ActiveCampaign vs Brevo (Sendinblue)
ActiveCampaign and Brevo (Sendinblue) are both popular choices in the all-in-one marketing platform space. ActiveCampaign has been around since 2003, giving it a 9-year head start over Brevo (Sendinblue) (founded 2012). Brevo (Sendinblue) starts at $9/mo versus $15/mo for ActiveCampaign. Brevo (Sendinblue) offers a free plan (Unlimited contacts, 300 emails/day), while ActiveCampaign does not. Both tools work well for ecommerce.
Quick Verdict
ActiveCampaign wins on deliverability, integrations.
Brevo (Sendinblue) wins on price, free tier.
Best for most users: Brevo (Sendinblue) (small businesses).
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.
Brevo (Sendinblue)
The most approachable CRM suite
Brevo (formerly Sendinblue) stands out with its unique pricing model based on email volume rather than subscriber count. This makes it particularly attractive for businesses with large contact lists but moderate email frequency. It also includes CRM, SMS, and transactional email capabilities.
Feature Comparison
| Feature | ActiveCampaign | Brevo (Sendinblue) |
|---|---|---|
| Rating | 4.5/5 | 4.5/5 |
| Starting Price | $15/mo | $9/mo |
| Free Plan | No free plan | Unlimited contacts, 300 emails/day |
| Founded | 2003 | 2012 |
| Email Templates | 250 | 60 |
| Integrations | 900 | 60 |
| Deliverability Rate | 97.5% | 96.5% |
| Marketing Automation | ✓ | ✓ |
| A/B Testing | ✓ | ✓ |
| Landing Pages | ✓ | ✓ |
| Segmentation | ✓ | ✓ |
| Drag & Drop Editor | ✓ | ✓ |
| SMS Marketing | ✓ | ✓ |
| Ecommerce Features | ✓ | ✓ |
| API Access | ✓ | ✓ |
| Multi-Language | ✓ | ✓ |
| Web Push Notifications | ✕ | ✓ |
| Live Chat | ✓ | ✓ |
| Advanced Analytics | ✓ | ✓ |
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
Brevo (Sendinblue): Pros & Cons
Pros
- +Unique pricing model based on emails sent, not contacts
- +Free plan allows unlimited contacts
- +Built-in SMS, WhatsApp, and live chat
- +Transactional email support
- +Strong API for developers
Cons
- −Free plan limited to 300 emails per day
- −Fewer email templates than competitors
- −Interface can feel cluttered
- −Automation is less intuitive than specialized tools
- −Some features feel underdeveloped
The Verdict
ActiveCampaign and Brevo (Sendinblue) 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, ActiveCampaign reports 97.5% compared to 96.5% for Brevo (Sendinblue) — a meaningful difference if inbox placement is critical for your campaigns.
| Criterion | Weight | ActiveCampaign | Brevo (Sendinblue) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Starting Price | 30% | $15/mo | $9/mo |
| Deliverability | 25% | 97.5% | 96.5% |
| Rating | 25% | 4.5/5 | 4.5/5 |
| Integrations | 10% | 900 | 60 |
| Free Tier | 10% | No | Yes |
Weights determine how much each criterion counts toward the final score. See full methodology
Choose ActiveCampaign if…
- + You're a agencies
- + You're a b2b
- + Industry-leading automation builder
Choose Brevo (Sendinblue) if…
- + You want lower starting costs ($9/mo)
- + You need a free plan to get started
- + You're a small businesses
- + You're a transactional email