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Marketing · head to head

Optimove vs Postscript

Optimove logo

Optimove

Marketing

Retention marketing platform that forces control groups and reports uplift per customer

From
On request
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
Postscript logo

Postscript

Marketing

SMS marketing built for Shopify merchants, with carrier fees billed on top of message rates

From
$49/month
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Each has a real cost: Optimove it requires a customer-level data feed with transactions before it does anything useful, and mapping that feed typically takes weeks of joint work rather than days.; Postscript carrier pass-through fees are billed on top of the per-message rate, roughly $0.00418 per SMS and $0.00841 per MMS in the United States, and are routinely missing from the cost comparisons buyers build.
  • They diverge on capability: Optimove covers Customer modelling, Postscript covers Shopify segmentation.
  • Prices and features above were last checked on 31 August 2026.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Optimove and Postscript actually diverge.

Attributes where Optimove and Postscript differ
AttributeOptimovePostscript
Starting priceOn request$49/month
Pricing modelquotePer month plus per message sent
PlatformsWeb, iOS, Android, REST APIWeb, iOS

Identical on both: free tier (No), user rating (Not yet rated), category (Marketing).

What each one covers

Drawn from each product's published feature list. An absence here means we hold no record of it - not that the product lacks it.

Only in Optimove

  • Customer modelling
  • Mandatory control groups
  • Optibot
  • Multichannel orchestration
  • Self-optimising campaigns
  • Realtime triggers

Only in Postscript

  • Shopify segmentation
  • Automated flows
  • Subscriber acquisition
  • Two-way conversations
  • MMS campaigns
  • Revenue attribution
  • Headless SDK
  • Usage-based tiers

What people use each for

The jobs each tool is most often brought in to do.

Optimove

  • An operator that has to prove incremental revenue from retention marketing to a finance committeenot Postscript
  • Segmenting a customer base by predicted value and lifecycle stage rather than by campaign list membershipnot Postscript
  • Running hundreds of small always-on campaigns where per-campaign uplift decides which survivenot Postscript
  • Coordinating retention messaging with paid audience suppression so lapsed customers are not paid for twicenot Postscript

Postscript

  • A Shopify direct-to-consumer brand that wants abandoned cart recovery by text rather than another email in an ignored inboxnot Optimove
  • A brand running a product drop where a timed broadcast to an opted-in list is the whole launch mechanismnot Optimove
  • A merchant segmenting by past purchase and variant to send replenishment reminders at the right intervalnot Optimove
  • A store on headless Shopify or a custom stack that still wants SMS built on order data through the SDKnot Optimove

Where each one falls short

Documented limitations, not opinions. Every one is a constraint you would hit in normal use.

Optimove

  • It requires a customer-level data feed with transactions before it does anything useful, and mapping that feed typically takes weeks of joint work rather than days.
  • Pricing is based on tracked customers, so an inflated database of accounts that will never return costs money exactly like an unpruned email list does.
  • The modelling layer is largely opaque, so when a lifecycle stage assignment looks wrong there is limited ability to inspect why beyond vendor support.
  • The interface is dense and built for daily operators, and occasional users typically never become independent in it.
  • Email delivery is through bundled or third-party sending infrastructure rather than an in-house ESP, which adds a party to any deliverability investigation.

Postscript

  • Carrier pass-through fees are billed on top of the per-message rate, roughly $0.00418 per SMS and $0.00841 per MMS in the United States, and are routinely missing from the cost comparisons buyers build.
  • The cheapest per-message rates require the $500 a month plan, so a small sender pays more than double the headline low rate per text.
  • The $0 Starter plan carries a $49 minimum monthly spend, so it is not a free tier and quiet months still generate a bill.
  • US SMS marketing carries real legal exposure under consent, quiet hours and carrier registration rules, and the compliance obligation sits with the merchant, not the platform.
  • It is SMS and MMS only, so email, push and on-site messaging live in a separate tool and audience suppression between the two has to be managed across systems.

Pricing, plan by plan

Optimove

On request
  • Optimove$undefined/year
    • Priced by number of tracked customers
    • Channel modules and Kumulos-derived mobile messaging licensed separately
    • Annual contract including onboarding services

Postscript

$49/month
  • Starter$49/month
    • $0 base fee but a $49 minimum monthly spend
    • SMS at $0.015 and MMS at $0.045 per message
    • Campaigns, automations, acquisition tools and analytics
  • Growth$100/month
    • Lower per-message rates than Starter
    • Full campaign and automation feature set
    • No contract required
  • Professional$500/month
    • Rates falling towards $0.007 SMS and $0.024 MMS
    • Suited to high-volume senders
    • Upgrade or downgrade at any time
  • Enterprise$undefined/month
    • Custom pricing on a contract
    • Negotiated message rates and support terms

Which should you pick?

Choose Optimove if

  • You need customer modelling.
  • You work on Web, iOS, Android, REST API.
  • You also want mandatory control groups.
Optimove review

Choose Postscript if

  • You need shopify segmentation.
  • You work on Web, iOS.
  • You also want automated flows.
Postscript review

Questions people ask

Is Optimove or Postscript better?
Neither clearly leads. Optimove starts at On request and Postscript at $49/month, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Optimove or Postscript?
Optimove starts at On request and Postscript at $49/month.
Does Optimove or Postscript run on more platforms?
Optimove runs on Web, iOS, Android, REST API. Postscript runs on Web, iOS.
What is Optimove best used for?
Optimove is most often used for an operator that has to prove incremental revenue from retention marketing to a finance committee, segmenting a customer base by predicted value and lifecycle stage rather than by campaign list membership, running hundreds of small always-on campaigns where per-campaign uplift decides which survive, coordinating retention messaging with paid audience suppression so lapsed customers are not paid for twice. Of those, an operator that has to prove incremental revenue from retention marketing to a finance committee and segmenting a customer base by predicted value and lifecycle stage rather than by campaign list membership are not what Postscript is typically brought in for.
What can Optimove do that Postscript cannot?
Optimove covers Customer modelling, Mandatory control groups, Optibot, Multichannel orchestration. Postscript covers Shopify segmentation, Automated flows, Subscriber acquisition, Two-way conversations.

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

Optimove: Why does it insist on control groups?

Because uplift is the reported metric. Without a holdout the platform cannot attribute revenue, and the reporting that justifies the licence stops working.

Postscript: Is Postscript only for Shopify?

It is built for Shopify and that is where its segmentation advantage lies, but headless and non-Shopify stores are supported through an SDK with more setup work.

Optimove: Is it only for iGaming?

No, but that is where its density of customers and its default lifecycle models are strongest. Subscription retail and financial services are the other common verticals.

Postscript: What is the real cost per text?

The plan rate plus carrier fees. On Starter that is about $0.015 plus roughly $0.00418 in US carrier fees per SMS, so budget close to two cents a message before discounts.

Optimove: Can it send email itself?

It orchestrates and personalises, then sends through connected delivery infrastructure. Deliverability remains a shared responsibility with that provider.

Postscript: Is the Starter plan free?

No. The base fee is $0 but there is a $49 minimum monthly spend, so it functions as a $49 floor.

Postscript: Do I need a contract?

No. Contracts are offered but not required, and plans can be moved up or down at any time under usage-based billing.

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