CartGhost vs Recart
Feature-by-feature comparison
Same job, different channel. Recart is a premium SMS-first cart recovery tool, US-focused, with a managed-service price tag. CartGhost is a flat-fee, WhatsApp-first cart recovery app for Shopify, built for global markets. Side-by-side facts, no editorializing. Pick what fits your audience.
WhatsApp cart recovery, flat fee
A purpose-built Shopify app that recovers abandoned carts on WhatsApp with AI-driven, conversational replies. Predictable pricing, no per-message fees from us.
- Channel: WhatsApp (SMS on roadmap)
- Job: abandoned cart recovery
- Pricing: Free forever, or Pro at $29/mo flat
- Setup: ~5 minutes from Shopify App Store
SMS-first, managed service
A premium SMS marketing platform for Shopify with abandoned cart, browse abandonment, welcome and reorder flows. Higher tiers include a dedicated success manager.[1]
- Channel: SMS & MMS (no WhatsApp marketing)
- Job: SMS marketing & cart recovery
- Pricing: Starter $299, Pro $499, Scale $999/mo[2]
- Setup: onboarding + carrier registration (TFN/short code)
At a glance
The high-level feature differences in one table.
| Capability | CartGhost | Recart |
|---|---|---|
| Primary channel | SMS / MMS (US-first) | |
| Tool type | Single-job Shopify app | SMS platform + managed service |
| Pricing model | Flat: Free or $29/mo | Tiered + per-SMS overage[2] |
| Free plan | ✓ Unlimited cart recoveries, 1 template | ✗ 7-day trial only[3] |
| AI features | Claude-powered conversational replies, AI message generation | AI content optimization & send-time tuning[3] |
| Setup time | ~5 minutes | Days (TFN registration, onboarding) |
| Best fit | Shopify stores in WhatsApp-heavy markets that want focused, flat-fee cart recovery | US/CA Shopify stores with budget for premium SMS and managed campaigns |
Channels supported
The single most important factor. Pick the channel your customers actually use.
| Channel | CartGhost | Recart |
|---|---|---|
| ✓ Native, AI-driven | ✗ Not a marketing channel[4] | |
| SMS | On roadmap | ✓ Core channel |
| MMS | ✗ | ✓ Product images, branding[5] |
| ✗ Not planned | List growth only (sends via integrations) | |
| Facebook Messenger | ✗ | Legacy (subscriber capture) |
Recart began life as a Facebook Messenger marketing tool and pivoted to SMS as Messenger's commerce policies tightened. It now markets exclusively via SMS & MMS. WhatsApp appears in Recart's stack only as a customer support channel for Pro+ merchants. Not as a way to message your shoppers.[4]
Cart recovery features
The job most Shopify merchants buy these tools for in the first place.
| Feature | CartGhost | Recart |
|---|---|---|
| Trigger | Shopify cart-abandonment events (real-time) | Add-to-cart, browse, checkout-started events |
| First send timing | Configurable, default ~30 min | Within 1 hour of abandonment, follow-up at 72h[5] |
| Cart state at send | Pulled live from Shopify Cart API at message send time | Captured at trigger time |
| Conversational AI replies | ✓ Claude answers product / shipping / sizing questions in-thread | ✗ SMS is one-way; replies route to support |
| Rich media | Images, links, buttons (WhatsApp interactive) | MMS product images + coupon codes[5] |
| A/B testing | ✓ Pro plan | ✓ Built-in |
| Discount rules by cart value | ✓ Built in | ✓ Via flow logic |
| Channel-level read rate | 90–98% WhatsApp delivered-read[6] | ~98% SMS open within 3 minutes (industry)[6] |
| Reported ROI / recovery | 15–25% recovery on WhatsApp (D2C cohort)[7] | 36.8X average ROI on SMS spend (vendor-reported)[5] |
Both vendors quote favorable case-study numbers. Treat them as ceilings, not averages. The structural difference is conversational: WhatsApp threads support two-way replies natively, SMS recovery is typically a one-way nudge with a coupon link.
AI capabilities
| Capability | CartGhost | Recart |
|---|---|---|
| AI message generation | ✓ Brand-matched copy | ✓ AI content drafting[3] |
| Conversational AI in-channel | ✓ Claude handles WhatsApp replies natively | ✗ SMS not designed for two-way AI |
| Send-time optimization | Manual scheduling | ✓ AI-tuned per recipient[3] |
| Predictive analytics (CLV, churn) | ✗ | ✗ |
| AI segmentation | ✗ | Functional, less granular than Klaviyo/Postscript[8] |
Pricing
CartGhost charges a flat fee. Recart charges a tiered platform fee plus per-message rates that drop at higher volume.
CartGhost
| Plan | Price | Includes |
|---|---|---|
| Free | $0 forever | Unlimited cart recoveries, 1 pre-built template, basic dashboard, "Sent via CartGhost" footer |
| Pro | $29/mo flat | Unlimited custom templates, AI auto-replies, A/B testing, full funnel analytics, no branding |
WhatsApp messaging fees are billed by Meta directly to your WhatsApp Business account. CartGhost does not mark them up.
Recart (12-month commitment)[2]
| Plan | Monthly cost | Includes |
|---|---|---|
| Starter | $299 | ~23,000 SMS at $0.0100/SMS, unlimited subscribers, email-only support, no managed service |
| Pro | $499 | ~41,500 SMS at $0.0085/SMS, custom popups, priority support |
| Scale | $999 | ~100,000 SMS at $0.0070/SMS, dedicated success manager, fully managed |
| Enterprise | Custom | From $0.0045/SMS, full managed service |
US carrier fees (~$0.0045/SMS, $0.011/MMS) and an optional short code ($600/mo, Scale+) are on top. International SMS is significantly more expensive (e.g. UK/AU around $0.054/SMS).[2] Recart offers a 7-day free trial. No permanent free plan.[3]
Integrations & setup
| Item | CartGhost | Recart |
|---|---|---|
| Install path | Shopify App Store, ~5 min | Shopify App Store install + onboarding + carrier registration[3] |
| Compliance setup | Meta Business verification (one-time) | TCPA/CTIA, toll-free number registration, optional short code |
| Native integrations | Shopify, WhatsApp Business API (Meta Cloud) | Shopify, Klaviyo, Postscript, Attentive, Gorgias, Optimonk, Drip, Justuno[9] |
| Direct integration with each other | No direct integration. Segment by region or opt-in channel to avoid double-messaging | |
| Open APIs / webhooks | In progress | ✓ |
When to use which
The deciding factor is almost always the channel your audience prefers. Followed by your tolerance for per-message billing.
Use CartGhost if:
- Your audience is in WhatsApp-heavy markets: LATAM, EU, MENA, India, Southeast Asia, Brazil.
- You want flat, predictable pricing. No per-message fees from your recovery vendor.
- You want conversational AI that replies in-thread to product, shipping and sizing questions.
- You want to be live in 5 minutes without TFN registration, short-code provisioning, or a 12-month contract.
- You don't need a managed service. The tool is set-and-forget for cart recovery.
Use Recart if:
- Your audience is primarily US/Canada and SMS is their default messaging channel.
- You're sending high SMS volume and want per-message rates that drop with scale.
- You want a dedicated SMS strategist running campaigns for you (Scale plan and up).
- You need MMS-rich product images delivered via the carrier network.
- You already have budget for $299–$999/mo in platform fees plus carrier fees on top.
Some Shopify merchants run both, Recart for SMS to US subscribers and CartGhost for WhatsApp to international subscribers. Segmented by geography or opt-in channel. The two tools don't currently integrate directly, so the safest approach is to keep their audiences separate or fire them in sequence (e.g. WhatsApp first, SMS as fallback after a delay).
FAQ
Is CartGhost a replacement for Recart?
For abandoned cart recovery. Yes, where channels overlap. Both target the same job (recover abandoned Shopify carts), but CartGhost is WhatsApp-first and Recart is SMS-first. Pick the channel your audience actually uses.
Can I run both on the same Shopify store?
Yes. Some merchants run Recart for SMS to US subscribers and CartGhost for WhatsApp internationally. To avoid double-messaging the same customer, segment by region or opt-in channel.
How does pricing actually compare?
Recart starts at $299/mo (Starter, ~23k SMS included) and scales to $999/mo (Scale, dedicated manager). Per-message overage runs $0.0070–$0.0100. CartGhost is flat: Free or $29/mo regardless of list size. WhatsApp messaging fees on CartGhost are billed by Meta directly with no markup.
Does Recart support WhatsApp?
Not as a marketing channel. Recart uses WhatsApp only as an inbound support channel for Pro+ merchants. All outbound campaigns and recovery flows are SMS or MMS.
Will CartGhost work for my market?
Best in markets with high WhatsApp adoption (LATAM, EU, MENA, India, Southeast Asia, Brazil). In US/Canada, where consumer WhatsApp use is lower, recovery rates may be below typical benchmarks, Recart or another SMS tool is likely a better fit there.
Add WhatsApp cart recovery in 5 minutes
Free forever. Unlimited cart recoveries on the free plan. No 12-month contract, no per-message platform fees.
Install CartGhost on Shopify → No credit card required · Shopify App Store installSources
- Recart, Homepage (positioning, managed service, integrations)
- Recart, SMS Pricing & Ecommerce Marketing Calculator (Starter/Pro/Scale tiers, per-SMS rates, carrier fees, international rates)
- Recart, Shopify App Store listing (4.7★, 7-day free trial, AI features, onboarding)
- Recart Help Center, SMS & channel scope (WhatsApp as support, not marketing)
- Recart, Abandoned cart recovery (triggers, timing, MMS, 36.8X ROI claim)
- Chatarmin, WhatsApp vs SMS vs Email open-rate benchmarks
- Cunnekt, D2C WhatsApp cart recovery case studies (15–25% recovery, vendor-reported)
- MercadoKit, Best Shopify SMS Marketing Apps 2025 (Recart vs Klaviyo vs Postscript segmentation comparison)
- Recart, Integrations list (Klaviyo, Postscript, Attentive, Gorgias, Optimonk, etc.)
- Baymard Institute, Cart abandonment rate (70.22% baseline)