Email marketing is one of the most potent methods of marketing adopted by businesses today. Regardless of their sizes, many businesses have managed to incorporate email marketing into their marketing options, and it has worked for many companies. With the number of email marketing tools and solutions available on the internet these days, it is expected that newbies and businesses looking to choose a befitting email marketing tool may find the process overwhelming. This article seeks to help reduce that feeling. We will touch on two of the leading email marketing tools, Active Campaign, and Convertkit, discussing their similarities, and differences as well as their pros and cons.
The Main Difference Between ConvertKit vs Active Campaign summarized
| ConvertKit | Active Campaign |
| It is strictly an email marketing and automation platform | Comes with more CRM features |
| ConvertKit is a bit expensive using per subscriber model | It is a bit cheaper when per subscriber model is used |
| Has lesser break points, especially when compared to Active Campaign | Has more break point |
| Doesn’t come with A/B testing features | Comes with A/B testing features |
| Works better for bloggers | More suited for full-spectrum marketers |
» MORE: What Is ConvertKit Used For?
ConvertKit vs Active Campaign: Features & Capabilities
Usability
ConvertKit employs a drag-and-drop functionality for its use which makes it very friendly for new users and people with little or no technical knowledge of digital marketing. As much as every email marketing tool epitomizes simplicity as its core feature, ConvertKit takes this feature a notch higher.
Active Campaign is a business-oriented solution. This means that while newbies will be able to use and set up the tool easily, a person with pre-existing knowledge of digital marketing will get the best out of Active Campaign. As much as the setting up instructions are right on point, they are not overly simple and the solution uses a more professional tone. It allows you to send an email using custom-made templates. However, if you wish to customize things a bit further, there is the opportunity to use HTML to achieve this purpose.
WordPress Integration
WordPress is an excellent website that email marketers and bloggers use very often. ConvertKit allows you to integrate seamlessly with WordPress using the WordPress plugin that comes with the service. This plugin allows you to put up a sign-up form on web pages or at the bottom of your blog. This plugin updates the form regularly so you need not worry about that.
As for Active Campaign, there is also a WordPress plugin that lets you integrate and create a form for WordPress websites or blogs. While it works the same way the ConvertKit’s WordPress plugin does, it is not as flexible as that of ConvertKit.
Core Functions
ConvertKit allows you to compile and grow a mailing list for your adverts and campaigns. It also makes it easy to organize the mailing list using categories and tags, while providing rules and sequences for automating the emails.
Similarly, Active Campaign allows you to create and develop a mailing list, and also provides the drag and drop functionality for the full customization of your email.
» MORE: GetResponse Vs. ActiveCampaign: Which Is Best For You?
ConvertKit vs Active Campaign: Pricing
The convertkit pricing system is also based on the number of contacts that you have. For instance, if you have from 0 to 1000 contacts, you get to pay $29 per month, over 1000 contacts up to 3000 contacts cost $49 per month, and over 3000 contacts to 5000 contacts cost $79 per month. if your contacts are more than 5000, you get a custom price which depends on the total number.
Active Campaign has a three-tiered pricing system, which includes the Lite plan, Small Business plan, and Enterprise Plan. The amount you pay for each of these plans depends on the number of contacts that you have. For instance, the Lite plan starts at $9 and this is for 500 contacts. Using the same number of contacts, the Small Business plan costs $49 and the Enterprise plan costs $149.
» MORE: Which Is Better For You, Aweber or ActiveCampaign?
Reasons to choose Active Campaign over ConvertKit
If you are running a business or you are looking to use an ideal email marketing tool for yours, then Active Campaign should be your preferred option. This is because Active Campaign also combines customer relationship management with its email marketing functionality. This means that you don’t know to get to send soliciting emails to your leads, Active Campaign helps you convert these leads into actual customers that whom you make sales. At the end of the day, you get more than email marketing features for the price of email marketing features, and this sounds like a great bargain, especially for large businesses.
Reasons to choose ConvertKit over Active Campaign
If you are a blogger, then ConvertKit is your best option. You may want to take advantage of the appealing features of this solution which includes creating a mailing list for your subscribers. ConvertKit works better with pushing and disseminating information, rather than pushing sales. Thus, bloggers are going to get more out of ConvertKit than businesses. What’s more, it has a simple and easy-to-use interface which is important to bloggers as they probably don’t have the time to deal with the technical process of using a complex email marketing tool.
» MORE: Which Is Better for You, ActiveCampaign or SendInBlue?
The Similarities between ConvertKit and Active Campaign
Both the two tools are efficient email marketing tools. They are effective in compiling, creating, and growing the mailing list for businesses and also automating emails sent to your customers or subscribers. They both also allow you to use customization features or tools to create and design your automated emails before sending them out.
» MORE: The differences between Constant Contact and ActiveCampaign
ConvertKit and Active Campaign Alternatives
Other email marketing tools work the same way as these two tools. Some of these are as follows;
BayEngage
BayEngage is a product from TargetBay, one of the popular cloud-based eCommerce marketing companies in the world. This solution works as an all-in-one marketing automation tool that helps business actualize their marketing plans and potential. BayEngage allows you to grow your mailing list and manage it from one dashboard. They also provide you with top-notch email segmentation that is useful in sending personalized marketing emails and campaigns.
Other ideal alternatives include
- SendInBlue
- Aweber
- SendX
- GetResponse
- MailChimp
» MORE: Which Is Better For You, Membervault or Thinkific
ConvertKit vs Active Campaign: Final Verdict
Both of the tools are great email marketing tools, especially with the email automation feature and the customization features for creating emails. While there is this similarity between the two platforms regarding their core functionalities, the way these functionalities are delivered and how it helps businesses actualize their marketing goals are different. While Active Campaign is more suited for businesses Convertkit is better suited for individuals and bloggers.
» MORE: Which Is Better for You, Wix or Etsy?
FAQs
What is Active Campaign good for?
Active Campaign does a lot of things perfectly. It is good for creating marketing funnels, capturing lead data, designing your emails, and linking your social media accounts. It also allows you to see your leads in CRM and also helps you manage them according.
Can I try ConvertKit for free and keep all the data when I choose a paid plan?
You can use the Free plan of ConvertKit and still have your data in the plan when you switch to a paid plan. This is also true when you change from one paid plan to another, your data from the previous plan stay saved and intact, despite the switch.