Resources Hub » Comparisons » ActiveCampaign vs. Campaign Monitor
Table of Contents

Introduction

Most marketers understand the value of email, but there are also dozens of email providers, most of which have features and services that could benefit your brand. So, where do you start, and which email service provider should you choose?

Of course, the answer to these questions relies on your company, the people who work there, and the marketing goals you’ve developed together. However, we want to provide you with the information you need to make an educated decision moving forward. That’s why we’re comparing Campaign Monitor and ActiveCampaign. 

You can read other email service comparisons on this page.

Chapter 1

Feature Comparison: ActiveCampaign vs. Campaign Monitor

Compare Campaign Monitor vs ActiveCampaign side by side

Chapter 2

Key Benefits: ActiveCampaign vs. Campaign Monitor

1. Get real support from real people at every step.

Support is an important part of any business—and the majority of customers consider support when spending money with a company. In fact, 78% of people say a company’s reputation for customer service is important to them when choosing to buy from a particular brand. 

Because of this, you’ll likely want to invest in email marketing software with positively reviewed customer service. This not only helps you correct issues within the software, but it also ensures you can send emails to your subscribers with confidence.

Here’s how support services offered by Campaign Monitor and ActiveCampaign differ.

Campaign Monitor

Campaign Monitor aims to provide exceptional support for customers on any plan. For those who want to find answers on their own, Campaign Monitor’s help center is forever being updated and filled with details around frequently asked questions. For more complex questions, customers can easily contact support.

Campaign Monitor provides 24/5 support for all three pricing tiers, and phone support is available with the Premier plan. 

Not only does Campaign Monitor enlist a dedicated support team, but our Professional Services team is a feature available for purchase, helping you reach your goals. Our Professional Services team can help you with expert strategy advice, custom email templates, personalized training, and more.

ActiveCampaign

ActiveCampaign also offers support, and one added benefit to this software is their chat support. In addition to email support, customers have the option to open a chatbox to resolve issues during limited hours. As with the Campaign Monitor software, ActiveCampaign also provides phone support for its premium package.

Like Campaign Monitor, the reviews around ActiveCampaign’s customer support are largely positive. ActiveCampaign appears to have well-liked support capabilities. Some reviews suggest that ActiveCampaign is difficult to use for beginners, so in this case, a good support team is vital.

2. Confidence that your email will arrive (and assistance if it doesn’t)

In 2019, one out of every six messages failed to reach the inbox. Not only is this wasted effort, but it’s also wasted money for businesses: time spent and potential dollars gone. This statistic is just one reason why email delivery is so vital.

While delivery features might be similar, it’s important to see how delivery services offered by these two platforms differ.

Campaign Monitor

Campaign Monitor works to have exceptional deliverability, supporting DKIM/SPF to increase the likelihood of delivered messages. (Learn more about DKIM/SPF alignment here.) 

Our team of experts will work with you to keep an eye on key delivery metrics, share best practices, and make specific recommendations to continuously improve your overall email marketing performance.

Customers often cite Campaign Monitor’s deliverability support as one of their favorite services the email service provides.

ActiveCampaign

ActiveCampaign also works to provide good deliverability to its customers, supporting DKIM/SPF. If you’re looking for a product with a history of quality deliverability, Campaign Monitor and ActiveCampaign are both products that will likely meet your goals.

However, if you’re looking for a platform with a bit more deliverability support, you may find help in Campaign Monitor’s dedicated deliverability team.

3. A focus on integrations

Most organizations use a variety of software tools for their marketing, customer service, and sales. Because of this, quality integrations are imperative. Integrations can decrease heavy workloads and streamline processes for many teams across a company.

Luckily, integrations are a focus for both Campaign Monitor and ActiveCampaign, though there are some nuances when considering what each service offers.

Campaign Monitor

Campaign Monitor offers hundreds of integrations—including a top-rated Salesforce integration—for numerous types of organizations, such as nonprofits, enterprise companies, and more. Additionally, Campaign Monitor customers can achieve precise segmentation through integrations that track subscriber behavior.  

ActiveCampaign

ActiveCampaign also offers hundreds of integrations to choose from, many of which are targeted at ecommerce platforms. While ActiveCampaign also offers a Salesforce integration, Campaign Monitor’s is rated #1 in the Salesforce AppExchange. Many customers are happy with integrations and positively review the long list of app capabilities ActiveCampaign offers.

Depending on the software you have in mind, the integration may not be as complex as you’re needing. When looking for an ESP, you may consider shopping around based on the integration capabilities you require. 

4. Easy onboarding for new marketers

Onboarding is a smart way to both welcome and educate customers, and yet over 90% of customers feel the companies they buy from ”could do better” when it comes to onboarding new users/customers

Onboarding is an important aspect of any software tool. And, while Campaign Monitor and ActiveCampaign both offer onboarding, each one offers a different experience respectively. 

Campaign Monitor

Before using Campaign Monitor, we tended to send single emails just to large segments of the database. It was impossible to be as targeted and personalized.

– English National Opera

Campaign Monitor offers a 90-day, in-depth onboarding email series for new customers, as well as accompanying training videos to learn from. These are available to any customer, regardless of price tier.  With these resources, Campaign Monitor aims to empower customers and guide them through the more advanced features of the platform.

Customers on any pricing tier can also purchase 1:1 training time with Campaign Monitor’s Professional Services team. The Professional Services team has seasoned email experts who understand the Campaign Monitor technology, providing valuable insight to customers. This ProServ training option is especially helpful for companies with multiple employees using the platform.

Additionally, if you are part of an agency, you can easily get acquainted with our features for agencies, specifically our client management hub, which allows users to toggle between clients, their campaigns, and their billing details quickly.

ActiveCampaign

ActiveCampaign also aims to onboard their customers for a quick and easy user experience. However, ActiveCampaign’s Professional plan is the only one that advertises in-depth onboarding consultations as a feature. For those who are looking for in-depth onboarding, you may need to pay into this tier to access one-on-one assistance.

Chapter 7

Best fit for you: Campaign Monitor vs. ActiveCampaign

Campaign Monitor and ActiveCampaign are ideal platforms for email marketers. They’re both less expensive than some other services offered, and they both provide support, deliverability capabilities, integrations, onboarding, and much more.

So, which one should you choose? Ultimately, this comes down to your goals. If you’re looking for an email platform that can assist you with on the backend, helping you with features such as deliverability and onboarding, then Campaign Monitor might be the email service to choose. However, if you’re looking for a platform you can utilize for chat support, ActiveCampaign may be the ESP you choose to buy. As with goals, reviews differ, and research is key.

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