ActiveCampaign vs. Everest (Return Path + 250ok)

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.
$15
per month
Everest (Return Path + 250ok)
Score 9.7 out of 10
N/A
Everest is an integrated email success platform providing crucial insights and deliverability guidance so users can reach more people, increase engagement, and improve efficiencies of their email programs. Everest helps to improve email deliverability by getting complete visibility into email marketing metrics and sender reputation, understand the audience and deliver content that is timely, personalized, and functions flawlessly on any device, and get a holistic view of a company's…
$20
per month
Pricing
ActiveCampaignEverest (Return Path + 250ok)
Editions & Modules
Starter
$15
per month
Plus
$49
per month
Pro
$79
per month
Enterprise
$145
per month
Elements
$20
per month
Elements Plus
$525
per month
Professional
Custom Pricing
Enterprise
Custom Pricing
Offerings
Pricing Offerings
ActiveCampaignEverest (Return Path + 250ok)
Free Trial
YesNo
Free/Freemium Version
NoNo
Premium Consulting/Integration Services
NoNo
Entry-level Setup FeeNo setup feeNo setup fee
Additional DetailsNo matter what plan you choose, our services are designed to help you get the most out of your investment — so you can focus on running your business. ActiveCampaign services included in all plan tiers: ActiveTraining Community access Contact migration Customer enablement workshops Video tutorials Chat and ticket support Knowledge base & help guides
More Pricing Information
Community Pulse
ActiveCampaignEverest (Return Path + 250ok)
Top Pros
Top Cons
Features
ActiveCampaignEverest (Return Path + 250ok)
Email & Online Marketing
Comparison of Email & Online Marketing features of Product A and Product B
ActiveCampaign
8.2
679 Ratings
7% above category average
Everest (Return Path + 250ok)
6.1
21 Ratings
27% below category average
WYSIWYG email editor7.4596 Ratings5.02 Ratings
Dynamic content6.8532 Ratings5.32 Ratings
Ability to test dynamic content6.6482 Ratings6.47 Ratings
Landing pages6.2349 Ratings5.02 Ratings
A/B testing9.9391 Ratings6.58 Ratings
Mobile optimization8.5538 Ratings3.36 Ratings
Email deliverability reporting8.4645 Ratings8.021 Ratings
List management9.9664 Ratings7.09 Ratings
Triggered drip sequences9.9586 Ratings8.02 Ratings
Lead Management
Comparison of Lead Management features of Product A and Product B
ActiveCampaign
8.4
534 Ratings
7% above category average
Everest (Return Path + 250ok)
-
Ratings
Lead nurturing automation9.9500 Ratings00 Ratings
Lead scoring and grading8.3366 Ratings00 Ratings
Data quality management8.5407 Ratings00 Ratings
Automated sales alerts and tasks7.9361 Ratings00 Ratings
Lead segmentation and distribution7.29 Ratings00 Ratings
Campaign Management
Comparison of Campaign Management features of Product A and Product B
ActiveCampaign
9.8
383 Ratings
27% above category average
Everest (Return Path + 250ok)
-
Ratings
Calendaring9.8303 Ratings00 Ratings
Event/webinar marketing9.9289 Ratings00 Ratings
Social Media Marketing
Comparison of Social Media Marketing features of Product A and Product B
ActiveCampaign
7.7
292 Ratings
2% above category average
Everest (Return Path + 250ok)
-
Ratings
Social sharing and campaigns7.9259 Ratings00 Ratings
Social profile integration7.5254 Ratings00 Ratings
Reporting & Analytics
Comparison of Reporting & Analytics features of Product A and Product B
ActiveCampaign
7.3
642 Ratings
1% below category average
Everest (Return Path + 250ok)
6.1
22 Ratings
22% below category average
Dashboards7.3611 Ratings7.222 Ratings
Standard reports7.3599 Ratings6.720 Ratings
Custom reports7.3387 Ratings4.516 Ratings
Platform & Infrastructure
Comparison of Platform & Infrastructure features of Product A and Product B
ActiveCampaign
9.1
503 Ratings
19% above category average
Everest (Return Path + 250ok)
-
Ratings
API9.1401 Ratings00 Ratings
Role-based workflow & approvals9.1274 Ratings00 Ratings
Customizability7.9429 Ratings00 Ratings
Integration with Salesforce.com9.895 Ratings00 Ratings
Integration with Microsoft Dynamics CRM9.962 Ratings00 Ratings
Integration with SugarCRM9.958 Ratings00 Ratings
Third-party software integrations7.830 Ratings00 Ratings
Pre-Send Testing
Comparison of Pre-Send Testing features of Product A and Product B
ActiveCampaign
-
Ratings
Everest (Return Path + 250ok)
8.0
10 Ratings
0% above category average
URL Validation00 Ratings8.16 Ratings
Link Tracking00 Ratings6.73 Ratings
Image Validation00 Ratings7.66 Ratings
Inbox Display00 Ratings8.57 Ratings
Email Accessibility Tools00 Ratings7.54 Ratings
Spelling and Grammar Check00 Ratings7.82 Ratings
Spam Testing00 Ratings9.09 Ratings
Email Previews00 Ratings9.08 Ratings
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ActiveCampaignEverest (Return Path + 250ok)
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PFL Direct Mail Platform
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Score 9.2 out of 10
VerticalResponse
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Score 10.0 out of 10
Enterprises
PFL Direct Mail Platform
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Score 9.2 out of 10
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Score 9.0 out of 10
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User Ratings
ActiveCampaignEverest (Return Path + 250ok)
Likelihood to Recommend
8.6
(691 ratings)
5.4
(27 ratings)
Likelihood to Renew
8.8
(25 ratings)
8.2
(5 ratings)
Usability
8.6
(52 ratings)
7.3
(1 ratings)
Availability
9.1
(5 ratings)
-
(0 ratings)
Performance
7.2
(5 ratings)
-
(0 ratings)
Support Rating
1.3
(41 ratings)
9.1
(1 ratings)
In-Person Training
9.1
(2 ratings)
-
(0 ratings)
Online Training
7.3
(1 ratings)
-
(0 ratings)
Implementation Rating
8.7
(14 ratings)
8.2
(1 ratings)
Configurability
6.4
(4 ratings)
-
(0 ratings)
Ease of integration
9.1
(4 ratings)
-
(0 ratings)
Product Scalability
1.0
(5 ratings)
-
(0 ratings)
Vendor post-sale
6.4
(4 ratings)
-
(0 ratings)
Vendor pre-sale
7.3
(4 ratings)
-
(0 ratings)
User Testimonials
ActiveCampaignEverest (Return Path + 250ok)
Likelihood to Recommend
ActiveCampaign
I've been using ActiveCampaign since around 2018-2019 and I've always been satisfied with the software. It's simple to use, connects with the other tools I use and makes it easy for me to duplicate automations, email templates and workflows as I need to. On top of that, any time I've had an issue (which I think is around twice in the past 5/6 years), the customer service has always been super helpful and my issue has been resolved quickly.
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Validity
Every new or established brand should be using Everest. It doesn't matter what you're trying to say in your emails—if they're not reaching the inbox, no one is listening or reading. Everest gives you the insight you need to understand your inbox placement, reputation and so much more.
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Pros
ActiveCampaign
  • Collects and filters emails from various lead magnets exceptionally well (especially if a user wants to re-sign up to the same lead magnet and go through it again, they can)
  • Super easy to use email creation that is aesthetically pleasing and user friendly
  • Easy email sequences and user classification from a large range of opt in trigger options
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Validity
  • Individualized attention. They really dug in to understand our products and services.
  • Easy-to-understand training and actionable items that you can sustain over a long period of time.
  • They're embedded in our instance of Exact Target, so I'm able to review the entire email program and don't have to open up a separate tool to gather this information.
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Cons
ActiveCampaign
  • It took me a while to get to understand where to find things, and I used a free online course from a consultant who specialises in AC to help me get the foundations set up more easily. That said, there were lots of onboarding workshops, which were good. It just felt like it required a lot of different angles of learning to just get started.
  • The customer support took longer than other software to get back to me via email, though once I found the chat option for my most recent query, that was fast.
  • I've ended up switching to another programme where more software is more naturally integrated, and the AC equivalent is included in the price, along with many other types of software. However, design-wise, ActiveCampaign is much better.
  • I also had a problem with a form used on my WordPress website, which has a BuddyBoss platform - the colours on the form would be overridden by colour choices for the website, so they were hard to read (pink text on purple background instead of the gold text it was meant to be)
  • I couldn't always find the templates I was looking for or how to access them for automation-based emails. I think when I used it, there was a new type of template for newsletters that weren't available for automations, so I had to recreate it, which added time.
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Validity
  • Some domain summary data inconsistent with seedlist detail
  • UI feels a little dated
  • Reporting options are limited
  • As part of the SFMC integration, Return Path support issues and question go through Salesforce, not Return Path
  • Inbox Preview rendering could be more robust and extensive
  • Would like to see Dark Mode previewing rendering
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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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Validity
We have two separate areas for using Return Path. Our web ecommerce area that is using only transactional emails and a marketing email program that is partnered on the backend with Return Path. I see Return Path continuing to be utilized with our marketing emails, but over time I see less need for our transactional emails to maintain Return Path components.
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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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Validity
I find it fairly easy to use, though the interface is a bit clunky and I may be missing some revolutionary use because it's lost in the clutter.
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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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Validity
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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Validity
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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Validity
Absolutely fantastic support. It runs circles around the competition. They regularly reach out and chat, even if it's just to see if there's any issues we need to discuss. They clearly want the business and don't forget you once you sign the contract which is an issue with other similar services.
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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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Validity
I joined my company after the implementation was nearly complete. We used the Return Path tool as we slowly increased our send volume in Marketing Cloud to monitor IP reputation and inbox placement.
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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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Validity
Like I said before, Return Path is really the budget bundle. You get a lot of service for how much you pay. Since I am currently at an early stage startup, we could not afford Litmus, so having Return Path is crucial. The partnership with Salesforce also allowed us to get it at pretty low cost.
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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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Validity
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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Validity
  • It has helped identify inbox issues and thus helping our clients reach more inboxes.
  • They have negatively impacted client relations on numerous occasions. They have reached out and told clients they are having issues or need certain products when they are already our clients and we are proving solutions for them.
  • They provide solid customer support when you create a support ticket. They are usually very quick to respond and give you an answer.
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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

Everest (Return Path + 250ok) Screenshots

Screenshot of Inbox Placement
Understand inbox placement rates by mailbox provider.Screenshot of Competitive Intelligence
Get visibility into what your competitors are doing well, including subject lines, sending patterns, and more.Screenshot of Design Tests
Collaborate, design, and test your email content across devices and mail clients.Screenshot of Reputation Monitoring
Get the most visibility into your sender reputation.Screenshot of Engagement Metrics
Go beyond the basic data provided by your email service provider. Get a holistic look at all the engagement metrics matters to your email program.Screenshot of List Validation
Verify the addresses on your lists aren't dead, wrong, or dangerous before mailing them and protect your sender reputation.