Happy Birthday App vs Klaviyo Birthday Flows: When Simple Wins

TL;DR: Klaviyo can send birthday emails for your Shopify store, but you need to already have the birthday data. The Happy Birthday App collects the birthdays AND sends the emails – no extra setup needed.

If you’re already using Klaviyo for email marketing, it’s a fair question: should you build birthday flows there, or use a dedicated birthday app? (For a full overview of what the Happy Birthday App does, check our Happy Birthday App for Shopify.)

The Collection Problem

Here’s what most store owners discover when they try to set up birthday emails in Klaviyo:

“Wait, how do I actually get my customers’ birthdays?”

Klaviyo is great at sending emails. It’s not designed to collect birthday data. You need:

• A form to collect birthdays
• A way to get that data into Klaviyo
• Logic to handle different date formats
• A system to avoid asking customers who already shared their birthday

This usually means custom forms, Zapier integrations, or developer help. It works, but it’s not simple.

The Happy Birthday App solves this with a thank you page widget that automatically asks customers for their birthday right after they purchase. No forms to build, no integrations to maintain.

Feature Comparison

When Klaviyo Makes Sense

Stick with Klaviyo for birthday emails if:

• You already have birthday data – Maybe from a loyalty program or account registration
• You want everything in one platform – All your emails in Klaviyo, no exceptions
• You have developer resources – Someone can build the collection forms and integrations
• You’re on Klaviyo’s higher plans anyway – Might as well use all the features

When a Dedicated App Makes Sense

The Happy Birthday App works better if:

• You don’t have birthday data yet – The checkout widget starts collecting immediately
• You want to keep it simple – No integrations to maintain, no flows to build
• You need unique discount codes – The app generates them automatically to prevent code sharing
• You sell internationally – 12 languages without creating separate flows
• You want clear ROI tracking – See exactly how much revenue your birthday emails generate

The Cost Comparison

Let’s be real about pricing:

Klaviyo charges based on your total contact list. Birthday emails are “free” if you’re already paying for Klaviyo – but you need the data collection infrastructure.

Happy Birthday App has straightforward pricing:

• Free: up to 50 subscribers
• Starter ($15/mo): up to 5,000 subscribers
• Growth ($25/mo): up to 20,000 subscribers
• Professional ($40/mo): up to 50,000 subscribers + multi-language

For most stores, the dedicated app is cheaper than the time spent building and maintaining Klaviyo integrations.

Can You Use Both?

Yes. Some stores use the Happy Birthday App for birthday-specific campaigns and Klaviyo for everything else. The app handles collection and birthday emails, while Klaviyo handles newsletters, abandoned carts, and other flows.

They don’t conflict – they just do different jobs.

The Bottom Line

Klaviyo is a powerful email platform. But it assumes you already have the data you want to use.

For birthday marketing specifically, a dedicated app removes the friction. You install it, turn on the checkout widget, and birthdays start coming in. No forms to build, no integrations to maintain, no flows to create.

Sometimes the simpler tool is the right tool.

See how it all works in our Happy Birthday App for Shopify, or try it free.