ActiveCampaign Review 2026
ActiveCampaign is the most powerful email automation platform we have tested. Whether that power is worth the cost depends on how central email is to your sales process.

EXCELLENT
Pros
- Best-in-class automation with conditional branching
- Integrated CRM pipeline from Starter plan
- Excellent deliverability reputation
- 900+ native integrations
- Migration support during trial
- Importable automation templates
Cons
- No free plan (14-day trial only)
- Steeper learning curve than alternatives
- Pricier for equivalent contact counts
- Landing pages require Plus plan
- Support complaints on Trustpilot
About ActiveCampaign
ActiveCampaign is a Chicago-built marketing automation and CRM platform that has been adding features since 2003. It started as a simple email tool and has grown into one of the most capable automation platforms available to small and medium businesses without enterprise pricing.
There is no free plan. The Starter tier begins at $15 per month (around £12) for up to 1,000 contacts, billed annually. The platform's depth and automation ceiling are considerably higher than simpler tools at a similar entry price.
We tested the Starter and Plus plans with a multi-step automation, a contact scoring rule, and the CRM pipeline. This review covers what makes it genuinely different, and who it is actually worth the investment for.




