SoftwareGlimpse

ActiveCampaign vs Campaign Monitor

Compare ActiveCampaign and Campaign Monitor on features, pricing, and buyer fit using the same researched criteria.

Independently recommendedLast updated Aug 18, 20266 evidence sources23 screenshotsHow we compare

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ActiveCampaign

7.7/10

Email marketing automation ESP with multi-step journeys; CRM pipelines strongest on Plus+; contact-based pricing.

Best for

• Marketing-led SMBs that need automation as the primary email job
• Email-first GTM teams comparing HubSpot or Keap on journeys
• Buyers comfortable with contact-tier packaging who want CRM on Plus+

Starting from $15.00/user/mo

No free plan

Visit ActiveCampaign

VS

Our verdict

No universal winner

There is no universal winner between ActiveCampaign and Campaign Monitor. Choose ActiveCampaign when Marketing-led SMBs that need automation as the primary email job. Choose Campaign Monitor when Brand-conscious teams prioritizing email design/templates. Criterion scores come from approved SoftwareGlimpse editorial assessments and first-party research — not hands-on lab testing.

ActiveCampaign is better for

✓ Automation
✓ Segmentation
✓ Analytics
✓ Integrations

Campaign Monitor is better for

✓ Templates
✓ Landing pages

Choose ActiveCampaign if: Marketing-led SMBs that need automation as the primary email job

Choose Campaign Monitor if: Brand-conscious teams prioritizing email design/templates

See detailed comparison ↓

Campaign Monitor

7/10

Design-led email marketing by Marigold with contact-tier Lite, Essentials, Premier, and Enterprise.

Best for

• Brand-conscious teams prioritizing email design/templates
• Agencies needing client/subaccount tooling (higher plans)
• Marketers wanting AI writer/booster and benchmarked campaign insights

Starting from $13.00/user/mo

No free plan

Visit Campaign Monitor

ActiveCampaign vs Campaign Monitor at a glance

Criterion-level leaders from verified research.

Full scorecard →

Scorecard preview

Criterion leaders based on verified research — open the Scorecard tab for evidence detail.

Starting pricingDepends
ActiveCampaign
Campaign Monitor
Contact / subscriber limitsDepends
ActiveCampaign
Campaign Monitor
Email send limitsDepends
ActiveCampaign
Campaign Monitor
AutomationActiveCampaign
ActiveCampaign
Campaign Monitor
TemplatesCampaign Monitor
ActiveCampaign
Campaign Monitor

Which email marketing is better for you?

Quick picks based on fit — not a universal ranking.

→ ActiveCampaign
Best for automation
ActiveCampaign leads on automation (9/10 vs 6/10) from approved SoftwareGlimpse editorial assessments — not hands-on lab testing.
→ ActiveCampaign
Best for segmentation
ActiveCampaign leads on segmentation (9/10 vs 7/10) from approved SoftwareGlimpse editorial assessments — not hands-on lab testing.
→ ActiveCampaign
Best for analytics
ActiveCampaign leads on analytics (8/10 vs 7/10) from approved SoftwareGlimpse editorial assessments — not hands-on lab testing.
→ Campaign Monitor
Best for templates
Campaign Monitor leads on templates (8/10 vs 9/10) from approved SoftwareGlimpse editorial assessments — not hands-on lab testing.
→ Campaign Monitor
Best for landing pages
Stronger coverage across landing pages.

The biggest differences

Where the products diverge most clearly on verified criteria.

Starting pricing
Depends
ActiveCampaign
ActiveCampaign researched starting price from $15/mo; Campaign Monitor researched starting price from $13/mo. Contact-based packaging can change the real TCO.
Campaign Monitor
ActiveCampaign researched starting price from $15/mo; Campaign Monitor researched starting price from $13/mo. Contact-based packaging can change the real TCO.
Automation
ActiveCampaign wins
ActiveCampaign
ActiveCampaign leads on automation (9/10 vs 6/10) from approved SoftwareGlimpse editorial assessments — not hands-on lab testing.
Campaign Monitor
Trails ActiveCampaign on this criterion
Segmentation
ActiveCampaign wins
ActiveCampaign
ActiveCampaign leads on segmentation (9/10 vs 7/10) from approved SoftwareGlimpse editorial assessments — not hands-on lab testing.
Campaign Monitor
Trails ActiveCampaign on this criterion
Analytics
ActiveCampaign wins
ActiveCampaign
ActiveCampaign leads on analytics (8/10 vs 7/10) from approved SoftwareGlimpse editorial assessments — not hands-on lab testing.
Campaign Monitor
Trails ActiveCampaign on this criterion
Templates
Campaign Monitor wins
ActiveCampaign
Trails Campaign Monitor on this criterion
Campaign Monitor
Campaign Monitor leads on templates (8/10 vs 9/10) from approved SoftwareGlimpse editorial assessments — not hands-on lab testing.

Which should you choose?

Choose ActiveCampaign if

Marketing-led SMBs that need automation as the primary email job
Email-first GTM teams comparing HubSpot or Keap on journeys
Buyers comfortable with contact-tier packaging who want CRM on Plus+

Choose Campaign Monitor if

Brand-conscious teams prioritizing email design/templates
Agencies needing client/subaccount tooling (higher plans)
Marketers wanting AI writer/booster and benchmarked campaign insights

Related comparisons

Alternatives to consider

How we compare

A short look at the comparison process. Full methodology

1
Collect
Collect official product information, pricing, and product evidence.
2
Normalize
Map evidence to the same category evaluation criteria for both products.
3
Compare
Evaluate both products against identical criteria — ties and depends are allowed.
4
Explain
Show why each product wins, loses, or ties, with evidence behind the outcome.

Still deciding between ActiveCampaign and Campaign Monitor?

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