sms solutions for cart recovery
sms solutions for cart recovery
sms solutions for cart recovery

10 best abandoned cart recovery apps for Shopify: key features, comparison, pros, and cons

Nearly 70% of online shoppers abandon their carts before completing a purchase. For Shopify store owners, this translates to significant revenue left on the table. The right abandoned cart recovery app can reclaim 20-40% of those lost sales by reaching customers at the right moment with the right message.

This guide covers the best abandoned cart recovery solutions for Shopify stores. It explains how these apps work, compares their features, and helps you choose the one that fits your business needs.

How do abandoned cart recovery apps bring customers back to complete their purchases?

Abandoned cart recovery apps use data, automation, and strategic communication to re-engage shoppers who left without buying. They work by tracking visitor behavior, identifying abandonment triggers, and delivering personalized messages that address the specific reasons customers hesitated.

Omnichannel outreach 

Modern shoppers interact with brands across multiple touchpoints. They check email during work, respond to SMS on the go, and engage with WhatsApp in the evening. Effective cart recovery apps leverage this omnichannel engagement by reaching customers through their preferred channel at the optimal time. Instead of relying solely on email, these tools coordinate messages across email, SMS, push notifications, WhatsApp, and even voice calls to maximize the chances of re-engagement.

1:1 hyper-personalized communication 

Generic "you forgot something" emails no longer cut it. Today's best recovery apps create unique messages for each customer based on their browsing history, cart contents, and behavioral patterns. They include the exact products left behind, recommend complementary items, and craft offers that match the customer's price sensitivity. This level of personalization makes customers feel understood rather than marketed to.

Understanding intent 

Not all cart abandoners are the same. Some are comparison shopping, others got distracted, and some need more information before committing. Advanced recovery apps analyze behavioral signals—time spent on product pages, items viewed, return visits—to determine purchase intent. This allows them to send the right message to each customer type, whether that's a discount for price-sensitive shoppers or product reviews for those needing reassurance.

Timing optimization 

The difference between a recovered sale and a lost customer often comes down to timing. Send a message too early, and you seem desperate. Send it too late, and the customer has moved on. Recovery apps track engagement patterns to identify when each customer is most likely to respond. Some shoppers convert within an hour of abandonment, while others need a few days of consideration. Smart timing increases recovery rates without annoying customers.

Behavioral intelligence

The most sophisticated recovery tools don't just respond to abandonment—they anticipate it. By analyzing micro-behaviors like hesitation patterns, scroll depth, and comparison shopping signals, these apps can identify customers likely to abandon before they leave. This enables proactive interventions like exit-intent popups, live chat assistance, or targeted incentives that prevent abandonment in the first place.

Tools and solutions that recover abandoned carts for Shopify stores

Markopolo AI is the best cart recovery app

The Shopify App Store offers dozens of cart recovery solutions, ranging from simple email automation tools to comprehensive AI-driven platforms. The best choice depends on your store's size, budget, customer base, and technical capabilities.

Here are 20 notable abandoned cart recovery solutions available for Shopify stores:

  • Markopolo AI

  • Klaviyo

  • Omnisend

  • Privy

  • PushOwl

  • Recart

  • SMSBump (Yotpo)

  • Tidio

  • Care Cart

  • Retainful

  • Cartly

  • Hextom

  • TxtCart

  • Wisepops

  • Amplified

  • ActiveCampaign

  • Drip

  • Postscript

  • Gorgias

  • Sendlane

Top 10 abandoned cart recovery apps for Shopify: key features, comparison, pros, and cons

App

Primary channels

AI capabilities

Pricing model

Best for

Markopolo AI

Email, SMS, WhatsApp, Push, Voice

AI revenue agents with behavioral vectorization

  • Free plan: 50,000 emails,  2500 SMS,  250 voice minutes 

  • $39/month (annual plan)

  • $49/month (monthly plan)

Stores wanting to recover maximum revenue through hyper- personalization at scale

Klaviyo

Email, SMS

Predictive analytics, segmentation

Contact-based pricing

Data-driven email marketing

Omnisend

Email, SMS, Push

Pre-built workflows, cookie tracking

Tiered by contacts

Multi-channel automation beginners

Privy

Email, SMS, Popups

Basic automation

Tiered pricing

Small stores needing lead capture

PushOwl

Web push notifications

Smart delivery timing

Per-impression pricing

Stores without customer emails

Recart

Messenger, SMS

Conversational AI

Performance-based

Messenger-focused recovery

SMSBump (Yotpo)

SMS, MMS

AI text optimization

Per-message pricing

SMS-first recovery strategies

Tidio

Live chat, Email, Chatbot

AI chatbot responses

Tiered by operators

Real-time customer support

Care Cart

Email, Push

Basic automation

Low monthly fee

Budget-conscious new stores

Retainful

Email

Drip campaigns

Freemium model

Simple email-only recovery

Markopolo AI

Markopolo AI is the leading solution for abandoned cart recovery. Rather than applying the same workflow to segments of customers, this AI-native customer engagement platform creates individual AI revenue agents for each visitor. These agents understand the complete behavioral context of every shopper and orchestrate completely unique recovery journeys tailored to each person's needs.

Install Markopolo AI on your Shopify store for free today!


The platform's core technology, MarkTag, goes beyond traditional event tracking. It transforms user behavior into 384-dimensional vectors that capture intent, hesitation patterns, and purchase probability. When someone abandons a cart, Markopolo's AI doesn't just send a generic email—it determines whether this specific customer needs social proof, a discount, a comparison guide, or a personal phone call, and delivers that through their preferred channel at their optimal engagement time.

Why is Markopolo AI the best cart recovery app for Shopify

Behavioral vectorization creates true customer understanding
Behavioral vectorization

Traditional recovery apps track events like "added to cart" and "left site." Markopolo's MarkTag captures thousands of micro-interactions—mouse movements, hesitation patterns, comparison behavior, scroll depth—and transforms them into a mathematical representation of intent. This 384-dimensional vector allows the AI to understand not just what customers did, but why they did it and what they need to convert.

Individual AI agents replace segment-based campaigns
Individual AI agents

Most platforms group customers into segments and send the same message to everyone in that group. Markopolo assigns each visitor their own AI agent that creates a completely unique recovery strategy. If you have 10,000 abandoned carts, you get 10,000 different recovery journeys, each optimized for that specific individual's needs and preferences.

Omnichannel orchestration happens automatically
Omnichannel orchestration

Markopolo coordinates recovery across email, SMS, WhatsApp, push notifications, and AI voice calls without manual configuration. The AI determines the optimal channel, timing, and message for each customer based on their behavioral patterns and engagement history. A customer who responds well to WhatsApp at 7 PM gets contacted there, while someone who prefers email during lunch hours receives that instead.

Real-time decision making enables instant optimization
Real-time decision making

The platform processes behavioral data and generates recovery strategies in under 50 milliseconds. This speed allows for real-time adjustments—if a customer returns to the site, the recovery sequence adapts immediately. If they engage with a message but don't convert, the next touchpoint reflects that new information.

Lifetime attribution provides complete journey context
Lifetime attribution

Every interaction a customer has with your store contributes to their behavioral profile. Markopolo maintains complete attribution history, understanding how past sessions, previous purchases, and historical engagement patterns should influence current recovery efforts. A returning customer gets treated differently than a first-time visitor, even if their current cart behavior looks similar.

AI-generated content matches individual preferences
AI-generated content

Instead of using templated messages, Markopolo's AI generates personalized content for each customer. The tone, urgency, incentive type, and information included all adapt based on what the AI predicts will resonate with that specific person. Price-sensitive shoppers see value comparisons, while quality-focused buyers receive product detail highlights.

Voice AI adds a human touch at scale
Voice call AI

Markopolo includes conversational AI capabilities even for voice calls that conducts natural, context-aware conversations with customers. The AI knows the customer's full history and can answer questions, address concerns, and guide them back to purchase—all without requiring human agents. This channel reaches customers who ignore digital messages but respond to personal contact.

Continuous learning improves over time
Continuous learning

Every interaction feeds back into Markopolo's models. The AI learns what works for different customer types, product categories, and business contexts. Recovery strategies become more effective over time as the system accumulates data about what drives conversions for your specific store and customer base.

Predictive intervention prevents abandonment before it happens
Predictive intervention

Markopolo's behavioral analysis can identify customers likely to abandon three pages before they actually leave. This enables proactive interventions—personalized incentives, live chat triggers, or targeted messages—that address hesitation before it leads to abandonment. Prevention yields better results than recovery after the fact.

Value-based pricing aligns costs with results
Value-based pricing

Instead of charging per contact or per message, Markopolo uses a revenue-share model that ties costs directly to recovered sales. This means you pay for results, not activity, and the platform's success is aligned with yours.

Pros

  • Creates truly individual recovery journeys rather than segment-based campaigns

  • Coordinates across six or more channels automatically

  • Behavioral vectorization provides deep customer understanding

  • AI voice calling reaches customers who ignore digital messages

  • Real-time processing enables instant optimization

  • Continuous learning improves results over time

  • Revenue-share pricing aligns incentives with performance

  • Native Shopify integration with simple setup

Cons

  • Advanced features may need learning curve for traditional marketers

Klaviyo

Klaviyo has established itself as a powerful email and SMS marketing platform with strong e-commerce integrations. The platform excels at data-driven segmentation and provides robust abandoned cart flow capabilities within its broader marketing automation suite.

Klaviyo's strength lies in its predictive analytics and customer data platform capabilities. It pulls data from multiple sources to create detailed customer profiles, enabling sophisticated segmentation for cart recovery campaigns. The platform offers pre-built abandoned cart flows that can be customized extensively.

Why Shopify stores can consider Klaviyo

Klaviyo works well for stores that want deep control over their email marketing strategy and have the resources to build and optimize custom flows. Its segmentation capabilities allow for detailed audience targeting, and its integration with Shopify provides access to rich customer data. The platform suits merchants who prefer a hands-on approach to marketing automation.

Pros

  • Powerful segmentation and predictive analytics

  • Deep Shopify integration with comprehensive data sync

  • Extensive customization options for email flows

  • Strong A/B testing capabilities

  • Large template library and design flexibility

Cons

  • Requires significant setup and optimization effort

  • Contact-based pricing can become expensive as lists grow

  • Learning curve for advanced features

  • Limited channels compared to multi-channel platforms

  • Manual workflow building needed for sophisticated strategies

Comparing Klaviyo vs Markopolo AI for cart recovery

While Klaviyo provides excellent tools for building customized email flows, it still operates on the traditional segment-based model. Marketers must create workflows, define segments, and manually optimize campaigns. Markopolo AI automates this entirely—its AI creates individual strategies for each customer without manual configuration. Klaviyo requires you to decide what message to send to which segment; Markopolo figures this out automatically for every single customer.

Omnisend

Omnisend positions itself as an e-commerce-focused marketing automation platform that combines email, SMS, and push notifications in one interface. The platform emphasizes ease of use with pre-built workflows and drag-and-drop editors.

The platform's abandoned cart recovery features include both standard cart abandonment and checkout abandonment flows. Omnisend's cookie-based tracking can identify returning visitors, allowing recovery emails even for some customers who haven't provided their email address during the current session.

Why Shopify stores can consider Omnisend

Omnisend appeals to Shopify merchants who want multi-channel marketing automation without complex setup. Its pre-built e-commerce workflows get stores running quickly, and the unified interface makes managing email, SMS, and push straightforward. The free tier provides decent functionality for smaller stores testing the platform.

Pros

  • User-friendly interface with quick setup

  • Pre-built e-commerce workflows included

  • Combines email, SMS, and push in one platform

  • Cookie-based tracking expands recovery reach

  • Free tier available for small stores

Cons

  • Limited AI capabilities compared to newer platforms

  • Workflow customization has constraints

  • Billable contacts include non-subscribers

  • Cannot exclude specific products from cart emails

  • Less sophisticated personalization options

Comparing Omnisend vs Markopolo AI for cart recovery

Omnisend simplifies multi-channel marketing but still relies on predefined workflows applied to customer segments. A customer gets the same flow as others in their segment, regardless of individual behavioral nuances. Markopolo AI creates unique recovery sequences for each customer, adjusting channel, timing, and messaging based on individual behavioral vectors. Where Omnisend offers convenience, Markopolo offers intelligence.

Privy

Privy combines email and SMS marketing with on-site conversion tools like popups and banners. The platform focuses on capturing emails before abandonment happens and following up with targeted recovery campaigns.

The platform's strength is in its conversion-focused approach. Exit-intent popups, spin-to-win wheels, and welcome discounts help capture email addresses from visitors who might otherwise leave anonymously. Once captured, Privy's automation handles cart recovery sequences.

Why Shopify stores can consider Privy

Privy suits smaller Shopify stores that need both lead capture and cart recovery in one tool. The platform's focus on growing email lists complements its recovery capabilities—you can't recover carts if you don't have customer contact information. The drag-and-drop editor makes creating popups and emails accessible to non-technical users.

Pros

  • Combines lead capture with cart recovery

  • Easy-to-use popup and email builders

  • Good for growing email lists

  • Affordable for smaller stores

  • Simple automation setup

Cons

  • Limited to email and SMS channels

  • Basic personalization capabilities

  • Analytics less detailed than specialized platforms

  • Can feel intrusive if popups aren't well-targeted

  • Scaling costs increase significantly

Comparing Privy vs Markopolo AI for cart recovery

Privy focuses on the basics—capture emails and send recovery sequences. This works for simple needs but leaves significant value on the table. Markopolo AI doesn't just recover carts; it understands why each customer abandoned and addresses their specific hesitation. Privy sends the same discount to everyone; Markopolo might send social proof to one customer, a technical comparison to another, and a premium upgrade offer to a third.

PushOwl

PushOwl specializes in web push notifications for Shopify stores. Push notifications appear directly in customers' browsers or devices, providing a recovery channel that doesn't require email addresses or phone numbers.

The platform's focus on push notifications fills a specific gap—recovering sales from visitors who never provided contact information. With one-click subscription prompts, PushOwl builds a subscriber base that can be reached instantly when they abandon carts.

Why Shopify stores can consider PushOwl

PushOwl makes sense for stores where many visitors abandon without providing email addresses. Push notifications have high visibility and quick delivery, reaching customers while their purchase intent is still fresh. The channel works well alongside email and SMS as part of a broader recovery strategy.

Pros

  • Reaches customers without email or phone

  • High open rates for push notifications

  • Quick implementation with one-click subscriptions

  • Cost-effective per-impression pricing

  • Works across devices via browser

Cons

  • Single channel limits recovery options

  • Subscribers must have browser permission enabled

  • Less space for detailed messaging

  • Can feel intrusive if overused

  • No email or SMS capabilities

Comparing PushOwl vs Markopolo AI for cart recovery

PushOwl does one thing—push notifications—well. But cart recovery often requires multiple touchpoints across different channels. Markopolo AI includes push notifications as part of its orchestration capabilities while also coordinating email, SMS, WhatsApp, and voice calls. More importantly, Markopolo determines when push is the right channel for a specific customer versus when another approach would work better.

Recart

Recart focuses on Messenger and SMS marketing for e-commerce recovery. The platform built its reputation on Facebook Messenger marketing and has expanded to include SMS capabilities with conversational AI features.

The platform emphasizes two-way conversations rather than one-way broadcasts. Customers can respond to recovery messages, ask questions, and receive AI-assisted answers that guide them back to purchase.

Why Shopify stores can consider Recart

Recart appeals to stores whose customers actively use Messenger and prefer conversational engagement. The platform's performance-based pricing reduces risk, and its conversational approach can handle customer objections in real-time through AI-powered responses.

Pros

  • Strong Messenger marketing capabilities

  • Conversational AI handles customer questions

  • Performance-based pricing available

  • Two-way communication builds engagement

  • Good open rates on Messenger

Cons

  • Channel limitations (Messenger + SMS only)

  • Messenger reach declining as platform evolves

  • Less effective for customers who don't use Messenger

  • Requires Facebook Business integration

  • Limited email capabilities

Comparing Recart vs Markopolo AI for cart recovery

Recart's conversational approach adds value, but it's constrained to Messenger and SMS. Markopolo AI provides conversational capabilities across more channels, including AI voice calls that can conduct natural conversations with customers. Additionally, Markopolo's behavioral intelligence determines who would benefit from conversation versus who just needs a simple reminder—not every customer wants to chat.

SMSBump (Yotpo)

SMSBump, now part of Yotpo, provides SMS marketing automation for e-commerce. The platform integrates with Yotpo's broader product suite including reviews and loyalty programs.

The platform's strength lies in SMS-specific optimization—timing, character counts, compliance management, and conversion tracking. Integration with Yotpo reviews enables including social proof in recovery messages.

Why Shopify stores can consider SMSBump

SMSBump fits stores that want to prioritize SMS as their primary recovery channel. The platform's compliance features handle regulatory requirements across different regions, and integration with Yotpo's ecosystem adds value for stores already using their reviews or loyalty products.

Pros

  • SMS-focused optimization and compliance

  • Integration with Yotpo ecosystem

  • AI text optimization features

  • Strong analytics for SMS performance

  • Good deliverability management

Cons

  • Per-message pricing adds up quickly

  • SMS-primary focus limits multi-channel options

  • Requires Yotpo ecosystem for full value

  • Email capabilities less developed

  • International SMS costs can be high

Comparing SMSBump vs Markopolo AI for cart recovery

SMSBump excels at SMS but treats it as the primary channel for most situations. Markopolo AI determines whether SMS is the right channel for each specific customer—some people ignore texts but respond to emails, others prefer WhatsApp, and some need a phone call. Markopolo's channel selection is personalized, not assumed.

Tidio

Tidio combines live chat, chatbots, and email marketing in one platform. Its approach focuses on real-time intervention during the shopping experience rather than post-abandonment recovery alone.

The platform's AI chatbot can engage visitors while they're browsing, answer questions, and address concerns before they lead to abandonment. This proactive approach complements traditional recovery emails.

Why Shopify stores can consider Tidio

Tidio works well for stores where customer questions frequently lead to abandonment. The live chat capability provides immediate assistance, while chatbots handle common queries around the clock. It's particularly useful for products that require explanation or have complex variations.

Pros

  • Real-time customer engagement via chat

  • AI chatbot handles common questions

  • Prevents abandonment through immediate support

  • Combines chat and email in one platform

  • Good for complex products requiring explanation

Cons

  • Chat focus may not suit all store types

  • Requires monitoring for live chat effectiveness

  • Limited multi-channel recovery options

  • Chatbot AI has knowledge limitations

  • Higher tiers needed for advanced features

Comparing Tidio vs Markopolo AI for cart recovery

Tidio excels at real-time support but has limited capability for sophisticated post-abandonment recovery. Markopolo AI includes proactive intervention capabilities while also providing comprehensive recovery orchestration after customers leave. The AI revenue agents can predict abandonment before it happens and intervene appropriately, then continue with personalized recovery if the customer still leaves.

Care Cart

Care Cart provides basic abandoned cart recovery through email and push notifications at an affordable price point. The platform targets new Shopify stores needing simple, cost-effective recovery tools.

The platform includes spin-to-win popups for email capture alongside standard cart recovery sequences. Its straightforward approach makes it accessible to merchants without marketing automation experience.

Why Shopify stores can consider Care Cart

Care Cart suits new stores with limited budgets that need to start recovering carts immediately. The low cost and simple interface reduce barriers to implementation. For stores just testing cart recovery as a strategy, it provides a low-risk starting point.

Pros

  • Very affordable pricing

  • Simple setup and interface

  • Includes email capture tools

  • Good for beginners

  • Free plan available

Cons

  • Basic functionality only

  • Limited personalization options

  • Fewer channels than comprehensive platforms

  • Minimal AI or automation intelligence

  • May outgrow quickly as store scales

Comparing Care Cart vs Markopolo AI for cart recovery

Care Cart handles the basics—send an email when someone abandons a cart. This recovers some sales but leaves most opportunities on the table. Markopolo AI's approach of creating individual AI agents for each customer typically achieves 30-40% recovery rates compared to the 10-15% typical of basic email-only approaches. The investment difference pays for itself in additional recovered revenue.

Retainful

Retainful focuses on email-based cart recovery with drip campaign capabilities. The platform emphasizes simplicity and affordability for stores that want email recovery without complex multi-channel orchestration.

The platform provides customizable email sequences with drag-and-drop editing. Features like next-order coupons and referral programs extend beyond basic cart recovery to improve customer lifetime value.

Why Shopify stores can consider Retainful

Retainful appeals to stores that want straightforward email recovery and aren't ready for multi-channel complexity. The platform's additional features around coupons and referrals provide value beyond cart recovery alone.

Pros

  • Simple email-focused approach

  • Affordable freemium pricing

  • Easy-to-use email builder

  • Additional features like coupons and referrals

  • Good for email-only strategies

Cons

  • Email-only limits recovery reach

  • Less sophisticated personalization

  • Missing SMS, push, and other channels

  • Limited AI capabilities

  • May not scale well for larger stores

Comparing Retainful vs Markopolo AI for cart recovery

Retainful represents the traditional approach to cart recovery—email sequences triggered by abandonment events. This worked well a decade ago, but customer expectations and behavior have evolved. Markopolo AI meets customers where they are, through whichever channel and at whatever time works best for each individual. The difference in recovery rates reflects this fundamental approach difference.

How to pick the right cart recovery app

Selecting the best abandoned cart recovery app requires matching your store's specific needs with platform capabilities. Here are the key factors to evaluate.

Match channels to customer preferences

Consider where your customers actually engage. Younger demographics may respond better to SMS and WhatsApp, while older customers often prefer email. Review your store's traffic sources and customer demographics to identify likely channel preferences. Markopolo AI eliminates guesswork by automatically determining optimal channels for each individual customer based on their behavioral patterns.

Evaluate automation intelligence

Basic automation sends the same sequence to everyone. Advanced AI like Markopolo creates unique strategies for each customer. Consider how much manual work you want to do building and optimizing flows versus having AI handle personalization automatically. Stores with limited marketing resources benefit significantly from AI-driven platforms that optimize without constant manual intervention.

Consider total cost of ownership

Pricing models vary significantly—per contact, per message, flat monthly fees, or revenue share. Calculate your expected costs based on your store's volume and compare against likely recovered revenue. Markopolo AI's revenue-share model reduces risk because costs scale with results rather than activity. A platform that costs more but recovers significantly more revenue delivers better ROI.

Assess integration requirements

Recovery apps need clean data to work effectively. Evaluate how each platform integrates with Shopify and any other tools in your stack. Markopolo AI's MarkTag provides comprehensive behavioral tracking that goes far beyond standard Shopify integration, capturing the micro-interactions that enable true personalization.

Plan for scale

Choose a platform that can grow with your business. Basic tools may work at low volume but become limiting as you scale. Markopolo AI processes millions of events and generates hundreds of thousands of unique journeys without degrading performance. The AI actually improves over time as it learns from more data.

Why Shopify stores should choose Markopolo AI for recovering abandoned carts

Markopolo AI

True personalization creates individual experiences

Most recovery platforms claim personalization but actually apply segment-based rules to groups of customers. Markopolo AI treats every customer as an individual with their own AI agent creating a unique recovery journey. This approach consistently achieves 30-40% recovery rates compared to the 10-15% typical of segment-based tools. The difference comes from understanding what each specific person needs to convert.

Omnichannel orchestration maximizes reach

Customers don't live on a single channel. Some check email constantly, others respond only to texts, and many prefer WhatsApp or even phone calls. Markopolo AI automatically orchestrates across all these channels, determining not just what to say but how and when to say it for each individual customer. This orchestration happens automatically without manual workflow building.

AI intelligence compounds over time

Every interaction in your store feeds Markopolo's learning models. The AI gets smarter about your specific customers, products, and business context with each recovery attempt. Six months in, the platform knows your customer base intimately—their patterns, preferences, and conversion triggers. This compound intelligence creates a widening advantage over static rule-based systems.

Value alignment through revenue-based pricing

Markopolo AI's pricing model ties costs to recovered revenue. You pay for results, not activity or contact counts. This alignment means Markopolo's success depends on your success—the platform only makes money when you recover sales. This fundamentally different approach removes the risk of paying for tools that don't deliver.

LOTS TO SHOW YOU

Recover 30% lost revenue, automatically

Recover 30% lost revenue, automatically

Recover 30% lost revenue, automatically

Let us show you how true AI-powered marketing looks in action. You’ll know in minutes if it’s a fit.

LOTS TO SHOW YOU

Recover 30% lost revenue, automatically

Let us show you how true AI-powered marketing looks in action. You’ll know in minutes if it’s a fit.