ActiveCampaign vs Drip
A detailed, side-by-side comparison of ActiveCampaign and Drip. 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, Drip (4.2/5) may be the better fit if you prioritise E-commerce brands wanting sophisticated automation to drive repeat purchases. Read on for the full breakdown.
ActiveCampaign vs Drip 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 →Drip
★ 4.2Drip is an e-commerce marketing automation platform designed for online stores. It combines email marketing, on-site personalisation, and multi-channel automation to help e-commerce brands build relationships and drive repeat purchases. Particularly strong with Shopify and WooCommerce integrations.
Starting from: £32/month
Best for: E-commerce brands wanting sophisticated automation to drive repeat purchases
Read full review →ActiveCampaign vs Drip Feature Comparison
Here is how ActiveCampaign and Drip compare across the features that matter most. We have tested both platforms extensively across client implementations.
| Feature | ActiveCampaign | Drip |
|---|---|---|
| Free Plan Available | No | No |
| Starting Price | £12/month | £32/month |
| Best For | Businesses prioritising email marketing and sophisticated automation | E-commerce brands wanting sophisticated automation to drive repeat purchases |
| Our Rating | 4.4/5 | 4.2/5 |
| Mobile App | Limited | Limited |
| Email Marketing | Yes | Yes |
| Automation | Yes | Yes |
| Reporting | Yes | Basic |
| Integrations | Extensive | Limited |
| API Access | Limited | Limited |
| Ikaroa Exclusive Discount | N/A | N/A |
ActiveCampaign vs Drip 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
Drip Pricing
Standard
£32/month
- ✓2,500 contacts
- ✓Unlimited emails
- ✓Email and SMS
- ✓Automation workflows
Pro
£105/month
- ✓10,000 contacts
- ✓Unlimited emails
- ✓Advanced segmentation
- ✓Revenue attribution
Enterprise
Custom
- ✓50,000+ contacts
- ✓Dedicated IP
- ✓Priority support
- ✓Custom integrations
Not sure which to pick?
Our team has implemented both ActiveCampaign and Drip 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
Drip Pros and Cons
✓Pros
- •Purpose-built for e-commerce
- •Excellent visual automation builder
- •Strong Shopify and WooCommerce integrations
- •Revenue attribution on every campaign
- •Clean, modern interface
✗Cons
- •No free plan available
- •Higher starting price than Mailchimp
- •Limited use for non-e-commerce businesses
- •Smaller template library
- •SMS available in US and Canada only
Our Verdict: ActiveCampaign vs Drip
Both ActiveCampaign and Drip 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 Drip if you need E-commerce brands wanting sophisticated automation to drive repeat purchases. Starting at £32/month with a 4.2/5 rating, it excels at purpose-built for e-commerce.
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 Drip? 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 Drip for your business, migrate your data, and train your team. We have done it dozens of times.
Free consultation. No obligation.