Klaviyo specializes in e-commerce email and SMS marketing with superior segmentation for product-based businesses, while ActiveCampaign offers broader CRM and automation capabilities suited for service-based companies and B2B operations. Klaviyo's pricing scales directly with list size, whereas ActiveCampaign uses contact-based pricing.
Klaviyo vs ActiveCampaign — Side-by-side comparison on A Versus B
Choose Klaviyo if you run a direct-to-consumer e-commerce business and prioritize email and SMS as your primary marketing channels with product-level segmentation. Choose ActiveCampaign if you need comprehensive CRM functionality, sales pipeline management, or operate a service-based/B2B business requiring complex multi-touch automation across multiple departments.
Email and SMS marketing platform built specifically for e-commerce with native Shopify integration and real-time analytics.
Enterprise-grade CRM and marketing automation platform with integrated sales and service tools.
Klaviyo vs ActiveCampaign — Comparison Data
Structured comparison data for Klaviyo vs ActiveCampaign with 208 attributes.
Average eCommerce Email Revenue Per Send
Mid-Tier Price (5K contacts/subscribers)
Enterprise Price (100K+ contacts/subscribers)
Starting Monthly Price (Annual Commitment)
Marketing Automation Workflows (Pre-built)
Klaviyo vs ActiveCampaign — Attribute Category Vocabulary
Taxonomy of attribute categories used to classify comparison data for Klaviyo vs ActiveCampaign.
Which platform is better for Shopify stores?
Klaviyo is significantly better for Shopify stores. It has 200+ e-commerce-specific integrations and native product intelligence that automatically syncs product data, inventory, and customer purchase history. Its pricing model (based on subscriber count rather than contacts) is more cost-effective for e-commerce businesses. ActiveCampaign works with Shopify but requires more manual configuration and lacks product-level segmentation capabilities.
Which is more affordable for large subscriber lists?
ActiveCampaign is far more affordable for large lists. At 100K contacts, Klaviyo costs $1,200+/month while ActiveCampaign costs $229/month. However, for businesses with fewer than 10K subscribers, Klaviyo's pricing can be competitive. The breakeven point is typically around 5,000-10,000 subscribers where ActiveCampaign becomes the better value.
Can I do SMS marketing with both platforms?
Yes, both offer SMS, but Klaviyo is superior. Klaviyo has purpose-built SMS tools with dedicated compliance features, compliance checks, and optimized templates. ActiveCampaign added SMS but it's less integrated and requires additional setup. If SMS is mission-critical to your strategy, Klaviyo is the stronger choice.
ActiveCampaign is significantly better for B2B sales. It includes deal pipelines, sales forecasting, lead scoring, and revenue attribution—features critical for sales teams. Klaviyo has minimal sales features and is not designed for sales-driven processes. If your team needs CRM functionality alongside marketing automation, ActiveCampaign is the clear winner.
Klaviyo is easier to learn and set up, especially for marketers with e-commerce experience. Its interface is streamlined for email and SMS workflows. ActiveCampaign has a steeper learning curve due to its comprehensive feature set across CRM, sales, marketing, and support. New ActiveCampaign users typically need 2-4 weeks to master advanced workflows, while Klaviyo users are productive in 3-5 days.