Intro — automation depth vs all‑in‑one suite
If you’re weighing ActiveCampaign vs GetResponse for your email and marketing automation stack, you’re likely curious about how their automation, CRM, and all-in-one marketing features actually compare. ActiveCampaign is best known for its advanced automation and CRM capabilities, while GetResponse emphasizes its comprehensive suite: webinars, landing pages, AI tools, marketing funnels, and email. Both platforms use contact-based pricing and cater to growing SaaS teams, but their strengths and platform focus differ. Let’s clarify those differences so you can pick the best fit for your use case and growth plans.
Key takeaways — who should choose which
- Choose ActiveCampaign if your priority is deep email automation, advanced segmentation, and built-in CRM.
- Choose GetResponse if you need integrated webinars, sales funnels, and landing page tools in a single package.
- Both use contact-based pricing and offer free trials; limits and feature access depend on your plan.
- GetResponse bundles more tools for list-building and content, while ActiveCampaign invests in automation depth.
Summary comparison table
| Feature | How ActiveCampaign handles it | How GetResponse handles it | Best for |
|---|---|---|---|
| Marketing Automation | Advanced, highly customizable workflows; automation builder; deep segmentation | Flexible automation; good, but less granular than ActiveCampaign | ActiveCampaign |
| CRM | Integrated CRM with automation triggers and sales pipelines | Basic list management; limited CRM features | ActiveCampaign |
| Webinars | Not offered natively | Built-in webinar hosting included in most plans | GetResponse |
| Landing Pages & Funnels | Landing page builder available (features depend on plan) | Landing pages, advanced funnel builder, website creator | GetResponse |
| AI email/website tools | Not publicly specified | Includes AI-powered email and website content tools | GetResponse |
| Segmentation & Personalization | Deep, rule-based segmenting, dynamic content, lead scoring | Standard segmentation; dynamic content options | ActiveCampaign |
| Pricing by Contacts | Tiered by contact count; features locked by plan | Tiered by contact count; all-in-one bundles | Depends on feature needs |
| Email Deliverability | Not publicly specified | Not publicly specified | Undisclosed |
| Integrations & API | API, marketplace of integrations | API, marketplace, Zapier, ecommerce, and more | Broadly similar |
| Security & Compliance | Not publicly specified | Encryption, PCI billing handling, public security incident reporting | GetResponse |
| Migration | Not publicly specified | Not publicly specified | Third-party tools/applicable for both |
What ActiveCampaign is
ActiveCampaign is a marketing automation and CRM platform designed for businesses that want strong automation logic and customer management. Its core strengths are advanced automations, robust contact segmentation, direct sales pipeline tools, and easy-to-build automated email workflows. Feature access and usage limits depend on your plan tier, which are priced by the number of contacts.
What GetResponse is
GetResponse offers an all-in-one marketing suite focused on email, webinars, sales funnels, website builder, and AI-powered tools for email or website content. It is positioned for businesses seeking a single tool to cover automations, website/funnel building, webinars, and traditional email marketing. Like ActiveCampaign, pricing is based on contact count, but GetResponse plans usually bundle more channels and tools in default tiers.
Feature-by-feature comparison
Automation & CRM capabilities
ActiveCampaign is widely recognized for its highly customizable automation builder and deep segmentation options. You can build multi-branch workflows, dynamic content, lead scoring, and advanced triggers that support intricate customer journeys. The CRM is built in and tightly coupled with automation, enabling automated pipeline updates, follow-ups, and contact management.
GetResponse offers visual automation workflows, autoresponders, tagging, and standard segmentation. However, its CRM capabilities are basic, mainly focusing on list management rather than advanced pipeline or sales automation. For complex lead nurturing, ActiveCampaign is clearly stronger.
Webinars, funnels, and site/landing tools
GetResponse stands out with built-in webinar hosting (not an add-on), advanced sales funnel and campaign builders, and a native website builder. This lets SaaS teams run webinars, nurture leads, and build landing pages within one ecosystem.
ActiveCampaign offers a landing page builder and limited sales funnel features (feature access may depend on plan), but does not provide native webinar hosting. If you rely on webinars or need full funnel management alongside email, GetResponse is built for this use case.
Email creation, templates, testing, deliverability
Both ActiveCampaign and GetResponse support drag-and-drop email builders, templates, personalization fields, and automation triggers for email sends. GetResponse markets “AI-powered” content suggestions for email/website creation. Public information about comparative deliverability rates is not specified for either vendor, so you’ll need to assess based on reviews or direct trial.
Integrations & ecosystem
ActiveCampaign supports API access and has a published integration marketplace for SaaS tools, CRMs, and ecommerce platforms. GetResponse matches that with its API, integration marketplace (including Zapier for custom workflows), and deep ecommerce integrations. If your SaaS lead gen stack involves Shopify, Stripe, Zapier, or similar, both platforms tick the critical boxes. The GetResponse integration list is published and growing.
Pricing & contact tiers; trials/free plans
Both platforms tier their pricing by the number of contacts you want to manage. ActiveCampaign pricing offers a free trial on all tiers, but no permanent free plan. Plans are granular with feature access sometimes gated based on the plan you choose. GetResponse pricing also uses contact tiers and bundles “all-in-one” features (webinars, websites, automation) depending on tier. Both provide clear public calculators for 10k–50k contacts but refer to their respective pricing pages for your actual figures.
Security & compliance transparency
GetResponse publishes a security resource detailing encryption, PCI-compliant billing handling, and data protection. It also disclosed and responded to a security incident in June 2024, showing public transparency. ActiveCampaign does not publicly specify security or compliance certifications at this time.
When to choose ActiveCampaign vs GetResponse
Choose ActiveCampaign if you need:
- Highly customizable marketing automations, advanced segmentation, or sophisticated lead scoring.
- A true CRM for tracked sales pipelines and customer journeys baked into your marketing flows.
- You’re happy with email/automation and may use external tools for webinars or funnel management.
Choose GetResponse if you need:
- An all-in-one platform: native webinars, landing/sales pages, AI content, website builder, and marketing automation in one subscription.
- Built-in tools to run events, build sites, and manage email without extra integrations.
- Simple CRM needs (list management over advanced pipelines).
Migration notes & pitfalls
Neither ActiveCampaign nor GetResponse publishes dedicated migration tooling or concierge migration services. Typical pitfalls include broken automations, lost audience segments, or mismatched templates. Third-party migration tools or agencies often step in, but direct support details are not specified. Review your automation complexity if switching, as workflows may not map 1:1.
Conclusion
ActiveCampaign vs GetResponse comes down to whether you want the deep automation/CRM power of ActiveCampaign or the wide, all-in-one toolkit of GetResponse. For SaaS teams wanting webinars, funnels, and marketing site tools with core automation, GetResponse is the more complete package. If your top need is precise automation and CRM-driven nurturing, ActiveCampaign is superior. For most, it’s about matching feature depth to your core marketing workflows and deciding whether all-in-one convenience or advanced logic is your scaling bottleneck.
FAQs
Which platform is more complete for all‑in‑one marketing (webinars, funnels)?
GetResponse is more complete for all-in-one marketing use cases, offering built-in webinars, sales funnels, landing pages, and website builder alongside email and automation features.
How do pricing tiers compare for 10k–50k contacts?
Both platforms price by contact count. Plan calculators for 10k–50k contacts are available on their respective sites. Feature bundles and additional channels (like webinars or CRM) impact the final price—ActiveCampaign gates more advanced features by plan, GetResponse bundles more by default.
Which has stronger automation and CRM features?
ActiveCampaign is stronger for automation sophistication and includes an integrated CRM for sales pipelines and customer journeys. GetResponse provides basic list management but not a true CRM.
Does either offer a free plan or longer trial?
ActiveCampaign: free trial (no permanent free plan). GetResponse: not publicly specified for longer trial or free plan currently.
What integrations matter most for SaaS lead gen?
Key SaaS lead gen integrations include Zapier, CRM tools, Stripe, Shopify, and webinar/event tools. Both platforms cover API and broad integration support, but you should check their published lists for any niche stack dependencies.