Updated March 2026

ActiveCampaign vs GetResponse

ActiveCampaign's automation is more powerful. GetResponse's all-in-one bundle is more complete. That's the core tension. If complex email workflows, lead scoring, and CRM integration are your priority, ActiveCampaign is the better tool. If you want email marketing plus webinars, course hosting, and conversion funnels in one platform, GetResponse delivers more for less. Both platforms have serious billing complaints — research their Trustpilot profiles before committing.

Our pick: ActiveCampaign (7.4/10 vs 7.2/10)

ActiveCampaign wins 1 out of 6 categories. GetResponse is better for: course creators and small businesses who want email + webinars + funnels in one platform.

Try ActiveCampaign

ActiveCampaign

7.4/10

GetResponse

7.2/10

5/5

Automation

4/5

Deliverability

4/5

2/5

Ease of Use

3/5

2/5

Templates & Design

3/5

4/5

Analytics

4/5

2/5

Customer Support

3/5

At a Glance

Feature	ActiveCampaign	GetResponse
Free Plan	No	Yes
Starting Price	$19/mo	$19/mo
Automation	5/5	4/5
Deliverability	4/5	4/5
Ease of Use	2/5	3/5
Templates & Design	2/5	3/5
Analytics	4/5	4/5
Customer Support	2/5	3/5
Overall	7.4/10	7.2/10

Pricing Comparison

ActiveCampaign

Paid plans from $19/mo

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GetResponse

Free Plan

Paid plans from $19/mo

View Pricing

Pros & Cons

ActiveCampaign

First-rate automation builder with 135+ triggers and 750+ pre-built recipes — no other platform matches this depth (G2: 4.5/5 from 14,000+ reviews)

900+ integrations including 40+ new ones added in 2025 alone (Wix, Webflow, SOCi) — plays nicely with almost anything

Deep segmentation with new AI Segments Agent that lets you describe audiences in natural language

Aggressive price hikes documented at 20-100% for existing customers. Real examples: $588/yr to $1,800/yr; $1,400/mo to $2,800/mo; $2,000/yr to $7,800/yr

As of November 2025, now charges for ALL contacts including unsubscribed, bounced, and unconfirmed — same controversial practice as Mailchimp

Trustpilot rating of 2.8/5 from 1,358 reviews — billing complaints, cancellation horror stories, and users charged after cancelling

Full ActiveCampaign review →

GetResponse

Genuinely all-in-one: email, webinars, course hosting, conversion funnels, and landing pages in a single platform — no competitor matches this combination in the price range

Ranked #1 in the largest independent deliverability test (EmailDeliverabilityReport: 81.10% inbox rate, 91/100 score from 64,855 emails tested)

AI Campaign Generator creates complete funnels (emails, landing pages, CTAs) in one click — these shipped in 2025 and are functional, not vaporware

Billing practices are the #1 complaint everywhere — 27% of Trustpilot reviews are one-star (261 of 955), dominated by billing disputes. Users report difficulty cancelling, no refunds under any circumstances, and one claimed being billed $2,000/month after giving notice

The $19/month Starter plan is misleading — it only includes 1 automation workflow. Real automation needs the $59/month Marketer plan, effectively tripling your cost. This is the most common 'gotcha' users report

Bounced and removed contacts still count toward your subscriber limit, forcing upgrades faster than expected — a common frustration across Capterra and Trustpilot

Full GetResponse review →

The Bottom Line

Choose ActiveCampaign if: Mid-sized businesses (1K-25K contacts) that actively use complex automation daily. It wins 1 of 6 categories in our scoring.

Choose GetResponse if: Course creators and small businesses who want email + webinars + funnels in one platform. It offers better value for its specific use case.

Price comparison: ActiveCampaign starts at $19/mo vs GetResponse at $19/mo (free plan available).

Who Should Pick Which?

Pick ActiveCampaign if…

You need a tool best for mid-sized businesses (1k-25k contacts) that actively use complex automation daily
First-rate automation builder with 135+ triggers and 750+ pre-built recipes — no other platform matches this depth (G2: 4.5/5 from 14,000+ reviews)
900+ integrations including 40+ new ones added in 2025 alone (Wix, Webflow, SOCi) — plays nicely with almost anything

Try ActiveCampaign

Pick GetResponse if…

You need a tool best for course creators and small businesses who want email + webinars + funnels in one platform
Genuinely all-in-one: email, webinars, course hosting, conversion funnels, and landing pages in a single platform — no competitor matches this combination in the price range
Ranked #1 in the largest independent deliverability test (EmailDeliverabilityReport: 81.10% inbox rate, 91/100 score from 64,855 emails tested)

Try GetResponse

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See our full ranking: Best Email Marketing Tools for Automation

Read Full Reviews

ActiveCampaign

GetResponse

Frequently Asked Questions

Is ActiveCampaign or GetResponse better?

ActiveCampaign scores higher overall (7.4/10 vs 7.2/10). ActiveCampaign is best for mid-sized businesses (1k-25k contacts) that actively use complex automation daily. GetResponse is better if you need course creators and small businesses who want email + webinars + funnels in one platform.

Which is cheaper, ActiveCampaign or GetResponse?

ActiveCampaign starts at $19/mo. GetResponse starts at $19/mo.

What is ActiveCampaign best for?

ActiveCampaign is best for mid-sized businesses (1k-25k contacts) that actively use complex automation daily. It scores highest in automation, deliverability, analytics.

How we compared these tools

We research every tool using real user reviews from Reddit, G2, Capterra, and Trustpilot — then verify current pricing and cross-reference independent deliverability data. No paid placements, no sponsored rankings.

Read our full methodologyLast updated: March 2026

Transparency note: We earn affiliate commissions from some tools on this page. This never influences our scores. Our methodology