For Shopify merchants, growth isn’t just about traffic, it’s about doubling growth from the customers you already have. Remember, new customer acquisition is way more expensive than nurturing the existing ones. That’s where Shopify CRM apps come in.
Tailored for fast-moving DTC brands, these apps offer native Shopify integrations, powerful automation, and revenue-driven features. They bring email, SMS, loyalty, and support into one view, making it easier to boost retention, increase LTV, and personalize the customer journey.
This guide explores the key features of a great Shopify CRM app and how to pick the right one for your store’s unique needs.
What are Shopify CRM Apps?
Shopify CRM apps help you manage your acquired customers at ease. They enable you to communicate with them, engage with them, and essentially maintain your customer relationship.
AShopify CRM app is designed to seamlessly integrate with your storefront. It seamlessly syncs essential customer and order data, such as:
Purchase history
Products bought
Cart behavior
Tags, loyalty status, and customer notes
You don’t need to manually import/export, everything syncs in real time.
Personalized Communication at Scale
Shopify CRM apps let you deliver targeted messages via:
Chat - real-time customer service or WhatsApp marketing
All triggered by customer actions like purchases, page views, or time since last order.
Post-Purchase and Retention Flows
With Shopify CRM apps, you can automate:
Review requests
Cross-sell emails
Winback flows
Loyalty reward reminders
Instead of relying only on first-time conversions, you build a system that nurtures long-term relationships and maximizes customer lifetime value.
What do Shopify CRM Apps Do?
The best Shopify CRM apps do more than store data, they power smarter marketing through deep integrations and automation. Here’s what to look for to maximize their impact.
When selecting an app for Shopify CRM, make sure they have the following features:
Deep Shopify Integration
A true Shopify CRM app doesn’t just connect, it integrates deeply. Look for tools that offer:
Instant access to customer and order history
Real-time updates triggered by every purchase or cart action
Event-based triggers like abandoned carts or new subscriptions
Smart Segmentation and Tags
Your CRM should let you create dynamic customer segments such as:
VIP customers (e.g., spent over $200)
Inactive shoppers (no orders in 60+ days)
First-time buyers or newsletter subscribers
Automate emails, SMS, or WhatsApp flows based on these behaviors, no manual work needed.
Multi-Channel Automation
Top Shopify CRMapps allow you to:
Send SMS offers to high-intent users
Trigger welcome emails to new subscribers
Launch reactivation flows for dormant customers
Customer Data Consolidation
Your Shopify CRM apps should give you a single customer view across all touchpoints - orders, emails, chats, and support tickets. This is crucial for personalizing your communication and aligning your marketing and support teams.
Ease of Use & Integration
Look for CRM apps that offer:
Native Shopify integration (no workarounds)
Clean UI/UX for non-technical users
Easy syncing with your existing tools (email, SMS, loyalty apps)
Reliable Support & Resources
A great Shopify CRM app provides:
Responsive customer support
Solid documentation and onboarding help
Top Shopify CRM Apps – Features & Use Cases
1. Zoko: WhatsApp CRM
Zoko turns WhatsApp into a full-featured CRM platform tailored for Shopify stores. With Zoko, you can manage customer conversations, automate messages, tag and segment users, send bulk broadcasts, and even collect payments, all from one unified dashboard.
Key Features:
Two-way WhatsApp chat with customers
Automated flows for cart recovery, order updates, and promotions
Customer tagging and segmentation
Bulk broadcasts and campaign analytics
Payment collection via WhatsApp
Shopify Integration: Zoko connects directly with your Shopify store to pull in customer, order, and cart data. This allows for personalized automations like abandoned cart reminders or order status updates - all sent via WhatsApp in real time.
Pricing: Starts at $39.99/month
Use Case Example: Send personalized cart recovery messages or shipping updates via WhatsApp, increasing conversion rates and customer satisfaction.
2. Froonze Loyalty Wishlist & CRM
Froonze enhances the native Shopify customer account with powerful loyalty, wishlist, and CRM features. It improves customer experience by making their account dashboard more functional and interactive.
Key Features:
Wishlist management
Loyalty program with reward points
Customer profile widgets
Reorder button and order history display
Customizable account design
Shopify Integration: Froonze integrates directly with Shopify’s customer accounts and order data, enabling real-time wishlist and loyalty syncing without third-party tools.
Pricing: Free to install. Loyalty and Wishlist features are available as separate plans. Click "See all pricing options" for full details.
Use Case: Trigger loyalty reminders or wishlist-based emails when a customer adds a product to their wishlist but doesn’t convert.
3.Ako Loyalty Retargeting CRM
Ako helps Shopify brands combine loyalty programs with precision ad retargeting across Facebook and Instagram. It bridges marketing automation with loyalty engagement.
Key Features:
Loyalty point tracking
Referral rewards
Custom audience sync to Meta Ads
VIP tier creation
Post-purchase thank-you flows
Shopify Integration: Ako syncs customer and loyalty data from your Shopify store to Meta Ads Manager, making it easy to create powerful, loyalty-based retargeting campaigns.
Pricing: Free plan available; paid plans begins at $29/month.
Use Case: Run retargeting ads for high-point customers who haven’t purchased in 30+ days, improving retention and ROAS.
4. Reamaze: AI Chat & Helpdesk
Reamaze is a multi-channel helpdesk solution with built-in CRM functionality, perfect for Shopify merchants who want to combine support and customer management.
Key Features:
Live chat, email, and social support inbox
AI chatbots and auto-replies
Workflow automation
FAQs and knowledge base
Internal notes and customer tagging
Shopify Integration: Reamaze pulls customer data, order history, and tracking info directly into support conversations, allowing agents to resolve tickets faster and personalize responses.
Pricing: Starts at $29/month per team member.
Use Case: Use AI bots to upsell based on past purchases or loyalty tier while supporting customers in real-time.
5.AiT: Loyalty Program & Email CRM
AiT is a hybrid tool that fuses loyalty tracking with email outreach. It lets you create point-based rewards, run referral campaigns, and personalize emails based on point milestones. Key Features:
Point-based loyalty and rewards
Referral and VIP programs
Email & SMS marketing automation
Review collection
Web push notifications
Shopify Integration: AiT deeply integrates with your Shopify customer and order data, enabling automated emails based on point milestones, purchases, or inactivity.
Pricing: Free plan available; premium starts at$29/month.
Use Case: Send an automated email when a customer is 50 points away from a reward to encourage a repeat purchase.
6.Klaviyo: Email Marketing & SMS
Klaviyo is widely regarded as the go-to platform for email and SMS marketing on Shopify. It uses real-time customer behavior (views, adds to cart, purchases) to trigger hyper-personalized flows. You can A/B test messages, segment deeply, and measure ROI at every touchpoint.
Key Features:
Behavior-based email & SMS flows
A/B testing and analytics
Predictive analytics (LTV, churn risk)
Product recommendations
Real-time Shopify event triggers
Shopify Integration: Klaviyo integrates natively with Shopify to sync orders, products, and customer behavior in real-time, perfect for abandoned cart flows, product follow-ups, and VIP segmentation.
Pricing: Free up to 250 contacts; paid plans start at $15/month.
Use Case: Send personalized product recommendations via email and SMS based on browsing history and past orders.
7.ActiveCampaign Email Marketing
ActiveCampaign gives you robust marketing automation layered with sales pipeline features. With its Shopify connector, you can segment contacts by product preferences, purchase frequency, and behavior.
Key Features:
Email automation and drip campaigns
Sales CRM with pipeline tracking
Site and email behavior tracking
SMS and web chat options
Predictive sending and content
Shopify Integration: The Shopify app allows real-time syncing of customer and order data, enabling segmentation by product preferences, purchase frequency, or LTV.
Pricing: Starts at $19/month
Use Case: Run a reactivation email series targeting one-time buyers with personalized bundles and discount incentives.
8. Gorgias
Gorgias is a Shopify-focused customer support platform that brings CRM-style capabilities into your helpdesk. It centralizes customer interactions and lets your support team respond faster and more personally, all from one dashboard.
Key Features:
Centralized customer tickets across email, chat, and social
Real-time access to Shopify order data
Automated responses and macros
Custom tags and internal notes for segmentation
Actionable insights and support metrics
Shopify Integration: Gorgias integrates natively with Shopify, allowing agents to view customer profiles, edit orders, process refunds, and apply tags. without leaving the support panel.
Pricing: Starts at $10/month for basic plans. Tiered pricing based on ticket volume and features.
Use Case: Respond to support requests with full customer context, then tag and trigger follow-up flows via your primary Shopify CRM app for upsells or re-engagement.
Common Pitfalls to Avoid with Shopify CRMs
Too Many Tools, Not Enough Strategy
Don’t fall into “app overload.” Adding too many disconnected tools creates more problems than it solves. Opt for a Shopify CRM app built to unify your data and scale effortlessly.
Siloed Customer Data
If your CRM doesn’t talk to your email, SMS, or loyalty platform, you’ll end up with fragmented experiences and missed opportunities.
Misaligned Automation
Make sure your workflows match customer intent. For example, don’t send a welcome discount to someone who’s already placed an order.
How to Choose the Best CRM Apps for Your Shopify Store
Not every Shopify CRM app is created equal, and not every store needs the same features right out of the gate. Choosing the right CRM app depends heavily on where your brand is in its growth journey, what your current pain points are, and how much bandwidth you have to manage new tools.
Here’s how to make the best decision for your store:
Align with Your Store Size & Growth Stage
Your ideal Shopify CRM app should match the complexity of your operations.
Solo founder? Start lean. A lightweight Shopify CRM like Klaviyo or ActiveCampaigngives you powerful email and SMS automation without overwhelming features. These are perfect for getting your first flows up and running.
Scaling DTC brand? Once you're handling higher order volumes and juggling multiple channels, you’ll want a Shopify CRM with robust segmentation, analytics, and multi-channel automation. Look for platforms that can manage both retention and acquisition efforts.
Agency or large enterprise? If you manage multiple Shopify stores or brands, consider an enterprise-grade Shopify CRM app with deep integrations, customizable workflows, and team-level permissions. These CRMs offer centralized data management and scalability across teams.
Prioritize What You Need Now (And Later)
The beauty of a good Shopify CRM app is its flexibility, you don’t need every feature on day one. Focus on the essentials first, then layer on advanced capabilities as your business grows.
Post-purchase sequences to build loyalty from the first order
Then scale into:
Loyalty program triggers for repeat purchases
Support CRM integrations that align customer service with marketing
WhatsApp marketing for real-time, personalized communication
Checklist Before You Commit to a Shopify CRM App
Before you hit “install,” make sure your chosen Shopify CRM app checks all the right boxes:
Does it have strong Shopify App Store reviews and active support?
Is it compatible with your existing tech stack (email, SMS, loyalty, support)?
Can you easily import/export customer data if you switch platforms later?
Does it offer clear onboarding, tutorials, and documentation to help you get started?
Choosing the right Shopify CRM app isn’t just about features, it’s about finding the best fit for your store’s strategy, resources, and growth goals. The right decision today can unlock months (or even years) of compounding retention-driven revenue.
Conclusion
A Shopify CRM app is more than just a customer database, it’s the foundation for building meaningful, revenue-generating relationships at scale. By unifying your marketing, sales, and support data, a CRM for Shopify empowers you to automate personalized experiences, boost retention, and drive long-term growth without relying solely on paid ads. Whether you're just starting out or scaling fast, the right Shopify CRM app helps you turn one-time buyers into loyal brand advocates, making it one of the smartest and most strategic investments your store can make.
Hurrify customers to buy within a given timeframe with a sales countdown timer & improve conversions
Another popular Shopify checkout app is Checkout Promotions. The app comes with the ability to leverage a collection of highly robust visibility rules that help show customers one-click post purchase upsell promotions after an order payment has been made. Some of its key features include:
Features
AI recommended and manual recommendations for upselling.
Complete branding control.
Checkout Upsell for increasing AOV.
AI recommended and manual recommendations for upselling.
Pricing
Development
Free
Monthly Plan
$99/ month
Plus Plan
$99/ month
Plus Plan
$99/ month
FAQs on Shopify CRM Apps
Is there a CRM in Shopify?
Shopify doesn’t have a built-in CRM, but it supports CRM apps that integrate seamlessly with your store to manage customer data, automate marketing, and improve retention.
Is Shopify a CRM or CMS?
Shopify is primarily a CMS (Content Management System) for eCommerce. It’s not a CRM, but you can integrate CRM tools to enhance customer relationship management.
Does Shopify have a customer base?
Yes, Shopify automatically collects and stores customer data from every order, including contact info, order history, and tags, which can be used by CRM apps.
Does Shopify have a CMS?
Shopify is an eCommerce CMS that allows merchants to manage products, pages, blog content, and storefront design.
Is HubSpot CRM free?
Yes, HubSpot offers a free CRM plan, though advanced features may require a paid subscription. It can be integrated with Shopify using third-party connectors.
What are CRM advantages and disadvantages?
Advantages: Better customer insights, automation, improved retention.
Disadvantages: Can be costly or complex if not well-matched to your store’s size.
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Neetika M
Neetika is the founder of Skai Lama. Passionate about building SaaS, Product Development, and Marketing, she talks about eCommerce Growth, Product Bundling, Gifting, Retention, and Shopify.
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