ActiveCampaign vs Brevo
ActiveCampaign is email marketing and CRM platform with sophisticated automation workflows and machine learning, while Brevo is all-in-one marketing platform for email, SMS, chat, and CRM at accessible pricing. The biggest difference up front: Brevo is free, while ActiveCampaign starts at $29/mo. ActiveCampaign is built for businesses wanting advanced email automation and crm, whereas Brevo targets small businesses wanting email, sms, and chat in one.
| Feature | ActiveCampaign | Brevo |
|---|---|---|
| Free tier available | — | ✓ |
| Open source | — | — |
| Automations | ✓ | — |
| CRM | ✓ | ✓ |
| Chat | — | ✓ |
| — | ✓ | |
| SMS | — | ✓ |
| Site Tracking | ✓ | — |
| Split Testing | ✓ | — |
Pricing: Brevo is completely free (Free for 300 emails/day), which makes it the obvious pick if budget is the top concern. ActiveCampaign starts at $29/mo. That cost buys you a more polished or feature-rich experience, so it comes down to whether the extras justify the spend.
Feature gaps: ActiveCampaign offers Automations, Site Tracking and Split Testing that Brevo lacks. Brevo brings Chat, Email and SMS that ActiveCampaign does not have. Both share CRM.
Team fit: ActiveCampaign is geared toward mid-size teams teams, while Brevo is aimed at small teams teams. Pick the one that matches where your team is today and where it is headed — migrating tools later is always painful.
Where each tool shines: ActiveCampaign's biggest strengths are: built-in automations handle repetitive tasks like status changes and assignments. includes crm as a core feature, purpose-built for email marketing workflows. Brevo's biggest strengths are: includes email as a core feature, purpose-built for email marketing workflows. includes sms as a core feature, purpose-built for email marketing workflows.
Watch out for: With ActiveCampaign, users commonly note that starts at $29/mo — on the expensive side, especially for small teams or solo users. With Brevo, the main complaint is that free plan exists but key features are locked behind the paid upgrade.
choose ActiveCampaign if
- Your profile matches its sweet spot: businesses wanting advanced email automation and crm
- You specifically need Automations and Site Tracking
- You care about includes crm as a core feature, purpose-built for email marketing workflows
- Your team size fits the mid-size teams profile ActiveCampaign is designed for
choose Brevo if
- You need a tool built for small businesses wanting email, sms, and chat in one
- Budget is a hard constraint — Brevo is free, ActiveCampaign is not
- You specifically need Chat and Email
- You care about includes sms as a core feature, purpose-built for email marketing workflows
- Your team size fits the small teams profile Brevo is designed for
frequently asked
What is the difference between ActiveCampaign and Brevo?
ActiveCampaign is email marketing and CRM platform with sophisticated automation workflows and machine learning, while Brevo is all-in-one marketing platform for email, SMS, chat, and CRM at accessible pricing. The biggest difference up front: Brevo is free, while ActiveCampaign starts at $29/mo. ActiveCampaign is built for businesses wanting advanced email automation and crm, whereas Brevo targets small businesses wanting email, sms, and chat in one.
Should I use ActiveCampaign or Brevo?
Brevo is the free option; ActiveCampaign charges $29/mo but may offer more polish. Here is how they compare.
When should I choose ActiveCampaign over Brevo?
Choose ActiveCampaign if Your profile matches its sweet spot: businesses wanting advanced email automation and crm; You specifically need Automations and Site Tracking; You care about includes crm as a core feature, purpose-built for email marketing workflows; Your team size fits the mid-size teams profile ActiveCampaign is designed for.
When should I choose Brevo over ActiveCampaign?
Choose Brevo if You need a tool built for small businesses wanting email, sms, and chat in one; Budget is a hard constraint — Brevo is free, ActiveCampaign is not; You specifically need Chat and Email; You care about includes sms as a core feature, purpose-built for email marketing workflows; Your team size fits the small teams profile Brevo is designed for.
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