ActiveCampaign vs Campaign Monitor
A detailed, side-by-side comparison of ActiveCampaign and Campaign Monitor. 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, Campaign Monitor (4/5) may be the better fit if you prioritise Design-conscious brands and agencies wanting beautiful email campaigns. Read on for the full breakdown.
ActiveCampaign vs Campaign Monitor 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 →Campaign Monitor
★ 4Campaign Monitor is a premium email marketing platform known for its beautiful, professionally designed templates and brand-focused approach. Popular with design-conscious brands and agencies, it offers excellent template customisation, link review tools, and sophisticated analytics. Ideal for businesses where email design quality is a top priority.
Starting from: £7/month
Best for: Design-conscious brands and agencies wanting beautiful email campaigns
Read full review →ActiveCampaign vs Campaign Monitor Feature Comparison
Here is how ActiveCampaign and Campaign Monitor compare across the features that matter most. We have tested both platforms extensively across client implementations.
| Feature | ActiveCampaign | Campaign Monitor |
|---|---|---|
| Free Plan Available | No | No |
| Starting Price | £12/month | £7/month |
| Best For | Businesses prioritising email marketing and sophisticated automation | Design-conscious brands and agencies wanting beautiful email campaigns |
| Our Rating | 4.4/5 | 4/5 |
| Mobile App | Limited | Limited |
| Email Marketing | Yes | Yes |
| Automation | Yes | Yes |
| Reporting | Yes | Basic |
| Integrations | Extensive | Extensive |
| API Access | Limited | Limited |
| Ikaroa Exclusive Discount | N/A | N/A |
ActiveCampaign vs Campaign Monitor 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
Campaign Monitor Pricing
Lite
£7/month
- ✓500 contacts
- ✓2,500 emails/month
- ✓Core email features
- ✓Basic analytics
Essentials
£16/month
- ✓500 contacts
- ✓Unlimited emails
- ✓Automation
- ✓A/B testing
- ✓Time zone sending
Premier
£130/month
- ✓500 contacts
- ✓Unlimited emails
- ✓Advanced segmentation
- ✓Send time optimisation
- ✓Phone support
Not sure which to pick?
Our team has implemented both ActiveCampaign and Campaign Monitor 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
Campaign Monitor Pros and Cons
✓Pros
- •Beautiful, professionally designed templates
- •Excellent drag-and-drop email builder
- •Strong brand management tools
- •Good analytics and reporting
- •Clean, intuitive interface
✗Cons
- •No free plan available
- •Pricing is higher than competitors for similar features
- •Automation is less powerful than ActiveCampaign
- •Limited landing page functionality
- •Smaller integration ecosystem
Our Verdict: ActiveCampaign vs Campaign Monitor
Both ActiveCampaign and Campaign Monitor 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 Campaign Monitor if you need Design-conscious brands and agencies wanting beautiful email campaigns. Starting at £7/month with a 4/5 rating, it excels at beautiful, professionally designed templates.
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 Campaign Monitor? 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 Campaign Monitor for your business, migrate your data, and train your team. We have done it dozens of times.
Free consultation. No obligation.