ActiveCampaign vs GetResponse: Email Marketing Software Compared (2026)
ActiveCampaign and GetResponse are two widely compared email marketing platforms. ActiveCampaign is an email marketing and marketing automation platform sold in Starter, Plus, Pro and Enterprise plans priced by contact count, with CRM and messaging add-ons. GetResponse is an email marketing and automation platform with landing pages, webinars and course tools, sold in Free, Starter, Marketer, Creator and Enterprise (MAX) plans.
- Verified 10 Nov 2026Sources are dated on this page
- 4 sourcesLinked, typed and dated
- No winner declaredFit depends on your criteria
- Not tested by Stack18Editorial summary of documented facts
ActiveCampaign vs GetResponse: the short answer
ActiveCampaign is an email marketing and marketing automation platform sold in Starter, Plus, Pro and Enterprise plans priced by contact count, with CRM and messaging add-ons. GetResponse is an email marketing and automation platform with landing pages, webinars and course tools, sold in Free, Starter, Marketer, Creator and Enterprise (MAX) plans. Both are email marketing platforms, but they differ in pricing model, target team size and focus.
On pricing, ActiveCampaign is described as: monthly or yearly subscription priced by contact count, with add-ons for CRM, users and messaging; GetResponse as: monthly or annual subscription priced by contact count, with about 18% off annually. GetResponse lists a free plan. ActiveCampaign does not document a permanent free plan. ActiveCampaign is positioned for teams that need deep automation and segmentation, and GetResponse for marketers who want email, funnels and webinars in one tool.
Everything below is drawn from the two sourced profiles and the 4 dated sources listed at the end. Where a source does not document something it is marked Unknown, and third-party estimates are labelled. No winner is declared: the better fit depends on your size, budget and requirements.
ActiveCampaign and GetResponse at a glance.
One card per product, drawn from each full profile. Open a profile for features, pricing plans, limits and sources.
ActiveCampaign
ActiveCampaign · Email Marketing Software
ActiveCampaign is an email marketing and marketing automation platform sold in Starter, Plus, Pro and Enterprise plans priced by contact count, with CRM and messaging add-ons.
- Pricing
- No free plan; plans reported from $15 per month billed yearly (Starter, 1,000 contacts).
- Best for
- Teams that need deep automation and segmentation
GetResponse
GetResponse · Email Marketing Software
GetResponse is an email marketing and automation platform with landing pages, webinars and course tools, sold in Free, Starter, Marketer, Creator and Enterprise (MAX) plans.
- Pricing
- Free for up to 500 contacts; Starter reported at $19 per month or $15.58 billed annually (1,000 contacts).
- Best for
- Marketers who want email, funnels and webinars in one tool
ActiveCampaign vs GetResponse: feature-by-feature comparison.
Every row is drawn from the sources listed below. Rows that differ are marked, and you can filter the table to show only those.
- YesDocumented
- PartialAvailable with limits or on some plans
- NoDocumented as unavailable
- UnknownNot documented in the sources reviewed
| Dimension |  ActiveCampaign |  GetResponse |
|---|---|---|
| Product | ||
| Product type | YesEmail marketing and automation platform (SaaS) | YesEmail marketing and automation platform (SaaS) |
| VendorDiffers | YesActiveCampaign | YesGetResponse |
| Best forDiffers | YesTeams that need deep automation and segmentation | YesMarketers who want email, funnels and webinars in one tool |
| Pricing | ||
| Pricing modelDiffers | YesMonthly or yearly subscription priced by contact count, with add-ons for CRM, users and messaging. | YesMonthly or annual subscription priced by contact count, with about 18% off annually. |
| Pricing summaryDiffers | PartialNo free plan; plans reported from $15 per month billed yearly (Starter, 1,000 contacts). | PartialFree for up to 500 contacts; Starter reported at $19 per month or $15.58 billed annually (1,000 contacts). |
| Free planDiffers | NoNo | YesYes |
| Free trialDiffers | YesYes (14 days) | YesYes (premium features for 14 days) |
| Email Marketing Software criteria | ||
| Pricing modelDiffers | YesBy contacts; add-ons extra | YesBy contacts |
| AutomationDiffers | YesAdvanced; 5 actions on Starter | Partial1 workflow on Starter; unlimited from Marketer |
| Ecommerce focusDiffers | YesGeneral purpose | YesGeneral purpose; funnels |
| AI featuresDiffers | YesPredictive features from Pro | YesAI content generators |
| Fit and platform | ||
| Team size | YesSmall teams, Mid-size teams, Large enterprises | YesSmall teams, Mid-size teams, Large enterprises |
| Platforms | YesWeb | YesWeb |
| IntegrationsDiffers | YesCRM and pipelines (add-on), SMS and WhatsApp (add-ons), Postmark transactional email (add-on), API (from Starter) | YesWebinar and course tools (built in), Transactional email and SMS on Enterprise |
| APIDiffers | YesAn API is listed from the Starter plan. | UnknownNot reviewed for this profile. |
ActiveCampaign vs GetResponse pricing.
Plan names, prices and billing terms as reported in each profile's sources. Taxes, add-ons and discounts are excluded unless stated.
ActiveCampaign pricing
Monthly or yearly subscription priced by contact count, with add-ons for CRM, users and messaging.
- Starter$15 per month billed yearly; $19 monthly (1,000 contacts) · Yearly or monthly
- Plus$49 per month billed yearly; $59 monthly · Yearly or monthly
- Pro$79 per month billed yearly; $99 monthly · Yearly or monthly
- EnterpriseFrom $145 per month billed yearly; $179 monthly · Yearly or monthly
Prices from independent sources; treat as reported. At 10,000 contacts one guide reports about $149 (Starter), $189 (Plus), $375 (Pro) and $589 (Enterprise) a month billed yearly. ActiveCampaign's pricing page is dynamic and was not reviewed directly. Currency: USD. Checked 10 Nov 2026.
All ActiveCampaign plans and sources
GetResponse pricing
Monthly or annual subscription priced by contact count, with about 18% off annually.
- Free$0 for up to 500 contacts · Free
- Starter$19 per month; $15.58 billed annually (1,000 contacts) · Monthly or annual
- Marketer$59 per month (1,000 contacts) · Monthly or annual
- Creator$69 per month (1,000 contacts) · Monthly or annual
- Enterprise (MAX)Custom · Contract
Prices from independent sources; treat as reported. Plan names have changed over time, and some guides use older names such as Email Marketing and Marketing Automation. GetResponse's own pricing page was not reviewed directly. Currency: USD. Checked 10 Nov 2026.
All GetResponse plans and sourcesActiveCampaign vs GetResponse: pricing model, ecosystem and fit.
Pricing model and cost drivers
ActiveCampaign: monthly or yearly subscription priced by contact count, with add-ons for CRM, users and messaging. At 10,000 contacts one guide reports about $149 (Starter), $189 (Plus), $375 (Pro) and $589 (Enterprise) a month billed yearly. ActiveCampaign's pricing page is dynamic and was not reviewed directly. GetResponse: monthly or annual subscription priced by contact count, with about 18% off annually. Plan names have changed over time, and some guides use older names such as Email Marketing and Marketing Automation. GetResponse's own pricing page was not reviewed directly. Model costs at your real seat count, usage and contract term before comparing headline prices.
What sets each apart
The ActiveCampaign profile highlights: a deep automation builder available from the entry plan, with limits on Starter; contact scoring and custom objects from Plus; predictive and AI features from Pro. The GetResponse profile highlights: webinar hosting and a course creator on the Creator plan; unlimited email sends on paid plans; AI content generators from Starter.
Integrations and ecosystem
ActiveCampaign integrations named in its sources: CRM and pipelines (add-on), SMS and WhatsApp (add-ons), Postmark transactional email (add-on) and API (from Starter). GetResponse: Webinar and course tools (built in) and Transactional email and SMS on Enterprise. Check that the connectors you rely on exist on the plan you would buy.
Deployment and team fit
ActiveCampaign runs on Web and is documented for small teams, mid-size teams and large enterprises. GetResponse runs on Web and is documented for small teams, mid-size teams and large enterprises. We did not test setup or migration.
ActiveCampaign and GetResponse: each option, in balance.
Each point is linked to a dated source on the product's profile.
ActiveCampaign
Strengths and limitations from the profile
- Automation is available from the entry plan, with unlimited actions from Plus.
- Scoring, custom objects and advanced segmentation support sophisticated targeting.
- A 14-day trial needs no credit card, and a 30-day money-back guarantee is reported.
- There is no permanent free plan.
- Starter limits each automation to five actions.
- Unsubscribed and inactive contacts still count toward your tier unless purged.
- CRM pipelines, SMS, extra users and advanced reporting are paid add-ons.
GetResponse
Strengths and limitations from the profile
- A free plan covers up to 500 contacts, with premium features for the first 14 days.
- Paid plans include unlimited email sends.
- Webinars, courses and funnels are built in rather than bought separately.
- Inactive contacts count toward your list size and tier.
- Starter allows only one custom automation workflow.
- Webinars are limited to 10 attendees on Free and need Creator for 100.
- Plan names have changed, so older guides can be confusing.
ActiveCampaign or GetResponse: which fits which situation?
No overall winner is declared. The better choice depends on the criteria that matter most to you, so test both against your own requirements.
Choose ActiveCampaign if you are…
- Teams that need deep automation and segmentation
- Marketers who want scoring and custom objects
- Organisations that may add a sales CRM later
Less suited to: teams that want a permanent free plan; very small senders who only need simple newsletters.
See the ActiveCampaign profile
Choose GetResponse if you are…
- Marketers who want email, funnels and webinars in one tool
- Creators and educators selling courses
- Teams that want unlimited sends on paid plans
Less suited to: teams that only need simple newsletters; very large lists, which move to custom quotes.
See the GetResponse profileSwitching between ActiveCampaign and GetResponse.
Moving off ActiveCampaign or GetResponse usually means exporting subscribers with their tags, segments and consent records, rebuilding automations and sign-up forms, recreating templates, and authenticating your sending domain on the new platform. Warm up sending gradually and keep the old account until the first campaigns land well. Send one real campaign and build one real automation in each shortlisted platform, then compare inbox placement and reporting.
- Export a sample of your data and test an import into the other product.
- List the automations, integrations and permissions you would need to rebuild.
- Compare total cost at your real volume, including add-ons and services.
- Pilot with one team before a full cut-over.
- Check contract terms and notice periods with both vendors.
General guidance, not specific to either vendor. Confirm migration options with the vendors.
ActiveCampaign vs GetResponse: questions and answers
What is the difference between ActiveCampaign and GetResponse?
ActiveCampaign is an email marketing and marketing automation platform sold in Starter, Plus, Pro and Enterprise plans priced by contact count, with CRM and messaging add-ons. GetResponse is an email marketing and automation platform with landing pages, webinars and course tools, sold in Free, Starter, Marketer, Creator and Enterprise (MAX) plans. Both are email marketing platforms, but they differ in pricing model, target team size and focus. ActiveCampaign is positioned for teams that need deep automation and segmentation; GetResponse for marketers who want email, funnels and webinars in one tool.
Is ActiveCampaign cheaper than GetResponse?
It depends on your volume and plan. ActiveCampaign: No free plan; plans reported from $15 per month billed yearly (Starter, 1,000 contacts). GetResponse: Free for up to 500 contacts; Starter reported at $19 per month or $15.58 billed annually (1,000 contacts). Compare both at your real seat count, usage and contract term.
Do ActiveCampaign or GetResponse have a free plan?
GetResponse lists a free plan. ActiveCampaign does not document a permanent free plan. ActiveCampaign free trial: Yes (14 days). GetResponse free trial: Yes (premium features for 14 days).
ActiveCampaign or GetResponse: which is better for small teams?
ActiveCampaign and GetResponse are both documented for small teams. ActiveCampaign suits teams that need deep automation and segmentation; GetResponse suits marketers who want email, funnels and webinars in one tool. Neither is best for everyone.
What are the main limitations of ActiveCampaign and GetResponse?
ActiveCampaign: There is no permanent free plan. GetResponse: Inactive contacts count toward your list size and tier.
How much does ActiveCampaign cost?
At 1,000 contacts, guides report Starter at $15, Plus at $49, Pro at $79 and Enterprise from $145 a month billed yearly, or $19, $59, $99 and $179 billed monthly.
How much does GetResponse cost?
At 1,000 contacts guides report Starter at $19, Marketer at $59 and Creator at $69 a month, with about 18% off annually. Enterprise (MAX) is quoted. There is also a free plan for 500 contacts.
What are the alternatives to ActiveCampaign and GetResponse?
Stack18 has alternatives guides for both: ActiveCampaign alternatives and GetResponse alternatives, each comparing at least four other email marketing platforms on pricing, free plan, features and fit. The Email Marketing Software category lists every profile.
Where this comparison comes from.
- How much does ActiveCampaign cost in 2026? Automation Atlas Third-party Accessed 10 Nov 2026
- How much does ActiveCampaign cost? Hackceleration Third-party Accessed 10 Nov 2026
- All GetResponse Plans & Pricing Costbench Third-party Accessed 10 Nov 2026
- GetResponse Pricing by Plan: What You Pay in 2026 Activepieces Third-party Accessed 10 Nov 2026
This comparison summarises the ActiveCampaign and GetResponse profiles and their sources. Third-party figures are labelled; confirm current pricing and terms with each vendor. Stack18 has not tested these products.
Ready to test ActiveCampaign and GetResponse?
Check each vendor's current pricing and terms, run both against a real scenario from your business, or talk to Stack18 if off-the-shelf software is not the answer.
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