Brevo vs ActiveCampaign: The Honest Truth About Both
Picking the right email marketing tool can absolutely make or break your marketing strategy. Trust me, I’ve been down this road many times with clients. The perfect platform doesn’t just help you blast out emails — it builds genuine connections, drives engagement, and hopefully boosts your bottom line.
I’ve spent countless hours working with both Brevo (previously called Sendinblue) and ActiveCampaign, and they serve quite different needs. Brevo has built its reputation on being wallet-friendly with an interface that won’t intimidate beginners — making it a go-to for small businesses and startups.
ActiveCampaign, on the other hand, is the powerhouse for automation with tons of integration options, perfect for businesses ready to take their marketing to the next level.
Let’s break down how these two platforms really compare across pricing (because budget always matters), features, ease of use, and actual performance. I’ll help you figure out which one aligns better with where your business is headed.
Brevo vs ActiveCampaign — Quick Comparison
Feature Overview
Brevo
ActiveCampaign
Best For
Small businesses, beginners
Growing businesses, advanced marketers
Pricing
Free plan + affordable paid plans
No free plan, higher pricing tiers
Ease of Use
Very beginner-friendly
Moderate learning curve
Value for Money
Great for basic needs & budgets
Excellent for advanced automation users
Strengths & Weaknesses Overview
Strengths
Weaknesses
Brevo
Affordable, easy to use, SMS marketing included
Limited automation features, fewer integrations
ActiveCampaign
Powerful automation, advanced CRM tools
Expensive for small teams, steeper learning curve
Brevo vs ActiveCampaign — Feature Comparison
Brevo
ActiveCampaign
Email Campaigns
- Drag-and-drop editor
- Pre-built templates
- SMS & WhatsApp campaigns
- A/B testing for subject lines
- Advanced drag-and-drop editor
- Dynamic content blocks
- Product recommendations
- Split testing across workflows
Automation
- Visual workflow builder
- Basic triggers (opens, clicks)
- Transactional emails included
- SMS automation
- Advanced workflow builder
- Behavioral triggers (site visits, purchases)
- Conditional splits & goals
- Sales & CRM automation
Landing Pages and Forms
- Landing page builder (paid plans)
- Pop-ups & signup forms
- Double opt-in support
- Basic customization
- Customizable landing pages
- Inline, pop-up & floating forms
- Multi-step forms
- Deep personalization options
Segmentation & Personalization
- List segmentation
- Send-time optimization
- Contact attributes filters
- Basic personalization tags
- Dynamic content per segment
- Advanced list segmentation
- Tag-based contact management
- Predictive content & sending
Reporting & Analytics
- Real-time reporting dashboard
- Heatmaps
- Deliverability reporting
- Basic conversion tracking
- Detailed campaign reports
- Attribution reporting
- Funnel performance tracking
- Revenue tracking from emails
Integrations
- 150+ integrations (Shopify, WordPress)
- API access
- SMS & chat tools built-in
- CRM included
- 900+ integrations (Shopify, WooCommerce, Zapier)
- Deep ecommerce integrations
- API & developer tools
- Native CRM & sales tools
Brevo: Affordable Simplicity
Brevo works perfectly for small businesses or marketers who need a straightforward platform that won’t drain their budget.
What I love about it is how it covers the essentials without overwhelming you — you get solid email campaigns, SMS marketing capabilities, and enough automation to handle basic needs, all wrapped in an interface that doesn’t require a technical background.
I’ve set up several clients on Brevo, and they particularly appreciate the built-in SMS features, which many competitors charge extra for.
While it doesn’t have the advanced automation or personalization capabilities of premium platforms, it delivers exceptional value if you’re focusing on straightforward, effective email marketing without the bells and whistles.
ActiveCampaign: Marketing Automation Powerhouse
ActiveCampaign is built for businesses that are ready to get serious about their marketing automation. If you’re looking to create sophisticated customer journeys across multiple channels, this is where it shines.
The platform’s automation engine is genuinely impressive, allowing for deeply personalized experiences based on user behavior.
The CRM integration makes it particularly valuable for businesses where marketing and sales need to work hand-in-hand. I’ve migrated several growing clients to ActiveCampaign when they outgrew simpler platforms, and the difference in what they can accomplish is night and day.
Yes, it costs more and takes longer to master, but the ROI can be substantial for businesses ready to leverage its capabilities.
Brevo vs ActiveCampaign — Pricing Comparison
Subscriber Count
Brevo Pricing (Business Plan)
ActiveCampaign Pricing (Marketing Plus)
Key Differences
1,000
$25/month
$70/month
Brevo includes SMS & WhatsApp marketing; ActiveCampaign offers advanced automation tools.
2,500
$45/month
$125/month
Brevo remains more affordable; ActiveCampaign adds more CRM & sales automation features.
5,000
$69/month
$180/month
Brevo is cost-effective for email/SMS needs; ActiveCampaign supports advanced segmentation.
10,000
$99/month
$270/month
Brevo pricing scales moderately; ActiveCampaign focuses on robust automation & reporting.
25,000
$199/month
$470/month
Brevo stays budget-friendly for large lists; ActiveCampaign prioritizes CRM integration & detailed analytics.
What this Means for Your Budget
Brevo is hands-down the more affordable option, especially if you’re working with smaller lists or just need the essentials. Their pricing scales reasonably as your subscriber count grows, making it particularly attractive for budget-conscious businesses that still want professional email and SMS marketing capabilities.
ActiveCampaign gets expensive quickly — there’s no way around it. The price jumps significantly with list size, which can be painful if you’re watching every dollar.
However, what you’re paying for is access to one of the most powerful automation engines on the market, plus CRM functionality and detailed reporting. For businesses where advanced segmentation and personalized customer journeys directly impact revenue, the investment often pays off.
Free Plan Face-Off
Brevo Free Plan
ActiveCampaign Free Plan
Subscribers
Unlimited contacts
No free plan available
Emails/Month
300 emails/day (~9,000/month)
No free plan available
Automation
Basic automation workflows
No free plan available
Landing Pages/Forms
Signup forms & basic landing pages
No free plan available
Branding
Brevo logo on all emails
No free plan available
Which Free Option Makes More Sense?
Brevo’s free plan is actually pretty generous, allowing unlimited contacts — which is uncommon in the email marketing world.
The daily limit of 300 emails might feel restrictive if you’re sending to larger lists, but for small businesses or those just starting out, it provides plenty of room to experiment without spending a dime. You even get access to basic automation and landing pages, though your emails will carry Brevo branding.
ActiveCampaign doesn’t offer a free plan at all, which says something about their positioning. They’re targeting businesses that are ready to invest in their marketing from day one. If you’re just testing the waters or have very basic needs, Brevo’s free option gives you space to grow before committing financially.
But if you already know you need advanced features, you’ll need to budget for ActiveCampaign from the start.
Brevo vs ActiveCampaign — The Real Pros and Cons
Brevo
ActiveCampaign
- Affordable pricing, even at scale
- Includes SMS & WhatsApp marketing
- Beginner-friendly interface
- Free plan with unlimited contacts
- Solid deliverability and real-time reporting
- Easy-to-use form and landing page builder
- Industry-leading automation features
- Deep ecommerce integrations (Shopify, WooCommerce)
- Advanced segmentation & behavioral targeting
- Built-in CRM with sales automation
- Dynamic content & predictive sending
- Extensive third-party integrations (900+ apps)
- Daily email limit on free plan
- Automation features less advanced
- Limited dynamic content and behavioral triggers
- Fewer native ecommerce features
- Branding on emails in free plan
- Smaller integration library compared to competitors
- No free plan
- Steeper learning curve for new users
- Higher cost, especially at higher subscriber tiers
- Some key features locked behind higher-tier plans
- Interface can feel complex for small teams
- No SMS or WhatsApp marketing built-in
Consider Brevo if…
Brevo makes the most sense if you’re a small business, startup, or solopreneur looking for an affordable email marketing solution that includes SMS capabilities. It’s particularly good if you’re new to email marketing and want something you can figure out quickly without a huge learning curve.
The unlimited contacts on the free plan make it perfect for businesses building their list before scaling up their sending. I’ve found it works especially well for local businesses, service providers, and small ecommerce stores with straightforward marketing needs.
Consider ActiveCampaign if…
ActiveCampaign is the better choice if your business is growing and needs sophisticated marketing automation to scale effectively. It’s ideal for ecommerce brands, SaaS companies, and businesses where marketing directly drives revenue.
If you’re looking to create complex, personalized customer journeys based on behavior, or need tight integration between marketing and sales, ActiveCampaign delivers.
Yes, it costs more and takes longer to master, but for businesses ready to leverage advanced marketing automation, the ROI is often worth it.
Brevo vs ActiveCampaign — What Real Users Are Saying
Brevo consistently earns praise for its intuitive interface and straightforward setup. Users particularly appreciate how quickly they can create and launch campaigns without getting lost in complex settings.
One client told me they had their first campaign ready to go within an hour of signing up — that’s the kind of simplicity that busy small business owners value.
ActiveCampaign also scores well for usability but with a different audience in mind. Its interface is designed for marketers who want deep customization and control, which inevitably adds some complexity.
Most users find that the learning investment pays off once they’re able to create sophisticated automation that would be impossible on simpler platforms.
With Brevo, expect to be up and running quickly. Most users report feeling comfortable with the platform within a day or two, especially if they’re focusing on basic email campaigns and simple automation. The visual editors and clean dashboard make it accessible even for those with limited technical skills.
ActiveCampaign definitely requires more time investment. Users commonly mention spending weeks exploring and mastering the platform’s capabilities, particularly around complex automation workflows and CRM integration.
The good news is that there are plenty of tutorials and resources available to help flatten the learning curve. As one client put it: “It took me a month to really feel confident, but now I couldn’t imagine using anything else.”
Brevo users consistently highlight the affordability, included SMS features, and ease of use as major selling points. The biggest complaints tend to focus on limitations in automation capabilities, fewer integrations compared to larger platforms, and restrictions on the free plan.
ActiveCampaign earns praise for its powerful automation engine, segmentation capabilities, and how well it integrates with other marketing tools. The most common criticisms revolve around pricing (especially as lists grow), the initial learning curve, and occasional feature overwhelm for simpler use cases.
In the end, your choice between these platforms should align with your business’s marketing sophistication, growth stage, and budget. Both have their sweet spots — just for different types of businesses with different needs.
