Keap vs ActiveCampaign: Which Is the Best CRM Tool in 2024?

Choosing the right CRM can feel like trying to navigate a maze blindfolded.

You know it’s important for your business, but which one fits your needs?

Keap and ActiveCampaign are two popular options, both promising to streamline your sales and marketing.

But which one comes out on top?

In this post, we’ll break down the key differences between Keap vs ActiveCampaign, helping you decide which CRM tool is the best for your business.

Keap vs ActiveCampaign: Overview

To give you the most accurate comparison, we’ve spent weeks testing both Keap and ActiveCampaign.

We built email sequences, set up automation, and even ran a few test campaigns to see how each platform performed in a real-world setting.

What is Keap?

Keap wants to make things easier for small businesses.

They combine sales and marketing tools in one place.

Think of it as your all-in-one platform for growth. You can send emails, organize contacts, and track your sales.

Pretty handy, right?

Key Benefits

Keap's strengths lie in its automation capabilities and e-commerce integrations. Here are some of its best features:

• Visual campaign builder: Easily create automated email sequences and workflows to nurture leads and close sales.
• E-commerce integrations: Connect your online store and automate order processing, fulfillment, and customer follow-up.
• Sales pipeline management: Track deals, manage your sales process, and identify bottlenecks.
• Appointments and scheduling: Schedule meetings and appointments with ease, eliminating back-and-forth emails.
• Detailed reporting and analytics: Track your progress, identify areas for improvement, and make data-driven decisions.

Pricing

Pricing: Starts at $299/month and chat them to get their features.

What is ActiveCampaign?

ActiveCampaign is a powerful tool.

But don't let that scare you. It's actually pretty easy to use. They focus on helping you automate your marketing.

This means less work for you!

You can send the right message to the right people at the right time. Sounds cool, right?

Key Benefits

• Visual automation builder: No coding needed! Design complex workflows with easy drag-and-drop tools.
• Advanced segmentation: Go beyond basic lists—target contacts based on behavior, interests, and more.
• Built-in CRM: Organize your contacts, track interactions, and score leads for better follow-up.
• Over 850+ integrations: Connect with your favorite tools and streamline your workflow.
• Personalized email marketing: Send emails that feel like a one-on-one conversation.

Pricing

ActiveCampaign offers you a tiered pricing based on the number of contacts and features you need.

• Starter: Starts at $15/month for 10x Email sends, 1 User, Multi-step marketing automation.
• Plus: Starts at $49/month for 10x Email sends 1 User, Multi-step marketing automation, Automation triggers & actions.
• Pro: Starts at $79/month for 12x Email sends, 3 Users, Multi-step marketing automation, and Unlimited actions.
• Enterprise: Starts at $145/month for 15x Email sends, 5 Users, Multi-step marketing automation, Email campaigns & newsletters.

Keap vs ActiveCampaign: Feature Comparison

Now for the head-to-head matchup! Let's see how Keap and ActiveCampaign stack up in terms of features.

Both are strong contenders, but each has its own strengths and weaknesses.

Marketing Automation Features

Both Keap and ActiveCampaign offer robust marketing automation features.

They both qualify as marketing automation tools and include email marketing tools that can help marketing and sales teams streamline tasks and improve efficiency.

However, ActiveCampaign takes the lead with more advanced marketing automation capabilities.

You can build complex marketing campaigns with intricate automation workflows that go beyond basic email sequences.

Customer Relationship Management (CRM)

Keap and ActiveCampaign both include customer relationship management (CRM) functionality.

This means you can manage your contacts, track interactions, and segment your audience for targeted campaigns.

Keap's CRM is more streamlined and easier to navigate, while ActiveCampaign's CRM offers more advanced features for sales teams.

Ease of Use

Keap is generally considered more user-friendly, especially for beginners.

Its interface is simpler and easier to grasp.

ActiveCampaign, with its wider range of features, has a slightly steeper learning curve.

However, both platforms offer helpful resources and support to get you started.

ActiveCampaign vs Keap: Automation Builder

Both ActiveCampaign and Keap provide visual automation builders.

Keap's builder is more basic, with a simple drag-and-drop interface.

ActiveCampaign's automation builder is more robust, allowing for more complex workflows with conditional logic and branching paths.

Ecommerce Features

Keap shines when it comes to e-commerce features.

It offers built-in integrations with popular platforms like Shopify and WooCommerce.

This allows you to easily segment customers based on purchase history, trigger automated email sequences, and track sales performance.

ActiveCampaign requires third-party integrations for e-commerce functionality.

Sales Tools

ActiveCampaign provides a wider array of sales tools than Keap.

Features like lead scoring, deal tracking, and sales pipeline management are more robust in ActiveCampaign.

Keap's sales tools are more basic, focusing on contact management and simple pipeline visualization.

Supporting the Entire Customer Lifecycle

While both platforms offer tools to support the entire customer lifecycle, ActiveCampaign's comprehensive suite of features gives it an edge.

From initial contact to post-purchase engagement, ActiveCampaign provides the tools to nurture leads and build lasting customer relationships.

Hopefully, this detailed comparison gives you a clearer picture of how these marketing automation platforms differ.

What to Look for When Choosing a CRM Platform?

• Your budget: Pricing models vary. Some CRMs charge per user, others per contact.
• Your business size: A small business has different needs than a large enterprise.
• Your industry: Some CRMs cater to specific industries.
• Your tech skills: How comfortable are you with learning new software?
• Your current tools: Make sure your CRM integrates with what you already use.
• Scalability: Can the CRM grow with your business?
• Support options: What kind of help is available when you need it?

Final Verdict (Our Pick)

For us, ActiveCampaign emerges as the winner.

While Keap is a great option for beginners, ActiveCampaign's advanced marketing automation tools & comprehensive feature set make it the better choice for businesses.

It offers greater flexibility, deeper customization, and more powerful automation capabilities.

We've walked you through the key differences between Keap and ActiveCampaign, comparing their features, pricing, and ease of use.

Remember it, the best choice depends on your specific needs and budget.

But if you're looking for a platform that can truly elevate your marketing and sales efforts, ActiveCampaign is the way to go.

Frequently Asked Questions