ActiveCampaign vs Mailshake

Brevo

Mailchimp

MailerLite

Brevo is a CRM and email marketing solution that helps businesses run multi-channel marketing campaigns across email, WhatsApp, SMS, web push, and Facebook ads. Teams can trigger transactional emails, SMS, and WhatsApp notifications over Brevo SMTP and APIs.

Mailchimp is an email and SMS marketing platform that combines artificial intelligence with marketing automation capabilities. The platform features a drag-and-drop builder, content creation tools, and audience management functions to help businesses design and distribute marketing campaigns across multiple channels.

From newsletters to automated customer journeys—join 700,000 businesses scaling the easy way with MailerLite. 

Fractional COO

Customer service takes days to get answers and help even when you are at the enterprise level.  

Customer Service Representative

ActiveCampaign allows us to engage and interact  more effectively with potential leads which see us increase the rate of deals that we make from our marketing campaigns.

Technical Support Engineer

ActiveCampaign has assisted me in maintaining follow-ups and service updates.

ActiveCampaign is the AI-first marketing platform built to transform how marketers, agencies, and entrepreneurs work. Use Active Intelligence to power goal-aware automations and orchestrate personalized experiences across email, SMS, and WhatsApp. 

A/B Testing

Access Controls/Permissions

Activity Dashboard

Activity/News Feed

Activity Tracking

Alerts/Notifications

Appointment Scheduling

Archiving & Retention

Assignment Management

Autoresponders

Batch Processing

Calendar Management

Calendar/Reminder System

Call Logging

Campaign Analytics

Campaign Management

Campaign Planning

Campaign Scheduling

Campaign Segmentation

Canned Responses

CAN-SPAM Compliance

Channel Management

Chat/Messaging

Click Tracking

Client Management

Collaboration Tools

Commenting/Notes

Commission Management

Contact Database

Contact Management

Content Management

Conversion Rate Optimization

Conversion Tracking

Customer Database

Customer Journey Mapping

Customer Segmentation

Customer Surveys

Customizable Branding

Customizable CTAs

Customizable Fields

Customizable Forms

Customizable Reports

Customizable Templates

Data Import/Export

Data Recovery

Deal Management

Document Management

Document Storage

Drag & Drop

Drip Campaigns

Dynamic Content

Email Campaign Management

Email Distribution

Email Management

Email Marketing

Email Monitoring

Email Sequences

Email Templates

Email Tracking

Engagement Tracking

Event Marketing

Event Triggered Actions

Field Sales Management

File Sharing

Forecasting

For iPad Devices

Forms Management

For Sales Teams/Organizations

For Startups

GDPR Compliance

Generative AI

Goal Setting/Tracking

HTML Editor

Image Library

Inbox Management

Interaction Tracking

Kanban Board

Landing Pages/Web Forms

Lead Assignment

Lead Capture

Lead Distribution

Lead Generation

Lead Management

Lead Nurturing

Lead Qualification

Lead Scoring

Lead Segmentation

Lead Verification/Validation

List Management

Live Chat

Marketing Automation

Marketing Calendar

Mobile Access

Mobile App

Mobile Optimization

Monitoring

Multi-Campaign

Multi-Channel Communication

By industry, ActiveCampaign reviewers are most commonly professionals in marketing and advertising (19%). The most frequent use case cited is email marketing (80% of reviewers).

Users and use cases

Reviewers indicate that ActiveCampaign offers strong features and integrations for the price, and some users say the tiered pricing and flexibility are valuable. However, some reviewers find costs rise quickly, and they report frustration with confusing billing and frequent price increases.

Value for money

The ActiveCampaign integrations most frequently cited by reviewers are: Zapier (an integration product rated 4.6 out of 5 for its integration with ActiveCampaign), WordPress (a website builder product, 4.8), and Calendly (an appointment scheduling product, 4.5).

Integrations

ActiveCampaign is an email marketing solution with key features that include marketing automation, email campaign management, list management, and more.

ActiveCampaign

Web-based

Linux

iPad

Android

iPhone

Windows

Chromebook

HubSpot Marketing Hub

Keap

Constant Contact

GetResponse

Drip

HubSpot CRM

AWeber

SendGrid

Kajabi

Salesforce Sales Cloud

Pipedrive

Klaviyo

Zoho CRM

Salesforce Marketing Cloud Account Engagement

Starter

Plus

Enterprise

Slow performance and lag

Front End Developer

The slowness with which I can do what I need to do, there are often bugs and I have to log out and back in to my profile to continue working

Content Writer

Even more so if you have a larger list, the platform is frequently slow.

73% of reviewers feel negative about ActiveCampaign’s performance and speed. Users report frequent slow loading times, laggy interfaces, and delays when handling large lists or complex workflows. They say the platform can become clunky, especially when editing emails, navigating between pages, or using advanced features. Reviewers find that these slowdowns disrupt productivity and make routine tasks more time-consuming. Many mention that performance issues are persistent, sometimes requiring browser refreshes or re-logins, and can be particularly frustrating for users managing high volumes of data.

Recurring bugs and glitches

Marketing Executive

Seems to be a bit buggy lately, with some criteria like "send in a contacts timezone" (which I used to praise and use constantly) not executing.

Businessman

The software glitches at times while trying to delete/add too many contacts at once.

62% of reviewers feel negative about ActiveCampaign’s bugs and issues. Users frequently encounter glitches across various features, such as contact management, reporting, and automation execution. They mention problems like unreliable undo functions, template saving errors, and duplicate contacts. Reviewers say these issues often require workarounds, add unnecessary complexity, and sometimes go unresolved for extended periods. Many express frustration with the lack of timely bug fixes and inconsistent support communication, noting that recurring technical problems can disrupt business operations and user confidence.

Limited and clunky page/form builder

IT Engineer

The integrations with other platforms are not as comprehensive as one would like them to be and the landing page builder is unable to allow custom design page as one would like to do build

Marketing Lead

For example, the automation page often starts glitching when I try to scroll down, or the Forms button can't be clicked until after I click another option in the dropdown menu. Besides that, it feels a little clunky to edit things - a mix of a slower site, UI choices and protocols to make sure you don't delete something too quickly.

48% of reviewers feel negative about ActiveCampaign’s page and form builder. Users indicate the builder lacks customization options and is less intuitive compared to competitors. They report difficulties with editing, formatting, and embedding forms, as well as frequent glitches and slow loading. Reviewers find the navigation cumbersome, with essential features buried in menus or requiring multiple clicks. Many mention challenges integrating forms with other platforms, limited design flexibility, and issues with responsiveness on mobile devices, making the builder less suitable for advanced or visually-driven campaigns.

Complex and increasing pricing

Owner | Founder

What I didn't like about the software is the need to upgrade your subscription when the number of people in your list increases and the onset 2-year lock-in period upon sign up.

President

Id prefer to pay a flat rate for a service.   Plus the pricing tier jumps are pretty large so if you go over my 1 contact it costs you double or close to it.

39% of reviewers feel negative about ActiveCampaign’s pricing. Users express concerns about frequent price increases, large jumps between tiers, and the need to upgrade as contact lists grow. They mention the lack of flexibility in plans, additional costs for integrations, and challenges with billing transparency. Reviewers say the pricing structure can be confusing, with some feeling forced to pay for features they don’t need or being unable to downgrade easily. Many highlight that the cost becomes significant for small businesses or as their needs scale.

Email editor and deliverability issues

37% of reviewers feel negative about ActiveCampaign’s email functionality. Users report the email editor is unintuitive, limited in design flexibility, and sometimes buggy, making it difficult to create visually appealing emails. They mention challenges with formatting, image handling, and lack of advanced features found in other platforms. Reviewers also highlight occasional deliverability problems, delays in sending, and issues with tracking or reporting. Many find the process of building and testing emails time-consuming, especially for those without technical expertise, impacting overall campaign effectiveness.

Supportive onboarding experience

Chief Habit Wrangler

Transitioning to Active Campaign was fantastic - I had a free comprehensive onboarding series of meetings plus free migration done for me in a timely manner.

I have had three on boarding one-on-one calls where they have understood my business and helped me with all the setup, resources and best practices to start using it the best way possible.

92% of reviewers feel positive about ActiveCampaign’s onboarding. Reviewers appreciate the thorough onboarding process, including personalized coaching calls, webinars, and accessible training materials. They say onboarding specialists are attentive, patient, and proactive in ensuring a smooth transition and setup. Users find the initial learning curve manageable due to the supportive resources and ongoing assistance. Many mention that onboarding helps them quickly understand the platform, set up workflows, and address specific business needs, making the start with ActiveCampaign less daunting and more productive.

Consistent, measurable effectiveness

Manager

The is very effective and outcomes can be easily measured.

Marketing

I like that it is very effective, gets the job done in a timely manner.

94% of reviewers feel positive about ActiveCampaign’s effectiveness. Reviewers indicate the platform consistently delivers measurable results, with many noting significant improvements in business processes and outreach. They appreciate the wide variety of helpful features and ongoing product enhancements, which contribute to reliable and efficient workflows. Users say the software’s simplicity and continual updates make it a dependable choice for both daily operations and long-term growth. They find the tool effective for tracking progress, making informed decisions, and increasing productivity, emphasizing its positive impact on business outcomes.

Versatile email marketing platform

software development

ActiveCampaign is a powerful and comprehensive email marketing and automation software that offers a wide range of features and benefits for businesses of all sizes.

Director

The email marketing system is thorough, and does what it says on the tin, The reporting capabilities are strong, and it is useful to have this all tied in with a clear CRM and Deal flow management system.

88% of reviewers feel positive about ActiveCampaign’s email marketing. Users appreciate the comprehensive set of tools for creating, sending, and tracking email campaigns. They mention the platform’s strong segmentation, reporting, and template options, which support personalized communication and effective list management. Reviewers say the integration of CRM and automation features enhances their marketing strategies and streamlines workflows. Many highlight the affordability, scalability, and ability to manage campaigns for businesses of various sizes, making it a reliable solution for ongoing email marketing needs.

Sr People Ops

Active Campaign has a lot of native integrations with the current tech stack we have, so it allows us to seamlessly bring it onboard and start making impact in processes.  

Financial Planner

There are so many options for segmenting automated campaigns based on recipient action, timing intervals, contact management (tags, labels, lists, etc).

Customer Service Lead

The automation capabilities will enable me to create a more complicated pre-arrival sequence to automatically deliver check-in instructions and upsell offers to the guests prior to their arrival.

Marketing Coordinator

The email management capabilities will enable us to divide our attendee lists into different segments based on their interests in particular events, which will guarantee high engagement rates.

Design Lead

Email marketing and access control and also scheduling ActiveCampaign provides the most reliable options and real time data analytics generation ability is helpful.

Commercial Director

The high pricing levels are not good value since our international B2B database is expanding, and customer service or specific client service is much too slow when we require to make difficult security permissions to our regional salespeople.

Owner

When I attempted to change my billing from annual to monthly for the same plan, the company claimed it had migrated my account from an old model to a new one and that it would now cost more than 7 times what I was paying previously because I was "downgrading."

ActiveCampaign vs Mailshake Comparison (2026)

ActiveCampaign vs Mailshake Comparison (2026)

ActiveCampaign

Mailshake

Overview

Video & Screenshots

Pricing

User reviews

Key features

Integrations

Alternatives