ActiveCampaign vs. Klaviyo: Expert Comparison For 2026

Marketing leader with 15+ years scaling growth and content

We review tools independently, and commissions help fund our testing. See our transparency policy, our methodology, or suggest a tool.

Your existing marketing automation software might be part of your workflow bottleneck. Campaigns get harder to scale, automations feel limiting or overly complex, and pricing starts to matter more as your list grows. 

When it’s time to start searching for new options, ActiveCampaign and Klaviyo often come up as top contenders. This comparison breaks down how each platform actually works in practice, so you can clearly see which one fits your workflow, business model, and next stage of growth.

ActiveCampaign

ActiveCampaign’s dashboard for managing contacts, campaigns, and automations.
ActiveCampaign’s dashboard for managing contacts, campaigns, and automations.
Customer rating

4.4/5

Pricing
  • 14-day free trial
  • From $15/month (billed annually)

Klaviyo

Klaviyo’s dashboard lets users manage account, user, and security settings in one place.
Klaviyo’s dashboard lets users manage account, user, and security settings in one place.
Customer rating

4.6/5

Pricing
  • Free plan available
  • From $20/month

Why Trust Our Software Recommendations

6,700+

Reviews

20

Industry experts

16+

Evaluation factors

14

Years

Our team has been testing and reviewing software since 2012. As marketing leaders ourselves, we know how difficult—and important—it is to choose the right software.

For this guide, we evaluated tools using hands-on testing and independent research, scoring tools using our selection criteria.

Our reviews reflect our human editorial judgment, not a sales pitch.

Expert reviewers:

ActiveCampaignKlaviyo
Free Trial14-day free trialFree plan available
PricingFrom $15/month (billed annually)From $20/month

ActiveCampaign vs. Klaviyo Pricing & Hidden Costs

ActiveCampaign pricing is based on contact count and plan tier, with Starter, Plus, Pro, and Enterprise options. Additional costs can apply as teams move to higher tiers to access advanced automation, reporting, or onboarding services.

Klaviyo pricing is also contact-based, with email included in the plan and SMS priced separately by usage. Costs can increase as email volume grows or when SMS credits and additional data features are added.

ActiveCampaign emphasizes multi-step automation workflows, combining email campaigns, segmentation, CRM tools, and reporting to manage customer journeys. Klaviyo focuses on data-driven email and SMS marketing, with segmentation and personalization powered by ecommerce and customer behavior data.

ActiveCampaignKlaviyo
APIYesYes
Campaign ManagementYesYes
Contact ManagementYesYes
Contact SharingYesYes
Customer ManagementYesYes
Data ExportYesYes
Data ImportYesYes
Email IntegrationYesYes
External IntegrationsYesYes
Lead ManagementYesYes
Lead ScoringYesYes
Marketing AutomationYesYes
Multi-UserYesYes
NotificationsYesYes
Social-Media IntegrationYesYes

IntegrationActiveCampaignKlaviyo
Shopify✅✅
Salesforce✅✅
WooCommerce✅✅
BigCommerce✅✅
Wix✅✅
WordPress✅❌
Magento✅✅
Zoho CRM✅❌
API✅✅
Zapier✅✅

Both ActiveCampaign and Klaviyo integrate with key platforms such as Shopify, Salesforce, WooCommerce, BigCommerce, Wix, Magento, APIs, and Zapier. ActiveCampaign also includes native integrations with WordPress and Zoho CRM, which are not listed for Klaviyo.

FactorActiveCampaignKlaviyo
Data PrivacyActiveCampaign’s privacy policy outlines its data protection practices and rights handling.Klaviyo offers GDPR compliance and uses encryption to safeguard customer data.
Regulatory ComplianceEmphasizes compliance with GDPR, SOC 2, and HIPAA, supported by ongoing security enhancements.Klaviyo offers tools for GDPR-compliant email consent and built-in SMS compliance features.
Uptime ReliabilityActiveCampaign boasts 99% uptime with robust server infrastructure.Klaviyo ensures reliability with a 99% uptime and scalable infrastructure.
Security AuditsActiveCampaign uses NIST-aligned, role-based access controls with regular audits and multi-factor authentication.Klaviyo completes annual third-party SOC 2 and ISO 27001 audits, with reports available through its Trust Center.

ActiveCampaign and Klaviyo both document their data privacy, compliance, uptime, and security audit practices. ActiveCampaign highlights GDPR, SOC 2, and HIPAA alignment, while Klaviyo outlines GDPR-focused consent tools and annual SOC 2 and ISO 27001 audits.

FactorActiveCampaignKlaviyo
User InterfaceActiveCampaign features a clean interface with drag-and-drop capabilities for easy campaign creation.Klaviyo offers an intuitive dashboard with straightforward navigation for managing campaigns.
Onboarding ExperienceActiveCampaign offers one-on-one onboarding, guided tutorials and resources to help new users get started efficiently.Klaviyo provides one-on-one onboarding support with best-practice guidance.
Setup ProcessActiveCampaign provides free migration services and guided, step-by-step setup to help teams get up and running quickly.Klaviyo offers guided setup for integrations, contacts, and pre-built templates.
Customer SupportActiveCampaign provides support through its Help Center, community resources, and direct support channels.Klaviyo offers email and live chat support, plus Help Center and community resources.

ActiveCampaign enables teams to build automated campaigns using AI trained on billions of data points, with 1:1 onboarding, free migration services, 950+ prebuilt recipes, and live support included on all paid plans. Klaviyo offers an intuitive ecommerce-focused dashboard with 1:1 onboarding and support, optimized for teams that want deep visibility into store data and revenue metrics.

ActiveCampaign

Pros
  • Offers market-leading email deliverability, free migration services, and 1:1 onboarding on all paid plans.
  • All-in-one platform combines email, SMS, WhatsApp, landing pages, CRM, and behavioral automation with over 1,000 integrations.
  • Active Intelligence builds campaigns for you from plain-language goals using AI trained on billions of data points, delivering campaigns in 5 clicks.
Cons
  • The interface might feel a bit clunky compared to some competitors.
  • New users may find some of ActiveCampaign's more advanced features overwhelming, requiring time to learn.
  • Costs can rise as contact lists grow, especially for advanced features

Klaviyo

Pros
  • Powerful automation flows enable highly targeted lifecycle marketing campaigns.
  • Advanced segmentation uses real-time behavioral and purchase data effectively.
  • Combines email, SMS, and social media into unified omnichannel marketing workflows seamlessly.
Cons
  • Reporting customization is limited compared to some competitors.
  • Pricing can increase as contact lists grow or SMS usage rises, especially for high-volume senders.
  • Klaviyo does not include native sales pipeline or deal management features.

ActiveCampaign

ActiveCampaign’s dashboard for managing contacts, campaigns, and automations.
ActiveCampaign’s dashboard for managing contacts, campaigns, and automations.
  1. Travel and HospitalityAutomate booking confirmations and post-stay engagement to improve guest retention and reviews.
  2. Online Learning CreatorsDeliver onboarding and lesson sequences automatically based on where learners are in your courses.
  3. Healthcare ProvidersSend appointment confirmations, reminders, and timely follow-ups with consistent communication.
  4. AgenciesManage segmented campaigns and automation workflows for clients without doing every step manually.
  5. Ecommerce StoresTrigger automated emails for abandoned carts and personalized product follow-ups tied to customer behavior.
  6. SaaS CompaniesAutomate lead follow-ups and product onboarding sequences to nurture users through the trial and adoption cycle.

Klaviyo

Klaviyo’s dashboard lets users manage account, user, and security settings in one place.
Klaviyo’s dashboard lets users manage account, user, and security settings in one place.
  1. B2C BrandsUsing its B2C CRM, you can make data-driven decisions and create personalized messaging and omnichannel campaigns that drive customer engagement at scale.
  2. Digital AgenciesMulti-client management and reporting tools fit agency workflows.
  3. Growth Marketing TeamsAdvanced segmentation and A/B testing support rapid experimentation and scaling.
  4. Subscription ServicesAutomated flows and churn prediction help retain subscribers and boost lifetime value (LTV).
  5. Online RetailersReal-time syncing with ecommerce platforms enables personalized product recommendations.
  6. DTC EcommerceKlaviyo’s ecommerce integrations and automation are built for direct-to-consumer brands.

Who Should Use ActiveCampaign, and Who Should Use Klaviyo?

ActiveCampaign is ideal for teams across industries that want autonomous AI to build campaigns for them in 5 clicks, combining email, SMS, WhatsApp, landing pages, and CRM in a single platform. Klaviyo is designed for B2C teams that rely on customer and purchase data to run targeted email and SMS campaigns tied directly to online store activity.

AutomationActiveCampaign

ActiveCampaign supports highly complex, multi-branch automation workflows across customer lifecycles.

Klaviyo

Klaviyo’s automation is primarily event- and behavior-driven, tied to ecommerce actions like purchases and browsing.

Core FocusActiveCampaign

ActiveCampaign is built as a broad marketing automation platform that combines email, automation, and CRM workflows.

Klaviyo

Klaviyo is built specifically for ecommerce marketing, centering on customer and purchase data.

CRM FeaturesActiveCampaign

ActiveCampaign includes native CRM and sales pipeline functionality for managing leads and deals.

Klaviyo

Klaviyo does not offer a built-in CRM and instead focuses on marketing execution.

Pricing ModelActiveCampaign

ActiveCampaign pricing is tier-based, with features unlocked at higher plans as contact counts grow.

Klaviyo

Klaviyo pricing is usage-based, with costs influenced by contact volume and email and SMS sending activity.

Target AudienceActiveCampaign

ActiveCampaign is commonly used by B2B, SaaS, agencies, and service-based businesses.

Klaviyo

Klaviyo is primarily used by ecommerce brands selling through online stores.

Automation Features

Both offer automation features that allow teams to trigger messages based on user behavior or defined conditions.

Data Security

Both publish documentation outlining GDPR compliance and data protection practices.

Email Capabilities

Both platforms provide tools for creating, managing, and sending email campaigns at scale.

Integrations

Both platforms integrate with a wide range of third-party tools to support marketing and business workflows.

Pricing Model

Both use contact-based pricing models that scale as subscriber lists grow.