ActiveCampaign vs Autopilot
A detailed, side-by-side comparison of ActiveCampaign and Autopilot. We compare features, pricing, ease of use, and value for money to help you make the right choice in 2026.
Reviewed by the Ikaroa team · Last updated: March 2026
Quick Verdict
ActiveCampaign edges ahead overall with a rating of 4.4/5. However, Autopilot (4/5) may be the better fit if you prioritise Marketing teams wanting visual automation with built-in customer data platform. Read on for the full breakdown.
ActiveCampaign vs Autopilot at a Glance
ActiveCampaign
★ 4.4ActiveCampaign blends email marketing, marketing automation, and CRM into one platform. Known for its sophisticated automation builder and excellent email deliverability.
Starting from: £12/month
Best for: Businesses prioritising email marketing and sophisticated automation
Read full review →Autopilot
★ 4Autopilot (now Ortto) is a visual marketing automation platform that combines customer data, messaging, and analytics. Known for its beautiful visual journey builder that makes creating complex automation workflows intuitive. It connects customer data from multiple sources to power personalised multi-channel campaigns.
Starting from: £449/month
Best for: Marketing teams wanting visual automation with built-in customer data platform
Read full review →ActiveCampaign vs Autopilot Feature Comparison
Here is how ActiveCampaign and Autopilot compare across the features that matter most. We have tested both platforms extensively across client implementations.
| Feature | ActiveCampaign | Autopilot |
|---|---|---|
| Free Plan Available | No | No |
| Starting Price | £12/month | £449/month |
| Best For | Businesses prioritising email marketing and sophisticated automation | Marketing teams wanting visual automation with built-in customer data platform |
| Our Rating | 4.4/5 | 4/5 |
| Mobile App | Limited | Limited |
| Email Marketing | Yes | Yes |
| Automation | Yes | Limited |
| Reporting | Yes | Yes |
| Integrations | Extensive | Extensive |
| API Access | Limited | Limited |
| Ikaroa Exclusive Discount | N/A | N/A |
ActiveCampaign vs Autopilot Pricing
Pricing is often the deciding factor. Here is a full breakdown of what each platform charges at every tier:
ActiveCampaign Pricing
Starter
£12/month
- ✓Email marketing
- ✓Marketing automation
- ✓Inline forms
- ✓Site tracking
Plus
£42/month
- ✓Everything in Starter
- ✓CRM
- ✓Lead scoring
- ✓Landing pages
- ✓SMS marketing
Pro
£135/month
- ✓Everything in Plus
- ✓Predictive sending
- ✓Split automation
- ✓Attribution
Enterprise
£225/month
- ✓Everything in Pro
- ✓Custom objects
- ✓Single sign-on
- ✓Dedicated account rep
Autopilot Pricing
Professional
£449/month
- ✓5,000 contacts
- ✓Email, SMS, in-app
- ✓Journey builder
- ✓Analytics
Business
£899/month
- ✓10,000 contacts
- ✓Advanced segmentation
- ✓Custom events
- ✓Dedicated IP
Enterprise
Custom
- ✓Custom contacts
- ✓Priority support
- ✓Custom integrations
- ✓SLA
Not sure which to pick?
Our team has implemented both ActiveCampaign and Autopilot for clients. We can help you decide based on your specific needs.
ActiveCampaign Pros and Cons
✓Pros
- •Best-in-class marketing automation
- •Excellent email deliverability
- •Sophisticated automation builder
- •Good CRM functionality
- •Strong segmentation capabilities
✗Cons
- •CRM is secondary to marketing features
- •Can be complex for beginners
- •Contact-based pricing escalates
- •Reporting could be more visual
- •Limited social media features
Autopilot Pros and Cons
✓Pros
- •Beautiful, intuitive visual journey builder
- •Combines CDP with automation
- •Multi-channel messaging (email, SMS, in-app)
- •Good analytics and attribution
- •Clean, modern interface
✗Cons
- •Expensive for the contact limits
- •Smaller integration ecosystem
- •Less well-known than HubSpot or ActiveCampaign
- •Limited CRM functionality
- •Rebranding to Ortto caused confusion
Our Verdict: ActiveCampaign vs Autopilot
Both ActiveCampaign and Autopilot are solid options, but they serve different needs. Having implemented both for multiple clients, here is our recommendation:
Choose ActiveCampaign if you need Businesses prioritising email marketing and sophisticated automation. With a starting price of £12/month and a rating of 4.4/5, it offers best-in-class marketing automation.
Choose Autopilot if you need Marketing teams wanting visual automation with built-in customer data platform. Starting at £449/month with a 4/5 rating, it excels at beautiful, intuitive visual journey builder.
Still not sure? Talk to the Ikaroa team. We have helped hundreds of businesses make this exact decision, and we are happy to point you in the right direction.
🎁 Get either product at a discount through Ikaroa Partners
Consider Open Doors Instead
Why choose between ActiveCampaign and Autopilot? Open Doors gives you the best features of both in one platform, for less. It is an all-in-one CRM with email marketing, SMS, funnels, booking, invoicing, automation, and more, starting at just £97/month with unlimited contacts.
Need implementation help?
Ikaroa can set up ActiveCampaign or Autopilot for your business, migrate your data, and train your team. We have done it dozens of times.
Free consultation. No obligation.