ActiveCampaign vs. Zoho Campaigns

Overview
ProductRatingMost Used ByProduct SummaryStarting Price
ActiveCampaign
Score 8.0 out of 10
N/A
ActiveCampaign is presented as an AI-first marketing platform for marketers, agencies, and entrepreneurs. It uses Active Intelligence for goal-aware automation and personalized experiences across email, SMS, and WhatsApp. ActiveCampaign integrates with 950+ apps and generates insights to optimize every workflow.
$19
per month
Zoho Campaigns
Score 8.2 out of 10
N/A
Zoho Campaigns is an email marketing and social networking campaigning tool for smaller companies that helps create, send, and track effective email campaigns. It features list management and segmentation, A/B Testing, tracking and reporting, automation, and mobile campaign management.
$0
Pricing
ActiveCampaignZoho Campaigns
Editions & Modules
Starter
$19
per month
Plus
$59
per month
Pro
$89
per month
Enterprise
$159
per month
Forever Free
$0
Standard Plan
$3 for 500 contacts
per month
Professional Plan
$4.5 for 500 contacts
per month
Pay as you go
$14 for 500 contacts
Offerings
Pricing Offerings
ActiveCampaignZoho Campaigns
Free Trial
YesYes
Free/Freemium Version
NoYes
Premium Consulting/Integration Services
NoNo
Entry-level Setup FeeNo setup feeNo setup fee
Additional DetailsActiveCampaign offers a discount for annual billing of up to 20%. 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
ActiveCampaignZoho Campaigns
Considered Both Products
ActiveCampaign
Chose ActiveCampaign
I moved to Zoho Campaigns and Zoho CRM on the basis that they were integrated with a wider package, but the graphics and fonts are far better with ActiveCampaign. Zoho Campaigns didn't even integrate as well with Zoho Forms as expected, and I missed a bunch of responses. …
Chose ActiveCampaign
ActiveCampaign is easier to use than ANY platform we're ever implemented, and I've been an entrepreneur for three decades. It is flexible, effective and trustworthy when it comes to data security. We are able to customize campaigns easily and track results effectively. Our …
Chose ActiveCampaign
I was a previous Mailchimp user and ActiveCampaign is head and shoulders above MC. The functionality and depth of what I can do is so much better. The price seems to be better for what you get.
Zoho Campaigns
Chose Zoho Campaigns
Its easy setup and user interface made it one of our primary tool for sending newsletters and email campaigns. I don't always need to supervise my team on this tool. My team is well versed with the process involves in creating email campaigns on this tool. And the kind of …
Features
ActiveCampaignZoho Campaigns
Email & Online Marketing
Comparison of Email & Online Marketing features of Product A and Product B
ActiveCampaign
8.4
684 Ratings
10% above category average
Zoho Campaigns
4.7
25 Ratings
52% below category average
WYSIWYG email editor8.1601 Ratings3.024 Ratings
Dynamic content7.6536 Ratings7.025 Ratings
Ability to test dynamic content7.5485 Ratings5.022 Ratings
Landing pages6.4352 Ratings3.017 Ratings
A/B testing9.0394 Ratings4.021 Ratings
Mobile optimization8.6542 Ratings6.023 Ratings
Email deliverability reporting9.0650 Ratings3.025 Ratings
List management9.5669 Ratings7.024 Ratings
Triggered drip sequences10.0590 Ratings4.019 Ratings
Lead Management
Comparison of Lead Management features of Product A and Product B
ActiveCampaign
8.3
537 Ratings
6% above category average
Zoho Campaigns
-
Ratings
Lead nurturing automation9.2503 Ratings00 Ratings
Lead scoring and grading8.4367 Ratings00 Ratings
Data quality management9.0409 Ratings00 Ratings
Automated sales alerts and tasks7.4362 Ratings00 Ratings
Lead segmentation and distribution7.613 Ratings00 Ratings
Campaign Management
Comparison of Campaign Management features of Product A and Product B
ActiveCampaign
9.9
385 Ratings
28% above category average
Zoho Campaigns
-
Ratings
Calendaring9.9305 Ratings00 Ratings
Event/webinar marketing9.9289 Ratings00 Ratings
Social Media Marketing
Comparison of Social Media Marketing features of Product A and Product B
ActiveCampaign
7.3
293 Ratings
2% below category average
Zoho Campaigns
-
Ratings
Social sharing and campaigns7.6260 Ratings00 Ratings
Social profile integration7.1255 Ratings00 Ratings
Reporting & Analytics
Comparison of Reporting & Analytics features of Product A and Product B
ActiveCampaign
7.6
646 Ratings
4% above category average
Zoho Campaigns
5.3
25 Ratings
37% below category average
Dashboards7.6615 Ratings4.024 Ratings
Standard reports7.6603 Ratings6.025 Ratings
Custom reports7.6390 Ratings6.021 Ratings
Platform & Infrastructure
Comparison of Platform & Infrastructure features of Product A and Product B
ActiveCampaign
9.1
505 Ratings
20% above category average
Zoho Campaigns
-
Ratings
API8.7403 Ratings00 Ratings
Role-based workflow & approvals8.3275 Ratings00 Ratings
Customizability7.8431 Ratings00 Ratings
Integration with Salesforce.com9.994 Ratings00 Ratings
Integration with Microsoft Dynamics CRM9.961 Ratings00 Ratings
Integration with SugarCRM9.957 Ratings00 Ratings
Third-party software integrations9.133 Ratings00 Ratings
Pre-Send Testing
Comparison of Pre-Send Testing features of Product A and Product B
ActiveCampaign
-
Ratings
Zoho Campaigns
3.7
3 Ratings
74% below category average
URL Validation00 Ratings2.03 Ratings
Link Tracking00 Ratings3.03 Ratings
Image Validation00 Ratings6.03 Ratings
Inbox Display00 Ratings3.03 Ratings
Email Accessibility Tools00 Ratings4.03 Ratings
Email Previews00 Ratings4.03 Ratings
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User Ratings
ActiveCampaignZoho Campaigns
Likelihood to Recommend
8.7
(695 ratings)
6.4
(25 ratings)
Likelihood to Renew
9.0
(25 ratings)
10.0
(1 ratings)
Usability
9.1
(57 ratings)
-
(0 ratings)
Availability
9.1
(5 ratings)
-
(0 ratings)
Performance
7.3
(5 ratings)
-
(0 ratings)
Support Rating
1.3
(41 ratings)
-
(0 ratings)
In-Person Training
9.1
(2 ratings)
-
(0 ratings)
Online Training
7.3
(1 ratings)
-
(0 ratings)
Implementation Rating
8.6
(14 ratings)
-
(0 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
ActiveCampaignZoho Campaigns
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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Zoho
It is well suited in scenarios:
  1. Well-defined static list with proper info.
  2. Not building email templates from scratch
  3. Litmus testing involved
  4. Easy to use simple automation journeys involved
Not well-suited scenarios:
  1. Complex Customer journeys
  2. Dynamic content involved
  3. Integration with other products other than the ZOHO suite
  4. Testing API limits
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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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Zoho
  • The best thing about this software is its integration with G-suite.
  • It's user interface is so easy that any user can learn it quickly. And it is very easy to operate.
  • It helps users to engage subscribers via various social media platforms.
  • It allows users to compare various email campaigns.
Read full review
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.
Read full review
Zoho
  • Zoho should start by throwing this tool in the trash and then recreate it from scratch. There are so many flaws I would be here all year trying to list them all. Start by the fact that creating templates is an absolute nightmare. You'll find over and over again that something that should be easily executed can't be done. It is NOT a plug and play program. Everything is trial and error.
  • The reporting SUCKS bad. It gives you basics, but if you want any real insights... I have to export all my data into my own spreadsheets to compare results from multiple campaigns.
  • Customer service is B.A.D. You'll spend HOURS upon HOURS with a tech support team that knows less than you. The only time anything gets accomplished is when you work with a programmer. BUT, you'll seriously waste 1-2 hours explaining a problem to someone who is only taking notes. You'll get so frustrated when they try to show you how they think it works and you respond with... "I know how this works because I have used it for a year - the problem is that it stopped working the way it always did before. They will argue with you. You will respond accordingly. They will close tickets without resolution. Speaking of tickets, you'll never get one. They say they will take care of it and a week later you will follow-up and no one will have any idea what is going on. You'll start from scratch and be even more frustrated. You will learn to "fix" it on your own or deal with it, broken.
  • After two years, I'm still not sure if my emails even make it to an inbox. When asked, you'll be told that you need to write better subject lines. I call bull****. Don't rely on this product to deliver your email. And don't question Zoho, as it will always be your fault.
  • You can't use this tool to send to ANY group email addresses. You can't even override the system. I have a lot of clients that use info@xxx.com or sales@xxx.com, etc. and I have to send them personal emails since this will not allow them to be sent. They say it is to protect them from getting blacklisted. I call bull**** again.
  • The templates offered by the system are crap - unless you only send holiday emails. Not a large selection of just generic templates. You'll be pulling your hair out trying to use their builder to create your own. In the end, you'll end up sending emails with nothing "pretty" about them.
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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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Zoho
Because I am a single user organization and the subscription is free for up to 3 users.
Read full review
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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Zoho
No answers on this topic
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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Zoho
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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Zoho
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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Zoho
No answers on this topic
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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Zoho
No answers on this topic
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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Zoho
Zoho Campaigns is not for beginners to email marketing, but it’s an excellent choice for those who want to send out a lot of emails with few restrictions and great reporting. It’s a no-brainer if you’re already a Zoho user, as Campaigns is included in Zoho One subscriptions and integrates nicely with other Zoho apps.
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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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Zoho
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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Zoho
  • It allows us to communicate with all our customers or lists together or individually, and to track how successful our campaigns are.
  • Customer Service is a target area of why we use Zoho Campaigns, and it meets our needs greatly.
  • To date we have not really measured the ROI or impact that Zoho Campaigns has on our marketing efforts but with this product it certainly has the means to do such.
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ScreenShots

ActiveCampaign Screenshots

Screenshot of Screenshot of Screenshot of Screenshot of Screenshot of Screenshot of

Zoho Campaigns Screenshots

Screenshot of Template editorScreenshot of Real-time analyticsScreenshot of List managementScreenshot of Send time optimizationScreenshot of Automation—WorkflowsScreenshot of Dashboard