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Last updated: October 29, 2026
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ActiveCampaign vs Klaviyo (2027): Prices, Automation and Which to Choose
Choose Klaviyo if you run an online store: it's built around store data, it's free for 250 active profiles and 500 sends a month, and the Email plan costs about $30 a month at 1,000 profiles, according to 2026 pricing guides. Choose ActiveCampaign if you sell services, software or B2B, or need automation that connects marketing with sales follow-up: Starter costs about $15 a month at 1,000 contacts, Plus about $49 and Pro about $79, with a 14-day trial and no credit card. Both are powerful; the right choice depends on whether your revenue comes from a store or from a sales process.
- Klaviyo: free for 250 active profiles, 500 sends/month, $5 of mobile messages; Email plan about $30/month at 1,000 profiles, about $150 at 10,000 *.
- ActiveCampaign at 1,000 contacts (annual): Starter about $15, Plus about $49, Pro about $79, Enterprise about $145 *.
- ActiveCampaign Starter: 5 actions per automation; Plus and above: unlimited actions.
- ActiveCampaign: no free plan, 14-day trial without card.
- Klaviyo bills active profiles; suppressed profiles aren't billed.
* From 2026 pricing guides; both vendors price through calculators.
ActiveCampaign vs Klaviyo at a glance
| ActiveCampaign | Klaviyo | |
|---|---|---|
| Free option | 14-day trial | Free plan (250 profiles, 500 sends) |
| Entry paid price | Starter about $15 at 1,000 contacts * | Email about $30 at 1,000 profiles * |
| Full automation | Plus about $49 * | Included on paid plans |
| Billing unit | Contacts | Active profiles |
| SMS | Available | Email + SMS plan with credits |
| CRM and sales automation | Yes (Plus and above) | No (marketing only) |
| Built for | B2B, services, SaaS, coaches | Online stores and DTC brands |
Pricing compared
Entry level
ActiveCampaign Starter costs about $15 a month at 1,000 contacts on annual billing, but limits each automation to 5 actions. Klaviyo's free plan lets you build full ecommerce flows for up to 250 active profiles.
Full automation
ActiveCampaign Plus, about $49 at 1,000 contacts, removes the action limit and adds sales automation and CRM features. Klaviyo's Email plan costs about $30 at 1,000 profiles with full flows and segmentation.
At scale
Klaviyo costs about $150 a month at 10,000 profiles. ActiveCampaign's price also rises with contacts; get quotes from both calculators for your list size.
What a real business pays (1,000 contacts or profiles)
| Business | ActiveCampaign * | Klaviyo * |
|---|---|---|
| Newsletter plus simple welcome flow | Starter about $15 | Email about $30 (or free under 250) |
| Store with abandoned cart and post-purchase | Plus about $49 | Email about $30 |
| B2B company with lead scoring and sales handoff | Plus about $49 or Pro about $79 | Not designed for this |
Automation compared
Klaviyo automates around store events: viewed product, added to cart, started checkout, placed order. Its flows branch on purchase history, predicted next order date and lifetime value, and its reports show revenue per flow.
ActiveCampaign automates around contacts and deals: form submissions, email engagement, page visits, tags and deal stages. Its builder handles multi-branch journeys, lead scoring and handoffs to a sales team, and Plus adds a CRM pipeline. It also offers ecommerce automations, but its strength is nurturing leads.
Features that decide the choice
| If you need… | Better choice | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Ecommerce flows driven by store data | Klaviyo | Built for stores |
| Revenue reporting per flow | Klaviyo | Revenue-first analytics |
| Lead scoring and sales handoff | ActiveCampaign | CRM and sales automation |
| A free plan to start | Klaviyo | ActiveCampaign has none |
| B2B nurturing sequences | ActiveCampaign | Contact- and deal-based automation |
| Email and SMS on the same profiles | Klaviyo | Email + SMS plan |
Three real-world scenarios
A Shopify store with 3,000 profiles
Abandoned cart, browse abandonment, win-back and post-purchase flows drive revenue. Klaviyo fits: start free, then pay by active profiles.
A SaaS company nurturing trial users
Onboarding emails based on product usage, lead scoring and alerts for sales: ActiveCampaign Plus or Pro fits better.
A coach selling programs and running calls
Lead magnets, nurture sequences and booking reminders: ActiveCampaign Plus. Klaviyo's ecommerce focus adds little here.
Start ActiveCampaign's 14-day trial → No credit card required · Affiliate link
Hidden costs to watch
- ActiveCampaign Starter's 5-action limit per automation.
- Klaviyo profile growth: suppress unengaged profiles to control cost.
- SMS credits on both.
- Calculator pricing: prices change with list size; quote both.
- Annual commitments for the lowest ActiveCampaign prices.
Alternatives worth comparing
| Tool | Entry price | Why consider it |
|---|---|---|
| Omnisend | Standard from $16 (500 contacts) | Cheaper ecommerce automation |
| MailerLite | Comfort from $12 | Cheapest simple automation |
| HubSpot | Free CRM; Starter $7/seat | CRM and marketing on one database |
See ActiveCampaign pricing, Klaviyo pricing, Klaviyo vs Omnisend and best marketing automation software.
Who should choose which
Choose Klaviyo if your revenue comes from an online store and you want flows, segments and reports built on purchase data. Choose ActiveCampaign if you sell services, software or high-value products through a sales process, and you want marketing automation connected to a CRM. Choose Omnisend if you run a small store and want ecommerce automation at a lower price than Klaviyo.
How to choose in 5 steps
- Ask where revenue comes from: store checkouts or sales conversations.
- Count contacts or profiles and estimate growth.
- Price both calculators for your list size.
- Build your most important flow in Klaviyo's free plan and ActiveCampaign's trial.
- Compare conversions after 30 days.
Terms explained
- Active profile: a Klaviyo contact who can receive marketing; the billing unit.
- Action: one step in an ActiveCampaign automation.
- Lead scoring: points that identify sales-ready leads.
- Flow: an automated sequence triggered by behaviour.
- Deal pipeline: stages of a sales opportunity in a CRM.
Ease of use and setup
Klaviyo connects to your store in a few clicks and offers pre-built flows for welcome, abandoned cart, browse abandonment and post-purchase, so a store owner can launch the essentials in an afternoon. ActiveCampaign's automation builder is visual and flexible, with hundreds of recipes; it takes longer to design B2B journeys because you define tags, scores and deal stages first. Both reward a little planning: map your customer journey on paper before building.
Our verdict
Klaviyo is the better choice for ecommerce: free to start and built around store data, with revenue reporting on every flow. ActiveCampaign is the better choice for B2B, services and SaaS, where automation needs to feed a sales process. Don't pick on price alone: the tool built for your business model will earn more.
How we compiled this page
Both vendors price through calculators, so paid prices come from 2026 pricing guides and are marked with *. Free plan limits come from Klaviyo's official page; ActiveCampaign's trial terms from its official page, checked October 29, 2026.
FAQ
Is Klaviyo better than ActiveCampaign?
For online stores, usually. For B2B and service businesses, ActiveCampaign is usually better.
Which is cheaper?
At 1,000 contacts, ActiveCampaign Starter (about $15) is cheaper than Klaviyo (about $30), but Starter limits automations to 5 actions. Klaviyo is free under 250 active profiles.
Does ActiveCampaign have a free plan?
No. It offers a 14-day trial without a credit card.
Does Klaviyo have a CRM?
No. Klaviyo is a marketing platform; ActiveCampaign includes CRM features on Plus and above.
Can I use Klaviyo for B2B?
You can, but it's designed for ecommerce data. B2B teams usually get more from ActiveCampaign or HubSpot.
Which has better ecommerce integrations?
Klaviyo, especially with Shopify; ActiveCampaign also integrates with major store platforms.
Which is better for SMS?
Klaviyo's Email + SMS plan keeps both channels on the same profiles and reports. ActiveCampaign also supports SMS; check pricing by region.
Is there a contract?
Neither requires a long-term contract on monthly billing; annual billing lowers ActiveCampaign's price.
Can I migrate between them?
Yes. Export contacts as CSV, import them and rebuild automations; connect your store first if moving to Klaviyo.
Sources
activecampaign.com/pricing and klaviyo.com/pricing, checked October 29, 2026. Paid prices from 2026 pricing guides.
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