Campaign Monitor vs Privy
Campaign Monitor and Privy are both popular choices in the email marketing platform space. Campaign Monitor has been around since 2004, giving it a 7-year head start over Privy (founded 2011). Campaign Monitor is the more affordable option at $12/mo — that's $18 less than Privy's $30/mo entry point. Campaign Monitor has the edge with advanced analytics, API access.
Quick Verdict
Campaign Monitor wins on price, deliverability, integrations.
Privy wins on rating.
Best for most users: Campaign Monitor (agencies).
Campaign Monitor
Beautifully crafted email marketing
Campaign Monitor is particularly well-suited for agencies and brands that need polished, branded email campaigns. Its client management features and beautiful template builder make it a popular choice for marketing agencies managing multiple client accounts.
Privy
Ecommerce email and SMS marketing built for Shopify stores
Privy is an ecommerce-focused email and SMS marketing platform built specifically for Shopify stores, combining conversion popups, email campaigns, and abandoned cart recovery in one tool. With unlimited email sending on all paid plans and a native Shopify integration, it's designed for DTC brands and small online stores that want to grow their list and revenue without the complexity of enterprise marketing platforms.
Feature Comparison
| Feature | Campaign Monitor | Privy |
|---|---|---|
| Rating | 4.1/5 | 4.6/5 |
| Starting Price | $12/mo | $30/mo |
| Free Plan | No free plan | No free plan |
| Founded | 2004 | 2011 |
| Email Templates | 120 | 50 |
| Integrations | 250 | 20 |
| Deliverability Rate | 97.5% | 95% |
| Marketing Automation | ✓ | ✓ |
| A/B Testing | ✓ | ✓ |
| Landing Pages | ✕ | ✕ |
| Segmentation | ✓ | ✓ |
| Drag & Drop Editor | ✓ | ✓ |
| SMS Marketing | ✓ | ✓ |
| Ecommerce Features | ✓ | ✓ |
| API Access | ✓ | ✕ |
| Multi-Language | ✓ | ✕ |
| Web Push Notifications | ✕ | ✕ |
| Live Chat | ✕ | ✓ |
| Advanced Analytics | ✓ | ✕ |
Campaign Monitor: Pros & Cons
Pros
- +Excellent email template builder
- +Strong agency features and client management
- +Good deliverability
- +Time zone sending optimization
- +Link review feature prevents broken links
Cons
- −No free plan
- −Lite plan caps at 2,500 emails
- −Premier plan expensive ($159/mo)
- −No landing page builder
- −Limited automation on lower tiers
Privy: Pros & Cons
Pros
- +Deep native Shopify integration with one-click install and automatic product syncing
- +Unlimited email sending on all paid plans — no volume limits that punish growth
- +Excellent popup and conversion tools including spin-to-win, exit intent, and cart savers
- +Combined email + SMS marketing eliminates need for separate communication tools
- +Built specifically for ecommerce with abandoned cart recovery and welcome series automation
Cons
- −Limited to ecommerce use cases — not suitable for B2B, SaaS, or non-store businesses
- −No public API, limiting custom integrations and developer extensibility
- −Pricing scales by contacts, getting expensive at higher subscriber counts
- −Reporting and analytics are basic compared to full-featured email marketing platforms
- −Template selection is limited compared to competitors like Klaviyo or Omnisend
The Verdict
Privy edges ahead with a 4.6/5 rating compared to Campaign Monitor's 4.1/5. The gap comes mainly from support (4.8 vs 3.8) and value for money (4.7 vs 4.1). On deliverability, Campaign Monitor reports 97.5% compared to 95% for Privy — a meaningful difference if inbox placement is critical for your campaigns.
| Criterion | Weight | Campaign Monitor | Privy |
|---|---|---|---|
| Starting Price | 30% | $12/mo | $30/mo |
| Deliverability | 25% | 97.5% | 95% |
| Rating | 25% | 4.1/5 | 4.6/5 |
| Integrations | 10% | 250 | 20 |
| Free Tier | 10% | No | No |
Weights determine how much each criterion counts toward the final score. See full methodology
Choose Campaign Monitor if…
- + You want lower starting costs ($12/mo)
- + You need API access for custom integrations
- + You need advanced analytics
- + You're a agencies
Choose Privy if…
- + You're a shopify stores
- + You're a ecommerce
- + Deep native Shopify integration with one-click install and automatic product syncing