ActiveCampaign vs Keap
ActiveCampaign and Keap are both popular choices in the all-in-one marketing platform space. ActiveCampaign starts at $15/mo billed annually, while Keap starts at $299/mo. Their pricing is not measured the same way, so we don't rank them on price.
Quick Verdict
ActiveCampaign wins on deliverability, rating.
Keap wins on 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.
Keap
CRM-powered sales and marketing automation for small businesses
Keap (formerly Infusionsoft, founded 2001, acquired by Thryv in 2024) is a premium all-in-one CRM and marketing automation platform built for sales-driven small businesses that need contact management, email sequences, SMS marketing, invoicing, and appointment scheduling in a single tool. Its strength lies in powerful automation workflows and a dedicated Customer Success Manager, but the $299/month starting price for just 1,500 contacts makes it one of the most expensive options in its category.
Feature Comparison
| Feature | ActiveCampaign | Keap |
|---|---|---|
| Rating | 4.5/5 | 4.2/5 |
| Starting Price | $15/mo billed annually | $299/mo |
| Free Plan | No free plan | No free plan |
| Founded | 2003 | 2001 |
| Email Templates | 250 | 70 |
| Integrations | 900 | 5,000 |
| Deliverability Rate | 97.5% | 93% |
| Marketing Automation | Yes | Yes |
| A/B Testing | Yes | Yes |
| Landing Pages | Yes | Yes |
| Segmentation | Yes | Yes |
| Drag & Drop Editor | Yes | Yes |
| SMS Marketing | Yes | Yes |
| Ecommerce Features | Yes | Yes |
| API Access | Yes | Yes |
| Multi-Language | Yes | No |
| Web Push Notifications | No | No |
| Live Chat | Yes | Yes |
| 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
Keap: Pros & Cons
Pros
- + Powerful drag-and-drop automation builder that handles complex multi-step sales workflows with conditional triggers
- + True all-in-one platform combining CRM, email, SMS, invoicing, payments, and appointment scheduling
- + Dedicated Customer Success Manager included with every plan for hands-on onboarding and support
- + Deep contact management with tagging, segmentation, and centralized views that reduce manual data entry
- + Built-in text marketing with tiered messaging plans and voice minutes integrated directly into automations
Cons
- − Extremely expensive at $299/month for only 1,500 contacts, with costs escalating quickly for additional contacts and users
- − Steep learning curve with complex campaign builder layouts and no undo button, causing frustration during setup
- − Email marketing capabilities feel half-baked compared to dedicated email platforms despite the premium pricing
- − Invoicing feature is rigid and does not support hourly billing or flexible customization
- − Dated mobile experience and slow feature development compared to more agile competitors like GoHighLevel
The Verdict
ActiveCampaign edges ahead with a 4.5/5 rating compared to Keap's 4.2/5. The gap comes mainly from value for money (4.3 vs 3.7) and deliverability (4.4 vs 3.9). On deliverability, ActiveCampaign reports 97.5% compared to 93% for Keap — a meaningful difference if inbox placement is critical for your campaigns.
| Criterion | Weight | ActiveCampaign | Keap |
|---|---|---|---|
| Starting Price | 30% | $15/mo billed annually | $299/mo |
| Deliverability | 25% | 97.5% Winner | 93% |
| Rating | 25% | 4.5/5 Winner | 4.2/5 |
| Integrations | 10% | 900 | 5000 Winner |
| Free Tier | 10% | No | No |
Weights determine how much each criterion counts toward the final score. See full methodology
Choose ActiveCampaign if…
- + You're a ecommerce
- + You're a agencies
- + Industry-leading automation builder
Choose Keap if…
- + You're a sales driven small businesses
- + You're a service based businesses
- + Powerful drag-and-drop automation builder that handles complex multi-step sales workflows with conditional triggers