Best ActiveCampaign Alternatives: 9 Options [Ranked & Reviewed]

Once your business reaches a certain point, it gets hard to keep track of and scale up your marketing.

Thus, the demand for online marketing platforms has risen significantly to help marketplaces expand and businesses take advantage of marketers’ skills to grow their businesses.

Among the rising stars of this industry is ActiveCampaign but there are also ActiveCampaign alternatives.

The best alternative is SendX. Let’s see why.

An Overview of ActiveCampaign

ActiveCampaign is an industry-leading, all-in-one marketing automation platform that manages contacts, drives sales, monitors engagement, and helps manage your users’ experience.

What Is ActiveCampaign?

ActiveCampaign is one of the leading email marketing platforms.

It seeks to help small-to-mid-sized businesses in their marketing efforts by automating their efforts to contact customers and improve their experiences with their online content.

Where Does ActiveCampaign Excel?

ActiveCampaign put its CRM, email marketing, and automation tools in one easy-to-use interface.

Its automation tools are versatile and can apply to several uses, which include contact management, email management, newsletter management, and even content design.

ActiveCampaign’s user-friendly interface makes launching and managing a new campaign easy.

Its analytical tools help refine your approach and boost customer engagement with your emails, landing pages, and newsletters.

Additionally, ActiveCampaign can integrate with several commonly-used apps. It helps spread your marketing campaign further and meet customers where they are.

Don’t know how to use these features after you’ve started?

Or has something gone wrong?

Use their live chat to get in touch with a representative.

Where Does ActiveCampaign Fall Short?

Although ActiveCampaign’s interface is easy to use, its options can be overwhelming, especially when you are beginning to learn how to use it.

Their lower-cost subscriptions include less training in the onboarding stage, causing you to rely on more tech support later, which only comes in the form of live chat.

When you look at an ActiveCampaign review, you’ll find out that editing text for emails will require you to go back through several steps after the preview stage, and the post editor does not always format texts consistently.

Best ActiveCampaign Alternatives: Our Top 3 Options [Ranked & Reviewed]

ActiveCampaign is among the best services in its industry, but it is not a one-size-fits-all service, nor is it the only example of excellence in this industry.

If ActiveCampaign does not sound like it works for you, consider one of our three carefully chosen alternatives.

1. SendX: Our Pick

Like Sendinblue, SendX is a rising star that may overtake ActiveCampaign and offers many of the same features its packages do at a significantly lower cost.

SendX offers an excellent CRM program, email automation, and content editing to help your business grow, though it may sacrifice some of the sophistication of ActiveCampaign.

Key Features of SendX

SendX offers the online marketing features that new businesses need to grow and offers them an intuitive online interface.

Additionally, they are working to develop testing features and deeper analytics for their customers—all at the same affordable price.

• Email automation: SendX’s email automation workloads and response features are on par with ActiveCampaign’s and are easier to understand.
• Email Editor: SendX’s email editor lets you preview your message in real time and offers over 50 templates and over 500,000 stock images.
• Deliverability: SendX Uses more complicated, trusted software in delivering emails to get around email addresses’ spam and social filters.
• Unlimited Emails: Since charges are based on subscriber count, you can send as many emails as needed to subscribers for no additional cost.
• 24/7 Support: All levels can receive tech support at all times of the day.

Best For

Small to mid-sized business owners with a limited marketing budget 

ActiveCampaign vs. SendX: How They Compare

Compared to ActiveCampaign, SendX is a relatively new player in this field, but its features are developing quickly, and it is half the price of ActiveCampaign.

That price does not skimp on features either; automation recipes and content editors are available at SendX’s lower levels, as is CRM software.

ActiveCampaign’s features at the moment go further in-depth than SendX’s but such features are not necessary for small or mid-sized companies.

ActiveCampaign also offers extensive integration that SendX has not had a chance to catch up with yet, though their quick development suggests this will happen soon.

Why is SendX a Great Alternative to ActiveCampaign?

SendX gets the same job done as ActiveCampaign and helps complete it in a less complicated fashion, making it an upgrade alternative.

SendX offers the same type of automation, CRM features, and content features at its lowest subscription, which currently is $7.49/month.

This software offers a simpler alternative to ActiveCampaign that is just as effective at growing a business for a much lower cost.

Pros of SendX

• Affordability: SendX starts at $7.49/month, and includes the features that define ActiveCampaign’s Plus plan.
• Simplicity: SendX is easy to use and always strives for simplicity and improving its user experience.
• Quick Development: SendX may not offer certain features such as A/B testing now but will at the same price in the future.

Cons of SendX

• Lack of sophistication: experienced business owners who want more sophisticated analytics and contact management will not find it here.
• Still Developing: though it is developing fast, there are still features lacking in SendX.
• Limited Deployability: At the moment, SendX is exclusively a web/Chrome concentrated app.

SendX Pricing

• 1-1000 subscribers: $7.49/month including all features. 
• 1001-2500 subscribers: $14.99/month including all features.
• 2501-5000 subscribers: $29.99/month including all features.

Conclusion: Should You Choose SendX Over ActiveCampaign?

We think the combination of SendX’s affordability with its features makes it arguably a better candidate for starting to grow your business than ActiveCampaign.

With its proven and effective tools for email, SMS, and social media marketing and subscriber-based pricing system, there are no better tools available for you to take your first steps in online marketing.

2. Mailchimp: Runner-Up

Mailchimp is an email marketing platform developed over decades to include a plethora of features that help you manage your relationships with customers and increase conversion value with individual customers.

Its simple layout makes it accessible for many beginning entrepreneurs and marketers.

Key Features of Mailchimp

• All-in-one platform: You can edit your ad campaigns, use your CRM, and design newsletters all without leaving the same page.  
• Greater Integration: It integrates 100s of tools for your convenience, including favorites like Slack, and includes a social media tool, which makes this an upgrade alternative.
• Excellent Support: 24/7 live chat and email support.
• Unique Customer Outreach: Mailchimp includes not only newsletters, ads, and emails but new possibilities for reaching customers such as postcards.
• Design Capability: Mailchimp has over 100 templates ready to use and customize for emails.  

Best For

Small to mid-sized businesses and business owners new to online marketing

ActiveCampaign vs Mailchimp: How They Compare

ActiveCampaign and Mailchimp are respected names in the CRM and email marketing industry but both stand out in different ways.

Both are at their core email-focused platforms but both have come to include excellent CRM programs and features.

The main differences between the two are simplicity and what you get for the price.

ActiveCampaign includes the same amount of features for a lower price while Mailchimp has a simplified, streamlined platform.

Its software guides you through every step while ActiveCampaign does not.

ActiveCampaign’s sophistication is an advantage for a veteran of the industry.

For less money than Mailchimp, you can begin customizing your campaigns to a deeper level from the outset.

Why is Mailchimp a Great Alternative to ActiveCampaign?

Though Mailchimp may be slightly more expensive, it is the closest match to Active Campaign and does not have a steep learning curve.

With its helpful automated guide, you can quickly begin your email campaigns and begin using its CRM features.

Pros of Mailchimp

• Navigability: Mailchimp makes it easy for a new business owner to begin navigating the world of online marketing.
• Affordable: Mailchimp starts with a free version and its paid plans offer extensive features for a fair price.
• Pay-as-you-go plan: Mailchimp offers an email marketing option for businesses that do not want to enter contracts or subscriptions.

Cons of Mailchimp

• Lack of Customization: Mailchimp’s workflows and customer journey portals offer no customization compared to ActiveCampaign.
• Limited Marketing Automation: A/B testing and analytical features offer less helpful and in-depth conclusions than ActiveCampaign’s.
• One-dimensional Communication: While Mailchimp offers SMS and web communication options, they are not as developed as their email communication design.

Mailchimp Pricing

• Free: starting at $0/month for up to 500 contacts.
• Essentials: starting at $11/month for 50,000 marketing contacts with automation tools, custom reports, optimization tools, and email and chat support.
• Standard: starting at $17/month for 100,000 marketing contacts with advanced automation, reporting, and expansion tools.
• Premium: starting at $299/month for all features from standard and advanced testing tools with phone support.

Conclusion: Should You Choose Mailchimp Over ActiveCampaign?

If you are just starting a business with an online presence and don’t have the budget to spend your hard-earned cash on advanced marketing analysis tools yet, Mailchimp can go a long way for you.

You can cut your teeth using this software or many other free email marketing platforms for just $0 and get used to using emails and newsletters for marketing campaigns.

If you continue to value simplicity, then you can also stick with Mailchimp into its paid tiers, which do offer many of the same features as ActiveCampaign, albeit in limited capacities.

Choosing between the two comes down to your familiarity with online marketing tools and the level of sophistication you desire in the analytical tools you can use to grow your business.

3. Campaign Monitor: Budget Pick

Campaign Monitor has been around since 2004, making this company the same age as ActiveCampaign.

Only recently have Campaign Monitor’s staff begun adding extended features, but like Mailchimp, its email capabilities stand out in the industry and make this a great alternative for those who just need to send emails.

Key Features of Campaign Monitor

Campaign Monitor does not pretend to be an all-in-one platform, which is what makes it the budget alternative.

Its key features and pricing tiers all relate to the increased deliverability and function of email campaigns.

ActiveCampaign has the edge on CRM and analytics but Campaign Monitor’s features allow you to dedicate all energies to excellent, successful email campaigns.

• Targeting: Personalize your email campaigns with email analytics and segmentation.
• Step-by-step guide: Miss nothing in your campaign building process with Campaign Monitor’s detailed email builder.
• Testing: Run A/B tests to determine the best marketing strategy for your team and product.
• Link review: Fight link rotting by using the link review feature to make sure all links to your products remain fresh and functional.
• Expanding communication options: Campaign Monitor now offers email, SMS, and live chat as options for communication and automated channels to your customers.

Best For

Small business owners who just need basic email marketing

ActiveCampaign vs. Campaign Monitor: How They Compare

While ActiveCampaign boasts excellent CRM features and workloads, its email builder is not as detailed as Campaign Monitor’s.

Campaign Monitor is one of the few exclusive email marketing platforms.

Its email interface not only creates a more thorough email than ActiveCampaign can; it is also easier to understand and use for new business owners approaching online marketing for their business.

Campaign Monitor’s basic version also offers a great starter package for you to begin automating your emails and campaigns at an affordable price.

Campaign Monitor starts at just $9/month for extensive email features, which is much cheaper compared to ActiveCampaign’s lite plan.

The extra cost for ActiveCampaign is for more complicated marketing features and analysis, but if you do not need these features, ActiveCampaign can be rather expensive.  

Why is Campaign Monitor a Great Alternative to ActiveCampaign?

Campaign Monitor’s simplicity makes it an excellent alternative to ActiveCampaign.

For just $9/month you can start an email marketing campaign without CRM or convoluted analytics getting in the way.

Their email builder also offers more detail and help than ActiveCampaign’s, which is perfect for users focused on this single dimension.

Its support is also highly rated, which assures that you are in good hands if you hit any snags.

Pros of Campaign Monitor

• Affordability: Campaign Monitor offers fairly-priced plans for email-marketing plans, so you can focus the majority of your budget on developing your product above all.
• Simplicity/Support: Campaign Monitor’s interface is intuitive and suitable for both experienced internet/computer users and business owners who are newer to the world of such technology.
• Focused: Campaign Monitor’s single-dimension focus lends it unparalleled excellence in conducting its email campaigns.

Cons of Campaign Monitor

• Inflexible Pricing: Campaign Monitor’s pricing always scales up to the next subscriber level, meaning you would pay the same price for 30,000 or 50,000 subscribers.
• Limited Capability: Campaign Monitor is an excellent email platform, but it offers no other features for building marketing campaigns.
• Overwhelming Templates: Campaign Monitor includes so many different templates for its emails that it can be overwhelming to choose from them.

Campaign Monitor Pricing

• Basic: $9/month
• Unlimited: $29/month
• Premier: $149/month

Conclusion: Should You Choose Campaign Monitor Over ActiveCampaign?

If you are a new small business or a still growing small business just starting with email campaigns, Campaign Monitor is a better option for you than ActiveCampaign.

ActiveCampaign’s features can be overwhelming and even obstructive to those still learning how to market online and its cost includes those extra features.

Campaign Monitor’s interface is more intuitive for business owners taking their first steps to grow online and its features will introduce you to analytics and engagement tracking with emails.

Though Campaign monitor does not offer as much integration or contact possibility as ActiveCampaign, Campaign Monitor may develop these features in time.

Notable Mentions: Other Alternatives to ActiveCampaign

Active Campaign, SendX, Mailchimp, and Campaign Monitor are certainly not the only online marketing tools available, and if none of them sounded appealing to you, then perhaps these honorable mentions may help you.

HubSpot

Hubspot has earned respect as a CRM platform and developed its features to improve customer relationships over two decades.

Its free version even includes a CRM and helps users understand how it and its features work.

Why Is HubSpot a Great Option?

Though Hubspot’s paid plans are more expensive than ActiveCampaigns, they present more possibilities to grow and more tools to do so, making the costs worth it.

Their analysis, automation, and personalization features are more extensive and help you say what a customer wants to hear in messages to them.  

Drawbacks to HubSpot

Hubspot might be a little too complicated and bloated for new users.

Its deep analytics might confuse users and get in the way of making new campaigns.

In addition, while many other companies operate on monthly billing models, Hubspot uses inflexible six- or 12-month contracts.

Consequently, this can make their already high prices feel even higher.

There is also no flexible pricing, unlike with ActiveCampaign and SendX.

Moosend

Moosend, like SendX, seeks to offer email marketing at an affordable price and help businesses grow through excellent email campaigns.

Their focus is above all on refining emails and their features and appearance.

Don’t expect a CRM here.

Doubling down on one aspect of online marketing has paid off for them and customers as they can offer all analytical features and design features of their email campaigns for prices based on subscribers rather than tiers.

Why Is Moosend a Great Option?

Moosend’s affordability makes it a great option and alternative to ActiveCampaign, as does its single focus.

Moosend might be the best option among the honorable mentions for customers focused on email campaigns.

They offer lovely, aesthetically pleasing templates for emails and newsletters to catch customers’ eyes, excellent analytical reporting on email marketing campaigns, and A/B testing to refine marketing strategies starting at $9/month for 500 subscribers.  

Drawbacks to Moosend

If you need a bit more than email automation, such as basic CRM features and landing page management, Moosend cannot help you.

Though affordable, it costs more than our top pick, SendX.

While SendX is $7.49/month for up to 1,000 subscribers, Moosend is nearly double the cost for the same amount of subscribers.

Aweber

Aweber is another email-first platform that has doubled down on refining its email marketing capabilities.

They seek to help business owners with building an email list and gaining customers with email campaigns and email automation but they also have landing page templates available in addition to eCommerce pages.

Why is Aweber a Great Option?

Aweber’s microfocus has expanded its capacity to market through email significantly.

The company offers over 700 templates for emails, while ActiveCampaign and others offer less than 100.

The marketing automation tool is also easy to use, with analytics that can be understood and explained through several connected mobile apps.

For creating an email/newsletter campaign with a specific aesthetic, Aweber is a great option.  

Drawbacks to Aweber

Like Moosend, Aweber is limited in terms of growing your business and attracting attention.

It also comes without CRM features, and although it does have analytics and landing page creation, these do not make up for the lack of CRM.

AWeber is also more expensive than Moosend, SendX, and ActiveCampaign.

It offers fewer features, with the only real payback being its expanded content template selection.

Even More Options To Check Out

To make this list of alternatives even more useful for our readers, we’ve analyzed more options that allow you to grow your business and improve your marketing techniques.

Let’s take a look at some newcomers to the field.

Sendinblue

Sendinblue is a newcomer to the email marketing and CRM scene but it has started to make a name for itself quickly.

Sendinblue features many of the same features as ActiveCampaign, SendX, and others, and even does so in a free version.

Its free version is limited, however, as it limits the number of emails you can send.

Its pricing is also its major drawback.

Though it offers a free version that can help new business owners get used to CRM and email automation, its other plans are more expensive than ActiveCampaign’s most basic package.

Omnisend

Omnisend poses itself as an alternative to all the offered options by offering unlimited “Web pushes” for all its pricing plans.

They never define what that means in the rundowns of their features, which are the same as every other email automation engine and tool.

Omnisend’s reporting features are delightfully easy to understand and their segmentation features are advanced and offered at the free level.

But ActiveCampaign and SendX’s segmentation features are just as advanced and come with more features for their price.

Getresponse

Getresponse started as an email marketing and automation service but converted to an all-in-one marketing needs suite.

Getresponse’s tools now include a website builder, live chat, and even sales-oriented features.

With the addition of these features and integration capabilities, Getresponse’s online marketing capacities have accelerated rapidly and attracted several small-business owners.

Their features are extensive and starting to grow, and they offer their tools in their free version.

Their paid versions are also affordable and based on contacts, starting at $19/month for 1,000 contacts.

Other Alternative Roundups (Similar to ActiveCampaign)

ActiveCampaign is not the only online marketing solution for which customers are seeking alternatives.

As online marketing grows in relevance, more companies have entered the market and now offer their services as alternatives for the big names in the industry.

Related services have begun expanding too, such as social media managers and marketing services.

If you are seeking these other services and want to see what their alternative markets look like, feel free to see these other roundups below.  

• Mailchimp: Mailchimp is not without a list of potential replacements or alternative services. Several services claim to offer better email marketing solutions and better CRM solutions. Evaluate these alternatives yourself with this list of Mailchimp alternatives.
• Hootsuite: Hootsuite’s social media management capacities have put it on the map for many businesses. But luckily, it does not hold a monopoly. So, if Hootsuite does not sound suitable for your business or product, then check out Hootsuite alternatives.
• Pipedrive: Pipedrive has become a go-to sales manager for thousands of business owners. But others have started to migrate away from it to these Pipedrive alternatives. If you are unsure if Pipedrive can help you better than an alternative, then look at all the other services you can use.

Frequently Asked Questions

Even after extensive comparison to nine other services, there still may be unresolved questions about ActiveCampaign, which we will answer here.

Wrapping Up

ActiveCampaign is not alone in providing great marketing services to business owners seeking to use the power of the internet to their advantage.

But their success may have gone to their head, as reflected in their now less-affordable pricing.

Thus, we recommend SendX to help you begin building your business or product’s online following.

And if you only seek to launch email campaigns, then we recommend Campaign Monitor.