ActiveCampaign is a comprehensive CRM and marketing automation platform best for businesses needing advanced sales tools and complex workflows, while ConvertKit is a creator-focused email marketing platform optimized for simplicity and audience monetization.
ActiveCampaign vs ConvertKit — Side-by-side comparison on A Versus B
Enterprise-grade CRM and marketing automation platform with integrated sales and service tools.
Creator-focused email marketing platform with built-in monetization and audience tools.
Primary Use Case. Learning Curve. Base Monthly Price. Contact Limit at Entry Price. Native CRM Features. Creator Monetization Tools. API Documentation Quality
Choose ActiveCampaign if you're a B2B business needing advanced automation, sales pipeline management, complex conditional logic, and multi-user team access—it scales from small to enterprise. Choose ConvertKit if you're a content creator prioritizing simplicity, audience engagement, paid subscriber management, and direct monetization without technical overhead.
ActiveCampaign: Plus plan ($99+/month) and above | ConvertKit: N/A
ActiveCampaign: AI-generated email drafts included | ConvertKit: N/A
ActiveCampaign: Advanced - conditional branching, multi-step, custom logic | ConvertKit: Basic - simple conditional triggers and tags
ActiveCampaign: A/B testing and spam testing | ConvertKit: N/A
ActiveCampaign: Limited platform support | ConvertKit: N/A
ActiveCampaign: Native CRM with advanced features | ConvertKit: N/A
ActiveCampaign: Experienced marketers preferred | ConvertKit: N/A
ActiveCampaign: $15/month | ConvertKit: N/A
ActiveCampaign: $49/month (Plus) | ConvertKit: N/A
ActiveCampaign: $145/month | ConvertKit: N/A
ActiveCampaign: 2 (Marketing & CRM) | ConvertKit: N/A
ActiveCampaign: $49/month | ConvertKit: N/A
ActiveCampaign: Nearly identical ratings | ConvertKit: N/A
ActiveCampaign: 1,000 contacts | ConvertKit: N/A
Average eCommerce Email Revenue Per Send
ActiveCampaign: Not published | ConvertKit: N/A
ActiveCampaign: $9 (500 contacts) | ConvertKit: N/A
ActiveCampaign: $385–$495 | ConvertKit: N/A
ActiveCampaign: Full B2B/B2C CRM with lead scoring | ConvertKit: N/A
ActiveCampaign: Available (add-on/integration) | ConvertKit: N/A
ActiveCampaign: Supported via marketplace | ConvertKit: N/A
ActiveCampaign: 4,200% ROI (industry average) | ConvertKit: N/A
ActiveCampaign: Email, SMS, web, social, chat (native) | ConvertKit: N/A
ActiveCampaign: $9 | ConvertKit: $25 (paid plan)
ActiveCampaign: Unlimited | ConvertKit: 1,000
ActiveCampaign: No (forms only) | ConvertKit: Yes, built-in
ActiveCampaign: Full-featured with scoring | ConvertKit: Basic subscriber management
ActiveCampaign: Advanced (conditional logic, multi-branch) | ConvertKit: Standard (simple sequences, tags)
ActiveCampaign: 2-4 weeks (with training) | ConvertKit: 1-3 days
ActiveCampaign: $149 (Pro plan, unlimited) | ConvertKit: $119 (10k subscriber tier)
ActiveCampaign: Full CRM with pipeline, forecasting, and scoring | ConvertKit: N/A
ActiveCampaign: Predictive sending, lead scoring | ConvertKit: N/A
ActiveCampaign: Unlimited advanced workflows | ConvertKit: N/A
ActiveCampaign: Moderate - requires learning | ConvertKit: N/A
Starting Monthly Price (Annual Commitment)
ActiveCampaign: Behavioral, manual, predictive (limited AI) | ConvertKit: N/A
ActiveCampaign: Yes (native) | ConvertKit: N/A
ActiveCampaign: 2-5 days | ConvertKit: N/A
ActiveCampaign: 2-4 hour sync | ConvertKit: N/A
ActiveCampaign: 10,000+ | ConvertKit: N/A
ActiveCampaign: 4-8 weeks | ConvertKit: N/A
ActiveCampaign: Basic (via third-party apps) | ConvertKit: N/A
ActiveCampaign: 8-12% (varies by setup) | ConvertKit: N/A
ActiveCampaign: Yes (behavioral, predictive, dynamic) | ConvertKit: N/A
ActiveCampaign: None (paid only) | ConvertKit: N/A
ActiveCampaign: Unlimited | ConvertKit: N/A
ActiveCampaign: 4+ (Salesforce, HubSpot, Pipedrive, native) | ConvertKit: N/A
ActiveCampaign: 1 week | ConvertKit: N/A
ActiveCampaign: 2 (last-click, first-click) | ConvertKit: N/A
ActiveCampaign: $25-50 | ConvertKit: N/A
ActiveCampaign: Advanced predictive with AI priority ranking | ConvertKit: N/A
ActiveCampaign: No (14-day trial only) | ConvertKit: N/A
ActiveCampaign: 10-300 calls (tier-dependent) | ConvertKit: N/A
ActiveCampaign: 1000+ | ConvertKit: 100+
ActiveCampaign: 100+ (plan-dependent) | ConvertKit: N/A
ActiveCampaign: Advanced with A/B testing, dynamic content, behavior triggers | ConvertKit: N/A
ActiveCampaign: Predictive send time, contact scoring, revenue attribution | ConvertKit: N/A
ActiveCampaign: Unlimited (500 contacts max) | ConvertKit: N/A
ActiveCampaign: Advanced (deals, pipelines, forecasting) | ConvertKit: N/A
ActiveCampaign: Yes (all paid plans) | ConvertKit: N/A
ActiveCampaign: Yes (all plans) | ConvertKit: N/A
ActiveCampaign: 600 calls/min | ConvertKit: 100
ActiveCampaign: $9 (Lite tier) | ConvertKit: $25/month
ActiveCampaign: No free tier | ConvertKit: 1,000 subscribers included
ActiveCampaign: 500+ templates | ConvertKit: N/A
ActiveCampaign: Full CRM with sales pipelines and deal tracking | ConvertKit: N/A
ActiveCampaign: 500+ pre-built workflows | ConvertKit: N/A
ActiveCampaign: $229/month | ConvertKit: N/A
ActiveCampaign: 10,000 | ConvertKit: N/A
ActiveCampaign: 2-4 weeks | ConvertKit: N/A
ActiveCampaign: 200+ professional templates | ConvertKit: N/A
ActiveCampaign: 100,000 | ConvertKit: N/A
ActiveCampaign: Limited functionality | ConvertKit: N/A
ActiveCampaign: No free plan | ConvertKit: N/A
ActiveCampaign: Yes (paid add-on) | ConvertKit: No (third-party required)
ActiveCampaign: Advanced AI-powered with predictive scoring | ConvertKit: N/A
ActiveCampaign: 14 days | ConvertKit: N/A
ActiveCampaign: $15/month | ConvertKit: $25
ActiveCampaign: $549 (10 seats @ $35 + contact tier) | ConvertKit: N/A
ActiveCampaign: 1-2 weeks | ConvertKit: N/A
Marketing Automation Workflows (Pre-built)
ActiveCampaign: 1,000+ | ConvertKit: N/A
ActiveCampaign: Unlimited with advanced conditional logic | ConvertKit: N/A
ActiveCampaign: Full CRM with lead scoring, pipeline, forecasting | ConvertKit: N/A
ActiveCampaign: 24 hours (email) | ConvertKit: 12-18 hours average
ActiveCampaign: Yes - iOS and Android | ConvertKit: N/A
ActiveCampaign: 1,200+ | ConvertKit: 50+
ActiveCampaign: Not included | ConvertKit: N/A
ActiveCampaign: All plans | ConvertKit: N/A
ActiveCampaign: 4 hours | ConvertKit: N/A
ActiveCampaign: $9 | ConvertKit: Free tier available
ActiveCampaign: 500 | ConvertKit: Unlimited (free tier)
ActiveCampaign: $99 | ConvertKit: $300 (estimated based on growth plan rates)
ActiveCampaign: 4-6 weeks | ConvertKit: 0.5 weeks (2-3 days)
ActiveCampaign: Yes - full sales pipeline, deal tracking | ConvertKit: No - email only
ActiveCampaign: No - requires third-party integration | ConvertKit: Yes - built-in subscriber tiers and pricing
Mid-Tier Price (5K contacts/subscribers)
Enterprise Price (100K+ contacts/subscribers)
ActiveCampaign: 14 days | ConvertKit: 14 days
ActiveCampaign: Full deal pipelines with forecasting and attribution | ConvertKit: N/A
ActiveCampaign: Separate add-on ($10+/month) | ConvertKit: Paid add-on ($9+/mo)
ActiveCampaign: Full sales pipeline with deal tracking | ConvertKit: N/A
ActiveCampaign: 8/10 (steep) | ConvertKit: N/A
ActiveCampaign: N/A | ConvertKit: $33/month (Creator plan, billed yearly)
ActiveCampaign: N/A | ConvertKit: 1,000 subscribers
ActiveCampaign: N/A | ConvertKit: Advanced (sequences, conditionals, tags, delays)
ActiveCampaign: N/A | ConvertKit: Yes - full course and digital product platform
ActiveCampaign: N/A | ConvertKit: 4-6 hours
ActiveCampaign: N/A | ConvertKit: Email, help center, community forum
ActiveCampaign: N/A | ConvertKit: $300 minimum
ActiveCampaign: N/A | ConvertKit: 0 (creator-owned only)
ActiveCampaign: N/A | ConvertKit: 100% (creator owned)
ActiveCampaign: N/A | ConvertKit: Full-featured email marketing with automation
ActiveCampaign: N/A | ConvertKit: 60-120 minutes
ActiveCampaign: N/A | ConvertKit: Full export available
ActiveCampaign: N/A | ConvertKit: Unlimited (creator-controlled)
ActiveCampaign: N/A | ConvertKit: 14 days
ActiveCampaign: N/A | ConvertKit: Unlimited
ActiveCampaign: N/A | ConvertKit: Basic API integration only
ActiveCampaign: N/A | ConvertKit: Tags, purchase history, custom fields
ActiveCampaign: N/A | ConvertKit: Tag-based (limited)
ActiveCampaign: N/A | ConvertKit: None (paid only)
ActiveCampaign: N/A | ConvertKit: Creator sequences
ActiveCampaign: N/A | ConvertKit: Email only
ActiveCampaign: N/A | ConvertKit: Yes, native feature
ActiveCampaign: N/A | ConvertKit: Limited
ActiveCampaign: N/A | ConvertKit: Yes, built-in matching
ActiveCampaign: N/A | ConvertKit: $0 (0-1K subs), then $29-$99/month
ActiveCampaign: N/A | ConvertKit: 100+ templates
ActiveCampaign: N/A | ConvertKit: No (requires integration)
ActiveCampaign: N/A | ConvertKit: 5-10 minutes
ActiveCampaign: N/A | ConvertKit: Landing pages only
ActiveCampaign: N/A | ConvertKit: No (cloud-only, vendor lock-in)
ActiveCampaign: N/A | ConvertKit: Yes (API available)
How to choose between ActiveCampaign and ConvertKit
ActiveCampaign vs ConvertKit — Structured Comparison Data
Machine-readable comparison dataset for ActiveCampaign vs ConvertKit. Contains 168 attribute comparisons, 5 FAQ pairs.
ActiveCampaign vs ConvertKit — Attribute Category Vocabulary
Taxonomy of attribute categories used to classify comparison data for ActiveCampaign vs ConvertKit.
Which platform is better for ecommerce businesses?
ActiveCampaign is better for ecommerce—it integrates natively with Shopify, WooCommerce, and BigCommerce with cart recovery automation, order-triggered workflows, and customer segmentation by purchase behavior. ConvertKit is email-only and lacks ecommerce tools. However, if you're a digital product creator using ConvertKit, you can deliver products directly to subscribers.
Can I use ConvertKit as a full marketing platform replacement?
No. ConvertKit is an email platform optimized for creators, not a full marketing suite. It lacks: CRM features, landing page builder (compared to ActiveCampaign's forms), SMS support, chat integration, and complex workflow automation. ActiveCampaign is a complete marketing automation platform with those features built-in.
What's the cost difference for 5,000 subscribers?
At 5,000 subscribers, ActiveCampaign costs approximately $49-79/month depending on features chosen, while ConvertKit costs approximately $150-200/month on their growth plan. However, ConvertKit's free tier allows unlimited subscribers with email delivery fees only, making it cheaper if you don't need advanced features.
Which has better automation for sales teams?
ActiveCampaign is significantly better for sales teams. It includes sales pipeline management, deal tracking, lead scoring, sales rep assignment, and conditional workflows based on prospect behavior. ConvertKit has no sales tools—it's purely email marketing for audience engagement.
Can I monetize my audience with either platform?
ConvertKit is specifically designed for creator monetization—it has native paid subscriber tiers, digital product delivery, and sponsorship matching. ActiveCampaign can support monetization through integrations but requires manual setup. For creators, ConvertKit is purpose-built; for businesses, ActiveCampaign supports affiliate and B2B revenue models better.
How to Choose Between ActiveCampaign and ConvertKit
Primary Use Case: ActiveCampaign has B2B sales, marketing automation, CRM, while ConvertKit has Creator email marketing, audience building.
Learning Curve: ActiveCampaign has Steep - 4-6 weeks typical onboarding, while ConvertKit has Minimal - 2-3 days to proficiency.
Base Monthly Price: ActiveCampaign has $9/month (Lite plan, 1 user), while ConvertKit has $25/month (free tier available, creators only).
Contact Limit at Entry Price: ActiveCampaign has 500 contacts at $9/month, while ConvertKit has Unlimited subscribers on free tier.
Native CRM Features: ActiveCampaign has Full CRM with sales pipelines, deal tracking, while ConvertKit has No CRM - email-only platform.
Creator Monetization Tools: ActiveCampaign has Affiliate program support only, while ConvertKit has Native subscriber tiers, paid newsletters, downloads.
API Documentation Quality: ActiveCampaign has Extensive - 200+ API endpoints, rated 4.6/5, while ConvertKit has Limited - 50+ endpoints, rated 4.1/5.