Brevo vs ActiveCampaign: Which is better in 2026?
A side-by-side comparison of pricing, features, and use cases to help you decide between Brevo and ActiveCampaign.
Email, SMS, and CRM platform for growing businesses
Email marketing and CRM automation platform
Head-to-head comparison
| Feature | Brevo | ActiveCampaign |
|---|---|---|
| Starting price | $9/mo ✓ Cheaper | $15/mo |
| Free plan | ✓ Yes | ✗ No |
| Pricing model | freemium | paid |
| G2 rating | 4.5/5 | 4.5/5 |
| Capterra rating | 4.5/5 | 4.6/5 |
| Founded | 2012 | 2003 |
Brevo: pros & cons
- ✓Pricing based on emails sent, not contacts
- ✓All-in-one platform
- ✓Good free tier
- ✓Transactional email included
- ✗Automation less powerful than ActiveCampaign
- ✗Template editor can be clunky
- ✗Deliverability varies
ActiveCampaign: pros & cons
- ✓Best-in-class automation builder
- ✓Powerful conditional logic
- ✓Good deliverability
- ✓Strong CRM integration
- ✗No free plan
- ✗Learning curve for automations
- ✗UI can feel complex
- ✗Pricing scales up quickly
Choose Brevo if...
- →You have a large contact list and are paying too much on Mailchimp — Brevo charges per email sent, not per contact stored
- →Your marketing mix includes email, SMS, and WhatsApp and you want all three managed in one platform
- →You need transactional emails (order confirmations, password resets) bundled with your marketing emails under one account
Choose ActiveCampaign if...
- →You run complex multi-step email automations with conditional branching and lead scoring
- →Your business depends on behaviour-triggered sequences (cart abandonment, site visits, link clicks)
- →You want CRM and email marketing tightly integrated in one platform
Our verdict
Brevo and ActiveCampaign are closely matched on user ratings. Brevo is the more affordable option. Brevo offers a free plan — a lower-risk way to test before committing. The right pick depends on your team size and workflow.
Brevo vs ActiveCampaign: frequently asked questions
Is Brevo better than ActiveCampaign?
Both tools have similar G2 ratings. The best tool depends on your specific use case and budget.
Which is cheaper, Brevo or ActiveCampaign?
Brevo is cheaper, starting at $9/mo.
What is the main difference between Brevo and ActiveCampaign?
Brevo focuses on email marketing, sms & whatsapp, marketing automation. ActiveCampaign focuses on email marketing, marketing automation, crm. Both serve similar use cases but differ in approach and pricing model.
Can I migrate from Brevo to ActiveCampaign?
Most teams migrate between Brevo and ActiveCampaign within a day or two. Export your data from Brevo (typically as CSV or via API), then use ActiveCampaign's import wizard to bring it across. Check each tool's help centre for a step-by-step migration guide before switching.