Updated March 2026

GetResponse vs ActiveCampaign

GetResponse and ActiveCampaign are both mid-tier powerhouses, but they bundle different extras. GetResponse includes webinars, course hosting, and conversion funnels — a combination no competitor matches. ActiveCampaign has the deepest automation builder (135+ triggers) and a built-in CRM. Both have billing controversies: GetResponse's 27% one-star Trustpilot rate and 'no refund' policy vs ActiveCampaign's documented 20-100% price hikes. The right choice depends on whether you need webinars or CRM.

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.

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GetResponse

7.2/10

ActiveCampaign

7.4/10

4/5

Automation

5/5

4/5

Deliverability

4/5

3/5

Ease of Use

2/5

3/5

Templates & Design

2/5

4/5

Analytics

4/5

3/5

Customer Support

2/5

Pricing Comparison

GetResponse

Free Plan

Paid plans from $19/mo

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ActiveCampaign

Paid plans from $19/mo

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Pros & Cons

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 →

ActiveCampaign

Best-in-class 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 →

The Bottom Line

Choose GetResponse if: you want a tool that is best for course creators and small businesses who want email + webinars + funnels in one platform. It scores highest in automation, deliverability, analytics.

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

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