution issues where SMS gets credit for sales that might have happened anyway.
Many brands use Google Analytics as their source of truth rather than relying on Postscript’s native reporting.
Cross-channel vs SMS-only insights
Klaviyo’s strength lies in cross-channel insights.
You can see how SMS engagement affects email performance and vice versa. Their predictive analytics help identify customers likely to churn or become high-value, enabling proactive campaigns.
On the other hand, Postscript provides excellent SMS-specific analytics — revenue, click-through rates, conversion rates, and ROI tracking.
However, you won’t get insights into how SMS affects other channels or predictive customer behavior analytics.
Reporting depth and customization
Klaviyo offers both digestible dashboards and raw data access through their SQL-based query builder — power users can export millions of data points for custom analysis.
Meanwhile, Postscript’s reporting focuses on actionable SMS metrics.
Their dashboard analytics provide high-level overviews, while message analytics compare automation and campaign performance.
The reporting is comprehensive for SMS but lacks the analytical depth that data-heavy brands might need.
How do integrations compare for Klaviyo and Postscript?
Your SMS platform needs to play well with your existing tech stack. Integration capabilities often determine long-term satisfaction with your choice.
Breadth vs depth philosophy
Klaviyo’s 350+ integrations make it the clear winner for platform breadth.
They connect with practically any e-commerce tool, from customer service platforms to subscription management systems.
The integrations are generally deep enough to sync customer data and trigger cross-platform automations.
Meanwhile, Postscript offers around 70 integrations, but they’re all focused on the Shopify ecosystem.
Their connections with Gorgias, Recharge, and Yotpo are often deeper and more feature-rich than Klaviyo’s equivalents because Postscript can focus on specific use cases.
Data syncing capabilities
Klaviyo excels at aggregating data from multiple sources to create comprehensive customer profiles.
You can trigger SMS campaigns based on email behavior, customer service interactions, or loyalty program activities.
Postscript syncs deeply with Shopify and SMS-related data but doesn’t pull from as many external sources.
However, their Shopify data utilization is often more sophisticated than Klaviyo’s, with features specifically built around e-commerce customer behavior.
Klaviyo vs Postscript — Who wins at pricing?
Pricing models can make or break your SMS strategy. Both platforms structure costs differently, leading to varying total expenses depending on your usage patterns.
Klaviyo pricing breakdown
Klaviyo uses tiered pricing based on contact count and message volume.
Their Email + SMS bundles start around $60/month for 15,000 emails and 1,250 SMS credits (for 2,500-3,000 contacts).
SMS costs vary significantly by country: $0.012 per SMS in the USA, $0.0361 in Canada, and $0.1442 in Germany.
Volume discounts can reduce US costs to $0.0085 per SMS for high-volume senders.
The pricing becomes more attractive if you’re consolidating from separate email and SMS tools.
Several brands reported saving $10,000+ annually by moving from Postscript + another email platform to Klaviyo’s unified solution.
Postscript pricing structure
Postscript uses usage-based pricing with monthly minimums.
Their Starter plan costs $0 monthly with a $30 minimum spend (at $0.015 per SMS).
Higher tiers reduce per-message costs: Growth ($100/month) charges $0.01 per SMS, while Professional ($500/month) drops to $0.007 per SMS.
The model benefits high-volume senders but can create unexpected costs during promotional periods. One client mentioned surprise bills during Black Friday when SMS volume spiked beyond their normal tier.
Hidden costs and considerations
Klaviyo includes carrier fees in its pricing, making costs more predictable. However, some users complain about charges for inactive customer profiles and the strict no-refund policy.
Postscript emphasizes transparency with no hidden platform fees, but carrier costs can vary. International messaging outside the US and Canada can be significantly more expensive.
Here’s how costs compare for different business sizes:
| Business Size | Monthly SMS Volume | Klaviyo Cost | Postscript Cost |
| Small startup | 1,000 messages | ~$45 (bundled) | $30 (minimum) |
| Growing brand | 5,000 messages | ~$105 | $80 ($50 + messages) |
| Established DTC | 20,000 messages | ~$285 | $240 ($100 + messages) |
| Enterprise | 100,000 messages | ~$1,100 | $800 ($500 + messages) |
Note that these costs are estimates and can vary based on contact counts, geographic distribution, and specific plan features.
Klaviyo vs Postscript — Which platform is easier to use and implement?
Implementation speed and learning curves directly impact your time-to-value. Both platforms prioritize usability but serve different user types.
User ratings and feedback
G2 ratings show clear preferences:
| Platform | Overall Rating | Ease of Use | Quality of Support |
| Klaviyo | 4.6/5 (3,366 reviews) | 8.7/10 | 8.4/10 |
| Postscript | 4.9/5 (1,888 reviews) | 9.4/10 | 9.9/10 |
Postscript consistently scores higher on user satisfaction, particularly for ease of use and support quality.
Setup complexity and learning curves
Klaviyo requires more upfront configuration if you’re new to the platform.
Setting up cross-channel flows and integrations takes time, but existing Klaviyo email users can add SMS relatively quickly.
The learning curve for advanced features can be steep. My client spent three weeks fully configuring their multi-channel automations, though the results justified the investment.
Meanwhile, Postscript offers faster SMS-specific setup.
Their Shopify integration and SMS-focused interface make initial campaign launches straightforward. Most users can create effective automations within a few days.
Interface design and navigation
Klaviyo’s interface serves multiple marketing channels, so navigation can feel complex for SMS-only users. However, the unified dashboard provides valuable cross-channel insights once you learn the system.
Postscript’s SMS-focused interface feels cleaner and more intuitive for text messaging campaigns. Everything relates to SMS, so there’s less cognitive overhead when planning campaigns.
How does customer support differ in Klaviyo and Postscript?
Support quality can determine your success, especially during rapid scaling phases or when technical issues arise.
Response times and expertise levels
Postscript consistently receives praise for exceptional customer support.
Users report knowledgeable, responsive assistance from SMS-specific experts who understand the nuances of text marketing.
Their support team helps with strategy, not just technical issues.
Several clients mentioned account managers who proactively suggested campaign improvements and compliance updates.
Klaviyo offers comprehensive support channels but serves a broader user base across multiple marketing channels.
Some users report slower responses for SMS-specific issues, as support agents may be more focused on email platform expertise.
Account management offerings
Postscript provides dedicated customer success managers for higher-tier plans, along with fully managed services (Postscript Plus) that include copywriting and automation building.
Klaviyo offers similar account management but spreads its expertise across email and SMS.
If you’re heavily focused on SMS growth, Postscript’s specialized attention often provides more value.
Self-service resources
Both platforms offer extensive documentation and training resources.
Klaviyo’s resources cover multi-channel marketing strategies, while Postscript focuses specifically on SMS marketing excellence.
Postscript includes an SMS certification program and a collection of high-performing campaign examples (“Fantastic Texts”) that provide actionable inspiration for your campaigns.
When should you choose Klaviyo vs Postscript?
Your specific situation determines which platform delivers better results. The decision matrix goes beyond features to consider team structure, growth stage, and strategic priorities.
Business stage considerations
If you’re looking from a stage-standpoint:
- Early-stage DTC brands (under $1M ARR)
Early-stage DTC brands (under $1M ARR) often benefit from Klaviyo’s unified approach. Smaller teams can’t manage multiple platforms effectively, and the cost savings from consolidating email and SMS often matter more than advanced SMS features.
- Growing brands ($1M-$10M ARR)
Growing brands ($1M-$10 ARR) face the most complex decisions. If SMS drives significant revenue and your team can handle multiple platforms, Postscript’s specialization often delivers better results. If you’re still building marketing sophistication, Klaviyo’s unified data and automation provide better foundations.
- Enterprise brands (over $10M ARR)
Enterprise brands (over $10M ARR) typically choose based on existing tech stack and team structure. Companies with dedicated SMS marketing roles often prefer Postscript’s advanced features, while brands prioritizing unified customer experiences lean toward Klaviyo.
Team structure and expertise
Small marketing teams (1-3 people) usually prefer Klaviyo’s consolidated approach. Managing separate platforms requires coordination overhead that small teams can’t afford.
Larger teams with dedicated channel specialists often achieve better results with Postscript. When someone owns the San MS strategy full-time, the advanced features and specialized support become valuable.
Migration considerations
Switching platforms requires careful planning, regardless of direction. Klaviyo offers one-click migration tools for contacts, consent records, and basic automations from platforms like Postscript.
Postscript migrations require more manual work — re-tagging contacts, rebuilding message templates, and recreating automation flows. However, they provide detailed guidance for exporting data from Klaviyo and ensuring compliant import processes.
Both platforms offer professional services to help with complex migrations, though the costs and timeline vary significantly based on your current setup complexity.
So who do I pick?
Here is a detailed reason-behind-the-choice breakdown for both platforms:
Choose Klaviyo if you:
- Want unified email and SMS management in one platform
- Need sophisticated cross-channel automation and attribution
- Prioritize predictive analytics and customer lifetime value optimization
- Have limited marketing team bandwidth for managing multiple tools
- Use e-commerce platforms beyond Shopify
Choose Postscript if you:
- SMS drives substantial revenue for your business (30%+ of owned channel revenue)
- Need advanced two-way messaging and conversational commerce features
- Want SMS-specific expertise and support from your platform provider
- Are exclusively on Shopify and want deep platform integration
- Have dedicated team members focused on SMS marketing
If you think Klaviyo is a better choice…
Sure, you’re reading this guide solely for getting an SMS marketing platform. However, the world today is multi-channel (consider what they’ve done to SEO by introducing LLMs). The race is all about being good at multiple fronts, and not just one channel.
In that case, Klaviyo is always going to be a better choice because it provides you with the toolkit you need to deliver on both crucial fronts — SMS and email.
If you choose Klaviyo, that means you’re doing email as well — but what good is an email if it doesn’t get delivered to your target audience’s inbox?
At Maxify Inbox by EmailWarmup.com, we’ve helped over 500 DTC brands build the email foundations that support successful multi-channel growth:
- Unlimited personalized email warmup that mirrors your actual sending patterns
- Real-time deliverability monitoring across 50+ mailbox providers
- Complete technical configuration (SPF, DKIM, DMARC setup)
- Dedicated email deliverability consultants (included free)
- Email validation API and replacement services
Need help setting everything up?
Frequently asked questions
Here are some commonly asked questions about Klaviyo vs Postscript:
Yes, many brands use Klaviyo for email and Postscript for SMS. The platforms integrate well together — Postscript can leverage Klaviyo lists for segmentation, sync coupon codes, and exchange pop-up data. However, this approach requires careful coordination to avoid message conflicts and attribution confusion.
Yotpo SMS (formerly SMSBump) actually leads in international reach with 200+ country coverage. Between Klaviyo and Postscript, Klaviyo supports more countries (18 vs 5), but doesn’t cover South America, Asia, or Africa. Postscript focuses primarily on the US and Canadian markets with limited international functionality.
Klaviyo offers automated migration tools that can import contacts, consent records, and basic flows from Postscript in one click. Migrating from Klaviyo to Postscript requires more manual effort — exporting subscriber lists, rebuilding automations, and re-tagging contacts. Both platforms provide migration support, but Klaviyo’s process is more streamlined.
Postscript specifically designed integrations with email platforms like Klaviyo, Mailchimp, and Constant Contact for coordinated messaging. Klaviyo obviously integrates with itself, but if you’re using a different email platform, Postscript’s email platform integrations are often deeper and more feature-rich.
TCPA violations can cost $500-$1,500 per text message, making compliance crucial. Key risks include sending to numbers without proper consent, failing to honor opt-out requests quickly, and missing quiet hours restrictions. Both platforms help with compliance, but Postscript’s in-house compliance team and mandatory safeguards provide stronger protection for high-volume senders.
