📊 Our Test Results:
- 🎯 Automation Depth: ActiveCampaign offers 900+ templates with multi-step logic vs Thryv’s basic trigger campaigns — ActiveCampaign wins
- 💰 Pricing Value: ActiveCampaign starts at $15/month vs Thryv at $244/month — ActiveCampaign wins by a wide margin
- 🔌 Integrations: ActiveCampaign connects 950+ apps vs Thryv’s limited native options — ActiveCampaign wins
- 🏪 Local Business Tools: Thryv syncs 50+ listing sites and has built-in invoicing vs ActiveCampaign’s marketing-only focus — Thryv wins
- 📧 Email Deliverability: ActiveCampaign scores among the highest in deliverability tests — ActiveCampaign wins
Are you stuck choosing between a marketing automation powerhouse and an all-in-one small business platform?
ActiveCampaign vs Thryv both promise to grow your business. But they do it in very different ways.
One is built for marketers who want deep automation and email campaigns. The other is built for service-based small businesses that need everything in one place.
We spent three weeks testing both platforms. We ran email campaigns, built automations, and tracked results.
Here’s exactly what we found — and which one deserves your money.
Overview
To give you the most accurate comparison, we tested ActiveCampaign and Thryv on real campaigns.
We examined their automation builders, pricing, integrations, and support quality.
We also looked at who each tool is actually built for — because the winner depends on your situation.
What is ActiveCampaign?
ActiveCampaign is a Customer Experience Automation (CXA) platform. It helps businesses automate email marketing, sales pipelines, and customer journeys.
It’s best for small to mid-sized businesses that want advanced automation without enterprise-level costs.
ActiveCampaign offers a visual drag-and-drop builder. You can create complex, multi-step workflows without any coding.
ActiveCampaign
ActiveCampaign is the go-to platform for businesses that want powerful email automation and a built-in CRM. With 900+ automation templates and AI-powered send timing, it helps you reach the right people at exactly the right moment.
ActiveCampaign Pricing
Here’s what ActiveCampaign costs in 2026. Let’s break it down.
| Plan | Price | Best For |
|---|---|---|
| Starter | $15/month | New businesses starting with email marketing |
| Plus | $49/month | Growing businesses needing CRM and automation |
| Pro | $79/month | Advanced users with complex workflows |
| Enterprise | $145/month | Large teams needing custom reporting and support |
Free trial: Yes — 14 days with access to most Professional-tier features. No credit card required.
Money-back guarantee: ActiveCampaign does not offer a refund policy. Cancel before your trial ends to avoid charges.
📌 Note: All plans include a built-in CRM. The Starter plan limits automations to 5 actions per workflow. Upgrade to Plus or higher for unlimited automation steps.
⚠️ Warning: ActiveCampaign pricing increases as your contact list grows. A plan that costs $15/month for 1,000 contacts costs more at 5,000 contacts. Always check the price for your list size before signing up.
Key Benefits of ActiveCampaign
Here’s why ActiveCampaign stands out from the competition:
- Advanced Automation Builder: The visual drag-and-drop builder lets you create multi-step workflows with conditional logic. You can A/B test entire automation paths to find what works best.
- 900+ Pre-Built Templates: Choose from over 900 automation templates designed for specific outcomes. This means you can launch campaigns in minutes, not hours.
- AI-Powered Send Timing: ActiveCampaign uses AI to predict the best time to send emails based on each subscriber’s behavior. This boosts open rates without manual testing.
- Built-In CRM: Every plan includes a CRM for tracking deals and scoring leads. You get sales pipeline management without paying for a separate tool.
- 950+ Integrations: Connect with Shopify, Salesforce, WordPress, and hundreds more. Zapier support extends this even further to virtually any app you use.
- High Email Deliverability: ActiveCampaign consistently scores among the highest in deliverability tests. Your emails actually reach inboxes, not spam folders.
ActiveCampaign Pros & Cons
✅ Pros
- Powerful automation with 900+ templates and conditional logic
- Built-in CRM included in all plans at no extra cost
- 14-day free trial with no credit card required
- 950+ integrations including Shopify, Salesforce, and Zapier
- AI predictive send timing improves email open rates
❌ Cons
- Pricing scales up fast as your contact list grows
- Steep learning curve for beginners new to automation
- Not ideal for service businesses needing scheduling or invoicing
What is Thryv?
Thryv is an all-in-one business management platform built for small businesses. It combines CRM, marketing, scheduling, invoicing, and reputation management in one place.
It was founded by the company behind Yellow Pages. Today it supports more than 50,000 local businesses across the US, Canada, and Australia.
Thryv is best for service-based businesses — think salons, contractors, clinics, and home services — that need an all-in-one solution to manage clients and get paid faster.
Thryv
Thryv is an all-in-one platform that helps small businesses manage everything from client bookings to invoicing and online reviews. It’s designed for service-based businesses that want to replace five different tools with just one.
Thryv Pricing
Here’s what Thryv costs in 2026. Let’s break it down.
| Plan | Price | Best For |
|---|---|---|
| Command Center (Free) | $0/month | Businesses testing Thryv’s unified inbox |
| Marketing Center | $244/month | Local businesses focused on marketing and listings |
Free trial: Thryv does not offer a traditional free trial. A free Command Center plan is available with limited features.
Money-back guarantee: No standard money-back guarantee. Thryv requires a 6-month initial commitment that auto-renews monthly.
📌 Note: All Thryv paid plans require a one-time onboarding fee of $250. This covers setup, training, and data migration support. Factor this into your first-month budget.
⚠️ Warning: Thryv requires a 6-month contract commitment upfront. You cannot cancel month-to-month during this initial period. Users have reported difficulty getting refunds on the onboarding fee even when canceling early.
Key Benefits of Thryv
Here’s why Thryv stands out for small service businesses:
- All-in-One Platform: Thryv combines CRM, scheduling, invoicing, marketing, and reputation management in one dashboard. You don’t need five separate tools to run your business.
- Online Booking That Converts: Clients can book appointments 24/7 through Thryv’s scheduling system. Businesses report up to 61% more bookings after switching to automated scheduling.
- Local Listing Sync: Thryv automatically updates your business information across 50+ listing sites like Google, Yelp, and Facebook. This keeps your local presence accurate everywhere.
- Integrated Payments (ThryvPay): Accept payments directly through the platform with ThryvPay. No need for a separate payment processor for service-based transactions.
- Unified Command Center: All messages from email, SMS, social media, and web chat arrive in one inbox. Your team never misses a client message again.
- Save 20 Hours Per Week: Thryv automates invoicing, reminders, and follow-ups so business owners save an average of 20 hours each week on admin tasks.
Thryv Pros & Cons
✅ Pros
- True all-in-one platform — CRM, invoicing, scheduling, marketing combined
- Syncs business info across 50+ local listing sites automatically
- 24/7 dedicated support rep included with paid plans
- Built-in ThryvPay for accepting payments without extra tools
❌ Cons
- Very expensive — starts at $244/month plus a $250 onboarding fee
- Requires a 6-month contract commitment with no easy exit
- Weak email automation compared to dedicated marketing tools
- Limited integrations with third-party marketing software
Feature Comparison
Ready to dive into a detailed comparison of ActiveCampaign vs Thryv?
We’ll explore 9 key features to help you determine which platform best suits your needs.
| Feature | ActiveCampaign | Thryv |
|---|---|---|
| Starting Price | $15/month | $244/month |
| Free Plan | ❌ (14-day trial) | ✅ (Command Center) |
| Email Marketing | ✅ | ✅ |
| Marketing Automation | ✅ Advanced | ✅ Basic |
| Built-in CRM | ✅ | ✅ |
| Appointment Scheduling | ❌ | ✅ |
| Invoicing & Payments | ❌ | ✅ |
| Local Listing Management | ❌ | ✅ |
| Third-Party Integrations | ✅ 950+ | ✅ Limited |
| Best For | Marketers & growing businesses | Local service businesses |
1. Email Marketing
ActiveCampaign: ActiveCampaign’s email builder includes AI content generation to help you write faster. You can create dynamic content that changes based on subscriber data, making every email feel personal. Conditional content blocks let you show or hide sections based on subscriber behavior or custom fields.
Thryv: Thryv offers email and SMS marketing through trigger-based campaigns. You can send automated follow-ups, appointment reminders, and promotions to your client list. The email builder is simpler and more focused on keeping clients engaged rather than advanced personalization.
⚠️ Warning: If advanced email personalization and A/B testing are priorities, ActiveCampaign is the clear winner here. Thryv’s email tools are functional but basic compared to dedicated marketing platforms.
2. Marketing Automation
ActiveCampaign: This is where ActiveCampaign dominates. The visual automation builder lets you create multi-step workflows with branching logic, lead scoring, and conditional triggers. You can automate welcome series, cart abandonment emails, follow-ups, and entire customer journeys across email, SMS, and ads from one dashboard.
Thryv: Thryv’s automation is trigger-based and simpler. You can set up automatic appointment reminders, review requests, and follow-up messages. It works well for routine client communication but lacks the deep workflow logic and multi-step branching that ActiveCampaign offers.
✅ Test Result: ActiveCampaign’s automation builder allows A/B testing of entire automation paths. Thryv does not offer this. For businesses that want to optimize their funnels, ActiveCampaign is the stronger choice.
3. CRM and Contact Management
ActiveCampaign: ActiveCampaign includes a full CRM in every plan. It covers lead scoring, sales pipelines, deal tracking, and contact tagging based on subscriber actions. As of 2025, it also includes AI-powered audience segmentation that builds campaign audiences based on real-time behavioral data.
Thryv: Thryv’s CRM is built specifically for service businesses. It tracks client history, appointments, invoices, and communication in one place. The focus is on managing existing client relationships rather than scoring and nurturing new leads through a sales funnel.
4. Appointment Scheduling & Invoicing
ActiveCampaign: ActiveCampaign does not include appointment scheduling or invoicing. It’s a marketing and CRM platform. If you need these features, you’d need to integrate third-party tools like Calendly for scheduling or QuickBooks for invoicing.
Thryv: This is Thryv’s biggest advantage. It includes 24/7 online booking, automated appointment reminders, digital invoicing, estimates, and ThryvPay for accepting payments. Service businesses report a 61% increase in bookings after switching to Thryv’s scheduling system.
⚠️ Warning: If your business depends on scheduling and getting paid, Thryv has a clear advantage. ActiveCampaign simply doesn’t offer these features. You’d pay for two separate tools to match what Thryv does natively.
5. Local Listings & Online Reputation
ActiveCampaign: ActiveCampaign does not include local listing management or review monitoring. It’s focused on email and marketing automation. Businesses needing local SEO visibility would need a separate tool entirely.
Thryv: Thryv automatically syncs your business info across 50+ listing sites and monitors your online reviews. The AI Response Tool helps you craft replies to reviews quickly. This is a major time-saver for local businesses managing their online presence across multiple platforms.
6. Integrations
ActiveCampaign: ActiveCampaign connects with 950+ apps including Shopify, Salesforce, WordPress, and Zapier. This makes it easy to plug into your existing tech stack. Premium integrations are available for major CRM and ecommerce platforms.
Thryv: Thryv supports integrations through native connections and Zapier. However, the integration library is much smaller than ActiveCampaign’s. It connects well with accounting tools like QuickBooks and Google Calendar, but advanced marketing stack integrations are limited.
7. Social Media Management
ActiveCampaign: ActiveCampaign does not include a native social media management tool. You can run Facebook and Instagram ads through integrations, but scheduling or posting organic social content is not part of the platform.
Thryv: Thryv includes a social media management tool built directly into the platform. You can schedule posts, monitor engagement, and track social performance without switching to another app. This is useful for small business owners managing their own social accounts.
8. Reporting & Analytics
ActiveCampaign: ActiveCampaign offers detailed campaign analytics, custom reports, and revenue attribution. You can track which automations drive the most conversions. The Enterprise plan includes advanced custom reporting for teams that need deeper data insights.
Thryv: Thryv provides website analytics, campaign performance reports, and competitor tracking through its Marketing Center. Reports focus on leads, bookings, and client activity. The analytics are practical for small business owners but less customizable than ActiveCampaign’s reporting suite.
9. Pricing & Cost
Let’s compare the pricing plans side by side.
| Plan | ActiveCampaign | Thryv |
|---|---|---|
| Free / Entry | 14-day trial only | Command Center (Free) |
| Starter / Plus | $15/month | $244/month |
| Mid-Tier | $49–$79/month | N/A (bundle pricing) |
| Enterprise | $145/month | Custom (Kickstart+) |
| Onboarding Fee | None | $250 (one-time) |
ActiveCampaign: ActiveCampaign is significantly more affordable, especially for small businesses and startups. The Starter plan at $15/month gives you email marketing and CRM access. Pricing increases with contact list size, so it’s worth calculating your total cost before upgrading.
Thryv: Thryv’s pricing is a major barrier for budget-conscious small businesses. Starting at $244/month plus a $250 onboarding fee, the first-month cost can exceed $500. However, for businesses replacing multiple tools — scheduling software, review management, CRM, and email — the consolidated cost may be justifiable.
Different Scenarios
| If You Need… | Choose | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Tight budget | ActiveCampaign | 94% cheaper to start |
| Deep email automation | ActiveCampaign | 900+ templates, multi-step logic |
| Appointment scheduling | Thryv | Built-in 24/7 booking system |
| Local listings management | Thryv | Syncs 50+ listing sites automatically |
| eCommerce integrations | ActiveCampaign | Native Shopify & 950+ apps |
| Invoicing & payments | Thryv | ThryvPay built directly in |
| Beginner-friendly setup | Thryv | Dedicated onboarding rep included |
💰 Your Budget
ActiveCampaign wins on pricing — it starts at $15/month vs Thryv’s $244/month plus a $250 onboarding fee. If you’re a startup or solo operator, ActiveCampaign won’t drain your budget while still giving you powerful tools.
🔌 Your Tech Stack
ActiveCampaign connects with 950+ apps, making it easy to plug into Shopify, Salesforce, or any tool you already use. Thryv works best as a standalone platform and has fewer native integrations with outside marketing tools.
🏪 Your Business Type
Thryv is purpose-built for local service businesses — salons, clinics, contractors, and home service providers. ActiveCampaign is better for online businesses, eCommerce stores, agencies, and companies with dedicated marketing teams.
🎓 Your Experience Level
Thryv offers a dedicated onboarding rep and 24/7 support to get you set up fast. ActiveCampaign has a steeper learning curve but provides 900+ pre-built automation templates to help beginners get started without building from scratch.
🆓 Free Trials and Demos
ActiveCampaign offers a 14-day free trial with no credit card required — you can test most Pro features before paying. Thryv does not offer a traditional free trial, so you’ll need to book a demo call before committing.
🛟 Support Options
Thryv includes a dedicated Client Success Manager and 24/7 phone, email, and chat support in all paid plans. ActiveCampaign offers email and chat support on lower plans, with phone support reserved for higher tiers.
Switching Guide
Already using one of these tools? Here’s what to expect if you switch.
🔄 Switching from ActiveCampaign to Thryv?
✅ What you’ll gain:
- Built-in appointment scheduling and 24/7 online booking
- Invoicing, estimates, and ThryvPay all in one place
- Automatic sync across 50+ local listing sites
❌ What you’ll lose:
- Advanced multi-step automation and A/B testing workflows
- Access to 950+ third-party integrations
- Affordable entry-level pricing — expect a major cost increase
📋 How to switch:
- Export your contact list and automation data from ActiveCampaign as CSV files
- Book a Thryv demo and confirm the plan that matches your business needs
- Import your contacts into Thryv and use the onboarding rep to rebuild your campaigns
🔄 Switching from Thryv to ActiveCampaign?
✅ What you’ll gain:
- Deep email automation with 900+ templates and multi-step logic
- Significant cost savings — from $244/month down to $15/month
- 950+ integrations including Shopify, Salesforce, and Zapier
❌ What you’ll lose:
- Built-in scheduling, invoicing, and payment processing
- Automatic local listing sync across 50+ directories
- 24/7 dedicated account rep and all-in-one support
📋 How to switch:
- Export your client list from Thryv and note any active automation sequences
- Start your 14-day free trial on ActiveCampaign and import your contacts via CSV
- Rebuild your email sequences using ActiveCampaign’s pre-built automation templates
Final Verdict
| Category | Winner |
|---|---|
| 💰 Pricing | ActiveCampaign |
| 📧 Email Marketing | ActiveCampaign |
| ⚡ Automation Power | ActiveCampaign |
| 🔌 Integrations | ActiveCampaign |
| 🏪 Local Business Tools | Thryv |
| 📅 Scheduling & Payments | Thryv |
| 📊 Reporting | ActiveCampaign |
| 🛟 Dedicated Support | Thryv |
| 🏆 Overall Winner | ActiveCampaign |
🏆 WINNER: ACTIVECAMPAIGN
ActiveCampaign wins 5 out of 8 categories.
Best for: Email marketers, eCommerce businesses, agencies, and growing teams needing advanced automation
ActiveCampaign and Thryv serve very different customers.
ActiveCampaign is built for marketers who want to automate complex campaigns, nurture leads, and drive revenue through email and CRM.
Thryv is built for service business owners who want to manage bookings, invoices, reviews, and client communication without juggling multiple apps.
Thryv is excellent for local businesses that need an all-in-one operational platform — especially if you’re replacing five separate tools.
However, if you need powerful email automation, deep integrations, and affordable pricing, ActiveCampaign is the better choice.
Start your free trial today and see why over 180,000 businesses trust ActiveCampaign to grow their revenue.
More of ActiveCampaign Compared
Here’s how ActiveCampaign stacks up against other competitors:
ActiveCampaign vs GoHighLevel
ActiveCampaign wins on: Email deliverability, automation templates, pricing for small lists
GoHighLevel wins on: Agency white-labeling, built-in funnel builder, all-in-one client management
ActiveCampaign vs Pipedrive
ActiveCampaign wins on: Email automation, marketing features, contact segmentation
Pipedrive wins on: Sales pipeline visualization, deal management, sales-focused CRM
ActiveCampaign wins on: Pricing, integration count, email deliverability rates
Keap wins on: Sales automation for small businesses, landing page builder, invoicing
ActiveCampaign wins on: Affordability, email automation depth, contact-based pricing
HubSpot wins on: Free CRM tier, marketing hub breadth, enterprise-level reporting
ActiveCampaign vs ClickFunnels
ActiveCampaign wins on: Email automation, CRM features, pricing for marketing teams
ClickFunnels wins on: Sales funnel building, landing pages, one-click upsell flows
ActiveCampaign vs Folk
ActiveCampaign wins on: Automation power, email marketing, reporting depth
Folk wins on: Simplicity for small teams, relationship management, lightweight CRM
ActiveCampaign vs Instantly
ActiveCampaign wins on: Full marketing automation, CRM, omnichannel campaigns
Instantly wins on: Cold email outreach at scale, inbox rotation, deliverability for outbound
ActiveCampaign wins on: Email marketing, automation, contact management
ClickUp wins on: Project management, task tracking, team collaboration
ActiveCampaign wins on: Email automation, deliverability, marketing workflows
Monday CRM wins on: Visual project boards, team transparency, workflow customization
ActiveCampaign vs Capsule CRM
ActiveCampaign wins on: Automation templates, email features, AI tools
Capsule CRM wins on: Simplicity, clean interface, affordable entry pricing
ActiveCampaign wins on: Email marketing depth, automation, deliverability
Insightly wins on: Project management within CRM, relationship linking
ActiveCampaign vs Freshsales CRM
ActiveCampaign wins on: Email automation power, 950+ integrations, AI send timing
Freshsales CRM wins on: Phone and chat built-in, free plan with more features, AI scoring
ActiveCampaign wins on: Ease of use, pricing for SMBs, faster setup time
Salesforce wins on: Enterprise customization, advanced reporting, ecosystem depth
ActiveCampaign vs Zendesk
ActiveCampaign wins on: Marketing automation, email campaigns, lead nurturing
Zendesk wins on: Customer support ticketing, helpdesk management, service workflows
More of Thryv Compared
Here’s how Thryv stacks up against other competitors:
Thryv wins on: Local listing sync, dedicated support rep, invoicing simplicity
GoHighLevel wins on: Agency features, white-label options, funnel builder
Thryv wins on: Local listings, reputation management, unified inbox
Keap wins on: Marketing automation depth, lower pricing, eCommerce tools
Thryv wins on: Built-in payments, scheduling, and local presence management
HubSpot wins on: Free CRM tier, marketing automation, larger integration ecosystem
Thryv wins on: CRM depth, appointment scheduling, reputation management
ClickFunnels wins on: Sales funnel building, landing pages, online course tools
Thryv wins on: All-in-one operations, local listings, payment processing
Folk wins on: Simplicity, affordability, lightweight relationship management
Thryv wins on: Business operations, CRM, scheduling, and local marketing
Instantly wins on: Cold outreach volume, inbox deliverability, lower cost
Thryv wins on: Client-facing features, invoicing, marketing automation for local biz
ClickUp wins on: Internal team project management, task tracking, free plan
Thryv vs Monday CRM
Thryv wins on: Local business tools, appointment scheduling, review management
Monday CRM wins on: Visual workflow boards, team collaboration, customizability
Thryv vs Capsule CRM
Thryv wins on: All-in-one features, local presence, payment tools
Capsule CRM wins on: Affordability, ease of use, simple contact management
Thryv wins on: Local listing management, scheduling, unified communication inbox
Insightly wins on: Project linking within CRM, lower pricing tiers
Thryv wins on: Local business operations, invoicing, reputation management
Freshsales CRM wins on: Free plan availability, phone and chat features, AI lead scoring
Thryv wins on: Small business simplicity, all-in-one pricing, built-in scheduling
Salesforce wins on: Enterprise customization, reporting, advanced CRM features
Thryv wins on: Local business marketing, scheduling, invoicing tools
Zendesk wins on: Customer support ticketing, helpdesk automation, enterprise service tools
Frequently Asked Questions
What is ActiveCampaign used for?
ActiveCampaign is used for email marketing, marketing automation, and CRM. It helps businesses send automated email campaigns, track leads through a sales pipeline, and personalize customer journeys based on behavior and data.
Is ActiveCampaign a CRM?
Yes, ActiveCampaign includes a built-in CRM in every plan. It lets you track deals, score leads, and manage your sales pipeline alongside your email marketing campaigns — all without paying for a separate tool.
What is Thryv used for?
Thryv is an all-in-one business management platform for small service businesses. It handles client scheduling, invoicing, payments, email and SMS marketing, reputation management, and local listing sync in one dashboard.
Is ActiveCampaign free?
ActiveCampaign is not permanently free. It offers a 14-day free trial with no credit card required, giving you access to most Professional-tier features. Paid plans start at $15/month after the trial ends.
Is Thryv a CRM?
Yes, Thryv includes a CRM component that tracks client history, appointments, invoices, and communication. However, its CRM is designed for managing existing service clients rather than nurturing new leads through a complex sales funnel like ActiveCampaign does.
English 
Spanish 
Chinese 
German 
French 
Arabic 
Russian 
Portuguese 
Japanese 
Korean 
Italian 
Turkish 
Dutch 
Polish 
Indonesian 
Thai 
Vietnamese 