Having problems choosing between ConvertKit and ActiveCampaign? In this article, we will put every service into practice to help you choose the service that is right for you. Both platforms are popular and respected email marketing services.
They help you create an email list, compose and send messages, and automate many necessary parts of your campaigns. Choosing between the two requires a careful look at the offer and consideration of your individual needs.
To help you make the decision, we compare the two with WordPress in terms of features, prices, usability and integration potential. We will see! Email marketing is a great way to build and promote your blog audience. Before you get started, however, you need a special email marketing tool. First lets dig to their individual features, then after we will be through the comparison.
A. ConvertKit
The first is ConvertKit. This is a dedicated email marketing platform that focuses on providing services to busy creatives. It offers an application-based system with many automation functions with which you no longer have to carry out your email campaigns. ConvertKit is an email service provider and marketing automation tool designed specifically for bloggers, podcasters, influencers, online coaches, musicians, and other types of creative entrepreneurs.
According to the website, ConvertKit could make the marketing as easy as possible. It’s a curated set of features that allow developers to expand their email lists, plan content, and spend more time doing what they do best.
Here are some of the key features you’ll find inside:
i. Visual Automation Editor
ConvertKit’s Visual automation editor is easy to use and makes editing automation workflows a breeze. For example, if one step in your workflow is to send an email, you can click the icon and start editing on the same page. ConvertKit, on the other hand, combines everything in one central processing tool. So if you click the email icon, you can edit your message online. You cannot navigate to a separate window and lose track of what you did before.
ii. Labeled
One of ConvertKit’s best sellers is the tag-based list management system. This provides users with an efficient tool for segmenting and tracking subscribers and assigning simple workflow automation. The advantage is that you can assign labels to users and group them according to their interests, behavior, or other elements that make sense to you.
iii. Report window
The ConvertKit reporting dashboard is based on your subscriber list. Users get access to a list of statistics that check sequences, open emails, and more. Keep in mind; This is not a complete dashboard. Instead, reports can only track how users interact with email and the streams you’ve set up in your ConvertKit account. However, what we liked about the board is that the ideas it contains are easy to read and understand in a few minutes.
iv. Easy email editing
The email editor is very simple and perfect for sending emails to your subscribers as if you were sending them from your Gmail account, but it does offer some additional benefits. Please note that ConvertKit was created to provide creative templates with time constraints that cannot be confused. As a result, users only have three templates to choose from, while layout options are limited to bullets, plain text, images, horizontal lines, and ordered lists.
The templates do not contain any clickable video or GIF integrations, links to social accounts or CTAs. You can find more information about ConvertKit’s attitude towards template emails here. And we understand that plain text emails offer a more personal touch than the newsletter template. Nevertheless, it is nice to have the opportunity to create a template e-newsletter or to move certain design elements on a landing page.
v. Create forms and landing pages
ConvertKit lets you create simple landing pages even when you don’t have a website. That is, developers who focus on Instagram or YouTube can send users to specific landing pages. In addition, through ConvertKit’s accessible automation platform, users can create built-in pop-up registration forms that are easy to edit with the visual editor, and templates can be customized to work for any creator type:
vi. Automation
Like Drip, ConvertKit uses an if-this-then-function that lets you create automation rules by selecting a series of events, actions, and conditions. The automations of ConvertKit are not as diverse as those of ActiveCampaign or Drip, but they simplify the process and break it down into events, actions and conditions that we personally love.
vii. Reports and analysis
ConvertKit’s reporting tools are fairly minimal. It doesn’t connect to Google Analytics, and there aren’t any social media reports or heat maps that you can find in other automation tools. But then you also lack things like bounce rates and conversion tracking.
viii. ConvertKit pricing
Here’s a quick look at the price breakdown: You may find that ConvertKit is focusing on the end of the creator and blogger market, as prices for those with smaller lists are rising wonderfully. You can survive on just $ 29 if you keep a list of fewer than 1000 contacts, and even 5000 contacts cost just $ 79 a month. Very good value for money compared to the rest of the package.
Disadvantage
ConvertKit does not offer the convenience of other marketing automation tools. However, keep in mind that this is by design because the tool was created as a simple solution for developers who don’t want a mastered tool.
However, it’s worth going into the fact that ConvertKit doesn’t offer all the tools you’ll find in ActiveCampaign. As mentioned earlier, ConvertKit includes some reporting tools, but they only cover the basics. For example, no Google Analytics integration or social media reporting is integrated into the platform.
B. ActiveCampaign
Next we have ActiveCampaign. This is a more comprehensive service that offers email marketing tools and a host of other features. The access you rely on depends on the plan you subscribe to. Regardless, it’s a flexible platform that gives you a lot of control over your campaigns. ActiveCampaign is an SME-focused marketing automation tool that drives growth by combining email marketing, automation, and CRM to track all of your efforts.
a. ActiveCampaign Marketing Automation features
It’s worth noting that ActiveCampaign offers more than just marketing automation. It’s an email marketing tool, a social media management program that supports SMS campaigns and connects to a range of third-party software.Although advertised as a small business automation tool, it is relatively scalable and offers more features than competitors in the same price range.
b. Live chat (a bit like intercom)
Active Campaign stands out from the crowd with its live chat widget. This function is not available in ConvertKit. So if you have an internal sales team, you should take a closer look at Active Campaign. This is similar to Intercom’s offering, which allows you to interact with leads directly on your website, and is reinforced by the fact that you can trigger your existing email sequences based on the outcome of a conversation.
Great potential to attract customers directly to your website and later seal the deal with the extensive content that you have already created for other inbound prospects.It is worth noting that you can also trigger pre-installed “site messages” via the chat widget.
For example, you have just released a new feature or product that you can use to easily pop up to notify your customers. Pretty neat, and again, it saves you from having to use another tool for this skill.
c. Dynamic content
OK, that’s great. Do you know this feeling when you receive an email from a brand that feels like they’re reunited with the rest of their customers without thinking twice about what you really like and need? This will help you avoid this scenario.
You can customize your emails with dynamic content that depends on tags and groups in your account. For example, if you email your customers about pet food and a group of them are just dog food buyers and the rest of cat food, you can send a different text to each group. You can also change the images in your emails to match the same labels so that your emails never feel inconsistent to customers.
d.SMS messages
If you want to collect customer or prospect phone numbers, you should choose Active Campaign. You can trigger SMS messages as part of your marketing sequences at the push of a button. You can send SMS from ConvertKit but only through integration with apps like Textful or Call-Loop, which can be a headache among all the other things you juggle.
Please note that SMS messages are purchased through additional credits with your Active Campaign subscription. So remember to take this into account when making your decisions in your numbers. Here is a link to the SMS price page and a short screenshot if you don’t want to jump now.
e. Website visitor tracking
Aren’t you so happy using Google Analytics every day to track your visitors and goals? Or do you hate having to sign up with GA every time you want to check your visitor statistics? You will love it. Active Campaign tracks visitors so you can deliver exactly what they’re looking for.
Along with general visitor numbers, you can track a variety of important events, including: Visited pages, completed forms and goals achieved (e.g. payment completed or registration for your product). Then you can find out what works and what doesn’t, and adjust your marketing activities accordingly by changing who you are addressing or which channels you are using.
f. Active campaign price
ActiveCampaign is quite blunt compared to the others when it comes to costs. You get more features like dynamic content, split tests, lead scoring, SMS marketing and live chat. However, you need to decide whether these features are worth the additional cost. Here’s the breakdown by plan: It’s worth noting that ConvertKit’s $ 49 plan up to 3,000 contacts, while here you only get 500 at the same price.
Disadvantage
Overall, we liked what ActiveCampaign brought to the table and found it difficult to drill holes. Here are some we found: No landing page generator is built into the platform, so you’ll need to manage it by integrating with third-party apps.
This could be a crucial factor for many of you if you are tired of the “Zap” data from your landing page tool to your marketing automation tool. If this is important to you, it is recommended that you try ConvertKit or Keep instead: ConvertKit is particularly strong in this area because simple, well-tested templates are ready for use with just a few clicks.
While ActiveCampaign comes with a variety of useful tools, you should have enough time to find your way around the platform. Some customers on review sites like Capterra and G2 Crowd felt overwhelmed with the crowded dashboard and long list of tools. The other thing you can be careful about is the price based on the contact. As your subscriber list grows, ActiveCampaign is likely to pay a higher monthly fee.
ConvertKit vs ActiveCampaign: A full comparison
Now let’s dive a little deeper into both services. We’ll compare them in key areas to help you decide which one best fits your specific goals and needs.
1. Features
Make absolutely sure that the service you are registering for contains the features you need. With this in mind, let’s see what ConvertKit vs ActiveCampaign has to offer.
- ConvertKit offers an impressive range of options.
- Helps you create and expand an email list for your campaigns.
- Allows you to organize your email list with taxonomies such as tags and categories.
- Offers customizable registration forms to insert into your website.
- Allows you to create custom rules and sequences to automate your email.
- Provides tools to track data about your subscribers and conversions.
- Integrates with many e-commerce platforms and other tools.
Active Campaign also has a lot to offer. This platform:
- Helps you create and manage an email list.
- Includes a drag-and-drop email designer that allows you to fully customize your messages.
- It offers many templates to help you create your email faster.
- Allows you to easily perform split tests so you can optimize your campaigns and increase conversions.
- Allows you to customize the content based on the details and history of each contact.
- Simplify gathering and organizing data about leads in your email list.
- Offers features that help you automate and plan your campaigns in advance.
While both platforms have covered all the basics, there are some significant differences in their functional sets. ActiveCampaign offers more when it comes to composing your emails and tracking data. Conversely, ConvertKit offers more precise automation and segmentation as well as many integration options.
Winner: In terms of features, you can present yourself with both integrations based on your experience and purpose. So it’s a tie.
2. Prices
Next, let’s talk about the cost.
ConvertKit offers monthly and yearly billing with prices based on the number of your subscribers. The only thing you pay extra for is more subscribers. This is attractive to me because it makes the prices nice and transparent. ConvertKit offers four basic plans based on the number of subscribers it supports: The cheapest plan is $ 29 per month for up to 1,000 subscribers (paid annually). At the top you can enter any size list in the last field and automatically calculate a price.
That being said, the ConvertKit plans are essentially the same. All important functions are included in all plans. The only difference is the parent option, which allows free migration if you move your existing email list from another service. This is important to note as ActiveCampaign divides your billing levels differently.
Now let’s take a look at ActiveCampaign prices. ActiveCampaign also offers four plans, but they are more customizable than ConvertKit. In the box on the left you can choose how many subscribers your plan should contain, from 500 to over 100,000. When you do this, the prices of all four plans change dynamically. Depending on your needs, you can pay between $ 9 a month and thousands of dollars. The four plans also differ greatly in the number of functions offered.
At the lowest level, however, you get all the basics you need for email marketing. Unless you’re looking for something overly complex, ActiveCampaign can generally be a little cheaper than ConvertKit. Again, you have four plans, but they’re a bit more customizable than with ConvertKit. You choose how many subscribers you want to manage and the price changes from there. The plans also differ in the functions offered. The lower level provides you with the basics for email marketing.
However, you need to upgrade to get better data integration, sales automation, custom domains, and lead scoring. Free migration is included. With ActiveCampaign, you can move all of your data and subscribers from another platform.
Winner
It is a tie. In general, ConvertKit and ActiveCampaign seem to be pretty similar in price. For buyers on a tight budget, try something like MailerLite (Test), which is 100% free for up to 1000 subscribers.
3. WordPress integration
Your WordPress blog is an invaluable tool when it comes to compiling an email list and running successful campaigns. While neither ConvertKit nor ActiveCampaign are WordPress specific, both offer dedicated integration plugins.
• The ConvertKit plugin is named according to the platform itself. You can embed a registration form in specific posts or pages, or insert it at the bottom of every page of your website. It is updated regularly, although there are very few user reviews.
• The ActiveCampaign plugin is also named after the service and allows you to place your subscription form on any post, page or widget. However, this plugin also has some reviews.
Ultimately, your mileage may vary when it comes to integrating WordPress into ConvertKit vs ActiveCampaign. We have to give ConvertKit an advantage here because the plugin is more flexible. However, you should thoroughly test all options on a test site before using it. However, there are a number of high quality third-party email subscription plugins that you can use to integrate with ConvertKit and ActiveCampaign, so you don’t just have to use the official plugins.
Winner: In this case, both are winners.
4. Ease of use
Finally, let’s talk about what it’s really like to start with ConvertKit vs ActiveCampaign. Both have a free trial so you can consult them without compromise. After you sign up for an ActiveCampaign account, you get instant access to your main dashboard. There is a lot to do here, but everything is well organized.
You can use the home widget at the top of the screen to check all the important tasks in your list one by one: add email addresses to your list, create your first campaign, create a subscription form, etc. This dashboard also includes many useful widgets so you can see the performance of your campaigns at a glance. It shows your latest stats, recent activities, all tasks you have set for yourself, and much more.
Now let’s take a look at ConvertKit. Signing up is also an easy process, and you’ll get a central dashboard to work with again. To be honest, this panel is far less useful. There is a handy checklist feature that shows you all the tasks you want to do initially and that you can use to mark them on the go. Other than that, there’s not much to see here. However, the basic functions are clearly arranged using the navigation menu at the top of the page. Each section guides you through the associated task: setting up automation, creating a registration form, etc., and includes helpful videos to help you get started.
Winner: Here is the winner Convertkit.
5. Automation
Now let’s take a look at the most valuable feature of ActiveCampaign and ConvertKit: Automation. Activated campaigns generate more than 75% of email sales, according to the source. Automated emails have a lot to offer. In ConvertKit, your sequences are called “Automation”. You can automatically list subscribers in an automation system as soon as they join your list. Have you never designed an automation card? Don’t worry, ConvertKit has blueprints to help you figure out what to do.
You set your own rules for actions and triggers using the “If this, then that” logic. Even if you are new to automation, ConvertKit makes creating your templates a breeze. The visual interface is easy to use and you can develop your campaigns as you wish. For example, you can develop a funnel that sends subscribers unique content that isn’t on your blog and then returns it to your website. If the same subscriber makes a purchase, they may receive another email thanking them and offering them an additional opportunity to sell.
How does ActiveCampaign compare? ConvertKit gives you a visual workflow generator for your automation that’s great. The constructor is again very easy to use and presents the logic “if this, then that”. It can also be as complicated or simple as you like. You can even automatically send your contacts to different segments and campaigns when they are doing a task. Combine ActiveCampaign triggers and actions with tracking smart websites, and your options for automating marketing are increasing rapidly.
Although the building experience can be a bit cumbersome in some places, e.g. B. If you want to add a new page to your sequence, it is very extensive. Unlike ConvertKit, ActiveCampaign offers the ability to combine your automation tools with CRM integration to increase your sales. ActiveCampaign sales and CRM offerings include lead scoring, a Gmail extension, and even machine learning tools to help you determine which of your campaigns are performing best. The fact that ActiveCampaign is more extensive can of course make it more difficult for some users. However, the additional effort can be worthwhile for a deeper campaign.
Winner; If you’re just looking for simple email software with user-friendly sequences, choose ConvertKit.If you need to work with more complex sales funnels and customer segments, ActiveCampaign is the best option, even if you have a little more learning effort.
6. Labeling and segmentation
However, for your sequences to be effective, you need to know how to split and segment your target audience. Personalized emails ultimately generate transaction rates six times higher. Let’s first look at ConvertKit’s segmentation approach. It’s definitely easy: you can choose three ways to import your subscribers, including lists from another application or importing a CSV.
Once your employees are loaded into your app, you can manage them with tags and segments. Labels divide your leads and customers based on the measures they take. On the other hand, segments organize their labels so you can create audiences based on whether they bought a product, where they came from, etc. It’s a very easy way to manage your contacts, but the ActiveCampaign is -Solution not so good. With ActiveCampaign you can combine lists and labels. Your contact list shows everything you need to know about each of your subscribers, including the lists and the segments to which they belong.
If you need to manage multiple websites, you can isolate your subscribers for each company and organize these lists separately. If you want to do this in ConvertKit, you’ll need multiple accounts, which is pretty annoying. Combination of the segmentation function with sales and tracking functions.
You can tag subscribers based on their activity on your website and even let your sales team assign tasks to a contact based on their behavior. ActiveCampaign also has its own managerial rating system that lets you see who has the best chance of becoming a customer.None of these functions are offered in ConvertKit.
Winner; Active Campaign is characterized by a more comprehensive tagging and targeting strategy. You can collect analytical information from websites and their CRM systems for more valuable segments.
7. A/B Testing And Analytics
Once you’ve set up your landing pages, email streams, and segments, you should run the test. Tracking and analyzing your email is the best way to ensure you get the highest ROI from your campaigns.
When you set up a sequence, you can see the basics of things like clickthrough rate, unsubscribe rate, opening rate, and subscribers, but that’s it: in terms of A / B testing, if you want to see how two emails work, otherwise you’ll need to Go to the Transfers tab and activate the A / B option next to the subject line. This is the only support you get for split testing, but it should be enough to at least test your subject lines.
ActiveCampaign is much more comprehensive when it comes to A / B testing and analysis. You have two options starting with split tests. You can test form information and subject lines via email or test the performance of your entire automation sequence.
To test your entire sequence, you can simply select exactly how you want to share your contacts in the “Share” action in your workflow. You can also choose a winner in your test as soon as the campaign ends and when it runs. With ActiveCampaign, you have a lot of control over how your criteria should be developed, which is very helpful. This feature can add a lot of value to your company.
When it comes to reporting and analytics, ActiveCampaign also offers a variety of features, including the option to track engagement of your website visitors and create actionable elements. This ensures that you can send the most relevant and personal emails to your subscribers. With ActiveCampaign, you no longer have to guess what your audience wants and needs from you. Ultimately, email analysis is about it.
ActiveCampaign also offers the option of keeping a record of your customers so that you can make the most of your personalized campaigns. You can use these records along with your CRM and sales information to provide more detailed information about your target audience. Even better? The tool is GDPR compliant, so you don’t have to worry about collecting too much personal information and getting your brand in trouble.
Winner; ActiveCampaign is the 100% winner in reports, analyzes and A / B tests. Maybe we missed something with ConvertKit because we only had access to a free account. However, we were unable to find any way to deepen my analysis.
8. Ease of use and deliverability
Before you invest in software, you should get an idea of how easy both tools are to use. Both are equipped with a free test option. So it’s handy if you want to try them out without compromise. In addition, ConvertKit and ActiveCampaign offer many integrations, so you can integrate the tools you already use into your email automation workflow. So how do they compare face to face? One thing you can’t argue with for ConvertKit is how easy it is to use.
Everything you need is in your access bar from the moment you log in: you will also find numerous simple drag-and-drop functions on the entire website. It seems that this entire tool was designed specifically for less technical users. In my opinion, however, the simplicity goes too far, especially when it comes to email templates. You can select this, for example, when setting up a stream
With so many different landing pages available, there would be at least a handful of more attractive templates to try out in the email section. While we all want simplicity for our automated campaigns, there is a limit to the basics you want to follow. ActiveCampaign, on the other hand, is somewhat more extensive.
As soon as you log on to the system, you get access to the main window, which offers many options. It’s a bit crowded in ActiveCampaign than in ConvertKit, but that’s because it offers more features to play with.
Clicking the Start widget at the top of the screen will take the tool through some of the first steps you need to take when starting your first campaigns. It even guides you through the creation of your first registration form.
The dashboard also has a variety of customizable widgets, so you can see how all your campaigns are running with the latest stats and review all the tasks you set. When it comes to email templates, ActiveCampaign has a lot more to offer. There are many attractive options to choose from, or you can create something unique from scratch. ConvertKit and ActiveCampaign are very similar in terms of deliverability.
Winner; If you’re primarily looking for simplicity, ConvertKit may be the type of tool you’re looking for. However, It is taken as ActiveCampaign was the much better option in terms of usability. There’s a lot more to do, but the dash is clean and direct. You also have many other options with templates.
9. Customer service
Finally, let’s look at the type of help you can get from both tools. After all, sometimes we all need a little support. ConvertKit offers the possibility to open a ticket for customer service or to find articles and instructions in the help. There is no way to chat or call a representative, which seems a bit stressful. Still, the knowledge base is pretty extensive and there are plenty of workshops you can refer to if you want to learn how to use ConvertKit from scratch.
Alternatively, ActiveCampaign offers email and live chat support as well as weekly training webinars where you can familiarize yourself with the basic functions of the software. If you are lost and confused, you should book an individual training session with a representative. In the “Education” section of your dashboard, you should find numerous videos and instructions to help you. also.
It takes a while for Live Chat Support to answer your question directly, but you can expect that from practically any company these days. Someone will usually contact you within five minutes or less. You can also check where you are in the queue if you are waiting for an answer to find out how long you will wait.
Winner; Both ActiveCampaign and ConvertKit offer similar support. Unfortunately ConvertKit seems to be more do-it-yourself than ActiveCampaign. ActiveCampaign gives you access to live chat, email, and more. There’s even the option of organizing a personal workout when you live in Chicago, which is pretty impressive.
ConvertKit vs ActiveCampaign: Which service should you choose?
Both ConvertKit and ActiveCampaign offer many useful functions, are inexpensive and easy to start. However, everyone has a number of advantages and disadvantages. Both ActiveCampaign and ConvertKit offer many useful functions as marketing automation tools and are also quite cheap. However, each option has its advantages and disadvantages.
– If you have a smaller list and are starting to tag and segment your customers, we recommend choosing ConvertKit. You get a clear package with incredibly easy-to-use features that help you better manage the pros and cons of marketing automation.
– If you are a bit more established, have a sales team, or do SMS marketing and email marketing, you should try Active Campaign first. It has tons of features that may be overkill for beginners in marketing automation. For larger teams, however, it’s a bit more customizable. You can even save money with Active Campaign as a one-stop solution for CRM, marketing automation, and SMS. vs. hack several tools.
Conclusion
Choosing the right email marketing tool can be challenging – there are so many options and factors to consider. For WordPress blog owners, however, there are some services that go beyond the package. Are you looking for a way to improve your marketing results, convert more leads and generate additional income?
An automation tool will help you with this. These services are not only there to do the hard work for you, they also improve the quality of your campaigns by targeting your target audience, creating beautiful email templates, and much more. You can even track the results of your campaigns with A / B tests and reports.