HubSpot Marketing Hub
Inbound marketing automation tied to the HubSpot CRM.
Alternatives · 2026
Alternatives to ActiveCampaign
Email marketing automation and lightweight CRM.
6 hand-curated alternatives from MintedSaaS's directory. See the ActiveCampaign listing →
ActiveCampaign is an email marketing platform with integrated CRM functionality, designed for small to mid-market teams that need lightweight customer relationship tools alongside campaign automation. It sits in the middle ground between dedicated email services like Mailchimp and full-scale CRM suites like Salesforce—offering enough contact management to support sales and support workflows without the complexity or cost of enterprise platforms. Companies typically use it to nurture leads through automated email sequences, segment audiences based on behavior, and track customer interactions across email and web activity.
The product works for businesses that can't justify a dedicated sales CRM but want more than email-only capabilities. A team might automate welcome series for new customers, tag prospects based on link clicks, or build workflows that trigger follow-up emails when someone visits a pricing page. It's especially common in SaaS companies, agencies, and e-commerce businesses where the same tools need to handle both marketing campaigns and basic deal tracking. Buyers comparing alternatives often want better automation features, lower per-contact pricing, industry-specific tools like SMS or SMS marketing, or deeper integrations with their existing tech stack.
What we offer that competes
Marketo Engage
Adobe's enterprise B2B marketing automation platform.
Brevo
Email, SMS, and CRM tools for SMBs (formerly Sendinblue).
Klaviyo
Email and SMS marketing platform focused on ecommerce.
What to look for
- Whether you can import and export all contact data and email send history as a single file without API calls
- Whether the platform charges per contact on your list or per email sent, and what the pricing curve looks like at your actual contact count
- Whether automation workflows support conditional branches based on email opens, link clicks, or page visits without requiring custom coding
- Whether your industry tool, like Shopify or Stripe, has a native integration or requires manual CSV syncs or a third-party connector
- Whether you can white-label the email sender address and unsubscribe footer, or whether the platform's branding always appears
- Whether contact records store interaction history from multiple channels (email, web, SMS) or whether each channel operates in isolation
FAQ
What should I look for when choosing an email marketing and CRM platform?
Check whether automation workflows can be triggered by specific behaviors, not just time-based actions. Look for contact tagging and segmentation that work across email and web activity, and verify the platform supports your sales cycle—some handle one-off campaigns better than ongoing lead nurturing.
Are there free alternatives to ActiveCampaign?
Mailchimp offers a free tier for up to 500 contacts with basic automation, and Brevo's free plan includes unlimited contacts with limited sends. Most other platforms charge from day one but may offer longer trials or lower per-contact costs if your list is large.
What are the best alternatives to ActiveCampaign?
HubSpot Marketing Hub, Marketo Engage, and Brevo are direct competitors with similar feature sets. Klaviyo is better if you're selling through e-commerce, Kit is a lighter-weight indie option, and Mailchimp is simpler if you only need email without heavy CRM needs.
How do I know if I need a full CRM or just email marketing?
If your team manages deal stages, tracks multiple touchpoints per prospect, or needs visibility into which salespeople own which leads, you'll outgrow email-only tools quickly. If you're mostly running campaigns and nurturing lists, a platform like Mailchimp or Brevo might be enough.
Can I export my contacts and email history if I switch platforms?
Most platforms allow contact CSV export, but not all include full email history or automation rules. Ask whether your new platform can import previous send data and whether they charge overage fees if you bulk-upload a large contact list.
Which email marketing platforms integrate well with Shopify or WooCommerce?
Klaviyo is purpose-built for e-commerce and has the tightest integrations with Shopify. Brevo, Mailchimp, and HubSpot all support Shopify and WooCommerce, but you'll lose some commerce-specific features like post-purchase email automation with Mailchimp.
Do these platforms charge per contact or per email sent?
Most charge per contact on your list, regardless of email volume. Brevo and some older plans still use per-send pricing, which can be cheaper if you have a large list but send infrequently.
Can I set up conditional workflows that split based on user behavior?
All the major platforms support conditional branches, but the complexity you can build varies. HubSpot and Marketo Engage let you nest conditions deeply; simpler platforms like Brevo and Mailchimp cap the number of branches or require more manual segmentation.