Cart reminders, order updates, upsell, review requests and campaigns, in the Messages app on iPhone, iPad and Mac. Kanal runs the automations you know from WhatsApp on iMessage, and your store sends the first message. Book a demo to see it in action.
Hi Sarah, your linen shirt is still in your cart, and size M is in stock.
Does it run true to size?
It does, M will fit you. Your cart is saved until tonight.
Kanal runs the same automations on iMessage as on WhatsApp, from your Shopify data. Your store sends the first message, and the conversation goes on in Messages.
iMessage · 01
A reminder with the product and a button to finish the order, sent after an abandoned checkout. Questions get answered in the same conversation.
Your linen shirt is still in your cart, Sarah.
Is delivery fast?
iMessage · 02
Order confirmation, shipping and delivery updates, sent automatically from Shopify with a link to follow the parcel.
Your order 4821 has shipped, Sarah. Delivery expected Friday.
iMessage · 03
After the order, the product that goes with what the customer just bought, with a button to add it.
Thanks for your order, Sarah. This tote goes well with your shirt:
iMessage · 04
After delivery, a review request with quick replies, so an unhappy customer reaches your team before posting.
How do you like your linen shirt, Sarah?
iMessage · 05
Customers who asked for a product hear from you when it is available again, with a button to order it.
Good news: the olive linen trousers are back in size 38.
iMessage · 06
A personal message for customers who have not ordered in a while, based on what they bought before.
Hi Sarah, the linen collection is back, with new colors for your shirt.
iMessage · 07
A drop, a sale or a restock sent to the right segment of your Shopify customers, with images and buttons.
Private sale for our VIP customers: the summer bags, starting today.
iMessage · 08
Customer replies get an answer day or night: sizes, delivery, returns. Your team steps in whenever it matters.
Can I exchange it if it does not fit?
Of course, Sarah. Here is how exchanges work:
Hi Sarah, the olive linen trousers are still in your cart.
Can I still get them by Saturday?
Yes, if you order today. Your cart is saved.
A customer leaves a product at checkout. Kanal sends the reminder in Messages with the product and a button to finish the order, without waiting for the customer to write. The AI agent answers the reply.
Your order 4821 has shipped, Sarah. Delivery expected Friday.
Order confirmed, shipped, delivered: each step goes out from Shopify in Messages, with a link to follow the parcel and quick replies for the rest.
Thanks for your order, Sarah. This tote goes well with your linen shirt.
I’ll take it.
Done, it ships with your shirt.
Right after the order, Kanal suggests the product that goes with it, with a button to add it. The customer answers in Messages, and the AI agent takes it from there.
Do the olive linen trousers come in 38?
Yes, size 38 is in stock. Here they are:
A customer replies to one of your messages with a question about a size. The AI agent answers from your catalog with the size in stock, and your team steps in whenever it matters.
With Kanal, your store can send the first message, for example an abandoned cart reminder, without waiting for the customer to start the conversation. The rest of the conversation happens in Messages, where your team answers.
The conversation opens in the Messages app of Apple devices, with nothing to install. Customers on other phones hear from you on WhatsApp or by SMS, with Kanal.
Your message opens in Messages, next to the customer’s other conversations. There is no app to download and no account to create.
A customer on Android hears from you on WhatsApp or by SMS. Kanal runs iMessage, WhatsApp and SMS from the same Shopify data.
When a customer answers, the AI agent replies day or night, and your team takes over the conversation whenever it matters.
The three channels reach your customers’ phones. They do not follow the same rules and they do not reach the same people.
| Criterion | iMessage | SMS | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Where the customer reads it | iMessageIn the Messages app on iPhone, iPad and Mac | SMSIn the phone’s messaging app | WhatsAppIn the WhatsApp app |
| Bubble in the Messages app | iMessageBlue | SMSGreen on iPhone | WhatsAppNone: it opens in the WhatsApp app |
| Who writes first | iMessageYour store with Kanal, or the customer | SMSThe store, to customers who gave their consent | WhatsAppThe customer, or the store with an approved template and the customer’s opt-in |
| Who can receive it | iMessageCustomers on Apple devices | SMSAny mobile number | WhatsAppCustomers who use WhatsApp |
| Marketing messages | iMessageWith Kanal, your store can write first, a cart reminder for example | SMSWith the customer’s consent | WhatsAppTo customers who opted in, through approved templates |
| With Kanal | iMessageAvailable | SMSAvailable | WhatsAppAvailable |
Kanal runs iMessage, WhatsApp and SMS for Shopify stores from the same data: iMessage reaches your customers on Apple devices, WhatsApp the customers who use it, SMS any mobile number.
Sources: WhatsApp Business Messaging Policy
Read also: WhatsApp for Shopify, SMS marketing software, SMS vs MMS vs RCS vs WhatsApp
Four tools send iMessage for Shopify stores. They differ on price, on the channels next to iMessage and on who writes the messages.
| Criterion | Kanal | Cobalt | Nellie | Zobi |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Price | KanalFrom €89 a month; iMessage, SMS and RCS from the Scale plan at €149 a month, no commitment | Cobalt$199, $499 or $999 a month, plus each message: iMessage $0.010 to $0.015, SMS $0.004 to $0.007 plus carrier fees | Nellie$1 per conversation it opens, first 200 free, no monthly fee | ZobiNo public price: you pay for the conversations it has, billed against the orders it brings in |
| Channels | KanalWhatsApp on every plan; iMessage, SMS and RCS from the Scale plan | CobaltiMessage, SMS and MMS; RCS on the Enterprise plan; no WhatsApp | NellieiMessage, WhatsApp and SMS; its site also names RCS and email | ZobiiMessage first, then RCS, SMS, WhatsApp or email |
| Shopify-native | KanalApp installed from the Shopify App Store | CobaltShopify integration marked Coming Soon on its site; no Shopify App Store listing found | NellieShopify App Store app since August 31, 2026, no reviews yet | ZobiConnects your store from its own site; no Shopify App Store listing found |
| Abandoned cart recovery | KanalAutomated reminders on WhatsApp, iMessage and SMS, from your Shopify carts | CobaltAbandoned cart, checkout and win-back flows on iMessage, with SMS for other phones | NellieIts core job: an AI agent texts shoppers who left checkout and holds the conversation | ZobiIts core job: its concierge texts abandoned checkouts under your brand name |
| Campaigns | KanalCampaigns to your Shopify segments, on WhatsApp and on iMessage | CobaltCampaigns sent as SMS, MMS or RCS; iMessage carries flows and conversations | NellieNo campaigns: Nellie texts one shopper at a time | ZobiOne-to-one conversations written by Zobi; you approve each campaign before it goes out |
| AI agent | KanalAI agent from the Scale plan; your team takes over in the shared inbox | CobaltCobalt AI answers routine questions in your brand voice and hands off to your team | NellieThe product is an AI agent; you can approve each message before it goes out | ZobiA model drafts several replies and sends the one most likely to convert |
| Setup | KanalInstalled from the Shopify App Store in 5 minutes | Cobalt14-day free trial, then a dedicated strategist walks your team through setup | NellieSet up with you on a call; Nellie says it onboards 8 stores a month | ZobiLive the same day with no setup call, according to Zobi |
Each competitor is described from its own pages and its Shopify App Store listing, read on November 6, 2026. Prices and features change: check them on each site before you decide.
Sources: Cobalt pricing, Cobalt for Shopify, Nellie on the Shopify App Store, Nellie, Zobi pricing, Zobi
Detailed comparisons: Kanal vs Cobalt, Kanal vs Nellie, Kanal vs Zobi, Kanal vs Sendblue
Three steps: install Kanal, connect your store, turn on iMessage.
Install with ShopifyKanal installs from the Shopify App Store. The demo is there if you want a tour of the channels first.
Kanal syncs your customers, orders and carts. Consent is attached to each contact’s profile.
Cart reminders, order updates, upsell, review requests, back in stock and win-back: the automations you run on WhatsApp switch on for iMessage too. The AI agent answers the replies.
Yes. Your Shopify store sends iMessages to your customers on iPhone, iPad and Mac, with the same automations as on WhatsApp. iMessage runs in Kanal alongside WhatsApp, SMS and RCS.
Kanal sends iMessage from a pool of phone numbers, not through Apple Messages for Business. Your customer receives a blue bubble in the Messages app, in their usual list of conversations, and replies there. There is no volume limit on iMessage with Kanal, from one cart reminder to a campaign for a whole Shopify segment. iMessage is included from the Scale plan.
Install Kanal from the Shopify App Store and turn on iMessage, included from the Scale plan. When a checkout is abandoned, Kanal sends the shopper an iMessage with the product and a button to finish the order, and the AI agent answers the replies. Customers on Android get the same reminder on WhatsApp or by SMS.
The same as on WhatsApp: abandoned cart reminders, order confirmations and shipping updates, post-purchase upsell, review requests, back in stock alerts, win-back, campaigns to your Shopify segments, and the AI agent that answers replies.
Yes. With Kanal, your brand can send the first message on iMessage, for example an abandoned cart reminder, without waiting for the customer to start the conversation. The customer answers in Messages, and the AI agent or your team replies.
The three channels run side by side in Kanal, from the same Shopify data. iMessage reaches your customers on Apple devices, WhatsApp the customers who use it on Android and iPhone, and SMS any mobile number.
No. iMessage is Apple’s messaging service: it works on iPhone, iPad and Mac. With Kanal, your customers on Android hear from you on WhatsApp or by SMS.
iMessage is included from the Scale plan, like SMS and RCS. The details of each plan are on the pricing page.
Kanal sends iMessage from a Shopify App Store app, next to WhatsApp, SMS and RCS. Nellie is also on the Shopify App Store, as an AI agent priced per conversation. Cobalt, an iMessage and SMS platform, and Zobi, a done-for-you service, connect to Shopify from their own sites. The table above compares the four, from their own pages read on November 6, 2026.
With Kanal, iMessage is included from the Scale plan at €149 a month, with no commitment. On November 6, 2026, Cobalt listed plans from $199 a month plus $0.010 to $0.015 per iMessage, Nellie charged $1 per conversation it opens, and Zobi gave no public price: it bills the conversations it has against the orders they bring in.
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