You’re no stranger to email marketing, so you (probably) know how important the right ESP is for your business. You’ve (probably) decided on your preferred ESP already. But what if you’re backing the wrong fighter?! It’s time for Klaviyo vs ActiveCampaign. It's time to find out who rules the email marketing arena. Get ready for ESP Smackdown!
In the blue corner…
Weighing in at 265K+ business users worldwide, Klaviyo offers easy-to-use solutions like a drag-and-drop automation builder, tons of plugins, and automated A/B testing. Their email/SMS service will cost you about $60p/m, depending on the package you choose and there’s also a free option if you want to try it out. Klaviyo is also super easy to navigate, but not ideal for smaller startups.
Full disclosure: We’re Klaviyo partners (and fans) and we’re pretty happy with its streamlined design and all-in-one features. We’ve had some technical issues, but these were quickly resolved by tech support.
Verdict: We might be a tad biased, but Klaviyo really is a great platform—especially for bigger businesses. While the price is slightly higher than ActiveCampaign, your account can grow with your business and, again, the amount of plugins and add-ons are a real plus.
In the red corner…
Floats like a butterfly and stings like a B2C—ActiveCampaign offers benefits like free migration, free online training and a 2-year price lock, which ranges from $29 p/m to $149 p/m. Of course, they also have a trial option.
What really sets ActiveCampaign apart from Klaviyo is customer support and pricing, which is cheaper. This makes ActiveCampaign the ideal ESP for smaller businesses and startups.
Verdict: If you’re new to eCommerce or are starting small, ActiveCampaign is an excellent partner with loads of support at hand.
Ding-ding…
Here’s our blow-by-blow comparison:
Pricing | ||
Pricing | Higher—Set rates and more expensive | Lower—Rates based on number of customers. Pow! |
Add-Ons | ||
Add-Ons | +220 Native integrations Bop! |
+70 Native integrations |
Support | ||
Support | Chat & Email support only | Free Onboarding & Training Thwop! |
Emails | ||
Emails | Geared towards eCommerce Bang! |
More suitable for retail and marketing |
SMS | ||
SMS | Reporting, Automation & API only | Same + White Label, Text-to-Landline, and Short Codes Ka-Bop! |
UX | ||
UX | Rated high by users Pa-Pow! |
Slightly lower rating |
Automation | ||
Automation | Offers additional Contact Scoring, Landing Pages, and Automation Maps Wham! |
|
Leads | ||
Leads | Lead Scoring is not a feature | Offers Leads Scoring & Grading Thwack! |
Social Media | ||
Social Media | Limited functionality | Offers loads of features for SM Marketing Bash! |
Analytics | ||
Analytics | Build your own dashboard with live reporting Smack! |
Limited reporting features |
Free Migration | ||
Free Migration | Nope | Yes, plus free onboarding and training Bloobadoop! |
And the winner is…
You decide. Because, at the end of the day, it comes down to your preference for either apps or spreadsheets. Klaviyo is all about the interface and UX while ActiveCampaign is serious about helping you scale up.
We’ve worked with both and, honestly, we can deliver results regardless of whether you prefer Klaviyo or ActiveCampaign, as we’re [clears throat] ESP-agnostic.
The basic fact is that these are just tools. And, like any tool, it’s more a matter of how you utilize them rather than what they’re capable of. All the ESP Comparison charts and numbers in the world won’t mean a thing if you don’t have the experience to act on them. For those looking to optimize their email campaigns, understanding email marketing automation can be crucial for maximizing your results.
So, flip a coin and choose the one that suits you best. The important thing is that you have a team of experts at your side that knows what to do once the data comes back.
Like us, for example.
FAQs
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What is the difference between Klaviyo and ActiveCampaign eCommerce?
Klaviyo offers easy-to-use solutions like a drag-and-drop automation builder, tons of plugins, and automated A/B testing. Their email/SMS service will cost you about $60/mo, depending on the package you choose and there’s also a free option if you want to try it out. Klaviyo is also super easy to navigate, but not ideal for smaller startups. What really sets ActiveCampaign apart from Klaviyo is pricing, which is cheaper. This makes ActiveCampaign a great ESP for very small businesses / entrepreneurs, while we massively recommend Klaviyo to anybody that’s serious about email marketing.
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What is Klaviyo best for?
Klaviyo is a great platform for more established clients and they currently have 265K+ business users worldwide. As a Klaviyo partner, we recommend Klaviyo for established clients who already have traction and want to expand their existing marketing efforts. It’s one of the best platforms available for ecommerce brands that offers an amazing UX, great usability and plenty of data to help drive your decision making.
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Whom is ActiveCampaign best suited for?
Since ActiveCampaign offers great customer support and pricing, it’s the ideal Email Service Provider for very small businesses and entrepreneurs. ActiveCampaign offers benefits like free migrations, free online training, and a 2-year price lock, which ranges from $29/mo to $149/mo. Of course, they also have a trial option. We’d also recommend ActiveCampaign for clients in the retail and marketing sector (as opposed to eCommerce), as well as clients who want to integrate social media marketing.