Running an online business can feel like navigating a maze blindfolded. You know you need the right tools, but which ones are actually going to guide you to success?
Two popular options you’ve probably heard of are ActiveCampaign and ClickFunnels.
They both promise to help you grow your business, but they go about it in different ways.
In this post, we’ll break down the strengths of each platform, ActiveCampaign vs ClickFunnels, so you can decide which one (or both!) might be the right fit.
ActiveCampaign vs ClickFunnels: Overview
We’ve spent weeks testing both ActiveCampaign and ClickFunnels, building marketing campaigns, creating landing pages, and managing customer relationships.
This hands-on experience gives us the insights to help you understand which platform might be the best fit for your business.
ActiveCampaign helps you connect with your audience. Automate your marketing and personalize messages with their powerful platform. See why businesses are switching to ActiveCampaign to grow.
Pricing: It has a 7-day free Trial. Paid plan Starts at $15/month
Key Features:
- Email marketing
- Marketing automation
- CRM
Generate more leads & boost your sales with ClickFunnels. Create high-converting sales funnels with their easy-to-use tools and templates. See how ClickFunnels can transform your business.
Pricing: It has a free plan. Paid plan Starts at $97/month
Key Features:
- Landing page builder
- Sales funnel templates
- A/B testing
What is ActiveCampaign?
Ever wish you could clone yourself to handle all your marketing tasks?
ActiveCampaign is like that. It's a platform that helps you connect with your audience on a deeper level.
Think of automated emails that go out at the perfect time and personalized messages that make people feel special. It's basically your all-in-one marketing sidekick.
Connect with your audience and personalize messages with ActiveCampaign's powerful automation. See why businesses are making the switch. Learn more about ActiveCampaign!
Key Benefits
- Powerful automation: Design complex workflows to nurture leads and boost conversions.
- Advanced segmentation: Target the right people with the right message at the right time.
- Built-in CRM: Manage all your customer interactions in one central hub.
- Detailed analytics: Track your progress and see what's working (and what's not).
- Over 850+ integrations: Connect ActiveCampaign with your favorite tools and apps.
Pricing
ActiveCampaign offers tiered pricing based on the features you need and the number of contacts you have.
- 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.
Pros
Cons
What is ClickFunnels?
Want to build a sales machine that practically runs itself?
That's where ClickFunnels comes in. It helps you create those slick sales funnels you see online.
You know, the ones that guide you step-by-step towards buying something?
With ClickFunnels, you can build your own landing pages, sales pages, and even membership sites. It's all about turning visitors into customers.
Build high-converting sales funnels without any coding. ClickFunnels gives you the tools and templates to succeed. See how easy it can be to transform your business.
Key Benefits
- Drag-and-drop builder: Easily create high-converting pages without any coding.
- Pre-built templates: Get a head start with proven funnel designs for various industries.
- A/B testing: Optimize your funnels for maximum conversions.
- Email marketing integrations: Connect with your audience and nurture leads.
- Affiliate management tools: Build your army of promoters to boost sales.
Pricing
ClickFunnels has a simple pricing structure with two main plans:
- Startup: $97/month - Includes 3 Brand Workspaces, 3 Team Members, Unlimited Funnels, Unlimited Courses.
- Platinum: $297/month -Includes 10 Brand Workspaces, 10 Team Members, Unlimited Funnels, Unlimited Courses, Unlimited Contacts.
Pros
Cons
ActiveCampaign vs ClickFunnels: Feature Comparison
Both ActiveCampaign and ClickFunnels are powerful marketing tools, but they shine in different areas.
Let's see how their key features stack up to help you choose the best platform for your specific needs.
Email Marketing Tools
- ActiveCampaign: This is where ActiveCampaign truly excels. It offers a big range of email marketing tools to create beautiful email marketing campaigns, from simple newsletters to complex automated sequences. You can allocate your audience, personalize your messages, and track your results with ease.
- ClickFunnels: While ClickFunnels does include email marketing tools, it's not their primary focus. You can send broadcasts and create basic autoresponders, but the functionality could be more robust than ActiveCampaign.
Sales and Marketing Funnels
- ClickFunnels: ClickFunnels is the undisputed king of sales and marketing funnels. Their platform is specifically designed to help you build high-converting funnels with pre-built templates and a drag-and-drop builder. They even offer advanced features like order bumps and one-click upsells to maximize your online sales.
- ActiveCampaign: ActiveCampaign allows you to create basic marketing funnels and landing pages, but it's more streamlined and specialized than ClickFunnels.
Automation Tools
Both ClickFunnels and ActiveCampaign provide powerful automation tools to streamline your marketing efforts.
- ActiveCampaign: ActiveCampaign offers a wider range of automation options, including sophisticated workflows, site messages, and event tracking. This makes it a great choice for businesses that want to automate their customer relationship management and personalize the customer journey.
- ClickFunnels: ClickFunnels focuses on automating the sales process with features like automated email sequences and follow-up funnels.
Landing Page Templates
- ClickFunnels: ClickFunnels provides a library of attractive landing page templates designed to convert your website visitors into leads and customers.
- ActiveCampaign: ActiveCampaign also offers landing page templates, but their selection is more limited.
Customer Relationship Management (CRM)
- ActiveCampaign: ActiveCampaign boasts a robust built-in CRM that allows you to manage your own contacts, track interactions, and automate follow-ups. This makes it a great all-in-one marketing platform for businesses that want to nurture relationships and boost customer lifetime value.
- ClickFunnels: ClickFunnels doesn't have a built-in CRM, but it integrates with popular CRM solutions.
Integrations
- ActiveCampaign: ActiveCampaign integrates with over 850+ apps and tools, giving you the flexibility to connect with your favorite services.
- ClickFunnels: ClickFunnels also offers a wide range of integrations, though less extensive than ActiveCampaign.
Pricing
- ActiveCampaign: Offers more affordable starting price points, making it accessible to small businesses.
- ClickFunnels: Higher price point but offers more features specifically for building and optimizing sales funnels.
Ultimately, the best choice for you will depended on your specific needs and priorities.
Both tools enable businesses to improve their marketing efforts and drive online sales, but they each have their strengths and weaknesses.
What to Look for When Choosing?
- Your budget: ActiveCampaign offers more affordable plans, while ClickFunnels is a bigger investment.
- Your technical skills: ClickFunnels is very user-friendly, while ActiveCampaign might require a bit more of a learning curve.
- Your marketing priorities: If email marketing is your main focus, ActiveCampaign is the clear winner. If you're all about building high-converting sales funnels, ClickFunnels is the better choice.
- Your need for a CRM: ActiveCampaign has a built-in CRM, while ClickFunnels requires an integration.
- Your desired level of support: Both platforms offer support, but ClickFunnels is known for its strong community and resources.
- The size of your business: ActiveCampaign scales well from small businesses to large enterprises, while ClickFunnels is generally better suited for solopreneurs and small to medium-sized companies.
- Your need for advanced automation: ActiveCampaign offers more complex automation features, while ClickFunnels focuses on automating the sales funnel.
- Your preference for design flexibility: ClickFunnels provides more pre-designed templates and a simpler drag-and-drop builder, while ActiveCampaign offers more customization options but might require more design effort.
Final Verdict (Our Pick)
Choosing between ActiveCampaign and ClickFunnels depends on what you need.
Both are strong tools, but ActiveCampaign is our top pick for most businesses. Why? It's like a Swiss Army knifing for marketing.
You get awesome email tools, powerful automation, and a built-in CRM, all for a good price.
ClickFunnels is great for sales funnels, but it's more expensive and needs a CRM.
If you need a sales automation platform and have the budget, ClickFunnels is a solid choice.
We've tested both platforms inside and out, so you can trust our recommendation. Now, go out there and grow your business!
Still trying to figure it out? Try them both! ActiveCampaign and ClickFunnels offer free trials, so you can test drive before you commit. Happy marketing!
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I use ActiveCampaign and ClickFunnels together?
Absolutely! They integrate seamlessly. You can use ClickFunnels to generate leads and then nurture them with ActiveCampaign's powerful email marketing and automation features.
Which is better for beginners, ActiveCampaign or ClickFunnels?
ClickFunnels is generally more beginner-friendly due to its intuitive drag-and-drop interface and pre-built templates. ActiveCampaign is more complex but offers more advanced functionality.
Does ActiveCampaign have a free trial?
Yes, ActiveCampaign offers a 14-day free trial, so you can explore its features before it's committing to a paid plan.
Does ClickFunnels offer a money-back guarantee?
Yes, ClickFunnels offers you a 30-day money-back guarantee if you're not satisfied with their platform.
Which platform is better for e-commerce businesses?
Both platforms can be used for e-commerce, but ClickFunnels is often preferred due to its focus on sales funnels and features like order bumps and one-click upsells. However, ActiveCampaign can be a powerful tool for e-commerce businesses they want to leverage email marketing and automation to nurture customer relationships and drive repeat purchases.
