If you're a Shopify store owner, you probably rely heavily on email marketing. Klaviyo, Mailchimp, Omnisend — the tools are great. But there's a newer channel that's quietly outperforming email in almost every metric.
Push notifications.
Let's break down how these two channels compare and which one deserves more of your attention in 2025.
Open Rates — Push Notifications Win By a Landslide
The average email open rate for ecommerce is around 15-20%. Sounds decent until you realize that push notifications hit 20-30% open rates consistently, and some campaigns reach as high as 40%.
Why? Because push notifications appear directly on the customer's lock screen. There's no inbox to compete with, no spam folder to worry about, and no subject line tricks needed. The message is right there, front and center.
Click-Through Rates — Push Wins Again
Email click-through rates average around 2-3% for ecommerce. Push notification click-through rates sit between 5-15%, depending on the message and timing.
That's a 3x to 5x improvement. For a Shopify store doing $50,000 a month, that difference in clicks can translate to thousands of dollars in additional revenue.
Delivery Speed — Instant vs Hours
When you send an email, it might take hours before the customer opens it — if they open it at all. Many people check email once or twice a day, and by then, your flash sale might be over.
Push notifications are instant. The moment you hit send, the message appears on every customer's phone within seconds. This makes push perfect for time-sensitive promotions, flash sales, and limited stock alerts.
Customer Reach — Email Has One Advantage
Here's where email still wins. You don't need customers to install an app to collect their email. Anyone who buys from your Shopify store gives you their email automatically.
Push notifications require the customer to have your mobile app installed. This means your push audience will always be smaller than your email list — but it's also more engaged. Someone who installed your app is already a warmer lead than someone who gave you their email at checkout.
Setup and Cost — Both Are Affordable
Email marketing tools charge based on subscriber count. As your list grows, costs increase. Klaviyo, for example, can cost $100-500/month for a mid-size store.
Push notifications through a mobile app are typically included in your app platform fee. With Cartaisy, push notifications come built-in with every plan. No extra cost per message, no subscriber limits.
The Verdict — Use Both, But Don't Ignore Push
The smartest Shopify store owners aren't choosing between email and push. They're using both.
Email is great for longer content — newsletters, product launches, brand stories. Push notifications are perfect for quick, action-driven messages — flash sales, cart reminders, back-in-stock alerts.
But if you had to pick one channel to invest in today, push notifications offer a better return on attention. Higher open rates, faster delivery, and zero inbox competition.
How to Get Started with Push Notifications
If you don't have a mobile app for your Shopify store, you can't send push notifications. That's where Cartaisy comes in.
Cartaisy lets you launch your own branded Shopify mobile app with built-in push notifications. Set up takes minutes, and you can start sending your first push campaign the same day.
No coding. No developers. No waiting.
Visit cartaisy.com to launch your app and start converting with push notifications today.