We are setting the stage for a comprehensive comparison between the online email marketing platforms ActiveCampaign and MailerLite and highlighting the main differences and the significance of choosing the right email marketing platform that’s ideal for your current business needs.

The topics we cover are:

1. Pricing and Plans
2. Features and Functionalities
3. User Interface and Ease of Use
4. Email Automation and Workflow
5. Email Templates and Customization
6. Deliverability and Performance
7. Integration and Third Party Apps
8. Migration and Onboarding
9. Pro’s and Con’s
10. Final Conclusion

When choosing the right email marketing platform for your business, pricing plays a crucial role in the decision-making process. Let’s look into the pricing and plans offered by ActiveCampaign and MailerLite to help you make an informed choice.

ActiveCampaign

ActiveCampaign offers a 4 tiered pricing structure, providing different plans tailored to various business needs. They offer four main plans: (prices correct as of 24/07/2023)
1. Lite: Starting at $29 per month, paid annually for 1 users. This plan is suitable for individuals and small teams. It includes essential features like email marketing, inline forms and marketing automation.
2. Plus: Starting at $49 per month, paid annually for 3 users. This plan is suitable for small businesses and teams. It includes essential features like email marketing and marketing automation.
3. Professional: Priced at $149 per month for 5 users, paid annually. This plan caters to growing businesses and teams who want to expand and optimise their marketing efforts and adds features like site messaging, attribution reporting & MS Dynamics 365 integration.
4. Enterprise: The Enterprise plan is designed for large businesses with extensive needs. Pricing is custom and based on specific requirements. It includes features like custom reporting, unlimited users, SSOn and dedicated account support.

MailerLite

MailerLite takes a similar approach with its pricing, offering four main plans with different pricing tiers based on subscriber count and users. Here’s what you can expect: (prices correct as of 24/07/2023)
1. Free Plan: MailerLite’s free plan for 1 user  accommodates up to 1,000 subscribers and allows you to send up to 12,000 emails per month. This is an excellent option for small businesses and start-ups looking to explore the platform’s basic features.
2. Growing Business: MailerLite’s $9 plan per month paid annually for 3 users  accommodates up to 500 subscribers and allows you to send unlimited emails per month. This is an excellent option for small businesses and start-ups looking to explore the platform’s dynamic features.
3. Advanced Plan: MailerLite offers a paid plan starting at just $18 per month paid annually for unlimited users. The cost increases as your subscriber list grows, allowing you to scale accordingly and features social media integration and AI features.
4. Enterprise: MailerLite offers with this plan unlimited monthly emails, unlimited users, a dedicated success manager and consultation with IP & delivery, as well as Onboarding training, auditing and performance improvements. Call for cost pricing for this plan.

Both ActiveCampaign and MailerLite provide pricing options to accommodate businesses of various sizes. ActiveCampaign’s tiered plans offer more flexibility with advanced features as your business grows, while MailerLite keeps things simple with a free plan and a straightforward paid plan based on the number of subscribers. Consider your business requirements, budget, and desired features to determine which platform aligns better with your email marketing goals and always remember to assess the value and benefits each plan brings to make the most of your investment in email marketing, now and in the future.

Always remember to assess the value and benefits each plan brings to make the most of your investment in email marketing on a regular basis.

When comparing email marketing platforms like ActiveCampaign and MailerLite, understanding their features and functionalities is crucial to make the right choice for your business. Let’s delve into the key aspects of each platform and see how they stack up against each other.

ActiveCampaign

Email Automation: ActiveCampaign shines in the realm of email automation. With its intuitive visual automation builder, you can create complex workflows tailored to your subscribers’ behaviour. From welcome sequences to advanced nurturing campaigns, ActiveCampaign offers a wide range of automation options such as Site tracking, Goal tracking, Split action, Sign-up forms, Advanced reporting, Lead scoring, Migration services, Attribution service, and Notification emails.
CRM Integration: One of ActiveCampaign’s standout features is its built-in CRM. This empowers you to manage leads, track interactions, and personalize your emails based on customer data, enhancing engagement and conversion rates through Task management and reporting, Deal pipelines, Lead scoring, etc.
Personalization: ActiveCampaign allows deep personalization, enabling you to dynamically tailor email content based on subscriber attributes and behaviour. This level of personalization boosts customer engagement and fosters a more personalized customer experience.
Split Testing: With ActiveCampaign’s split testing capabilities, you can experiment with different email subject lines, content, and send times to optimize your campaigns for better performance.
Site Tracking and Event Tracking: ActiveCampaign’s tracking features enable you to monitor website visitors and user actions, providing valuable insights into their interests and behaviour for more targeted email marketing.

MailerLite

Email Campaigns: MailerLite offers a user-friendly drag-and-drop email editor, making it easy to create visually appealing and mobile-responsive email campaigns.
Subscriber Management: With MailerLite, managing your subscriber lists and segmenting them based on various criteria is seamless, ensuring targeted and relevant messaging.
Landing Pages and Pop-Ups: MailerLite allows you to create stunning landing pages and pop-ups without any coding knowledge, helping you capture leads and grow your email list.
Auto Resend: This unique feature automatically resends your email campaigns to non-openers after a specified time, increasing the chances of engagement.
A/B Testing: MailerLite’s A/B testing feature enables you to test different email variations to optimize your campaigns for better open and click-through rates.

ActiveCampaign stands out with its robust email automation and CRM integration, making it ideal for businesses seeking advanced personalization and customer relationship management. On the other hand, MailerLite offers a user-friendly platform with features like landing pages, pop-ups, and auto resend, making it a solid choice for those who prioritize ease of use and seamless subscriber management. Ultimately, your choice between ActiveCampaign and MailerLite will depend on your business needs and preferences for specific features.
Assess your requirements carefully to find the perfect fit for your email marketing endeavours.

The user interface and ease of use are critical factors when choosing an email marketing platform. Let’s explore how ActiveCampaign and MailerLite fare in this department and how user-friendly they are to use and maintain for businesses of all levels.

ActiveCampaign
ActiveCampaign boasts a well-organized and intuitive user interface that caters to both beginners and experienced users. The dashboard offers a clear layout, presenting essential features and navigation options prominently.

Dashboard Overview: Upon logging in, ActiveCampaign’s dashboard provides an instant overview of your recent campaigns, automation performance, and subscriber engagement. The clean design and clear metrics allow users to quickly assess their email marketing progress.
Navigation: ActiveCampaign’s navigation is straightforward, with a sidebar menu for easy access to different sections. Users can seamlessly switch between email campaigns, automation workflows, reporting, and more.
Automation Builder: The visual automation builder is a standout feature. Its drag-and-drop functionality enables users to create complex automation workflows with ease, even for those new to marketing automation.
Customization: While ActiveCampaign’s interface offers a high level of customization, the learning curve may be steeper for those who want to explore advanced features fully.

MailerLite
MailerLite prides itself on simplicity and a user-friendly interface, making it an excellent choice for beginners and small businesses looking for an easy-to-navigate platform.

Dashboard Simplicity: MailerLite’s dashboard greets users with a clean and minimalist design. The key features and options are neatly organized, allowing users to quickly find what they need.
Drag-and-Drop Editor: The drag-and-drop email editor is a breeze to use. With pre-designed content blocks and customizable templates, users can effortlessly create visually appealing emails without any technical knowledge.
Intuitive Campaign Management: MailerLite’s campaign management is designed for simplicity. Users can easily schedule, edit, and send out email campaigns, making it a hassle-free experience.
Subscriber Management: Managing subscriber lists and segmenting audiences is straightforward, even for those new to email marketing.

Both ActiveCampaign and MailerLite offer user-friendly interfaces, but they differ in terms of complexity. ActiveCampaign provides a more robust and customizable interface suitable for users with varying levels of expertise. In contrast, MailerLite excels in its simplicity and ease of use, making it an ideal choice for beginners and small businesses. Consider your team’s familiarity with email marketing platforms and your desired level of customization when making a decision.
Choosing between ActiveCampaign and MailerLite will depend on how comfortable you are with navigating each platform’s interface while achieving your email marketing objectives effortlessly.

Email automation is a game-changer in the world of email marketing, enabling businesses to engage with their audience effectively and efficiently. Let’s explore how ActiveCampaign and MailerLite handle email automation and workflow, and how they empower users to create targeted and personalized campaigns

ActiveCampaign

ActiveCampaign is a powerhouse when it comes to email automation. Its comprehensive automation features cater to businesses of all sizes, from start-ups to enterprise-level organizations.

Visual Automation Builder: ActiveCampaign’s visual automation builder stands out for its user-friendly interface. With a simple drag-and-drop functionality, users can effortlessly create complex automation workflows. From welcome emails to follow-ups based on subscriber behaviour, the possibilities are extensive.
Trigger-Based Automation: ActiveCampaign offers a wide range of triggers, such as email opens, link clicks, and website visits, allowing you to automate responses and follow-ups based on specific subscriber actions.
Behavioural Targeting: The platform’s ability to track and analyse subscriber behaviour enables you to send personalized content based on their interactions, improving engagement and conversion rates.
Dynamic Content: ActiveCampaign allows for dynamic content within emails, enabling you to tailor the content based on each recipient’s preferences and previous interactions.

MailerLite

MailerLite may not have the same depth of automation features as ActiveCampaign, but it offers a straightforward and effective approach to email workflow automation.

Autoresponders: MailerLite provides autoresponders, allowing users to set up scheduled email sequences for new subscribers or after specific actions.
Basic Automation Workflows: While not as extensive as ActiveCampaign, MailerLite offers basic automation workflows, such as sending automated emails based on subscriber sign-ups or specific dates.
Subscriber Behaviour Automation: MailerLite enables some level of automation based on subscriber behaviour, such as sending follow-up emails to those who opened or clicked on previous campaigns.

Conclusion:

ActiveCampaign is the clear winner in terms of email automation capabilities, offering a more robust and sophisticated platform for businesses seeking extensive automation features. Its visual automation builder and behavioural targeting provide powerful tools to engage subscribers and drive results.
MailerLite, while not as feature-rich as ActiveCampaign, offers a solid solution for businesses seeking simpler email automation. It suits well for smaller businesses or those starting with email automation for the first time.

When deciding between ActiveCampaign and MailerLite, consider the complexity of your email marketing needs, your team’s technical expertise and also the level of personalization you require in your email campaigns.

ActiveCampaign

ActiveCampaign offers a diverse array of professionally designed email templates to kickstart your campaigns. These templates cater to various industries and purposes, allowing you to find the perfect starting point for your email marketing efforts.

Template Library: ActiveCampaign’s template library covers a wide range of email styles, from newsletters and promotional offers to event invitations and more. Users can easily browse and choose templates that align with their brand and campaign goals.
Customization Flexibility: Once you’ve selected a template, ActiveCampaign offers extensive customization options. From changing colors and fonts to adding your logo and brand elements, you can tailor each template to reflect your brand identity.
Responsive Design: All of ActiveCampaign’s email templates are mobile-responsive, ensuring that your emails look great and are easily readable on various devices, from smartphones to tablets and desktops.
HTML Editor: For advanced users or those with specific design preferences, ActiveCampaign provides an HTML editor, allowing you to build emails from scratch or import custom templates seamlessly.

MailerLite

MailerLite provides a user-friendly interface for creating beautiful and engaging emails, even for those without design experience.

Drag-and-Drop Editor: MailerLite’s drag-and-drop email editor simplifies the customization process. Users can easily add, rearrange, and customize content blocks, images, buttons, and more, without any coding required.
Template Selection: While MailerLite’s template library may not be as extensive as ActiveCampaign’s, it still offers a decent selection of pre-designed templates suitable for various purposes.
Branding Options: MailerLite allows you to personalize each template with your brand’s logo, colors, and fonts, ensuring consistency across your email campaigns.
Responsive Design: Like ActiveCampaign, MailerLite ensures that all templates are mobile-responsive, guaranteeing a seamless user experience across different devices.

Both ActiveCampaign and MailerLite provide a range of email templates and customization options to cater to diverse marketing needs. ActiveCampaign’s template library offers a wider variety of options, while MailerLite’s drag-and-drop editor ensures ease of customization for users of all levels.
When deciding between ActiveCampaign and MailerLite, consider your design preferences, the level of customization required, and the ease of use for your team. Select the platform that best aligns with your brand identity and allows you to create visually appealing emails that resonate with your audience.

Email deliverability and performance are critical factors in the success of your email marketing campaigns. Let’s examine how ActiveCampaign and MailerLite handle deliverability and performance tracking to ensure your messages reach the right audience and drive optimal results.

ActiveCampaign

ActiveCampaign places a strong emphasis on email deliverability, employing various practices to ensure your emails land in subscribers’ inboxes and not their spam folders.

Email Authentication: ActiveCampaign supports SPF and DKIM authentication, which helps establish sender legitimacy and improves deliverability rates.
Dedicated IP Addresses: For users on higher-tier plans, ActiveCampaign offers dedicated IP addresses, ensuring that your email reputation isn’t affected by other users’ activities.
Deliverability Testing: ActiveCampaign provides deliverability testing tools to preview how your emails will appear in different email clients, helping you identify and resolve any potential rendering issues.
Performance Reports: ActiveCampaign offers detailed performance reports, allowing you to track key metrics such as open rates, click-through rates, and conversion rates, empowering you to optimize your campaigns for better results.

MailerLite

MailerLite also prioritizes deliverability, implementing practices to improve email delivery rates and enhance overall campaign performance.

Sender Authentication: MailerLite supports SPF and DKIM authentication to verify sender identities and boost email deliverability.
Dedicated IP Pools: For high-volume users, MailerLite offers dedicated IP pools, ensuring optimal deliverability rates and protecting your sender reputation.
Inbox Preview: MailerLite provides an inbox preview feature, enabling you to view how your emails will display in various email clients, making it easier to detect and resolve potential formatting issues.
Performance Tracking: MailerLite’s performance tracking tools allow you to monitor key metrics, such as open rates and click-through rates, enabling data-driven decisions for campaign improvement.

Both ActiveCampaign and MailerLite take deliverability seriously, implementing authentication measures and offering valuable tools to optimize email performance. ActiveCampaign’s deliverability testing and dedicated IP addresses cater to more extensive email marketing needs, while MailerLite’s inbox preview and dedicated IP pools provide reliable deliverability for high-volume users.
When deciding between ActiveCampaign and MailerLite, consider the size of your email list, your need for dedicated IP addresses, and the level of deliverability and performance tracking required for your email campaigns. Choosing the platform that ensures maximum deliverability and empowers you to analyse campaign performance will set you up for email marketing success.

Integrations with other tools and third-party apps are crucial for optimizing your email marketing efforts and streamlining workflows. Let’s explore how ActiveCampaign and MailerLite embrace integrations to provide enhanced functionality and cater to your business needs.

ActiveCampaign

ActiveCampaign offers an extensive range of integrations with popular third-party applications, allowing you to connect your email marketing efforts seamlessly with other essential business tools.

CRM Integrations: ActiveCampaign integrates smoothly with popular Customer Relationship Management (CRM) platforms like Salesforce, HubSpot, and Pipedrive. This integration enables you to align your marketing and sales efforts, maintain consistent customer data, and deliver personalized experiences.
E-commerce Integrations: For online businesses, ActiveCampaign supports e-commerce integrations with platforms such as Shopify, WooCommerce, and Magento. This integration enables you to create targeted email campaigns based on purchase behavior and customer interactions.
Webinar Platforms: ActiveCampaign integrates with popular webinar platforms like Zoom and GoToWebinar, allowing you to automate email invitations, follow-ups, and reminders for your webinars.
Social Media Integrations: ActiveCampaign connects with social media platforms like Facebook and Twitter, enabling you to synchronize your email marketing efforts with social media campaigns for a unified approach.

MailerLite

MailerLite also offers a range of integrations, ensuring that you can seamlessly connect your email marketing with other essential business tools.

E-commerce Integrations: MailerLite supports integrations with e-commerce platforms like Shopify, BigCommerce, and WooCommerce, enabling you to sync customer data and automate email campaigns based on purchasing behavior.
Form Builders and Lead Capture Tools: MailerLite integrates with popular form builder tools such as Typeform and JotForm, allowing you to capture leads and add them directly to your email lists.
CMS Integrations: For website management, MailerLite offers integrations with content management systems like WordPress, making it easier to embed signup forms and manage subscriber lists.

Both ActiveCampaign and MailerLite provide valuable integrations with third-party applications, extending the capabilities of their respective platforms. ActiveCampaign’s wide range of integrations, particularly with CRM and e-commerce platforms, caters to businesses seeking a comprehensive marketing ecosystem. On the other hand, MailerLite’s integrations with form builders and CMS are ideal for smaller businesses looking for essential integrations to enhance their email marketing efforts.

When choosing between ActiveCampaign and MailerLite, consider your existing toolset and the specific integrations you require to create a seamless workflow. Choose the platform that best complements your business’s needs and allows you to optimize your email marketing efforts through strategic integrations.

Moving your email marketing operations to a new platform can seem daunting, but a smooth migration and onboarding process can make all the difference. Let’s explore how ActiveCampaign and MailerLite handle migration and onboarding to ensure a seamless transition for your business.

ActiveCampaign

ActiveCampaign offers robust support and resources to facilitate a smooth migration and onboarding process for new users.

Personalized Onboarding: ActiveCampaign provides personalized onboarding assistance, where users can receive one-on-one training sessions to familiarize themselves with the platform’s features and functionalities.
Comprehensive Knowledge Base: The platform offers a comprehensive knowledge base with articles, guides, and tutorials that cover various aspects of using ActiveCampaign effectively.
Data Migration Assistance: ActiveCampaign provides data migration assistance for users migrating from other email marketing platforms, ensuring that your existing subscriber lists and email content are seamlessly transferred.
Customer Support: ActiveCampaign’s customer support team is readily available via email, chat, and phone to assist with any technical queries or challenges during the migration and onboarding process.

MailerLite

MailerLite also offers helpful resources to ensure a smooth transition and quick onboarding for new users.

Easy Setup Wizard: MailerLite’s setup wizard guides users through the initial setup process, making it easy to configure essential settings and get started quickly.
Knowledge Base and Guides: Similar to ActiveCampaign, MailerLite offers a knowledge base with articles and guides to help users understand the platform’s features and functionalities better.
Importing and Migration: MailerLite provides straightforward importing and migration tools, enabling users to transfer their existing subscriber lists and email templates with ease.
Customer Support: MailerLite’s customer support team is responsive and available to assist users with any questions or challenges they encounter during the migration and onboarding process.

Both ActiveCampaign and MailerLite offer valuable resources and support to ensure a smooth migration and onboarding experience. ActiveCampaign’s personalized onboarding sessions and comprehensive data migration assistance make it an excellent choice for users seeking individualized guidance. On the other hand, MailerLite’s easy setup wizard and straightforward migration tools are suitable for users looking for a quick and hassle-free onboarding process.
When choosing between ActiveCampaign and MailerLite, consider your team’s familiarity with email marketing platforms and your preference for the level of personalized onboarding support you require. Go for the platform that aligns with your migration needs and offers a seamless onboarding experience to kickstart your email marketing endeavours effectively.

Choosing the right email marketing platform requires a careful evaluation of their strengths and weaknesses. Let’s look into the pros and cons of both ActiveCampaign and MailerLite to help you make an informed decision.

Pros:

Powerful Automation: ActiveCampaign excels in automation capabilities, offering a visual builder and a wide range of triggers to create sophisticated workflows that engage subscribers based on their behaviour.
Robust CRM Integration: The built-in CRM integration in ActiveCampaign streamlines customer data management, helping businesses align their marketing and sales efforts for better engagement and conversions.
Advanced Personalization: ActiveCampaign’s deep personalization options allow users to create highly tailored content, resulting in more relevant and engaging email campaigns.
Comprehensive Reporting: The platform provides detailed performance reports, enabling users to track email campaign metrics and make data-driven decisions for optimization.

Cons:

Learning Curve: With its extensive features, ActiveCampaign may have a steeper learning curve, requiring time and effort to explore its full potential.
Higher Cost: Compared to some competitors, ActiveCampaign’s pricing can be higher, particularly for businesses with larger subscriber lists or more extensive automation needs.

Pros:

User-Friendly Interface: MailerLite’s drag-and-drop editor and intuitive dashboard make it easy for users of all levels to create and manage email campaigns without technical expertise.
Affordable Pricing: MailerLite offers cost-effective plans, including a free option for businesses with smaller subscriber lists and basic email marketing needs.
Decent Template Selection: While not as extensive as ActiveCampaign, MailerLite’s template library still provides a variety of visually appealing options for creating eye-catching emails.
Dedicated IP Pools: For high-volume users, MailerLite offers dedicated IP pools, improving deliverability rates and maintaining sender reputation.

Cons:

Limited Automation: MailerLite’s automation capabilities, while sufficient for many businesses, may not be as robust as ActiveCampaign’s, with fewer triggers and options for complex workflows.
Some Feature Restrictions: The free plan and lower-tier plans may have certain feature restrictions, limiting access to advanced functionalities.

ActiveCampaign and MailerLite each have their strengths and weaknesses, making them suitable for different business needs. ActiveCampaign’s advanced automation and CRM integration are ideal for businesses seeking powerful personalization and customer relationship management. On the other hand, MailerLite’s simpler but robust user-friendly interface and affordable pricing are great for beginners and small businesses with simpler email marketing requirements.

If you consider your budget, technical expertise, and the depth of automation you need when making your choice. Now ultimately, the decision between ActiveCampaign and MailerLite will depend on how well their pros align with your own specific email marketing objectives.