Head-to-Head
Klaviyo vs ActiveCampaign (2026)
Klaviyo
Freemium★ 4.5
ActiveCampaign
Paid★ 4.3
Klaviyo and ActiveCampaign are both powerful email marketing platforms with automation, but they serve different core audiences. Klaviyo is built for e-commerce brands with deep Shopify and WooCommerce integrations, product recommendation engines, and revenue attribution tied directly to email campaigns. ActiveCampaign is built for B2B businesses and service companies, with stronger CRM features, lead scoring, and sales automation capabilities that Klaviyo does not offer. For e-commerce brands, Klaviyo is typically the stronger choice. For B2B, SaaS, and service businesses, ActiveCampaign's CRM and lead lifecycle features make it far more suitable.
Feature Comparison
E-commerce Integration
Klaviyo's native Shopify and WooCommerce integration with revenue tracking is best-in-class for e-commerce. ActiveCampaign integrates but lacks Klaviyo's product-level e-commerce depth.
CRM and Sales Features
ActiveCampaign includes a full CRM with deal pipelines, lead scoring, and sales automation. Klaviyo has no CRM - it is a pure email and SMS marketing platform.
Email Automation
Both platforms have advanced visual automation builders. Feature parity on core automation capability for both e-commerce and B2B flows.
AI Personalisation
Klaviyo's predictive analytics and product recommendation engine are more advanced for e-commerce personalisation. ActiveCampaign's AI features are more general.
Pricing
Both scale by contact list size. ActiveCampaign's Lite plan is cheaper for smaller lists. Klaviyo becomes more competitive at e-commerce scale when revenue attribution is factored in.
B2B Suitability
ActiveCampaign with its CRM, lead scoring, and sales pipeline features is purpose-built for B2B and service business workflows. Klaviyo is not suited for B2B.
Revenue Reporting
Klaviyo's revenue attribution and e-commerce reporting are best-in-class. ActiveCampaign has solid reporting but lacks product-level revenue analytics.
Verdict
This comparison is context-dependent. Klaviyo scores 27/35 and ActiveCampaign scores 28/35. Choose based on your specific workflow needs.
Bottom Line
Klaviyo and ActiveCampaign are leading email + marketing automation platforms with different sweet spots. Klaviyo is ecommerce-specialised: deep Shopify and BigCommerce integration, segmentation by purchase behaviour, predictive analytics. ActiveCampaign is broader: email plus CRM plus marketing automation plus sales automation, suited to B2B and service businesses. Klaviyo wins for DTC ecommerce. ActiveCampaign wins for B2B, SaaS, and service businesses needing CRM integration. Klaviyo costs $0-$1,800/mo. ActiveCampaign costs $19-$229/mo. ActiveCampaign is cheaper at small scale; Klaviyo wins on ecommerce-specific revenue.
Pick Klaviyo
You run a DTC ecommerce store on Shopify, BigCommerce, or WooCommerce. Klaviyo segmentation by order history, predictive lifetime value, and ecommerce flows generate the highest revenue per send. Best for DTC brands, ecommerce founders.
Pick ActiveCampaign
You run a B2B, SaaS, or service business and need email plus CRM plus pipeline automation. ActiveCampaign Sales Hub provides CRM functionality competitive with HubSpot at a fraction of the price. Best for B2B marketers, agencies, and service businesses.
Frequently asked
Is ActiveCampaign cheaper than Klaviyo?
At small scale (under 1,000 contacts), yes. ActiveCampaign Lite is $19/mo for 1,000 contacts. Klaviyo Free covers 250 contacts and Email tier starts ~$45/mo for 1,500. At scale (10K+ contacts) the gap closes and depends on send frequency.
Can ActiveCampaign do ecommerce?
Yes, but with limits. ActiveCampaign integrates with Shopify and offers ecommerce templates and basic flows. The depth of segmentation by order data is significantly less than Klaviyo. For ecommerce-first businesses, Klaviyo flows generate 30-40% more revenue per send.
Which has better automations?
ActiveCampaign, on visual workflow editor and CRM-tied automations. Klaviyo automations are excellent for ecommerce flows but the editor is less flexible for non-ecommerce logic. For complex multi-channel automation, ActiveCampaign wins.
Does either include SMS?
Klaviyo SMS is built-in (additional cost per send). ActiveCampaign SMS is available on higher plans. Klaviyo SMS deliverability and segmentation are stronger because they share the email infrastructure.