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Brevo and ActiveCampaign are both powerful marketing automation platforms, but they approach pricing, features, and multi-channel marketing differently. This comparison helps you understand which platform delivers better value for your specific needs.
Brevo · Automation
Visual Automation Builder
Drag-and-drop workflow editor with multi-channel triggers - email, SMS, and WhatsApp in a single flow. ActiveCampaign offers more automation templates, but Brevo is the only platform with native WhatsApp automation.
- Email + SMS + WhatsApp in one workflow
- Behavioural triggers (cart, browse, purchase)
- A/B split within automations
- 20+ pre-built templates
Brevo · Multi-Channel
Email · SMS · WhatsApp · Push — one inbox
Brevo manages all four channels natively. ActiveCampaign requires third-party add-ons for SMS and has no native WhatsApp support.
- SMS coverage in 200+ countries
- Full WhatsApp Business API (templates + 2-way)
- Web & mobile push notifications
- Unified send stats across channels
Brevo · CRM
Deal Pipeline — Included on Every Plan
Brevo ships a full CRM on every plan including Free. ActiveCampaign's CRM requires the Plus tier at $49+/month.
- Kanban & list pipeline views
- Contact & deal scoring
- Task management + meeting scheduler
- Included on Free — $0 add-on cost
Brevo · Loyalty
Built-in Loyalty Programme
ActiveCampaign has no equivalent loyalty module.
- Points & tier earning rules
- Loyalty events in Brevo segments
- Win-back automation triggers
- Revenue & retention analytics
Quick Comparison
| Feature | Brevo | ActiveCampaign |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing Model | Per-email | Per-contact |
| Starting Price | $9/month | $15/month |
| Free Plan | Yes (300/day) | No (14-day trial) |
| SMS Marketing | Yes (200+ countries) | Yes (limited) |
| Yes | No | |
| CRM | Included | Included |
| Automation | Advanced | Industry-leading |
Platform Overview
Brevo (Formerly Sendinblue)
Brevo offers a comprehensive marketing suite with email, SMS, WhatsApp, CRM, and automation. Its per-email pricing makes it cost-effective for businesses with large contact lists.
Core strengths:
- Per-email pricing (unlimited contacts)
- Multi-channel marketing (Email + SMS + WhatsApp)
- Built-in CRM and deal pipelines
- Transactional email handling
- Global SMS coverage (200+ countries)
ActiveCampaign
ActiveCampaign is known for sophisticated marketing automation and CRM capabilities. It’s designed for businesses that prioritize complex automation workflows.
Core strengths:
- Industry-leading automation
- Deep CRM integration
- 900+ integrations
- Machine learning features
- Extensive automation templates
Marketing Automation
This is where both platforms excel, but differently.
Brevo Automation
- Visual workflow builder with drag-and-drop
- Multi-channel automation (Email + SMS + WhatsApp)
- Behavioral triggers (website, email, purchases)
- A/B testing within workflows
- Lead scoring capabilities
- Event-based triggers
- Pre-built templates (20+)
ActiveCampaign Automation
- Advanced visual builder with complex logic
- 900+ automation recipes (templates)
- Predictive sending and content
- Site tracking integration
- Attribution reporting
- Goals and conversion tracking
- Split actions within workflows
Verdict: ActiveCampaign has more sophisticated automation capabilities and far more templates. Brevo’s advantage is true multi-channel automation including WhatsApp.
Email Marketing
Email Builder
Brevo:
- Modern drag-and-drop editor
- Dynamic content blocks
- AI writing assistant
- Conditional content
- 40+ templates
- Full HTML access
ActiveCampaign:
- Flexible drag-and-drop builder
- Conditional content
- Predictive content (AI)
- 250+ templates
- HTML editing
- AMP email support
Verdict: Both offer capable builders. ActiveCampaign has more templates; Brevo’s editor is cleaner.
Deliverability
Brevo:
- 99%+ deliverability rate
- Dedicated IP available
- Full authentication (SPF, DKIM, DMARC)
- Deliverability reporting
ActiveCampaign:
- Excellent deliverability
- Shared and dedicated IPs
- Authentication support
- Predictive sending for optimization
Verdict: Both have strong deliverability. Similar capabilities overall.
CRM Features
Brevo CRM
- Included on all plans
- Deal pipeline management
- Contact scoring
- Task management
- Activity tracking
- Meeting scheduling
- Sales automation
ActiveCampaign CRM
- Included on Plus plan+
- Advanced deal pipelines
- Win probability scoring
- Lead scoring
- Task automation
- Sales engagement tracking
- Pipeline reporting
Verdict: Both offer solid CRM. ActiveCampaign’s is more mature with advanced features; Brevo includes CRM on all plans including Free.
Multi-Channel Marketing
SMS Marketing
Brevo:
- Global coverage (200+ countries)
- Two-way conversations
- Automated SMS workflows
- MMS support
- SMS/email orchestration
- Competitive per-message pricing
ActiveCampaign:
- US, Canada, Australia primarily
- Basic SMS automation
- One-way campaigns
- Limited global support
- Separate add-on (Postmark)
Verdict: Brevo wins significantly on SMS capabilities and global coverage.
WhatsApp Marketing
Brevo:
- Full WhatsApp Business API
- Automated workflows
- Interactive messages
- Template messages
- Two-way conversations
- Rich media support
ActiveCampaign:
- No native WhatsApp
- Third-party integrations required
- Not a core feature
Verdict: Only Brevo offers native WhatsApp marketing.
E-commerce Integration
Shopify Integration
Brevo Native:
- Contact sync
- Purchase data
- Basic triggers
- Product data (limited)
ActiveCampaign:
- Deep Shopify integration
- Product blocks
- Abandoned cart automation
- Purchase-based automation
- Predictive analytics
- Product recommendations
Verdict: ActiveCampaign has excellent native Shopify integration.
Pricing Comparison
Brevo Pricing
| Plan | Cost | Emails/Month |
|---|---|---|
| Free | $0 | 300/day |
| Starter | $9 | 5,000 |
| Business | $18 | 5,000 |
| Business | $35 | 20,000 |
| Business | $65 | 40,000 |
| Business | $129 | 100,000 |
Unlimited contacts on all plans
ActiveCampaign Pricing
| Plan | Cost | Contacts |
|---|---|---|
| Lite | $15 | 500 |
| Lite | $49 | 2,500 |
| Plus | $49 | 500 |
| Plus | $99 | 2,500 |
| Plus | $149 | 5,000 |
| Pro | $79 | 500 |
| Pro | $149 | 2,500 |
Price increases significantly with contacts
Cost Comparison
Scenario: 10,000 contacts, 100,000 emails/month
| Platform | Monthly Cost |
|---|---|
| Brevo Business | ~$129 |
| ActiveCampaign Plus | ~$229 |
Annual savings with Brevo: ~$1,200
Scenario: 25,000 contacts
| Platform | Monthly Cost |
|---|---|
| Brevo Business | ~$169 |
| ActiveCampaign Plus | ~$449 |
Annual savings with Brevo: ~$3,360
Verdict: Brevo is significantly more affordable at scale due to per-email pricing.
Segmentation & Personalization
Brevo
- Behavioral segmentation
- Purchase-based segments
- Real-time segments
- Lead scoring
- Custom attributes
- Website tracking
ActiveCampaign
- Advanced segmentation
- Predictive segments
- Dynamic content
- Machine learning scoring
- Behavioral tracking
- Custom objects
Verdict: ActiveCampaign has more sophisticated segmentation with ML capabilities.
Integrations
Brevo
- 60+ native integrations
- Zapier connection
- API access
- Webhooks
- E-commerce platforms
ActiveCampaign
- 900+ integrations
- Deep CRM connections
- E-commerce platforms
- Zapier
- Comprehensive API
Verdict: ActiveCampaign has significantly more integrations.
Support
Brevo
- Email support (all plans)
- Phone/chat (Business+)
- Knowledge base
- API documentation
- Onboarding (Enterprise)
ActiveCampaign
- Email/chat support (all plans)
- Phone (Pro+)
- Training webinars
- 1-on-1 training available
- Migration assistance
Verdict: Similar support levels with different plan restrictions.
When to Choose Each Platform
Choose ActiveCampaign If:
- Automation is paramount - Industry-leading automation
- You need many integrations - 900+ available
- Predictive features matter - ML-powered capabilities
- CRM is core focus - More mature CRM features
- Email-only is sufficient - Don’t need SMS/WhatsApp
- Budget isn’t constrained - Willing to pay for features
If ActiveCampaign is not your only option, Brevo is also compared head to head with Constant Contact, Klaviyo, MailerLite and Omnisend.
Feature Comparison Summary
| Feature | Brevo | ActiveCampaign |
|---|---|---|
| Free plan | Yes | No |
| Per-email pricing | Yes | No |
| Unlimited contacts | Yes | No |
| SMS (Global) | Yes | Limited |
| Yes | No | |
| Automation depth | Good | Excellent |
| CRM (all plans) | Yes | No (Plus+) |
| Integrations | 60+ | 900+ |
| ML/AI features | Basic | Advanced |
Conclusion
ActiveCampaign is the choice for businesses prioritizing sophisticated automation, extensive integrations, and don’t mind paying per-contact pricing. Its automation capabilities are industry-leading.
Brevo offers better value with per-email pricing and true multi-channel marketing. For businesses needing SMS, WhatsApp, and cost-effective scaling, Brevo delivers more for less.
Ready to experience Brevo’s multi-channel power?
Where Tajo fits
Tajo is the agentic integration builder. Keep your providers. Agents connect everything else, and you approve each sync. Tajo is in early access. Request early access
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Brevo better than ActiveCampaign?
Brevo offers better value for small-to-mid businesses with its per-email pricing model, free CRM, and multi-channel capabilities (email, SMS, WhatsApp). ActiveCampaign excels in advanced automation but costs significantly more.
How does Brevo pricing compare to ActiveCampaign?
Brevo charges per email sent (starting free for 300/day), while ActiveCampaign charges per contact (starting at $29/month). For growing lists, Brevo is typically 40-60% cheaper.
Can I migrate from ActiveCampaign to Brevo?
Yes. Export your contacts and lists from ActiveCampaign, import them to Brevo, and recreate your key automations. Brevo's migration support can help with the transition.