Email marketing remains one of the most effective channels for engaging audiences and driving revenue. In fact, the latest statistics show that email generates $36 for every $1 spent, an astounding 3,600% ROI.[^1]
But with so many email marketing platforms available, it can be a challenge to find the right one for your business. ActiveCampaign is a popular all-in-one solution, but its complex interface and higher prices aren‘t ideal for everyone. Fortunately, there are plenty of excellent ActiveCampaign alternatives on the market.
We‘ve researched and tested over 20 top email marketing tools to bring you this in-depth guide. Whether you‘re looking for more advanced features, better ease of use, or more affordable pricing, you‘ll find the perfect fit on this list.
What to Look for in an ActiveCampaign Alternative
Before diving into the top ActiveCampaign competitors, it‘s important to understand what key factors to consider when evaluating different options. Here are the main criteria we used:
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Ease of use: How intuitive is the platform to navigate and utilize? Does it offer drag-and-drop email builders, pre-made templates, and visual automation workflows?
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Features: Does it include essential tools like signup forms, list segmentation, A/B testing, analytics and reporting? Are there any standout features for your specific use cases?
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Automation: How sophisticated are the marketing automation capabilities? Can you set up multi-step campaigns triggered by subscriber actions or other conditions?
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Integrations: Does the tool connect with the other apps and platforms you rely on? Are there seamless integrations with your CRM, ecommerce store, or website builder?
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Deliverability: What kind of reputation and deliverability rates does the provider have? Are there any sending limits or restrictions to be aware of?
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Support: What level of customer support is available? Are there multiple channels to get help when needed? What do reviews say about the quality of support?
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Pricing: How transparent and affordable is the pricing? Are there any long-term contracts or hidden fees? Do the features justify the cost?
With those key considerations in mind, let‘s explore the 15 best ActiveCampaign alternatives for smarter email marketing.
Top 15 ActiveCampaign Alternatives
1. Moosend
Moosend is a powerful yet user-friendly email marketing automation platform that gives ActiveCampaign a run for its money. Its drag-and-drop email builder, beautiful templates, and intuitive automation workflows make it an excellent choice for beginners and advanced marketers alike.
Key Features
- Drag-and-drop email editor with 100+ responsive templates
- Visual automation workflow builder with advanced triggers
- Granular subscriber tagging and segmentation
- A/B testing for email subject lines, content, and send times
- Integrations with 100+ apps like Shopify, WooCommerce, and Salesforce
- Landing pages, forms, and personalized product recommendations
Pricing
- Free: Up to 1,000 subscribers and unlimited emails
- Pro: Starts at $8/month for up to 2,000 subscribers
- Enterprise: Custom pricing and services
Pros
- Extremely intuitive interface for building emails and automations
- Advanced segmentation options based on behavior and custom fields
- Real-time analytics and reports on every campaign
- Excellent deliverability rates (99%+) and scalability
- Award-winning 24/7 customer support
Cons
- Some templates look dated compared to ActiveCampaign
- Landing page builder has fewer customization options
- Certain triggers missing from free plan
Moosend is one of the closest alternatives to ActiveCampaign in terms of features and ease of use. We like it best for ecommerce businesses that want powerful email automation without the hefty price tag.
2. GetResponse
GetResponse is a comprehensive online marketing platform that goes beyond email to offer landing pages, webinars, paid ads, live chat, and a CRM. As an ActiveCampaign alternative, it really shines in its robust automation capabilities.
Key Features
- Drag-and-drop email creator with 500+ mobile-ready templates
- Visual workflow builder with filters, actions, and conditions
- Prebuilt automation templates for lead nurturing, sales, and more
- Website visitor tracking and automated segmentation
- Autofunnel lead generation software with payment processing
- Dedicated IP address available for high-volume senders
Pricing
- Free: Up to 500 contacts and 2,500 emails/month
- Email Marketing: Starts at $15.58/month for 1,000 contacts
- Marketing Automation: Starts at $48.38/month for 1,000 contacts
- Ecommerce Marketing: Starts at $97.58/month for 1,000 contacts
Pros
- All-in-one inbound marketing and sales platform
- Powerful automation with conditional logic and event triggers
- Conversion funnel templates to turn leads into customers
- 24/7 live chat and email support in 8 languages
- 30-day free trial on all paid plans (no credit card required)
Cons
- Steeper learning curve with so many tools and options
- Webinar features limited to higher-tier plans
- Inconsistent loading times for email and landing page editors
For businesses looking to consolidate multiple marketing and sales tools into one, GetResponse is a strong ActiveCampaign competitor. It‘s especially good for digital product sellers and online course creators.
3. MailerLite
MailerLite is a simple, no-frills email marketing service that still manages to pack in a lot of powerful features. It stands out for its affordable pricing, great free plan, and beginner-friendly interface.
Key Features
- Drag-and-drop email editor with minimal, modern templates
- Rich text editor for plain emails with dynamic content
- Embedded forms, popups, and landing page builder
- Marketing automation and RSS campaigns
- A/B split testing for subject lines, sender info, and content
- Auto resend campaigns to unopened and ‘interested‘ subscribers
Pricing
- Free: Up to 1,000 subscribers and 12,000 emails/month
- Growing Business: Starts at $9/month for 1,000 subscribers
- Advanced: Starts at $19/month for 1,000 subscribers
- Enterprise: Custom high-volume pricing
Pros
- One of the most affordable and easy-to-use platforms
- Unlimited emails on all paid plans
- Flexible segmentation and automation triggers
- Delivers signup forms and email campaigns via a global CDN
- 24/7 live chat and fast email support
Cons
- Fewer pre-built automations compared to ActiveCampaign
- Automations can feel clunky to build and edit
- Lacks advanced split testing and reporting
- No customer journey mapping or site tracking
MailerLite is best for small businesses that want a simple yet scalable email marketing tool without breaking the bank. Its streamlined interface and affordable plans make it a popular ActiveCampaign alternative.
4. Sendinblue
Sendinblue is an all-in-one sales and marketing toolkit that offers some of the most advanced automation capabilities outside of ActiveCampaign. In addition to email, it supports SMS, chat, CRM, and even Facebook ads.
Key Features
- Design emails with drag-and-drop, rich text, or HTML
- Build multi-step workflows with unlimited automation
- Target customers with email, SMS, live chat, and more
- Transactional email sending via SMTP or API
- Signup forms, landing pages, and Facebook ads
- Real-time performance tracking for all campaigns
Pricing
- Free: Unlimited contacts and up to 300 emails/day
- Lite: Starts at $25/month for up to 20,000 emails
- Premium: Starts at $65/month for up to 1 million emails
- Enterprise: Custom volume-based pricing
Pros
- Advanced automation for a fraction of ActiveCampaign‘s price
- Seamless multichannel campaigns across email, SMS, and chat
- Transactional email sending with reliable delivery
- Built-in CRM and sales automation tools
- Exceptional deliverability thanks to strong sender reputation
Cons
- Automation workflows can get complicated to manage
- Inconsistent quality of email and form templates
- Account limits based on emails sent rather than contacts
- Many features restricted to higher-tier plans
Sendinblue is an excellent full-featured alternative to ActiveCampaign for mid-size businesses and enterprises. We recommend it for companies that want to unite sales and marketing automation in one powerful yet affordable tool.
5. Drip
Drip is an ecommerce CRM designed for online brands that want deep customer insights and multi-channel automation. If you liked ActiveCampaign‘s robust targeting options, you‘ll love Drip‘s dynamic segmentation and personalization.
Key Features
- Email builder with 100+ ecommerce-focused templates
- Workflows with unlimited steps, rules, and branching
- Behavior-based automation (e.g. cart abandonment)
- Facebook and Instagram retargeting ads
- SMS notifications, popup forms, and post-purchase surveys
- One-click integrations with major ecommerce platforms
Pricing
- Free: Up to 100 contacts across all channels
- Basic: Starts at $39/month for 2,500 contacts
- Pro: Starts at $122/month for 5,000 contacts
- Enterprise: Custom pricing for 15,000+ contacts
Pros
- Purpose-built for ecommerce stores and digital marketers
- Hyper-segmentation based on events, tags, custom fields, and more
- Attribute conversions to specific campaigns and channels
- Dedicated customer success manager and migration support
- 24/7 live chat for all customers
Cons
- Pricier than generalist ActiveCampaign alternatives
- Visual builder for emails and forms somewhat limited
- No built-in landing pages like ActiveCampaign
- Overwhelming for simple email newsletter needs
Drip is arguably the best ActiveCampaign alternative for ecommerce brands that want to harness the power of their customer data. If you geek out over segmentation and love digging into your metrics, give Drip a try.
Honorable Mentions
While the following ActiveCampaign competitors didn‘t make our top 5, they‘re still excellent options depending on your needs:
- Omnisend: Ecommerce marketing automation platform with omnichannel campaigns, advanced segmentation, and 24/7 support.
- AWeber: Straightforward email marketing and landing page solution with 24/7 customer support via phone, email, and live chat.
- Campaign Monitor: Email marketing tool for fast-growing businesses with great reporting and a drag-and-drop journey designer.
- Klaviyo: Data-driven email and SMS platform with advanced segmentation options and one-click ecommerce integrations.
- Constant Contact: Beginner-friendly email marketing with 100+ mobile-optimized templates and live expert guidance.
- ConvertKit: Creator marketing platform with visual automation, customizable forms and landing pages, plus a free migration service.
- Mailchimp: Leading all-in-one marketing platform with email, landing pages, digital ads, social posting, and a CRM.
- HubSpot: Powerful CRM, marketing, sales, and service platform with email automation and advanced personalization.
- Autopilot: Intuitive marketing automation software with a visual customer journey builder, SMS, and smart segmentation.
- Benchmark Email: Affordable email marketing with a drag-and-drop editor, 1,500+ templates, surveys, and polls.
How to Choose the Right ActiveCampaign Alternative
With so many great options available, how do you decide which ActiveCampaign alternative is right for your business? Here‘s a quick step-by-step guide:
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Identify your goals: Are you looking to nurture leads, drive sales, improve retention, or all of the above? Clarify your primary email marketing objectives.
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Assess your needs: Make a list of must-have features based on your goals and current tools. Consider factors like contact management, segmentation, automation, analytics, and integrations.
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Evaluate ease of use: How tech-savvy is your team? Look for a platform with an intuitive interface, drag-and-drop builders, and/or extensive documentation.
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Consider budget: Determine how much you‘re willing to spend on email marketing software. Keep in mind that some providers charge based on contacts, while others charge based on email volume.
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Research integrations: Make sure the tool plays nicely with your other software, such as your CRM, e-commerce platform, or website builder. Prioritize native integrations over third-party connectors.
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Read reviews: Once you‘ve narrowed down your options, browse user reviews on sites like G2, Capterra, and TrustRadius. Pay attention to feedback on customer support and deliverability.
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Test drive: Take advantage of free trials or plans to get hands-on experience with your top picks. Most ActiveCampaign alternatives offer at least a 14-day trial, if not a limited free plan.
By following these steps, you‘ll be well on your way to finding the perfect ActiveCampaign alternative for your team, budget, and goals.
Final Thoughts
ActiveCampaign may be a market leader in email marketing automation, but it‘s certainly not the only option worth considering. The ActiveCampaign alternatives featured here prove that you don‘t have to sacrifice power, ease of use, or affordability.
Whether you opt for a beginner-friendly tool like MailerLite, an ecommerce powerhouse like Drip, or an all-in-one platform like GetResponse, there‘s an email marketing solution that will help you crush your goals.
The key is to stay focused on your unique needs and budget. Don‘t get swayed by fancy bells and whistles you‘ll never use. Instead, choose a tool that balances the features you need with usability and support.
And if you‘re still on the fence, remember that you don‘t have to commit to a paid plan right away. Sign up for a few free trials to get a real feel for each platform before making a decision.
Here‘s to higher open rates, stronger customer relationships, and email marketing success in 2024 and beyond!
[^1]: The Ultimate List of Email Marketing Stats for 2023
