Choosing the right marketing automation platform can feel like navigating a maze.
You’re juggling emails, websites, social media, and maybe even SMS.
Both GoHighLevel and ActiveCampaign promise to simplify your marketing life. But which one comes out on top in 2024?
In this post, we’ll break down the features of the GoHighLevel vs ActiveCampaign tools, helping you decide which is the best fit for your business needs.
Let’s dive in!
Overview
To give you the most accurate comparison, we’ve spent weeks testing both GoHighLevel and ActiveCampaign.
We built landing pages, set up email sequences, and even ran a few test campaigns to see how each platform performed in real-world scenarios.
This hands-on experience gives us unique insights to share with you.
Want to see GoHighLevel in action? Start your free 14-day trial and explore its powerful features!
Pricing: It has a free plan. Paid plan starts at $97/month
Key Features:
- Website Builder
- Funnel Builder
- 2-Way SMS
Unlock the power of an all-in-one marketing platform. So, check it out now!
Pricing: It has a 7-day free Trial. Paid plan starts at $15/month
Key Features:
- Email Marketing
- Marketing Automation
- CRM
What is GoHighLevel?
Ever wished for a single tool that could handle everything marketing-related? That’s the idea behind GoHighLevel.
It’s an all-in-one platform designed to help agencies and businesses manage their marketing, sales, and customer relationships.
Think of it as your marketing command center.
Also, explore our favorite GoHighLevel alternatives…
Our Take
This is great for agencies and businesses wanting to consolidate tools. The automation capabilities are very strong. However, its vast feature set means it can be overwhelming for new users, and there’s a definite learning curve.
Key Benefits
- All-in-one marketing platform.
- White-labeling available.
- Automated campaigns.
- Lead-nurturing tools.
- Comprehensive reporting.
Pricing
- Starter: $97/month.
- Unlimited: $297/month.
Pros
Cons
What is ActiveCampaign?
ActiveCampaign is a powerhouse when it comes to email marketing and automation.
But it’s more than just email blasts!
They’ve expanded to include a full suite of features to help you connect with your audience on a deeper level.
Also, explore our favorite ActiveCampaign alternatives…
Our Take
ActiveCampaign is an excellent choice for businesses that want to leverage the true power of email marketing and automation. However, it may not be the best fit for beginners due to its complexity.
Key Benefits
- Advanced automation: Create complex workflows to nurture leads and automate tasks.
- Email marketing powerhouse: Send beautiful and effective email campaigns.
- Built-in CRM: Manage contacts and track interactions.
- Segmentation and personalization: Target specific groups of contacts with personalized messages.
Pricing
- Starter: $15/month.
- Plus: $49/month.
- Pro: $79/month.
- Enterprise: $145/month.
Pros
Cons
Feature Comparison
Choosing the right marketing platform is key for your business. We’ll compare GoHighLevel and ActiveCampaign so you can see all the features and pick what’s best for you.
1. Primary User / Target Audience
These platforms are built for different main users.
- GoHighLevel: Made for marketing agency owners and digital marketing agencies. It helps them manage multiple clients and offer many services.
- ActiveCampaign: Best for small business owners and mid-sized businesses. It focuses on helping them grow their own business with strong marketing.
2. All-in-One vs Specialized
One tries to do everything, the other focuses on a few things really well.
- GoHighLevel: It’s an all-in-one platform. It has CRM, email, SMS, website builder, funnel builder, and more. It helps you avoid using other marketing tools.
- ActiveCampaign: It specializes in intelligent marketing automation, CRM, and email marketing services. While powerful, it doesn’t include website building.
3. Marketing Automation
Both offer automation, but their depth varies.
- GoHighLevel: Provides strong automation across multiple platforms like email, SMS, calls, and social messages. It’s built for complex workflows.
- ActiveCampaign: Known for its powerful ActiveCampaign marketing automation. It has a visual builder and many templates for email sequences and customer journeys.
4. CRM
Managing customer data is important for both.
- GoHighLevel: Offers a robust CRM for multiple clients. You can track leads, manage pipelines, and automate follow-ups easily.
- ActiveCampaign: Has a good CRM for basic contact and deal tracking. It helps with sales automation and lead scoring for your own business.
5. Email Marketing
Email is a core part of digital marketing.
- GoHighLevel: Includes native email marketing. It has templates and helps automate email sequences.
- ActiveCampaign: Is famous for its strong email marketing services. It offers advanced features, personalization, and many email templates.
6. Sales Tools
How do they help you close deals?
- GoHighLevel: Offers tools for sales engagement, pipeline management, and collecting payments. It helps track deals from start to finish.
- ActiveCampaign: Focuses on sales automation within its CRM. It helps with lead scoring and managing opportunities.
7. Website & Funnel Builders
Creating web pages is a big difference.
- GoHighLevel: Includes a full website and funnel builder. You can create landing pages and sales funnels easily.
- ActiveCampaign: Offers landing pages, but does not have a full website builder. You might need other marketing tools for this.
8. Agency Features & White-labeling
This is key for marketing agencies.
- GoHighLevel: Built for agencies. You can white-label the platform. This means you can sell it as your own business tool to multiple clients with unlimited accounts.
- ActiveCampaign: Does not offer agency-specific features like white-labeling or unlimited accounts for clients. It’s for individual businesses.
9. Ease of Use & Learning Curve
How easy are they to learn?
- GoHighLevel: Has all the features, so it might take more time to learn at first. It’s for a more advanced user due to its many options.
- ActiveCampaign: Is generally easy to use, especially if you focus on email and automation. It has a good user-friendly interface for small business owners.
What to look for when choosing a marketing tool?
- Email Marketing Capabilities: Consider if the platform offers comprehensive email marketing campaigns, including both basic email marketing features and the ability to run automated email marketing campaigns. Look for tools that can create incredible email marketing campaigns with strong deliverability.
- SMS Marketing Integration: Is SMS marketing a priority for you? Check if the platform seamlessly integrates SMS into your campaigns and automations.
- Automation Power: Evaluate the advanced automation features. Can you create complex workflows based on user behavior? A robust automation builder can save you a lot of time.
- Native Email Marketing System: Does the platform have its own integrated native email marketing system, or does it rely heavily on third-party integrations for email? An in-built system often means smoother performance.
- Overall Ecosystem: Beyond just email and SMS, consider the platform’s other features. Does it offer a CRM, landing page builder, or website builder? The more capabilities bundled, the less you might need other tools.
- Ease of Use: How steep is the learning curve? A user-friendly interface will help you get started faster and make the most of the tool.
- Scalability: Can the tool grow with your business? Ensure it can handle your increasing contact list and campaign volume without issues or excessive costs.
- Support: Good customer support is crucial. Look for a platform with responsive and helpful assistance when you need it.
Final Verdict
Choosing the right marketing tools can be tough.
Both GoHighLevel and ActiveCampaign are powerful options for your digital marketing needs. But for us, ActiveCampaign takes the crown.
It offers incredible value for the price, especially if email marketing and automation are your priorities.
Its automation features are top-notch, and its deliverability rates are excellent.
That said, GoHighLevel is still a fantastic choice if you need an all-in-one solution that includes a website builder.
Robust customer relationship management (CRM) capabilities.
It’s perfect for agencies and businesses that want to streamline their digital marketing efforts within a single platform.
Ultimately, the best choice depends on your specific needs and budget. We’ve given you the information; now it’s time to make the call!
More of GoHighLevel
Here’s a comparison of GoHighLevel with the requested alternatives:
- GoHighLevel vs Keap: GoHighLevel provides a more comprehensive, all-in-one platform with robust automation and a built-in website builder, whereas Keap focuses on CRM and marketing automation with a simpler, more user-friendly interface.
- GoHighLevel vs Pipedrive: GoHighLevel vs Pipedrive: Which CRM is Best in 2025?: GoHighLevel is an all-in-one marketing and sales platform for agencies. Pipedrive is a sales-focused CRM for managing deals and pipelines.
- GoHighLevel vs ActiveCampaign: GoHighLevel is a true all-in-one platform for sales, marketing, and automation with integrated tools, while ActiveCampaign excels in email marketing and segmentation but may require more integrations for comprehensive sales features.
- GoHighLevel vs HubSpot: GoHighLevel is an all-in-one platform for agencies and businesses that offers extensive marketing and sales features; HubSpot provides a broader suite of integrated hubs, including advanced AI and customer service automation.
- GoHighLevel vs ClickFunnels: GoHighLevel is a comprehensive marketing platform built for agencies with a wide feature set, including CRM and white-labeling; ClickFunnels primarily focuses on sales funnel and landing page building.
- GoHighLevel vs Folk: GoHighLevel offers robust marketing automation, lead generation, and comprehensive CRM, while Folk emphasizes collaborative contact organization and simpler email sequences.
- GoHighLevel vs Instantly: GoHighLevel provides a comprehensive suite for marketing automation, sales funnels, and membership management; Instantly specializes in lead finding and cold email outreach, focusing on ease of use.
- GoHighLevel vs ClickUp: GoHighLevel is a dedicated all-in-one marketing and sales automation platform designed for lead management and follow-ups. ClickUp is primarily a project management tool that can be customized for CRM functions.
- GoHighLevel vs Monday CRM: GoHighLevel offers advanced marketing automation and an all-in-one solution for customer management; Monday CRM excels in visual project management and team collaboration with a highly customizable interface.
- GoHighLevel vs Capsule CRM: GoHighLevel is a comprehensive platform with powerful automation and extensive integrations ideal for growing businesses and agencies; Capsule CRM is a simpler, more affordable CRM for basic contact and sales pipeline management.
- GoHighLevel vs Insightly: GoHighLevel offers a customizable, all-in-one solution that emphasizes user experience and integrated features; Insightly focuses on diverse modules and functionalities for small to mid-sized businesses, including project management.
- GoHighLevel vs Freshsales: GoHighLevel provides comprehensive digital marketing tools and white-label options, catering to agencies; Freshsales CRM focuses on AI-driven insights, sales automation, and integrated communication for sales teams.
- GoHighLevel vs Salesforce: GoHighLevel is a simpler all-in-one platform for lead generation, sales, and white-labeling for local businesses; Salesforce is an industry-leading, highly customizable CRM tailored for large enterprises with extensive add-ons.
- GoHighLevel vs Zendesk: GoHighLevel is a comprehensive marketing and sales automation platform that includes CRM and lead management; Zendesk primarily excels as a customer service and support ticketing system with CRM capabilities for managing customer interactions.
More of ActiveCampaign
Here’s a comparison of ActiveCampaign with its alternatives:
- ActiveCampaign vs Pipedrive: ActiveCampaign excels in marketing automation and lead nurturing with integrated CRM. Pipedrive, however, is a sales-centric CRM that emphasizes visual pipeline management and efficient deal tracking.
- ActiveCampaign vs GoHighLevel: GoHighLevel is an all-in-one platform for marketing agency users, with strong white-labeling and unlimited accounts.
- ActiveCampaign vs Keap: ActiveCampaign offers robust marketing automation and email capabilities. Keap is tailored for small businesses, blending CRM with sales and email for an integrated approach.
- ActiveCampaign vs HubSpot: ActiveCampaign is a leader in email marketing automation and customer engagement. HubSpot provides a more comprehensive, all-in-one platform covering marketing, sales, service, and content management.
- ActiveCampaign vs ClickFunnels: ActiveCampaign is ideal for email marketing automation and lead nurturing within a CRM context. ClickFunnels specializes in building sales funnels and landing pages for direct conversions.
- ActiveCampaign vs Folk: ActiveCampaign is known for sophisticated marketing automation and detailed customer segmentation. Folk offers a simpler, collaborative CRM for contact management, email campaigns, and basic sales pipelines.
- ActiveCampaign vs Instantly: ActiveCampaign delivers advanced marketing automation and a comprehensive CRM. Instantly focuses more on cold email outreach and lead finding with basic CRM features for simplified sales.
- ActiveCampaign vs ClickUp: ActiveCampaign excels in marketing-specific automation and customer relationship management. ClickUp is a versatile work management platform that can be customized for CRM and emphasizes project management.
- ActiveCampaign vs Monday CRM: ActiveCampaign provides powerful marketing automation and email campaigns with strong CRM integration. Monday CRM emphasizes visual collaboration and customizable boards for lead and deal management.
- ActiveCampaign vs Capsule: ActiveCampaign offers robust email marketing and advanced automation for sales and customer journeys. Capsule CRM provides straightforward contact management and sales pipeline features, ideal for basic CRM needs.
- ActiveCampaign vs Insightly: ActiveCampaign focuses on deep marketing and sales automation with lead scoring and tracking. Insightly combines CRM with project management, suiting teams needing both sales and project delivery.
- ActiveCampaign vs Freshsales CRM: ActiveCampaign provides comprehensive marketing automation and email with integrated CRM functionalities. Freshsales CRM focuses on sales management and streamlining sales processes with AI-powered insights.
- ActiveCampaign vs Salesforce: ActiveCampaign specializes in marketing automation and email engagement for small to medium businesses. Salesforce is an extensive, scalable CRM platform for large enterprises, covering sales, service, and marketing.
- ActiveCampaign vs Zendesk: ActiveCampaign focuses on email marketing, sales automation, and customer experience management. Zendesk primarily provides customer service and support tools, including ticketing systems and help desks.
Frequently Asked Questions
Which platform is better for beginners?
ActiveCampaign is generally easier to get started with, thanks to its more intuitive interface and focused feature set. GoHighLevel can feel overwhelming at first due to its sheer number of features.
Can I use GoHighLevel or ActiveCampaign to build a complete website?
GoHighLevel includes a website builder, allowing you to create and host websites directly within the platform. ActiveCampaign does not offer this functionality.
Which platform has better customer support?
While both offer support, ActiveCampaign’s customer support can sometimes be slow to respond. GoHighLevel generally provides quicker and more helpful support.
Is GoHighLevel only for marketing agencies?
Although GoHighLevel caters to marketing agencies with its white-labeling features, it can also be used by individual businesses looking for an all-in-one digital marketing solution.
Can I migrate my data from another platform to GoHighLevel or ActiveCampaign?
Yes, both platforms offer data migration services to help you easily transfer your contacts and other data from your current marketing tool.
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