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Marketing automation software · 11 alternatives

ActiveCampaign alternatives: 11 compared

Sebastiaan Smits By Sebastiaan Smits · Published October 8, 2026 · Updated October 8, 2026

Teams look past ActiveCampaign when the entry plan caps automations, when lead scoring needs a paid CRM add-on, or when contact limits and send caps start to drive the bill. They go to HubSpot or Zoho for a wider suite, to Keap or Brevo for small-team simplicity, or to Customer.io and Ortto for data-led journeys.

Short answer: The closest replacements for ActiveCampaign in our marketing automation software ranking are HubSpot Marketing Hub, Keap and Brevo. Choose HubSpot Marketing Hub if you want marketing, sales and service on one CRM and reporting tied to revenue. All 11 alternatives below are ranked products from Best Marketing Automation Software in 2026, and each says where it differs from ActiveCampaign and when ActiveCampaign is still the better choice.

Visibility in our rankings can be paid for. Payment moves a vendor's position within the shortlist; it never adds a vendor, and it never changes a word of the review or of this page. How it works: placement disclosure · editorial process.

ActiveCampaign at a glance

  • Headquarters: United States
  • Pricing model: Per contact tier / month
  • Pricing: Published plans priced by contact count; attribution and split testing inside automations start at Pro, while lead scoring and the deals pipeline come with a paid CRM add-on.
  • Free option: Free trial
  • Built for: Small B2B and B2C marketing teams
  • Wrong for: Software companies whose triggers live in product data, or B2B teams needing account-based views across large buying groups; Customer.io or Marketo Engage fit those better.
  • Place in our ranking: #1 of 15
  • Website: activecampaign.com

Facts from our marketing automation software ranking, last checked October 8, 2026.

Why buyers look past ActiveCampaign

  1. The entry plan caps automations

    The pricing page limits Starter to 5 actions per automation and unlimited actions from Plus. A/B testing inside automations is listed from Pro, and attribution and conversion tracking sit in Pro's feature list. A team that wants long journeys on the cheapest plan hits the ceiling quickly.

  2. Scoring and sales features are add-ons

    Lead scoring is listed as included in the Pipelines add-on, win probability in the Sales Engagement add-on, and SMS is a separate add-on. Marketing teams that expected scoring in the base plan budget for extras.

  3. Contact limits control sending

    Terms of service say the monthly send limit follows your contact limit and plan, and that once it is reached you cannot send until the next calendar month. With auto-upgrade on, fees rise immediately when you exceed the contact limit.

11 alternatives at a glance

Closest replacement first. The last column is our place in the full 15-product ranking.

#AlternativeHeadquartersPricingKey differenceSwitch ifOur rank
1HubSpot Marketing HubUnited StatesPer seat plus contact tier / month; free planInbound marketing suite tied to HubSpot's CRMyou want marketing, sales and service on one CRM and reporting tied to revenue#4
2KeapUnited StatesPer contact tier / month; free trialSmall-business CRM with built-in campaign automationyou are a small service business that wants CRM, invoicing and automation together with guided setup#14
3BrevoFrancePer email volume / month; free planEmail, SMS and WhatsApp automation from Parisyou want unlimited workflows and contact scoring without a separate CRM add-on#13
4Zoho Marketing AutomationIndiaPer contact tier / month; free trialLow-cost journeys and scoring inside the Zoho familyyou already use other Zoho apps and want scoring and A/B testing in one plan tier#7
5OrttoAustraliaPer contact tier / month; free trialCustomer data platform with journeys and analyticsyour triggers come from product or app data and you want that data inside the tool#2
6Customer.ioUnited StatesUsage-based; free trialProduct-event messaging for software companiesyour messages fire from product events and you want a published entry price per profile#3
7KlaviyoUnited StatesPer active profile tier / month; free planEcommerce email and SMS automation on purchase datayour revenue comes from an online store and flows depend on order and browse data#15
8Act-OnUnited StatesPer active contact tier / month; noneMid-market B2B marketing automationyou run B2B demand generation with a sales team and want to keep dormant contacts#8
9Salesforce Marketing Cloud Account EngagementUnited StatesFlat monthly per org; noneB2B marketing automation built for Salesforce CRMyour sales team lives in Salesforce and you need account-based marketing on that stack#6
10BrazeUnited StatesQuote only; free trialCustomer engagement platform for consumer appsyou message consumers across push, SMS and app channels at large volume#11
11Oracle EloquaUnited StatesQuote only; noneEnterprise B2B marketing automation from Oracleyour marketing operation is large, regulated or multi-team and needs enterprise governance#12

What each alternative does differently

1. HubSpot Marketing Hub

Inbound marketing suite tied to HubSpot's CRM · United States

A suite built on a shared CRM. Marketing Hub has a free tier and Starter, Professional and Enterprise editions listed per seat, with a 14-day trial. Multi-touch attribution is part of its advanced reporting. It is a bigger commitment than a standalone automation tool, and the CRM comes with it.

Switch from ActiveCampaign if you want marketing, sales and service on one CRM and reporting tied to revenue.

Pricing: Free tools, then Starter, Professional and Enterprise editions priced by seats plus marketing contact tiers; workflows begin at Professional. (free plan)

Full review: #4 of 15 in our ranking · Visit HubSpot Marketing Hub →

2. Keap

Small-business CRM with built-in campaign automation · United States

Small-business CRM and automation in one account, now a Thryv brand. Pricing starts at $299 a month billed as $2,988 a year, implementation services are required, and an annual contract carries a $299 early termination fee. The trial sends at most 25 emails and cannot take payments.

Switch from ActiveCampaign if you are a small service business that wants CRM, invoicing and automation together with guided setup.

Pricing: One published plan priced by contact count, from $299 a month billed annually with two users included, extra users at $39 each and a required paid implementation package; limited free trial. (free trial)

Full review: #14 of 15 in our ranking · Visit Keap →

3. Brevo

Email, SMS and WhatsApp automation from Paris · France

Multichannel and volume-priced. Standard adds unlimited multi-step workflows and A/B testing, while Professional adds contact scoring, WhatsApp, popups and push, with 10 seats. A Free plan exists, and SMS credit is sold separately. Sales features are priced as a separate Sales plan.

Switch from ActiveCampaign if you want unlimited workflows and contact scoring without a separate CRM add-on.

Pricing: A free plan with a daily sending cap, then paid tiers priced mainly by monthly email volume rather than stored contacts; SMS and WhatsApp messages are bought as credits. (free plan)

Full review: #13 of 15 in our ranking · Visit Brevo →

4. Zoho Marketing Automation

Low-cost journeys and scoring inside the Zoho family · India

A multi-tier suite on a 14-day trial without a card. Standard allows 10 users, Professional 15 and adds scores, advanced segmentation, landing pages and email A/B testing, and Enterprise allows 25. Every plan lists 1,000,000 non-marketing contacts and unlimited social campaigns.

Switch from ActiveCampaign if you already use other Zoho apps and want scoring and A/B testing in one plan tier.

Pricing: Published plans priced by contact count at a low entry point, with lead scoring from the Professional plan; also included in Zoho One. (free trial)

Full review: #7 of 15 in our ranking · Visit Zoho Marketing Automation →

5. Ortto

Customer data platform with journeys and analytics · Australia

Journeys and a customer data platform in one product. Its journey builder sends email, SMS and push, and it includes lead scoring, popups and forms, with a free trial. We could not load a public price list, so quotes and plan limits need a direct check.

Switch from ActiveCampaign if your triggers come from product or app data and you want that data inside the tool.

Pricing: Published plans priced by contact count, with higher tiers for advanced data and analytics features. (free trial)

Full review: #2 of 15 in our ranking · Visit Ortto →

6. Customer.io

Product-event messaging for software companies · United States

Data-driven messaging for product teams. Essentials starts at $100 a month for 5,000 profiles and 1 million emails, with a visual workflow builder and 2 object types. Premium starts at $1,000 a month billed yearly, and early-stage companies can claim a year free.

Switch from ActiveCampaign if your messages fire from product events and you want a published entry price per profile.

Pricing: Published plans from $100 a month for Essentials, priced by profiles with an email allowance; reverse ETL on every plan, warehouse destinations and data replay from Premium. (free trial)

Full review: #3 of 15 in our ranking · Visit Customer.io →

7. Klaviyo

Ecommerce email and SMS automation on purchase data · United States

Commerce-centered. The Free plan covers 250 active profiles and 500 email sends a month, and paid tiers follow the active profile count. Email and SMS are separate plans in its help center. It centers on store data, not on lead handoff to sales.

Switch from ActiveCampaign if your revenue comes from an online store and flows depend on order and browse data.

Pricing: A free plan for up to 250 active profiles and 500 email sends a month, then tiers priced by active profiles, with SMS and other mobile messages billed separately. (free plan)

Full review: #15 of 15 in our ranking · Visit Klaviyo →

8. Act-On

Mid-market B2B marketing automation · United States

B2B-focused with active contact pricing, so inactive contacts are not purged. Professional is listed at $900 a month for 2,500 contacts, an annual contract is required, and CRM integration with Salesforce and others sits in Enterprise. SMS and account-based marketing are add-ons.

Switch from ActiveCampaign if you run B2B demand generation with a sales team and want to keep dormant contacts.

Pricing: Professional starts at $900 a month for 2,500 active contacts on an annual contract; Enterprise is quoted, and CRM sync and account-based marketing are add-ons on Professional. (none)

Full review: #8 of 15 in our ranking · Visit Act-On →

9. Salesforce Marketing Cloud Account Engagement

B2B marketing automation built for Salesforce CRM · United States

Priced per org, not per contact. Growth+ is listed at $1,250 a month, Plus+ at $2,750, Advanced+ at $4,400 and Premium+ at $15,000, all billed annually, with account-based marketing from Plus+. Its fit is a company that already runs Salesforce CRM.

Switch from ActiveCampaign if your sales team lives in Salesforce and you need account-based marketing on that stack.

Pricing: Org-level editions with published list prices starting above a thousand dollars a month, billed annually, plus add-ons. (none)

Full review: #6 of 15 in our ranking · Visit Salesforce Marketing Cloud Account Engagement →

10. Braze

Customer engagement platform for consumer apps · United States

Consumer engagement at volume. Editions are Go, Select, Pro and Enterprise, pricing is by request, and a free trial is offered. It sends email, push, SMS, MMS, RCS and WhatsApp, and ingests data from cloud warehouses. It is aimed at app and consumer brands, not small B2B teams.

Switch from ActiveCampaign if you message consumers across push, SMS and app channels at large volume.

Pricing: Quote-only contracts built from a platform edition, monthly active users and a pool of Action Credits spent on messages; trials and startup programs are offered. (free trial)

Full review: #11 of 15 in our ranking · Visit Braze →

11. Oracle Eloqua

Enterprise B2B marketing automation from Oracle · United States

Enterprise B2B automation from Oracle. Its page lists campaign orchestration, lead management, account-based marketing and data management, and offers a demo request instead of prices. Plans and implementation scope are not stated, so ask for a written quote.

Switch from ActiveCampaign if your marketing operation is large, regulated or multi-team and needs enterprise governance.

Pricing: Quote-only enterprise contracts, typically multi-year. (none)

Full review: #12 of 15 in our ranking · Visit Oracle Eloqua →

When ActiveCampaign is still the right choice

Stay if your journeys fit within the plan you pay for, the integrations you need already connect, and lead scoring is not a requirement. The pricing page lists a free 14-day trial and Pro features such as A/B testing in automations. A small team with working sequences has little to gain from a suite migration.

What to expect when you switch from ActiveCampaign

  1. Export contacts before you cancel

    ActiveCampaign's terms say that after cancellation or termination you cannot access or restore any contact data. Cancellation takes effect at the end of the current subscription period, so export your contacts and custom fields while the account is active.

  2. Rebuild automations by hand

    Automations, forms and tracking do not travel as a contact file. Expect to recreate journeys, re-embed forms and rerun site tracking in the new tool. Keep the old account until the first live journey has completed a full cycle.

Questions and answers

What happens to my data if I cancel ActiveCampaign?

You lose access once you cancel. The terms of service say that after cancellation or termination you will not have access to, or be able to restore, any contact data, so export first. The terms also mention a possible pause option instead of cancelling.

When does cancellation take effect?

At the end of the current subscription period. The terms say requests take effect then, inactivity is not cancellation, and the designated account owner or an authorized signatory must send the notice.

Can I export my contacts and custom fields?

ActiveCampaign's help center covers contact export, but we could not load it for this review, so confirm the current steps and the fields included. Run a test export and open the file before you cancel.

Do my fees rise if my list grows?

Yes, the monthly send limit follows your contact limit and plan. With auto-upgrade enabled, the terms say fees rise immediately once you exceed the contact limit, and renewals continue at the upgraded amount.

Do alternatives require annual contracts?

Some do. Act-On says an annual contract is required, Salesforce states per-month products need an annual contract, and Keap charges a $299 early termination fee on annual terms. Customer.io Essentials is listed as billed monthly.

Which alternatives include lead scoring in the plan?

Zoho lists scores in Professional, Brevo lists contact scoring in Professional, and Ortto has a lead scoring feature page. At ActiveCampaign, scoring comes with the Pipelines add-on, so compare totals.

Sources

Prices, plan limits and product facts about ActiveCampaign on this page were checked against the vendors' own pages on October 8, 2026. Vendors change both without notice, so treat the figures as of that date.

Who wrote this

Sebastiaan Smits Sebastiaan Smits, Founder, wrote, edited and fact-checked this page. Founder of The Interregnum and of 2 Steps Ahead, an AI search visibility agency. Writes, edits and fact-checks every page here. Last reviewed October 8, 2026. How we review.