ActiveCampaign vs. SAP Business ByDesign

Overview
ProductRatingMost Used ByProduct SummaryStarting Price
ActiveCampaign
Score 7.9 out of 10
N/A
ActiveCampaign helps small teams power big businesses with a platform for intelligent marketing automation. It provides email marketing, marketing automation, and CRM tools that help businesses to create incredible customer experiences.
$19
per month
SAP Business ByDesign
Score 7.5 out of 10
Mid-Size Companies (51-1,000 employees)
SAP Business ByDesign is SAP's cloud ERP suite offering, launched in 2007, designed for the SMB market. The product includes a broad range of capabilities including financials, human resources, sales, procurement, customer service, and supply chain. Business ByDesign is a new platform, delivered entirely through a SaaS model, with functionality that overlaps somewhat with BusinessOne, which is also an SMB product, although not a true SaaS product.N/A
Pricing
ActiveCampaignSAP Business ByDesign
Editions & Modules
No answers on this topic
No answers on this topic
Offerings
Pricing Offerings
ActiveCampaignSAP Business ByDesign
Free Trial
YesYes
Free/Freemium Version
NoNo
Premium Consulting/Integration Services
NoNo
Entry-level Setup FeeNo setup feeOptional
Additional DetailsSAP Business ByDesign is available for a monthly software-as-a-service (SaaS) subscription, based on a base package, user types, and number of users.
More Pricing Information
Community Pulse
ActiveCampaignSAP Business ByDesign
Top Pros
Top Cons
Features
ActiveCampaignSAP Business ByDesign
Email & Online Marketing
Comparison of Email & Online Marketing features of Product A and Product B
ActiveCampaign
8.9
664 Ratings
13% above category average
SAP Business ByDesign
-
Ratings
WYSIWYG email editor9.4581 Ratings00 Ratings
Dynamic content9.1520 Ratings00 Ratings
Ability to test dynamic content8.8471 Ratings00 Ratings
Landing pages8.0338 Ratings00 Ratings
A/B testing9.1380 Ratings00 Ratings
Mobile optimization9.3526 Ratings00 Ratings
Email deliverability reporting7.3631 Ratings00 Ratings
List management9.6650 Ratings00 Ratings
Triggered drip sequences9.7574 Ratings00 Ratings
Lead Management
Comparison of Lead Management features of Product A and Product B
ActiveCampaign
7.5
524 Ratings
3% below category average
SAP Business ByDesign
-
Ratings
Lead nurturing automation9.2491 Ratings00 Ratings
Lead scoring and grading8.0359 Ratings00 Ratings
Data quality management9.2401 Ratings00 Ratings
Automated sales alerts and tasks9.2355 Ratings00 Ratings
Lead segmentation and distribution1.81 Ratings00 Ratings
Campaign Management
Comparison of Campaign Management features of Product A and Product B
ActiveCampaign
9.5
374 Ratings
22% above category average
SAP Business ByDesign
-
Ratings
Calendaring9.6295 Ratings00 Ratings
Event/webinar marketing9.5286 Ratings00 Ratings
Social Media Marketing
Comparison of Social Media Marketing features of Product A and Product B
ActiveCampaign
9.5
287 Ratings
23% above category average
SAP Business ByDesign
-
Ratings
Social sharing and campaigns9.6254 Ratings00 Ratings
Social profile integration9.4250 Ratings00 Ratings
Reporting & Analytics
Comparison of Reporting & Analytics features of Product A and Product B
ActiveCampaign
8.3
627 Ratings
10% above category average
SAP Business ByDesign
9.2
5 Ratings
28% above category average
Dashboards8.0597 Ratings8.85 Ratings
Standard reports8.0584 Ratings9.25 Ratings
Custom reports9.0377 Ratings9.65 Ratings
Platform & Infrastructure
Comparison of Platform & Infrastructure features of Product A and Product B
ActiveCampaign
9.2
491 Ratings
19% above category average
SAP Business ByDesign
-
Ratings
API9.5391 Ratings00 Ratings
Role-based workflow & approvals9.2267 Ratings00 Ratings
Customizability9.4420 Ratings00 Ratings
Integration with Salesforce.com9.392 Ratings00 Ratings
Integration with Microsoft Dynamics CRM9.760 Ratings00 Ratings
Integration with SugarCRM9.856 Ratings00 Ratings
Third-party software integrations7.520 Ratings00 Ratings
Payroll Management
Comparison of Payroll Management features of Product A and Product B
ActiveCampaign
-
Ratings
SAP Business ByDesign
8.4
2 Ratings
15% above category average
Benefit plan administration00 Ratings4.51 Ratings
Direct deposit files00 Ratings9.11 Ratings
Customization
Comparison of Customization features of Product A and Product B
ActiveCampaign
-
Ratings
SAP Business ByDesign
9.2
5 Ratings
24% above category average
API for custom integration00 Ratings9.24 Ratings
Plug-ins00 Ratings9.25 Ratings
Security
Comparison of Security features of Product A and Product B
ActiveCampaign
-
Ratings
SAP Business ByDesign
9.3
5 Ratings
13% above category average
Single sign-on capability00 Ratings9.04 Ratings
Role-based user permissions00 Ratings9.65 Ratings
General Ledger and Configurable Accounting
Comparison of General Ledger and Configurable Accounting features of Product A and Product B
ActiveCampaign
-
Ratings
SAP Business ByDesign
8.7
5 Ratings
13% above category average
Accounts payable00 Ratings9.24 Ratings
Accounts receivable00 Ratings9.24 Ratings
Global Financial Support00 Ratings9.22 Ratings
Primary and Secondary Ledgers00 Ratings9.22 Ratings
Journals and Reconciliations00 Ratings8.82 Ratings
Configurable Accounting00 Ratings9.22 Ratings
Standardized Processes00 Ratings8.01 Ratings
Inventory Management
Comparison of Inventory Management features of Product A and Product B
ActiveCampaign
-
Ratings
SAP Business ByDesign
9.1
4 Ratings
15% above category average
Inventory tracking00 Ratings9.24 Ratings
Automatic reordering00 Ratings10.03 Ratings
Location management00 Ratings8.03 Ratings
Order Management
Comparison of Order Management features of Product A and Product B
ActiveCampaign
-
Ratings
SAP Business ByDesign
8.5
4 Ratings
9% above category average
Pricing00 Ratings9.24 Ratings
Order entry00 Ratings9.24 Ratings
Credit card processing00 Ratings4.51 Ratings
Cost of goods sold00 Ratings9.24 Ratings
Order Orchestration00 Ratings9.22 Ratings
Subledger and Financial Process
Comparison of Subledger and Financial Process features of Product A and Product B
ActiveCampaign
-
Ratings
SAP Business ByDesign
9.2
3 Ratings
22% above category average
Billing Management00 Ratings8.83 Ratings
Cash and Asset Management00 Ratings9.22 Ratings
Travel & Expense Management00 Ratings10.02 Ratings
Budgetary Control & Encumbrance Accounting00 Ratings10.01 Ratings
Period Close00 Ratings9.22 Ratings
Project Financial Management
Comparison of Project Financial Management features of Product A and Product B
ActiveCampaign
-
Ratings
SAP Business ByDesign
9.2
2 Ratings
19% above category average
Budgeting and Forecasting00 Ratings10.01 Ratings
Project Costing00 Ratings9.22 Ratings
Cost Capture00 Ratings9.22 Ratings
Capital Project Management00 Ratings9.22 Ratings
Customer Contract Compliance00 Ratings8.01 Ratings
Project Revenue Recognition00 Ratings9.22 Ratings
Project Execution Management
Comparison of Project Execution Management features of Product A and Product B
ActiveCampaign
-
Ratings
SAP Business ByDesign
8.3
3 Ratings
19% above category average
Project Planning and Scheduling00 Ratings9.23 Ratings
Task Insight for Project Managers00 Ratings8.02 Ratings
Project Mobile Functionality00 Ratings8.02 Ratings
Grants Management
Comparison of Grants Management features of Product A and Product B
ActiveCampaign
-
Ratings
SAP Business ByDesign
10.0
1 Ratings
28% above category average
Award Lifecycle Management00 Ratings10.01 Ratings
Procurement
Comparison of Procurement features of Product A and Product B
ActiveCampaign
-
Ratings
SAP Business ByDesign
8.0
1 Ratings
14% above category average
Bids Analyzed and Compared00 Ratings8.01 Ratings
Requisitions-to-Purchase Orders Integrated00 Ratings8.01 Ratings
Supplier Management00 Ratings8.01 Ratings
Logistics
Comparison of Logistics features of Product A and Product B
ActiveCampaign
-
Ratings
SAP Business ByDesign
9.2
3 Ratings
29% above category average
Warehouse Workforce Management00 Ratings9.22 Ratings
Manufacturing
Comparison of Manufacturing features of Product A and Product B
ActiveCampaign
-
Ratings
SAP Business ByDesign
9.0
3 Ratings
18% above category average
Production Process Design00 Ratings9.23 Ratings
Production Management00 Ratings9.23 Ratings
Configuration Management00 Ratings8.02 Ratings
Work Execution00 Ratings8.02 Ratings
Manufacturing Costs00 Ratings9.23 Ratings
Supply Chain
Comparison of Supply Chain features of Product A and Product B
ActiveCampaign
-
Ratings
SAP Business ByDesign
8.6
3 Ratings
17% above category average
Forecasting00 Ratings9.23 Ratings
Inventory Planning00 Ratings9.23 Ratings
Performance Monitoring00 Ratings8.02 Ratings
Best Alternatives
ActiveCampaignSAP Business ByDesign
Small Businesses
Vbout
Vbout
Score 9.5 out of 10
Acumatica
Acumatica
Score 8.7 out of 10
Medium-sized Companies
PFL Direct Mail Platform
PFL Direct Mail Platform
Score 9.3 out of 10
Infor VISUAL
Infor VISUAL
Score 7.2 out of 10
Enterprises
PFL Direct Mail Platform
PFL Direct Mail Platform
Score 9.3 out of 10
Oracle Fusion Cloud ERP
Oracle Fusion Cloud ERP
Score 8.1 out of 10
All AlternativesView all alternativesView all alternatives
User Ratings
ActiveCampaignSAP Business ByDesign
Likelihood to Recommend
7.8
(676 ratings)
9.6
(7 ratings)
Likelihood to Renew
8.4
(25 ratings)
9.0
(3 ratings)
Usability
7.7
(38 ratings)
8.0
(1 ratings)
Availability
9.1
(5 ratings)
-
(0 ratings)
Performance
7.0
(5 ratings)
-
(0 ratings)
Support Rating
1.4
(41 ratings)
9.0
(1 ratings)
In-Person Training
9.1
(2 ratings)
-
(0 ratings)
Online Training
7.3
(1 ratings)
-
(0 ratings)
Implementation Rating
8.6
(14 ratings)
8.0
(1 ratings)
Configurability
6.4
(4 ratings)
-
(0 ratings)
Ease of integration
9.0
(4 ratings)
-
(0 ratings)
Product Scalability
1.5
(5 ratings)
-
(0 ratings)
Vendor post-sale
6.4
(4 ratings)
-
(0 ratings)
Vendor pre-sale
7.2
(4 ratings)
-
(0 ratings)
User Testimonials
ActiveCampaignSAP Business ByDesign
Likelihood to Recommend
ActiveCampaign
ActiveCampaign is brilliant for small businesses wanting a secure, reliable and user friendly email capture software that filters users emails into the appropriate category/tags and have endless options when it comes to having different lead magnets and ways users may sign up. It's been super handy for my small business to send regular emails and be able to analyse the success rates and open rates of emails and the ability to resend them with a different subject line. It's made email marketing really easy peasy.
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SAP
Do you plan on going public at some point? If so, this may not be the best solution for you
Read full review
Pros
ActiveCampaign
  • The graphic design is very good, especially fonts, colours and templates
  • Flexibility of design and functionality
  • Takes a little while to learn it, but generally user-friendly
  • Looks very professional but doesn't cost much to get started
  • There are masses of integrations for ActiveCampaign, and the ones I tried all worked well and didn't take long to figure out.
Read full review
SAP
  • I like the ease of use and the implementation methodology.
  • With SAP Business ByDesign you can integrate other systems with Web Services, and data technology to get information easy and fast.
  • SAP Business ByDesign includes an Analytics Module to create new reports in regards to your needs.
Read full review
Cons
ActiveCampaign
  • The email designing part could be easier to use. There are certain simple shortcuts that don't work, for example, adding links is more complicated than it should be, moving blocks around is hard, etc.
  • There's no good way to filter by 'active' and 'inactive' subscribers when editing en-mass.
  • I'd like more reporting data on one page.
Read full review
SAP
  • Time off request could be better. Right now, there is no option for sick time
  • It crashes often
  • Customization could be better
Read full review
Likelihood to Renew
ActiveCampaign
I am committed at the moment. Rebuilding the automations I have would be a huge time drain. Plus the cost of learning a new system and the risk to deliverability of porting a 6,000 person list to a new platform. Also, AC offers everything I need ast a reasonable (but a little high) price. So, why not a 10? Because, early 2023, AC dropped a massive 2x price hike on long-term customers. They knew few would shift, so this feels like a cynical cash grab and left a bad taste, If they do something like this again, this camel will have a broken back.
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SAP
SAP BYD work centers are consistent and easy to navigate once you understand one work center. The document flow tab that is in each window allows one to see all related transactions. Document flow is important because one is able to see the flow of transactions and can therefore reverse transactions by following the document flow in reverse. It is possible to group items in each overview screen to see what items are open. The system is working as hoped.
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Usability
ActiveCampaign
ActiveCampaign has been the easiest marketing automation software we have ever used. They provide tips throughout the entire process of anything you are building. Their support team through LIVE CHAT has been extremely fast and helpful. The monthly meetings provided with the enablement team has helped us through several large and urgent needs.
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SAP
Because SAP Business ByDesign allows us to improve our work, reduce the operational steps, implement audit controls, allows us found standard reports or it allows us to create new ones if you need more than the exists are enough for your work or your needs. Overall, SAP Business ByDesign allows us to standardize our operations, enhance our work, improve our skills, work over a web environment or mobile interface.
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Reliability and Availability
ActiveCampaign
I haven't experienced application errors or unplanned outages at all. Active Campaign is ultra reliable and I would not be using them if that were the case. Also, the helpful emails they send are welcomed and informative, and present very practical tips and guidance for using the platform. They're always demonstrating new features and I'm thankful for that.
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SAP
No answers on this topic
Performance
ActiveCampaign
Oh my gosh, Active Campaign's performance gets an A+++ in my book. The pages load quickly and so do the reports. I haven't noticed any slowdowns when it's integrating with other programs and it performs excellently on all levels.
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SAP
No answers on this topic
Support Rating
ActiveCampaign
This might be the best part. The chat support lady offered to make a video to help me solve my problem. I worked in customer service for years and I've never done that, lol. So, if they're offering things like that, I can only imagine that they'd be able to handle most any issue you throw at them.
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SAP
The Business ByDesign support is stablished since you contract the service with SAP. SAP resolves according to the service level agreement. Currently, we continue with the service and we are using the support channels available. We are receiving the support. The SAP support gets an incident and after that, they contact us to resolve the incident, if necessary, they set the meeting to understand it or we explain the incident
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Implementation Rating
ActiveCampaign
Very satisfied with our implementation in our professional medical practice, allowing us to be on top of client service, and not miss out on crucial information and insights. Marketing is often neglected in professional practices and ActiveCampaign solved this problem with aplomb.
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SAP
I recommend implementing all workshops during the ERP selection that you need to know very well about the ERP software. It allows us to gather information to accurate the plan of the project implementation. Additionally, we must reach the high-level commitment to achieve the main goals, to define the RACI matrix and communicate to all project stakeholders.
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Alternatives Considered
ActiveCampaign
I moved to ActiveCampaign from Mailchimp. Admittedly, I was using the free version of Mailchimp, but I had numerous episodes of subscriber data NOT being added to Mailchimp, despite using API to integrate with my mailing list. Obviously, I couldn't pay for clicks and not capture subscriber data, so I had to find something else. ActiveCampaign has been 100% reliable in testing.
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SAP
ByDesign stacks up well against the competition. Companies that do multiple things are usually the best fit (manufacturing, distribution, and service). The more 'modules' used, the fewer competitors will be able to meet the company's needs. It is not inexpensive, but if the needs of the company have the complexity from either a global perspective and need localizations and foreign currency, or a volume perspective and need resources greater than what can be easily housed on-premise, ByDesign should be a top consideration.
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Scalability
ActiveCampaign
My web designer told me about Active Campaign and although I don't recall which platform I had before, I LOVE Active Campaign and its user friendliness. The transition was seamless and I've never had a problem with functionality or server failure.
Active Campaign provides so many features, and makes it easy for non-techies to maneuver around the site with ease. They capture information and put it in an easy-to-read format.
At this point, I don't think I'd ever use any other platform!
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SAP
No answers on this topic
Return on Investment
ActiveCampaign
  • I haven't monetized my list yet so no clear ROI but great from a list-building perspective
  • The software is not cheap so at times I feel like I may not be getting the most out of the product because I'm not using all of the features
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SAP
  • Positive - Access to the real-time reporting allowing for faster decision making especially when fixed price projects are heading into an over budget position.
  • Positive - Complex KPI can now be tracked and as a consequence intensive plans can be made to capitalise on this level of reporting. Staff also have clear visibility over their own performance.
  • Negative - We are a bit on the small side at 30 employees for a ByD solution so it was relatively expensive for us. It would be a much better value preposition above 50 employees.
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ScreenShots

ActiveCampaign Screenshots

Screenshot of tagging, that when combined with conditional content helps to put the right message in front of each customer.Screenshot of marketing automationScreenshot of audience segmentation based on engagement, purchase activity, lead score, or any other dimensionScreenshot of live chat, site messaging, email, and a unified inbox that can be used to build relationships with customers.Screenshot of the CRM, which helps sales reps to get more done in less time

SAP Business ByDesign Screenshots

Screenshot of With the embedded analytics of SAP Business ByDesign this is easily possible for key users or end users to define dashboards that contain tailored reports and KPIs for their roleScreenshot of Screenshot of SAP Business ByDesign comes with many reports pre-delivered by SAP. Customers can easily create additional reports or KPIsScreenshot of For each business document in ByDesign you can open the document flow, which shows you in a graphical the predecessor and successor business docuemnts as well as any associated accounting documents. This shows at what point you are in the entire business process.Screenshot of SAP Business ByDesign includes a Project Management module that is integrated with CRM to sell and bill projects, with HR to staff projects, and with SCM and SRM for procurement.Screenshot of The Financial Closing business scenario helps you to perform financial period-end closing activities to ensure correct financial statements, such as Balance Sheet, Income Statement, and Cash Flow Statement. The Closing Cockpit helps to minimize the risk of missing important steps or incorrect timing.