ActiveCampaign vs beehiiv
ActiveCampaign is a all-in-one marketing platform while beehiiv is a newsletter platform. ActiveCampaign has been around since 2003, giving it a 18-year head start over beehiiv (founded 2021). ActiveCampaign starts at $15/mo billed annually, while beehiiv starts at $49/mo. Their pricing is not measured the same way, so we don't rank them on price. beehiiv offers a free plan (2,500 subscribers), while ActiveCampaign does not. ActiveCampaign has the edge with SMS marketing.
Quick Verdict
ActiveCampaign wins on integrations.
beehiiv wins on deliverability, free tier.
Best for most users: beehiiv (newsletter creators).
ActiveCampaign
Marketing automation that drives growth
ActiveCampaign is widely regarded as having the best marketing automation capabilities in the email marketing space. It combines email marketing with a built-in CRM, making it ideal for businesses that need sophisticated automation workflows and sales pipeline management.
beehiiv
The newsletter platform built for growth
beehiiv was built by the team behind Morning Brew's growth to 4 million subscribers. It's specifically designed for newsletter businesses with built-in monetization through ad networks, paid subscriptions, and referral programs. The highest affiliate commission in the space at up to 60%.
Feature Comparison
| Feature | ActiveCampaign | beehiiv |
|---|---|---|
| Rating | 4.5/5 | 4.5/5 |
| Starting Price | $15/mo billed annually | $49/mo |
| Free Plan | No free plan | 2,500 subscribers |
| Founded | 2003 | 2021 |
| Email Templates | 250 | 20 |
| Integrations | 900 | 40 |
| Deliverability Rate | 97.5% | 98% |
| Marketing Automation | Yes | Yes |
| A/B Testing | Yes | Yes |
| Landing Pages | Yes | Yes |
| Segmentation | Yes | Yes |
| Drag & Drop Editor | Yes | Yes |
| SMS Marketing | Yes | No |
| Ecommerce Features | Yes | Yes |
| API Access | Yes | Yes |
| Multi-Language | Yes | No |
| Web Push Notifications | No | No |
| Live Chat | Yes | No |
| Advanced Analytics | Yes | Yes |
ActiveCampaign: Pros & Cons
Pros
- + Industry-leading automation builder
- + Built-in CRM for sales teams
- + 900+ integrations (largest ecosystem)
- + Excellent deliverability
- + Powerful segmentation and contact scoring
Cons
- − No free plan available
- − Steep learning curve for beginners
- − Gets expensive with higher-tier features
- − Reporting could be more intuitive
- − Landing page builder is basic compared to dedicated tools
beehiiv: Pros & Cons
Pros
- + Purpose-built for newsletter businesses
- + Built-in ad network for monetization
- + Referral program to grow subscribers
- + Paid subscription support
- + Founded by ex-Morning Brew team
Cons
- − Limited to newsletter use case
- − Fewer templates than established tools
- − Smaller integration ecosystem
- − No SMS marketing
- − Relatively new platform (2021)
The Verdict
ActiveCampaign and beehiiv are closely matched — both score within 0.0 points of each other in our overall rating. Your decision should come down to specific needs rather than overall quality. On deliverability, beehiiv reports 98% compared to 97.5% for ActiveCampaign — a meaningful difference if inbox placement is critical for your campaigns.
| Criterion | Weight | ActiveCampaign | beehiiv |
|---|---|---|---|
| Starting Price | 30% | $15/mo billed annually | $49/mo |
| Deliverability | 25% | 97.5% | 98% Winner |
| Rating | 25% | 4.5/5 | 4.5/5 |
| Integrations | 10% | 900 Winner | 40 |
| Free Tier | 10% | No | Yes Winner |
Weights determine how much each criterion counts toward the final score. See full methodology
Choose ActiveCampaign if…
- + You need SMS marketing
- + You're a ecommerce
- + You're a agencies
Choose beehiiv if…
- + You need a free plan to get started
- + You're a newsletter creators
- + You're a media companies