ActiveCampaign vs Campaign Monitor
ActiveCampaign is a all-in-one marketing platform while Campaign Monitor is a email marketing platform. ActiveCampaign starts at $15/mo billed annually, while Campaign Monitor starts at $12/mo. Their pricing is not measured the same way, so we don't rank them on price. ActiveCampaign has the edge with landing pages. Both tools work well for agencies.
Quick Verdict
ActiveCampaign wins on rating, integrations.
Best for most users: ActiveCampaign (ecommerce).
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.
Campaign Monitor
Beautifully crafted email marketing
Campaign Monitor is particularly well-suited for agencies and brands that need polished, branded email campaigns. Its client management features and beautiful template builder make it a popular choice for marketing agencies managing multiple client accounts.
Feature Comparison
| Feature | ActiveCampaign | Campaign Monitor |
|---|---|---|
| Rating | 4.5/5 | 4.1/5 |
| Starting Price | $15/mo billed annually | $12/mo |
| Free Plan | No free plan | No free plan |
| Founded | 2003 | 2004 |
| Email Templates | 250 | 120 |
| Integrations | 900 | 250 |
| Deliverability Rate | 97.5% | 97.5% |
| Marketing Automation | Yes | Yes |
| A/B Testing | Yes | Yes |
| Landing Pages | Yes | No |
| Segmentation | Yes | Yes |
| Drag & Drop Editor | Yes | Yes |
| SMS Marketing | Yes | Yes |
| Ecommerce Features | Yes | Yes |
| API Access | Yes | Yes |
| Multi-Language | Yes | Yes |
| 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
Campaign Monitor: Pros & Cons
Pros
- + Excellent email template builder
- + Strong agency features and client management
- + Good deliverability
- + Time zone sending optimization
- + Link review feature prevents broken links
Cons
- − No free plan
- − Lite plan caps at 2,500 emails
- − Premier plan expensive ($159/mo)
- − No landing page builder
- − Limited automation on lower tiers
The Verdict
ActiveCampaign edges ahead with a 4.5/5 rating compared to Campaign Monitor's 4.1/5. The gap comes mainly from support (4.7 vs 3.8) and feature depth (4.7 vs 4.2).
| Criterion | Weight | ActiveCampaign | Campaign Monitor |
|---|---|---|---|
| Starting Price | 30% | $15/mo billed annually | $12/mo |
| Deliverability | 25% | 97.5% | 97.5% |
| Rating | 25% | 4.5/5 Winner | 4.1/5 |
| Integrations | 10% | 900 Winner | 250 |
| Free Tier | 10% | No | No |
Weights determine how much each criterion counts toward the final score. See full methodology
Choose ActiveCampaign if…
- + You need built-in landing pages
- + You're a ecommerce
- + You're a b2b
Choose Campaign Monitor if…
- + You're a brands
- + You're a designers
- + Excellent email template builder