ActiveCampaign vs ConvertKit (2026): Side-by-Side Comparison

Quick Overview

Automation depth vs streamlined creator workflows

The biggest difference between ActiveCampaign and ConvertKit is how far they push automation and orchestration versus how much they optimize for a clean, focused email workflow. ActiveCampaign is built as an autonomous marketing platform designed to run sophisticated, goal-aware automations and coordinate messaging beyond just email, while ConvertKit keeps the core experience simpler and more direct, centering on email campaigns, tagging, segmentation, and visual automations.

That tradeoff exists because ActiveCampaign has bet on an “autonomous marketing” model where AI-guided strategy and execution sit on top of a powerful automation engine and broad integrations, whereas ConvertKit has evolved around making email marketing and automation approachable and quick to set up, with a tag-based subscriber system and a streamlined interface. In practice, ActiveCampaign’s ambition for cross-channel, data-informed journeys tends to increase flexibility, while ConvertKit’s product bets tend to reduce complexity and keep workflows easier to maintain.

What’s at stake is how you want your lifecycle motion to run day-to-day: whether your stack depends on deeper orchestration, richer routing logic, and centralized automation governance, or whether you benefit more from a lighter operating model that stays focused on email sequences and audience organization. The rest of this page unpacks how this difference shows up in automation depth, segmentation rigor, cross-channel reach, integration reliance, and ongoing operational overhead.

Quick Comparison

At a Glance

Category	ActiveCampaign	ConvertKit
Best for	Marketers, agencies, entrepreneurs	Content creators, newsletters
Core strength	Cross-channel campaigns plus CRM	Tagging, sequences, monetization
Automation depth	Complex multi-step workflows	Visual automations for sequences
Pricing model	Tiered plans by contacts	Subscriber-based tiers, unlimited emails
Learning curve	Steep learning curve reported	Clean interface, easy navigation

Vendor Snapshot

Company Snapshot

Background data gathered from our market research (founding year, HQ, team size, specialties, etc.).

ActiveCampaign

Visit website

A

Team 1001-5000

HQ: Chicago, IL, USA
Team: 1001-5000
Industry: Software Development

ActiveCampaign is an AI-first autonomous marketing platform that helps marketers, agencies, and business owners automate and optimize cross-channel campaigns. It supports personalized experiences across channels like email, SMS, and WhatsApp, with integrations across 1,000+ apps.

Specialties

Marketing Automation Autonomous Marketing

ConvertKit

Visit website

C

13+ years operating Team 51-200

Founded: 2013
Team: 51-200
Industry: Marketing Services

ConvertKit (now branded as Kit) is an email-first platform for creators to write emails, build automations, and manage their audience in a simple, intuitive toolset. The company positions itself as an operating system for creators building businesses.

Specialties

Email Marketing Creator Economy

Why These Platforms Feel So Different

ActiveCampaign grew out of the early marketing automation era, where teams needed a system to coordinate outreach and follow-up. ConvertKit started later as a product shaped around the workflow of individual creators publishing regularly. Those starting contexts pushed ActiveCampaign toward process coverage, while ConvertKit pushed toward a tighter writing-and-sending loop.

Because ActiveCampaign was built to manage multi-step follow-up, it prioritizes a flexible automation engine and broad connectivity. This leads to more configuration overhead and more places for rules to interact in unexpected ways. One example is its emphasis on complex branching and conditional actions inside workflows, which reflects an “orchestrate everything” mindset.

Because ConvertKit was built around creator publishing, it prioritizes a simpler subscriber model and a fast path from form to sequence. This leads to a narrower product surface, with fewer built-in layers for managing non-email processes. One example is how its core plans center on visual automations for sequences and tagging, reinforcing a single track from sign-up to ongoing emails.

These origins explain why the platforms feel different once you get past the headline capabilities. The next sections trace how those early priorities show up in day-to-day limits and strengths.

Feature Analysis

Feature Explanation: How These Capabilities Differ in Practice

You’ve already seen the feature checklist—this section clarifies how those capabilities behave day to day. It focuses on execution details that usually drive real workflow differences.

#1 Automation & Flows

ActiveCampaign’s automations use split and conditional actions to route contacts down different paths. It also supports testing different routes inside an automation.

ConvertKit supports visual automations that connect workflows to sequences and tagging. Automations are commonly used to customize follow-ups based on subscriber behavior.

#2 Segmentation & Targeting

ActiveCampaign supports tags, custom fields, and dynamic segments that update automatically. Segmentation can incorporate behavioral signals like email engagement and site activity.

ConvertKit relies heavily on tagging for organizing subscribers and targeting campaigns. Users commonly use tags from integrations to drive campaigns to specific audiences.

#3 Multichannel Messaging

ActiveCampaign supports sending and automating messages beyond email, including SMS and WhatsApp. It positions this as cross-channel orchestration within the automation engine.

ConvertKit focuses on email marketing and does not offer SMS messaging. WhatsApp messaging is not part of the core platform.

#4 Experimentation / Testing

ActiveCampaign can split-test automation paths, including comparing different sequences and timing. It also supports testing more than two variants in split testing.

ConvertKit offers A/B testing, primarily framed around testing multiple subject line variations. This is positioned as a campaign-level optimization tool.

#5 Ecommerce Integrations

ActiveCampaign offers a native Shopify integration aimed at welcome flows, upsell/cross-sell, reviews, promos, and abandoned cart outreach. It also supports embedding a Shopify buy button on ActiveCampaign landing pages.

ConvertKit integrates with ecommerce tools like Shopify and WooCommerce via its integrations ecosystem. These connections are commonly used to apply tags that drive follow-up automations and campaigns.

#6 Sales CRM & Lead Management

ActiveCampaign includes an integrated Sales CRM with pipelines and automation-driven updates. It supports lead scoring and can trigger CRM actions when a contact hits a score threshold.

ConvertKit does not provide a built-in deals pipeline CRM like ActiveCampaign’s. Lead scoring is available as a subscriber scoring feature in higher-tier plans.

Pricing

Pricing & Plans

Compare tiers, caps, and upgrade paths at a glance.

ActiveCampaign

Tiered Volume pricing

Public pricing is listed for lower contact tiers, with higher-volume tiers requiring sales for custom pricing.

ConvertKit

Tiered Volume pricing

Pricing scales with subscriber count and includes unlimited email sending on published tiers, with custom pricing at very high volumes.

Contact tier

ActiveCampaign

ConvertKit

1,000 contacts

PLAN

$19

per month

What's included

✓ Includes 10,000 emails
✓ Email campaigns and newsletters
✓ Multi-step marketing automations
✓ Web forms

Limitations

• Monthly email sends are capped at 10,000 for this tier.
• SMS is available but typically requires purchasing credits/add-ons (not included in the base price).

PLAN

$39

per month

What's included

✓ Includes Unlimited emails
✓ Unlimited email sends
✓ Visual automations and sequences
✓ Subscriber tagging and segmentation

Limitations

• SMS is not available on this platform (no SMS credits).
• Pricing and access scale with subscriber volume; upgrades are required as the list grows beyond the tier.

10,000 contacts

PLAN

$189

per month

What's included

✓ Includes 100,000 emails
✓ Landing pages (and templates)
✓ Enhanced automation capabilities
✓ Revenue reporting (plan-dependent)

Limitations

• Monthly email sends are capped at 100,000 for this tier.
• SMS is available but not included as monthly credits; additional purchase/enablement may be required.

PLAN

$139

per month

What's included

✓ Includes Unlimited emails
✓ Unlimited email sends
✓ Automation workflows at higher list size
✓ Subscriber management and tagging

Limitations

• SMS is not available on this platform (no SMS credits).
• Some advanced functionality may be gated by plan level rather than subscriber count alone (e.g., higher-tier feature access).

50,000 contacts

PLAN

$759

per month

What's included

✓ Includes 500,000 emails
✓ Scaled marketing automation for larger lists
✓ Advanced segmentation and analytics (plan-dependent)
✓ Attribution/conversion tracking (plan-dependent)

Limitations

• Monthly email sends are capped at 500,000 for this tier.
• SMS is available but not included as credits; usage typically requires add-on purchasing and may involve enablement steps.

PLAN

$379

per month

What's included

✓ Includes Unlimited emails
✓ Unlimited email sends at scale
✓ Advanced segmentation and tagging for large audiences
✓ Automation workflows for multi-step journeys

Limitations

• SMS is not available on this platform (no SMS credits).
• Operational considerations (deliverability, list hygiene) become more important at this scale and may require additional processes outside the tool.

100,000 contacts

PLAN

Contact sales

—

What's included

✓ Includes custom emails
✓ Custom high-volume configuration
✓ Potential deliverability and throughput planning
✓ Advanced automation and reporting (contracted scope)

Limitations

• Pricing is not publicly listed and requires contacting sales.
• Email sending terms are custom and may require deliverability/throughput review as part of contracting.

PLAN

$679

per month

What's included

✓ Includes Unlimited emails
✓ Unlimited email sends
✓ Large-list automation workflows
✓ Segmentation and tagging for high-volume campaigns

Limitations

• SMS is not available on this platform (no SMS credits).
• At higher volumes, account operations may require stricter deliverability practices and monitoring to maintain sending performance.

500,000 contacts

PLAN

Contact sales

—

What's included

✓ Includes custom emails
✓ Custom high-volume configuration
✓ Potential dedicated infrastructure options (contracted scope)
✓ Deliverability management options (contracted scope)

Limitations

• Pricing is not publicly listed and requires contacting sales.
• Contract terms may involve custom agreements and operational reviews for scale (e.g., sending throughput and compliance).

PLAN

Contact sales

—

What's included

✓ Includes Unlimited emails
✓ Custom high-volume setup
✓ Unlimited email sends (per published inclusion)
✓ Enterprise-scale list management

Limitations

• Pricing is not publicly listed and requires contacting sales.
• Contracting at this volume may involve custom terms and operational reviews (e.g., deliverability and compliance).

1,000,000 contacts

PLAN

Contact sales

—

What's included

✓ Includes custom emails
✓ Enterprise-scale, custom contract setup
✓ Advanced deliverability and compliance planning
✓ High-volume automation and segmentation

Limitations

• Pricing is not publicly listed and requires contacting sales.
• High-volume sending and account setup may require additional approvals/reviews as part of contracting.

PLAN

Contact sales

—

What's included

✓ Includes Unlimited emails
✓ Custom contract for very large lists
✓ Unlimited email sends (per published inclusion)
✓ Enterprise-scale automations and segmentation

Limitations

• Pricing is not publicly listed and requires contacting sales.
• Very high-volume sending may require additional approvals, compliance checks, or deliverability planning during onboarding.

Customer Voices

Reviews & Ratings

See how ActiveCampaign vs Convert Kit compare based on verified customer reviews (pros, cons, sentiment).

ActiveCampaign

4.6 / 5.0

Based on 2,545 reviews

Positive sentiment

Top Pros

• Powerful automations that save lots of time
• Strong tagging and segmentation for targeted emails
• Lots of integrations with existing tools
• Solid deliverability and reliable sending

Top Cons

• Steep learning curve for advanced setup
• Can feel buggy or glitchy
• Slow performance when editing pages or saving
• Pricing gets high as contacts grow

Convert Kit

4.6 / 5.0

Based on 237 reviews

Positive sentiment

Top Pros

• Very easy to learn and use
• Automation builder feels clear and intuitive
• Tagging makes subscriber organization simple
• Helpful support and solid learning resources

Top Cons

• Email design and layouts feel limited
• Hard to test complex rules per email
• Can be pricey for small lists
• Occasional slowdowns and contact import issues

Real-World Scenarios

How workflows differ in real campaigns

Feature checklists don’t show what work feels like day to day. These scenarios translate capabilities into the cadence, handoffs, and adjustments teams actually manage.

#1 Lead-to-customer lifecycle handoffs

ActiveCampaign: Teams run ongoing lifecycle handoffs between acquisition and follow-up, with recurring checkpoints for sales and marketing to adjust timing.

ConvertKit: Teams manage simpler handoffs with lighter coordination, relying on periodic updates as audiences grow and messaging needs refresh.

#2 Segmentation and audience updates

ActiveCampaign: Segments update continuously as behavior changes, enabling daily adjustments and tighter audience control across multiple parallel workflows.

ConvertKit: Segments update in a more straightforward rhythm, supporting weekly refinements and fewer moving parts during ongoing broadcasts and sequences.

#3 Multi-step campaign orchestration

ActiveCampaign: Teams coordinate multi-step campaigns with recurring branches and re-entry moments, keeping operations aligned as promotions run in bursts.

ConvertKit: Teams coordinate campaigns with fewer steps, keeping cadence predictable and reducing ongoing operational overhead during launches and routine newsletters.

#4 Content and message iteration cadence

ActiveCampaign: Teams iterate messages continuously, swapping content across workflows and reviewing performance in recurring cycles to keep timing and handoffs consistent.

ConvertKit: Teams iterate messages in a simpler loop, making weekly edits that fit creator-style publishing cadence and lightweight review routines.

#5 Reporting and performance visibility

ActiveCampaign: Teams review performance across multiple workflows on an ongoing basis, using recurring check-ins to decide where to adjust cadence and routing.

ConvertKit: Teams track performance with less operational ceremony, using periodic reviews to tweak sends and keep the workflow moving.

#6 Scaling operations across teams

ActiveCampaign: Teams scale with more frequent handoffs, maintaining shared workflows and recurring maintenance to prevent overlaps as campaigns multiply.

ConvertKit: Teams scale with fewer handoffs, keeping operations lean and relying on occasional cleanups as new initiatives are added.

Need-to-know

Frequently Asked Questions

Everything you need to know about comparing these platforms.

How much work is it to migrate automation flows, tags, and historical engagement from ActiveCampaign to ConvertKit (or the other way around)?

Expect list fields, tags, and basic subscriber data to transfer cleanly, but automations typically need to be rebuilt because each platform’s triggers, conditions, and event models don’t map 1:1. Email templates may import as HTML, yet platform-specific blocks and dynamic content often require manual reformatting.

If you rely on on-site tracking, lead scoring, or CRM-linked events in ActiveCampaign, plan time to recreate equivalent data signals in ConvertKit (or adjust the workflow to different available events). Keep both accounts running in parallel during cutover to verify enrollment logic and ensure no sequences double-send.

What happens if we switch to ActiveCampaign or ConvertKit and then need to switch back—will we lose anything important?

You can move contacts back via export/import, but platform-native assets (automations, sequence logic, templates, forms, and reporting history) don’t transfer back automatically and typically must be rebuilt. Tracking and attribution history inside ActiveCampaign or ConvertKit is tied to the account and isn’t preserved as a portable dataset.

To reduce reversal risk, keep a dated export of contacts and custom fields, plus a written automation map and copies of email HTML. That way, if you reverse, you can recreate critical flows even if in-app historical metrics don’t carry over.

Do we actually own our subscriber data, and can we export everything we’ll need if we leave ActiveCampaign or ConvertKit?

In both ActiveCampaign and ConvertKit, you can export subscribers (including many profile fields) to CSV for portability. What you can’t fully export in a structured way is the platform’s internal event history (opens/clicks as a complete log), automation state, and some reporting breakdowns, which are usually presented in-app rather than as a full data dump.

If you need complete raw activity logs for BI, plan to capture events via webhook/API into your own warehouse while you’re running ActiveCampaign or ConvertKit. That approach protects you from losing historical engagement detail at the point of exit.

How do GDPR and consent requirements work if we’re collecting leads in the EU—can ActiveCampaign or ConvertKit help us prove consent?

Both platforms support storing subscriber fields and timestamps you can use to record consent, but you’re responsible for configuring the collection method (forms/checkout capture) and ensuring the legal basis is documented. If you need double opt-in for certain regions or list types, you’ll need to enable and enforce it in the platform and align it with your signup sources.

For GDPR workflows (access requests, deletion), ActiveCampaign and ConvertKit can remove or suppress contacts, but you should also consider downstream systems (CRM, data warehouse) where data may have been synced. The practical “proof” of consent usually depends on keeping the original source and consent metadata, not only the email platform record.

We run multiple brands—can we keep separate lists and assets without cross-contaminating subscribers across brands in ActiveCampaign or ConvertKit?

Multi-brand setups are possible, but the operational risk is accidental cross-sends if segmentation and permissions aren’t strictly separated. In ActiveCampaign, separation is often managed with distinct lists, tags, and sometimes multiple pipelines/accounts depending on how isolated the brands must be.

In ConvertKit, creators often separate via tags/segments and separate forms/landing pages, but you still need clear conventions for tags and broadcast filters. If hard isolation is required (separate teams, strict data boundaries), you may end up using separate accounts/workspaces rather than relying only on segmentation.

Are there API limits or integration constraints that can break our workflows—especially if we rely on custom apps or heavy syncing?

Both ActiveCampaign and ConvertKit offer APIs, but practical constraints come from rate limits, pagination, and how each platform models events (e.g., custom fields vs. tags, purchase events, form submissions). If you push high-frequency updates (e.g., product usage events), you may need batching, backoff handling, and idempotency to avoid throttling and duplicates.

Also verify whether your must-have actions are supported via API (creating/updating subscribers, tagging, triggering automations, reading engagement data) and whether the integration you plan depends on webhooks you can reliably consume. A pilot sync with realistic volume is the safest way to surface constraints before you commit.

If we use SMS, what happens with regional messaging rules (TCPA, carrier filtering, quiet hours)—can ActiveCampaign or ConvertKit enforce this?

SMS compliance depends on collecting proper opt-in, maintaining opt-out handling, and respecting regional rules (e.g., TCPA in the U.S.), regardless of platform. ActiveCampaign and ConvertKit may offer SMS through native features or partners depending on your plan/region, but enforcement still requires correct configuration of consent language and sending policies.

Carrier filtering and restricted content can cause message blocking even when contacts are opted in, so you should plan for suppressed sends and maintain audit-friendly opt-in records. If you operate across countries, confirm which regions are supported and how each platform handles time-zone sending windows and STOP keywords.

How do ActiveCampaign and ConvertKit protect deliverability—what controls do we have if we see spam placement or complaint spikes?

Deliverability controls are a combination of authentication (SPF/DKIM/DMARC on your domain), list hygiene, and engagement-based sending practices. ActiveCampaign and ConvertKit provide tools to manage unsubscribes, bounces, and segmentation so you can reduce sends to unengaged contacts when problems appear.

If you see complaint spikes, the immediate controls are pausing campaigns, tightening segments, and adjusting acquisition sources—those steps are platform-agnostic but executed in ActiveCampaign or ConvertKit. Make sure you can identify the source of signups (form/page/integration) so you can isolate problematic streams rather than continuing to mail the full list.

What should we realistically expect from support—especially during onboarding, migrations, or outages with ActiveCampaign or ConvertKit?

Support access and response times can vary by plan tier and channel (chat/email), and complex issues (API/debugging deliverability) may require escalation rather than instant fixes. ActiveCampaign and ConvertKit both publish help centers and community resources, but time-to-resolution for account-specific problems often depends on providing logs, examples, and replication steps.

For migration windows or high-stakes launches, plan internal coverage and a rollback plan rather than relying solely on same-hour support. Documenting your sending domains, authentication records, and integration endpoints upfront speeds up troubleshooting with either ActiveCampaign or ConvertKit.

What are the scaling ceilings—will ActiveCampaign or ConvertKit break down with very large lists, high send volume, or complex operations?

At scale, the limiting factors are segmentation complexity, automation volume, API throughput, and the operational load of maintaining clean data—not just subscriber count. In ActiveCampaign, heavy automation logic and CRM-linked workflows can increase maintenance overhead as your event volume grows.

In ConvertKit, scaling challenges often show up in keeping tags/segments organized and ensuring broadcasts don’t hit unintended audiences when the audience map becomes dense. For either platform, plan governance (naming conventions, permission controls, audit checks) and external logging if you need a durable record of events beyond in-app reporting.

Final Thoughts

Our Recommendation

This decision is really about your operating model: do you run marketing like a coordinated system with tight handoffs, or like a streamlined workflow with minimal overhead?

Choose ActiveCampaign when your team runs frequent cross-channel campaigns, manages multiple segments and stakeholders, and can sustain ongoing coordination across launches. It fits organizations that accept process overhead to keep complex cadence and dependencies on track.

Choose ConvertKit when you need a clear, repeatable publishing rhythm and want execution to stay lightweight week to week. It suits smaller teams that prioritize predictability, fast turnaround, and simple ownership without adding new coordination layers.

Once you map the choice to how work actually moves through your team, the right platform becomes obvious in practice. Align to your cadence and coordination tolerance, then commit: pick ActiveCampaign for operational complexity, or ConvertKit for straightforward workflows.

ActiveCampaign vs ConvertKit

Automation depth vs streamlined creator workflows

At a Glance

Company Snapshot

ActiveCampaign

ConvertKit

Why These Platforms Feel So Different

Key Differences

Business suites vs creator-first email

Complex journeys vs simple sequences

Built-in CRM vs email-only core

Advanced analytics vs core metrics

Broader ecosystem vs creator stack

More configuration vs faster setup

Feature-by-feature comparison

Feature Explanation: How These Capabilities Differ in Practice

#1 Automation & Flows

#2 Segmentation & Targeting

#3 Multichannel Messaging

#4 Experimentation / Testing

#5 Ecommerce Integrations

#6 Sales CRM & Lead Management

Pricing & Plans

ActiveCampaign

ConvertKit

Reviews & Ratings

How workflows differ in real campaigns

#1 Lead-to-customer lifecycle handoffs

#2 Segmentation and audience updates

#3 Multi-step campaign orchestration

#4 Content and message iteration cadence

#5 Reporting and performance visibility

#6 Scaling operations across teams

Which Platform Should You Choose?

ActiveCampaign

ConvertKit

Frequently Asked Questions

Our Recommendation