ActiveCampaign vs Klaviyo
ActiveCampaign is a all-in-one marketing platform while Klaviyo is a email marketing platform. ActiveCampaign has been around since 2003, giving it a 9-year head start over Klaviyo (founded 2012). ActiveCampaign is the more affordable option at $15/mo — that's $5 less than Klaviyo's $20/mo entry point. Klaviyo offers a free plan (250 subscribers), while ActiveCampaign does not. Both tools work well for ecommerce.
Quick Verdict
ActiveCampaign wins on price, integrations.
Klaviyo wins on deliverability, rating, free tier.
Best for most users: Klaviyo (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.
Klaviyo
The platform for unified customer data
Klaviyo is the gold standard for ecommerce email and SMS marketing, particularly for Shopify stores. Its deep integration with ecommerce platforms enables sophisticated automated flows like abandoned cart, post-purchase, and win-back sequences based on real purchase data.
Feature Comparison
| Feature | ActiveCampaign | Klaviyo |
|---|---|---|
| Rating | 4.5/5 | 4.6/5 |
| Starting Price | $15/mo | $20/mo |
| Free Plan | No free plan | 250 subscribers |
| Founded | 2003 | 2012 |
| Email Templates | 250 | 100 |
| Integrations | 900 | 350 |
| Deliverability Rate | 97.5% | 99% |
| 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
Klaviyo: Pros & Cons
Pros
- +Best-in-class ecommerce integrations (Shopify, WooCommerce)
- +Powerful segmentation with predictive analytics
- +Excellent deliverability (99%+)
- +Revenue attribution for every email and SMS
- +Deep customer data platform capabilities
Cons
- −Expensive for large lists
- −Steep learning curve
- −Free plan very limited (250 contacts)
- −SMS credits sold separately
- −Can be overkill for non-ecommerce businesses
The Verdict
ActiveCampaign and Klaviyo are closely matched — both score within 0.1 points of each other in our overall rating. Your decision should come down to specific needs rather than overall quality. On deliverability, Klaviyo reports 99% compared to 97.5% for ActiveCampaign — a meaningful difference if inbox placement is critical for your campaigns.
| Criterion | Weight | ActiveCampaign | Klaviyo |
|---|---|---|---|
| Starting Price | 30% | $15/mo | $20/mo |
| Deliverability | 25% | 97.5% | 99% |
| Rating | 25% | 4.5/5 | 4.6/5 |
| Integrations | 10% | 900 | 350 |
| Free Tier | 10% | No | Yes |
Weights determine how much each criterion counts toward the final score. See full methodology
Choose ActiveCampaign if…
- + You want lower starting costs ($15/mo)
- + You're a agencies
- + You're a b2b
Choose Klaviyo if…
- + You need a free plan to get started
- + You're a shopify
- + You're a d2c brands