ActiveCampaign vs Octopus CRM

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 for ActiveCampaign cited by reviewers is email marketing (81% of reviewers).

Users and use cases

Some users report that ActiveCampaign offers strong value for money due to its comprehensive features and flexible tiered pricing. However, reviewers indicate frustration with rising costs, forced upgrades, and inflexible billing as contact lists grow.

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 program 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

Frequent slowdowns 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

Sometimes, speed and agility can be an issue. When in the interface with multiple templates and graphics may come hard for your pc, and the site may look a bit exhausted and lagging.

74% of reviewers feel negative about ActiveCampaign’s performance and speed. Users report frequent slow loading times, laggy interfaces, and delays when working with large data sets or complex templates. They say the platform can become clunky, especially during peak usage or when editing emails and automations. Reviewers mention that these slowdowns disrupt workflow and can be frustrating, particularly for those managing extensive campaigns. Many note that the system’s sluggishness affects efficiency and sometimes requires repeated logins or workarounds to complete tasks.

Persistent 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.

63% of reviewers feel negative about ActiveCampaign’s bugs and issues. Users frequently encounter glitches across various features, such as unreliable undo functions, template saving problems, and inconsistent automation execution. Reviewers say technical issues often require workarounds and can disrupt campaign management. Many express frustration with slow or ineffective responses from support regarding bug fixes. Users also mention that some bugs have persisted for years without resolution, leading to additional stress and wasted time troubleshooting or repeating tasks.

Limited and clunky builder tools

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 find the landing page and form customization options limited compared to competitors, making it difficult to achieve desired designs. Reviewers mention the interface is not intuitive, requiring multiple clicks and extra steps for basic tasks. Many report frequent glitches, slow loading, and challenges with embedding or formatting forms. Users also highlight issues with navigation, lack of undo functionality, and insufficient flexibility for responsive or advanced customization needs.

Complex and costly pricing structure

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."

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.

40% of reviewers feel negative about ActiveCampaign’s pricing. Users say the subscription model can become expensive as contact lists grow, with significant jumps between pricing tiers. Reviewers mention frustration with inflexible plans, unexpected charges, and difficulty downgrading or adjusting subscriptions. Many note that additional costs for integrations or features increase the overall expense. Users also express dissatisfaction with billing transparency and the short duration of the free trial, feeling that the pricing does not always align with the value received.

Email builder and deliverability challenges

36% of reviewers feel negative about ActiveCampaign’s email-related features. Users report the email builder is outdated, unintuitive, and lacks flexibility for custom designs or advanced formatting. Reviewers mention issues with email deliverability, delays, and formatting inconsistencies across devices. Many find the process of creating and editing emails cumbersome, with frequent bugs and limitations in A/B testing, automation timing, and integration with other tools. Users also note challenges with managing large lists and ensuring emails avoid spam filters.

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 process. Reviewers appreciate the comprehensive training resources, including webinars, one-on-one coaching, and dedicated onboarding specialists who guide them through setup and best practices. Users say the onboarding is smooth, with personalized support that addresses their unique business needs. Many find the transition to ActiveCampaign easy, noting that the onboarding team is patient and responsive. They value the ongoing support and accessible training materials, which help them quickly become comfortable and productive with the platform.

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. Users indicate the platform consistently delivers reliable results, highlighting measurable improvements in business processes and outreach. They appreciate the software’s ongoing enhancements and wide range of features that help streamline operations and boost productivity. Reviewers say the tool’s efficiency and constant updates make it a dependable choice for various business needs. Many users mention that ActiveCampaign’s effectiveness leads to significant time savings and improved decision-making, which they find crucial for achieving their organizational goals.

Comprehensive email marketing suite

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 functionality. Users appreciate the platform’s robust set of tools for creating, sending, and tracking email campaigns. They highlight features like advanced segmentation, customizable templates, and detailed reporting as key benefits. Reviewers say the integration with CRM and automation enhances their ability to manage customer relationships and personalize outreach. Many users note that the email marketing tools are cost-effective, flexible, and suitable for businesses of various sizes, helping them achieve higher engagement and ROI.

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.

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.

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.  

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.

I'd say the learning curve is not too different from any email campaign software out there, to the extent it is more difficult it is only because it is more loaded in features and capabilities compared to more streamlined/simpler alternatives.

Program Coordinator

I like the fact that automated workflows assist in ensuring that communication remains consistent without manual follow-ups all the time.

Customer Operations Lead

ActiveCampaign demonstrates an outstanding support in matters marketing automation, with advanced and AI supported capabilities

ActiveCampaign vs Octopus CRM Comparison (2026)

ActiveCampaign

Octopus CRM

Overview

Video & Screenshots

Pricing

User reviews

Key features

Integrations

Alternatives