Email marketing remains one of the most effective digital marketing channels, delivering an average ROI of $36 for every dollar spent. While ActiveCampaign has established itself as a leading marketing automation platform, it's not the perfect fit for every business. Whether you're a startup looking for budget-friendly options, a growing company seeking specific features, or an enterprise requiring more scalable solutions, exploring ActiveCampaign alternatives can help you find the ideal email marketing tool for your unique needs.
Why Look for ActiveCampaign Alternatives?
ActiveCampaign is a good platform for email marketing, but several factors might drive businesses to seek ActiveCampaign alternatives.
Cost Considerations: ActiveCampaign's pricing can be steep, especially for small businesses or startups. The basic plan offers limited features, and accessing advanced functionality often requires upgrading to higher-tier plans that can strain budgets.
Complexity and Learning Curve: While ActiveCampaign's extensive features are impressive, they can be overwhelming for beginners. The platform's complexity may require significant time investment to master, which isn't always feasible for small teams.
Feature Mismatch: Some businesses may find that ActiveCampaign offers too many features they don't need, while lacking specific functionality that's crucial for their industry or use case.
Support and Performance Issues: Users have reported occasional slow customer support response times and performance issues during peak usage periods.
Integration Limitations: While ActiveCampaign integrates with many tools, some businesses require specific integrations that may not be available or may not work seamlessly.
Scalability Concerns: As contact lists grow, costs can escalate quickly, making it less economical for rapidly growing businesses.
Now, let's explore seven compelling ActiveCampaign alternatives that might better suit your email marketing needs.
1. Hyvor Post - The Best ActiveCampaign Alternative
Hyvor Post is a privacy-first, simple newsletter platform for easily collecting email addresses from your users and sending them customized newsletter emails built by HYVOR. This alternative gives you a plethora of features at your fingertips for your use.
At HYVOR, we used several newsletter platforms for our business processes, but we faced lots of issues while using those being abided by our company values and our beliefs. For example,
We are a privacy-focused company, and we say no to user tracking. But most of the newsletter platforms tracked the readers’ activity even without their consent.
Those tools were bloated with lots of unwanted features that we did not even want to use. So, technically, we were paying for features that we did not even use. That’s a loss.
Deliverability issues are common, most of the time with newsletter platforms these days, which is an issue when it comes to the success of email marketing campaigns.
We saw that lots of users are experiencing the same issue. Hence, we thought of building a simple, privacy-focused newsletter platform for everyone out there. And here we are getting ready to release Hyvor Post.
These are the main features included in Hyvor Post.
Key Features
Privacy by Design – No open or click tracking. Emails are sent via Hyvor Relay, our own first-party email delivery service.
Simple Interface – No clutter, no marketing bloat. Just the tools you need to write and send newsletters.
Custom Sending Domains – Send emails from your own domain for brand consistency.
Customizable Email Templates – Clean, responsive templates you can tweak to fit your brand.
Multiple Subscriber List Management – Create and manage multiple lists (e.g., Weekly, Product Updates, etc.)
Team Collaboration – Invite teammates to manage newsletters and subscribers together.
API & Webhooks – Developer-friendly integrations for real-time workflows.
Migration Assistance – The Hyvor team will help you move from your current platform to Hyvor Post. No hassle!
Affordable Pricing: It provides affordable pricing for sending emails. In Hyvor Post, it is priced per the number of emails sent, not the number of subscribers. That is, it is one of the cheapest, most affordable solutions available in the market. For example, 100,000 emails per month will cost around 35€.
Pros
No data tracking or invasive analytics. This is ideal for GDPR-conscious users
Clean and intuitive interface with zero fluff
Multiple list management
First-party email delivery via Hyvor Relay
Lightweight, fast, and easy to use
Dedicated migration support
Ideal for privacy-conscious users
Top-notch customer support from the team
Perfect email deliverability
Hyvor Post Pricing
We have a simple, transparent pricing structure with the most affordable pricing in the marketing not only compared to ActiveCampaign but also other newsletter platforms out there.
It does not have a free plan, but several paid plans starting from €10/month with a 14-day trial period.
Hyvor Post costs you €35/month for 100,000 emails per month, which is as low as €0.00035 per email sent.
Thus, Hyvor Post is the best ActiveCampaign alternative when it comes to pricing, too.
So, Hyvor Post does not track opens and clicks at all?
No, tracking is not available in Hyvor Post. If you are used to these features in other platforms, a little shift in mindset may be required. It’s all about PRIVACY!!!
Why Hyvor Post is so Special?
First-party Email Delivery: All emails are sent via Hyvor Relay, our very own email delivery system, ensuring data doesn’t go through third-party providers, unlike in other newsletter platforms.
Reader-first Experience: Your audience gets to read your content without feeling watched.
Independent & Ethical: No ads, no surveillance capitalism, no compromises.
With Hyvor Post, we are not trying to do everything. It's trying to do one thing really well to help you send newsletters without invading your readers’ privacy.
2. AWeber
AWeber is one of the tools in email marketing, established in 1998. AWeber focuses on making email marketing accessible to businesses of all sizes while maintaining powerful automation capabilities. This is known as one of the oldest email marketing tools on the internet.
Key Features
Drag-and-Drop Email Builder -A visual editor with mobile-responsive templates and a smart designer
Advanced Automation - Autoresponder sequences and behavioral triggers
Landing Page Builder - Build landing pages on your own
Sign-up Forms - Variety of opt-in forms including pop-ups, inline, and slide-ins
List Segmentation - Subscriber segmentation based on behavior and demographics
A/B Testing - Split test subject lines, content, and send times
Integrations - Integrations with popular business tools
Mobile App - Mobile application for managing campaigns on the go
Pros
Customer Support - Known for good customer support
User-friendly - Easy to learn interface suitable for beginners
Reliable Service: 99%+ uptime with stable platform performance
Comprehensive Training: Extensive knowledge base, webinars, and educational resources
Fair Pricing: Pricing with good value for features offered
Cons
Limited Design Flexibility - Email templates can be restrictive for advanced customization
No features for spam detection - They used to have this but not anymore
Reporting Could Be Better - Analytics are adequate, but not as detailed as some competitors
Outdated Interface - Some parts of the platform feel dated compared to newer alternatives
Limited Ecommerce Features - Fewer built-in ecommerce tools compared to specialized platforms
No SMS Marketing - Lacks integrated SMS capabilities
Contact Limits - Pricing increases significantly as subscriber lists grow
Limited Automation Triggers - Fewer advanced automation options compared to specialized platforms
Email Deliverability - Hasn’t always had the best email deliverability score at tests, says EmailToolTester.
Pricing
AWeber does not have a free plan, but several paid plans with 14-day trial starting from €15/month for 500 subscribers with 5000 emails per month and lots of limitations. AWeber costs you €100/month for 100,000 emails per month.
3. Beehiiv
Beehiiv is a newsletter platform founded by former Morning Brew team members in 2021. Built specifically for newsletter creators and content publishers, Beehiiv combines email marketing with advanced analytics, monetization tools, and growth features. The platform has quickly gained popularity among content creators, media companies, and businesses looking to build engaged subscriber communities through newsletter marketing.
Here are the main features of Beehiiv.
Key Features
Newsletter Builder - Editor is designed specifically for newsletter creation
Referral Program - Built-in referral system to grow subscriber base organically
Monetization Tools - Native advertising platform and premium subscription options
Advanced Analytics - Detailed insights, including subscriber journey and engagement metrics
Segmentation - Sophisticated subscriber segmentation based on engagement and behavior
Automation - Welcome series, drip campaigns, and behavioral triggers
Custom Domains - Professional email sending from your own domain
Poll and Survey Tools - Interactive elements to boost engagement
Import Tools - Easy migration from other platforms
Pros
Analytics - Industry-leading insights and reporting capabilities
Monetization Features - Built-in tools for newsletter monetization and advertising
Creator-Friendly - Understanding of content creator needs and workflows
Cons
Learning Curve - Some advanced features require time to master
Higher starting price - The Gap when moving from free to paid plans is higher.
Pricing Can Escalate - Costs increase quickly as the subscriber base grows.
Limited Integrations - Fewer third-party integrations compared to established platforms
Customer Support - Support quality can be inconsistent during rapid growth periods
Feature Limitations - Some users find certain features less developed than competitors
Deliverability - Beehiiv does IP warmup and bounce handling visibility, and manages authentication automatically. But at the moment, it lacks functionality for cleaning lists. In the absence of a sender score or deliverability dashboard, it falls behind more sophisticated rivals.
Lack of Multilingualism - The platform only supports English. So, if you are planning to reach a global audience with different languages, Beehiiv is a no.
Slow customer support or support time varies - No live chat or dedicated support.
Pricing
Beehiiv offers its users a free plan for 2500 subscribers and unlimited emails. But if you are a team or you want to remove branding of Beehiiv or any other advanced features that are not in the free plan, they have paid plans starting from $55.20/month for 2500 subscribers with unlimited emails.
4. EmailOctopus
EmailOctopus is an email marketing platform that positions itself as an affordable solution. This was founded in 2014. They are providing email marketing features at competitive prices by leveraging Amazon SES for email delivery.
Here are the key features of EmailOctopus.
Key Features
Campaign Builder - Email creation tools with a template library
Automation Workflows - Basic automation sequences
List Management - Subscriber segmentation and list organization tools
Forms and Landing Pages: Customizable signup forms and basic landing pages
Amazon SES Integration: Leverages Amazon's infrastructure for reliable delivery
GDPR Compliance - Compliance with European data protection regulations
Import/Export Tools - Data migration and backup capabilities
Mobile Responsive - Emails are automatically optimized for mobile devices
Pros
Affordable - Cheaper than most competitors, but a bit higher in price than Hyvor Post.
Good Value - Essential features at budget-friendly prices
Reliable Delivery - Benefits from Amazon SES infrastructure
GDPR Compliant - Data protection for European businesses
Honest Pricing - Transparent pricing with no hidden fees
Responsive Support - Good customer service despite being a smaller company
Cons
Limited Features - Fewer advanced marketing automation options
Basic Templates - Limited design options compared to feature-rich platforms
Minimal Integrations - Fewer third-party app connections
Simple Analytics - Reporting is functional but not comprehensive
Limited Customization - Less flexibility in email and form design
Smaller Community - Fewer resources and community discussions
Basic Automation - Limited workflow complexity compared to advanced platforms
Pricing
When it comes to pricing in Email Octopus, they offer both free and paid plans. For the free plan, they give you 10,000 emails per month without brand removal, which is a way better free plan compared to Active Campaign pricing and other platforms that provide a free plan. Paid plans start from €9/month for 10,000 emails per month. When comparing with Hyvor Post’s pricing, which is €35/month for 100,000 emails per month, Email Octopus costs you €36/month for 10,000 emails per month.
5. GetResponse
GetResponse has been a major player in the email marketing space since 1998, serving over 350,000 customers worldwide. The platform has evolved from a simple autoresponder service into a comprehensive marketing suite that includes email marketing, landing pages, webinars, and ecommerce tools.
Here are the main features of GetResponse as an email marketing platform.
Key Features
Marketing Automation - Visual workflow builder with advanced triggers and actions
Landing Pages - Drag-and-drop landing page creator with conversion optimization
Webinar Platform - Built-in webinar hosting and marketing tools
E-commerce Integration - Online store builder and abandoned cart recovery
Segmentation - Sophisticated list segmentation and targeting options
A/B Testing - Comprehensive split testing for emails and landing pages
Analytics - Detailed reporting and conversion tracking
Pros
One Solution - Complete marketing suite, reducing the need for multiple tools
Advanced Automation - Sophisticated workflow capabilities rivaling specialized platforms
Webinar Integration - Unique, built-in webinar platform for lead generation
E-commerce Features - Built-in online store and shopping cart functionality
Support for 24/7 - Dedicated support
Cons
Interface Complexity - Can be overwhelming for beginners due to numerous features
Learning Curve - Requires time investment to master all capabilities
Template Limitations - Some users find email templates restrictive
Performance Issues - Occasional slowdowns during peak usage periods
Feature Overlap - Some tools may be redundant if you already use specialized solutions
Mobile App Limitations - The Mobile app lacks some desktop functionality
Contract Requirements - Annual plans are required for the best pricing
Webinar Costs - Advanced webinar features require higher-tier plans
Pricing
Pricing of GetResponse can be described as follows. It consists of several paid plans: no free plan. Starting from €16/month for 1000 subscribers without custom domains. For some features, you are required to go to the annual plans for better, cost-effective methods.
6. Mailchimp
Mailchimp is the most recognizable name in email marketing, serving over 12 million customers worldwide since its founding in 2001. The platform is particularly popular among small to medium-sized businesses due to its user-friendly interface, extensive template library, and generous free plan.
Here are the key features of Mailchimp as an email marketing platform.
Key Features
Email Builder - Drag-and-drop editor with extensive template collection. Some users find this a lot to work on as they prefer simple editors like Hyvor Post.
Advanced Automation - Customer journey builder with behavioral triggers
Audience Management - Sophisticated segmentation and tagging capabilities
Landing Pages - Mobile-responsive landing page builder
Social Media Integration - Facebook and Instagram ad campaigns
E-commerce Integration - Product recommendations and abandoned cart emails
A/B Testing - Split test campaigns for optimization
Detailed Analytics - Comprehensive reporting and insights dashboard
Mobile App - Featured mobile application
API and Integrations - Integrations with popular business tools
Pros
User-Friendly Interface - Intuitive design that's easy for beginners to navigate. However, some users find this complex and hard to work with.
Generous Free Plan - Excellent free tier with substantial features for small lists
Strong Brand Recognition - Trusted platform with proven track record
Comprehensive Features - Diverse marketing platform with diverse capabilities
Good Deliverability: Strong sender reputation and inbox placement rates
Extensive Resources: Comprehensive knowledge base and marketing guides
Regular Updates: Continuous platform improvements and new features
Cons
Pricing Escalation - Costs increase significantly as subscriber lists grow
Limited Customer Support - Free plan users have restricted support options
Feature Restrictions - Many advanced features are locked behind higher-tier plans
Overly Complex - Can be overwhelming with features that many users don't need
Account Suspension - Strict content policies can lead to unexpected account suspensions
Template Limitations - Customization options can be restrictive for advanced users
Reporting Delays - Analytics sometimes have delays in updating
Migration Support - Mailchimp offers in-house migration support, but only if you’re on the Premium plan.
No own domain - Your own domain cannot be used in email tracking links; instead, "list-manage.com" will be used. However, you can use your own domain or subdomain with your landing page or website hosted by Mailchimp.
Unfavourable way to count subscribers - Mailchimp is one of the few email marketing services that will charge you even for unsubscribed and inactive contacts in your database.
Pricing
For up to 500 contacts, Mailchimp provides a free plan. Paid subscriptions begin at €13 per month. Your email list size and the features you require determine the pricing tiers for their service. Compared to Hyvor Post pricing of €35/month for 100,000 emails per month. Mailchimp costs you €266/month for the same number of emails per month.
7. Moosend
Moosend is an email marketing platform founded in 2011, headquartered in London with development offices in Athens. Moosend provides advanced marketing automation capabilities at competitive prices, making sophisticated email marketing accessible to businesses of all sizes while maintaining high deliverability standards and excellent customer support.
Key Features
Drag-and-Drop Editor - Intuitive email builder with responsive design templates
Automation - Visual workflow builder with complex trigger combinations
Behavioral Tracking - Website visitor tracking and engagement scoring
Segmentation Engine - Advanced subscriber segmentation based on multiple criteria
A/B Testing - Comprehensive split testing for emails and automation workflows
Landing Pages - Built-in landing page creator with conversion optimization
Real-time Analytics - Detailed reporting with live campaign performance data
E-commerce Integration - Product recommendations and abandoned cart recovery
GDPR Compliance - European data protection regulation compliance
Pros
Competitive Pricing - Excellent value with advanced features at affordable rates
Unlimited Emails - No email sending limits on paid plans
Advanced Automation - Sophisticated workflow capabilities rivaling enterprise platforms
Excellent Support - Responsive customer service with knowledgeable representatives
High Deliverability - Strong sender reputation with excellent inbox placement
User-Friendly Interface - Intuitive design that doesn't sacrifice functionality
European-Based - GDPR compliant with European data protection standards
No Sending Limits - Send unlimited emails within your subscriber allowance
Cons
Smaller Market Presence - Less brand recognition compared to major competitors
No free plan
Limited Integrations - Fewer third-party app connections than established platforms
Template Variety - Smaller selection of pre-built email templates
Learning Resources - Fewer educational materials compared to larger platforms
Mobile App - The Mobile application could use more features and improvements
Advanced Features: Some sophisticated features require learning time
Community Size - Smaller user community for peer support and discussions
Pricing
Moosend offers users a free plan and several paid plans called Pro, Moosend+, and Enterprise, with limits on the number of subscribers and several feature limits different for each plan, starting from €9/month, €16/month for 1000 subscribers, and so on. For other plans like Moosend+ and Enterprise, you have to contact them for custom prices.
8. Brevo
Brevo is a package of a digital marketing platform offering email marketing, SMS marketing, and automation tools. It’s an excellent alternative for businesses looking for a cost-effective solution with a wide range of features, including transactional emails and CRM capabilities.
Features
Email Campaign Builder - Drag-and-drop editor with mobile-responsive templates and advanced customization options
Marketing Automation - Visual workflow builder with behavioral triggers, lead scoring, and customer journey mapping
Transactional Emails - Reliable delivery system for order confirmations, password resets, and notifications
SMS Marketing - Integrated SMS campaigns with automation and personalization capabilities
CRM and Sales Pipeline - Built-in customer relationship management with deal tracking and sales automation
Landing Pages - Conversion-optimized landing page builder with A/B testing capabilities
Segmentation - Sophisticated contact segmentation based on behavior, demographics, and engagement, etc.
Real-time Analytics: Comprehensive reporting dashboard with ROI tracking and performance insights
Pros
Generous Free Plan - 300 emails per day with unlimited contacts for free.
Affordable Pricing - Paid plans start from as little as $9 a month for 5,000 emails, competitive pricing structure.
GDPR Compliant - European-based with strong data protection and privacy standards
Transactional Email - Reliable transactional email service included in all plans
SMS Integration - Native SMS marketing capabilities within the same platform
User-Friendly Interface - Intuitive design that's accessible to beginners yet powerful for advanced users
Cons
Template Limitations - Smaller template library compared to some competitors
Advanced Features Restrictions - Some sophisticated automation features are locked behind higher-tier plans
Learning Curve - The breadth of features can be overwhelming for simple email marketing needs
Reporting Complexity - Analytics can be complex to navigate for users wanting simple metrics
Integration Limitations - Fewer third-party integrations compared to established platforms like Mailchimp
Customer Support Response - Support quality can vary, with some users reporting slower response times
Feature Overlap - Multiple tools might be redundant if you already use specialized solutions
SMS Costs - SMS messaging incurs additional costs beyond the base email marketing plan
Pricing
When it comes to the pricing of Brevo, it has a free plan as mentioned earlier, with 300 emails per day. However, this free plan has lots of limitations. Paid plans start from €7/month for 5000 emails per month. When compared with Hyvor Post’s pricing of €35/month for 100,000 emails per month without any limitations, Brevo will cost you €59/month for 100,000 emails per month.
Conclusion
Choosing the right email marketing platform depends on your specific business needs, budget, and growth plans. While ActiveCampaign offers comprehensive features, these seven alternatives each bring unique strengths to the table:
Hyvor Post excels for privacy-focused businesses seeking simplicity
AWeber provides excellent customer support and reliability for traditional email marketing
Beehiiv is perfect for newsletter creators and content publishers
EmailOctopus offers unbeatable value for budget-conscious businesses
GetResponse delivers an all-in-one marketing solution with webinar capabilities
Mailchimp remains the go-to choice for beginners with its generous free plan
Moosend provides advanced features at competitive prices with European compliance
Brevo combines email marketing with SMS, CRM, and transactional email in one affordable platform
Before making your decision, consider factors such as your subscriber list size, required features, budget constraints, and growth projections. Most platforms offer free trials, so take advantage of these to test functionality and user experience. Remember that the best email marketing platform is the one that aligns with your business goals and helps you build meaningful relationships with your audience while driving measurable results.
The email marketing landscape continues to evolve, with new features and capabilities being added regularly. Whichever platform you choose, focus on creating valuable content, maintaining list hygiene, and continuously optimizing your campaigns for better engagement and conversions. Success in email marketing comes not just from the tool you use, but how effectively you leverage it to connect with your audience and achieve your business objectives.
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