GetResponse vs ActiveCampaign Detailed Comparison: Which Should You Pick?

 GetResponse Vs ActiveCampaign Comaparison Introduction

Choosing the right email marketing software for your business is difficult.

And if you're reading this, it's probably because you're trying to make a tough decision right now about the best tool between GetResponse and ActiveCampaign.

Of course, we've been a bit biased since we built the first one.

We think GetResponse is # 1 because we've built it with great email marketing capabilities, drag and drop builder, funnel, and other built-in features.

But we want you to be the judge here. In this article, we will therefore compare the features of ActiveCampaign and GetReponse so that you can choose the one that best suits your business.

GetResponse vs. ActiveCampaign TABLE OF CONTENT

1. Which one has better email marketing features?
2. If you need to run surveys, do these tools allow it?
3. Deliverability is a big issue, so which tool does it better?
4. Do they both offer landing pages?
5. What about conversion funnels?
6. You might need webinars, which one offers this feature?
7. Any provisions for Facebook or Google ads?
8. When it comes to segmentation, which tool does it better?
9. Do they both offer email templates?
10. Marketing automation? Anyone?
11. Do they both offer an autoresponder feature?
12. What about pricing?

GetResponse vs ActiveCampaign full feature comparison

So, ActiveCampaign vs GetResponse… which one is better?

To provide you with the best information, we'll go through each key feature one by one. But if you're in a rush, here's a quick table that recaps the features included in each platform.

 

1. Which one has better email marketing features?

GetResponse:

GetResponse Email Marketing Software Dashboard

GetResponse email marketing software is the bread and butter of our platform. 

With our email marketing platform, you can use templates or create emails from scratch and build a complete email marketing campaign from scratch. This makes it perfect for sending:

• Newsletters
• Autoresponders 
• Email sequences 
• Segmented campaigns
• Automated RSS feeds (blog posts)
  

If you have an existing contact list, you can easily bulk import them using a CSV file or by integrating them with external services.

So what makes it good for small businesses?

GetResponse Email Creator

Not only is it super easy to use (the drag-and-drop builder lets you quickly create a professional-looking email with your own copy and images in minutes), but it also powers prospects and customers.

For example, when an email arrives in your contact's inbox, GetResponse tracks how many times it's opened and whether the prospect clicks any links. From there, you can see which contacts on your list are the most engaged and likely to buy your products and run A / B testing to improve the success of your future campaigns.

It won't take you a long time either. The "Quick Actions" menu makes it quick and easy to create professional email marketing campaigns, or if you need more information the main navigation menu is equipped with all the tools you need to create a campaign that will grow your list:

The “quick actions” and full navigation menu on the GetResponse dashboard.

The best part is that unlike a lot of other tools on the market, GetResponse comes fully equipped with other features like landing pages, funnels, webinars, and chats that give your e-campaigns. mail a better chance of success.

ActiveCampaign:

ActiveCampaign dashboard.

ActiveCampaign's email marketing suite also packs a punch.

You can use the software to create various types of email marketing campaigns like triggered and targeted emails as well as auto responders. It also has predefined email funnels, which are useful if you need to quickly set up a campaign or are new to email marketing.

Like GetResponse, ActiveCampaign also has a drag-and-drop tool, making it easy to create professional-looking email campaigns without any coding experience. There is also a huge library of mobile-friendly templates that you can use to start sending successful email campaigns.

Verdict:

The biggest difference between the two platforms is the number of features each of them offers. GetResponse has a full platform, but ActiveCampaign lacks features like funnels, webinars, and social media tools that make it easy to launch successful email marketing campaigns.

Want to try it for yourself? You can test GetResponse completely free for 30 days. No credit card needed.

2. If you need to run surveys, do these tools allow it?

GetResponse:

GetResponse has a survey builder that you can use to create custom surveys and add them directly to your email campaigns. With a drag and drop builder, you can create custom surveys using:

• multiple choice answers
• text answers
• subscription forms

Once you've created the survey, all you need to do is add the link to it when you create your email - and you're done. You can also use these GetResponse webinar surveys to collect attendee data.

Creating a survey inside GetResponse

The drag-and-drop editor also makes it easy to customize your surveys by adding: 

• your logo/branding.
• multiple-choice questions.
• subscription forms.
• up to 50 pages (useful for in-depth feedback).
• adjustments to a survey that is already published.

And if you want to use an external survey platform to survey your audience, GetResponse syncs with most of them, either through their pre-built integrations or through Zapier.

ActiveCampaign:

Currently, ActiveCampaign does not have its own survey tool. But it integrates with third-party tools like SurveyMonkey, Survicate, and Typeform.

You can therefore associate surveys with email and automation campaigns, and the responses will be sent directly to your ActiveCampaign account.

Verdict:

If you don't want to use an external platform to run simple surveys, GetResponse is the right choice.

But if you want to use an outside platform and don't care about integration, GetResponse and ActiveCampaign will work just as well.

3. Deliverability is a big issue, so which tool does it better?

GetResponse:

An email marketing tool is only useful if these emails actually end up in your contacts.

At GetResponse, one of our bragging rights is that the delivery rate for our customers together is 99%!

So why and how is our delivery level so high?

Much of our success is due to factors such as message content and the trust we have built with ISPs around the world.

They trust us because we not only have a zero tolerance policy towards SPAM but we also make it easy to keep lists clean with our management tools and track email addresses that cannot be delivered to ensure they are filtered out.

We have also built an internal anti-abuse system called Hydra, which helps identify and assess potential threats to our customers' reputation and delivery.

Another thing that sets us apart is that we have two full-time teams that deal with delivery and compliance via email - and we have been working for more than 20 years.

In other words, if you send your emails with us, you are in good hands.

ActiveCampaign:

ActiveCampaign also has a high delivery rate for its emails.

A study by Email Tool Tester tracked the tool's inbox rate (slightly different from deliverability but related) and found that as of September 2020, it was 73%. In the same month, GetResponse got a score of 86%.

But take these results with a grain of salt. They fluctuate often and even top performers like GetResponse and ActiveCampaign experience their ups and downs. Additionally, deliverability is closely related to the content of your communication - not just the platform you use to send your emails.

Verdict:

These two tools are likely to get your emails to their destination.

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4. Do they both offer landing pages?

GetResponse:

Yes - GetResponse has a tool where you can create custom pages or use over 180 different templates to create the perfect landing page.

GetResponse landing page templates.

Like the email drag and drop tool, the GetResponse landing page builder is all about ease of use. You can create mobile-friendly and business-friendly landing pages without any coding experience.

What if you want to add code? Using the editor, you can add custom code using HTML, CSS, or Javascript. If you want to add or incorporate external elements, all you need to do is a quick cut and paste.

And to make the page stand out, the tool has a built-in image editor that lets you add your own images. You can also import photos directly from Shutterstock or even add eye-catching GIFs from Giphy to your landing page.

GetResponse Landing Page Creator.

Once you are happy with how the landing page looks, you can launch it immediately and start collecting leads that will be filtered straight into your mailing lists.

With the landing page builder, you can:

• structure your landing pages using sections
• add content blocks for images, video, text and buttons
• add static and contextual forms
• add webinar registration forms
• add a sense of urgency with countdowns
• collect payments through PayPal integration
• add social sharing icons
• add custom code elements using HTML, CSS or Javascript
• preview your landing page to see what it looks like on a desktop or mobile device

ActiveCampaign:

ActiveCampaign also recently launched an integrated landing page builder.

Like GetResponse, it has a drag-and-drop design tool that was created with ease of use in mind. You can create professional looking landing pages with just a few clicks:

AC Landing Pages

You can also choose a template library, and you can change parts of the template to add your own images, videos, and calls to action.

Verdict:

Both tools offer great value for money landing page builders.

5. What about conversion funnels?

GetResponse:

Funnels can be intimidating to build, but GetResponse has made this once-complicated process simple.

The Conversion funnel feature makes it very easy for you to create effective funnels, even if you've never done it before. Funnels are preconceived scenarios of what a typical conversion would look like.

For example, if you are trying to sell a course, the conversion path might look like this:

GetResponse Conversion Funnel sample scenario.

With the Funnel function, each step of this conversion is automatically organized into steps that you can visualize:

GetResponse Conversion Funnel visualization.

Not only can you see the success of every step of your conversion path, but you can also track the profitability of your efforts. You can see how many prospects enter your funnel and ultimately how many have become paying customers.

The best of all? All of the tools you need to build your funnel are already part of GetResponse.

ActiveCampaign:

ActiveCampaign does not currently offer conversion funnels.

Verdict:

If you are looking for a solution that combines multiple channels (emails, landing pages, sales pages, Facebook ads, Facebook Pixel, etc.) into one dashboard, GetResponse is the right choice.

6. You may need webinars, which one offers this feature?

GetResponse:

You can launch an interactive webinar directly from the GetResponse dashboard.

The functionality of the webinar software allows you to create webinars with a custom webinar URL, registration forms and built-in polls and surveys:

GetResponse Webinars software.

Since webinars link to GetResponse, every lead you collect will automatically be added to your mailing lists and nurtured. If you start a webinar using GetResponse, you will have access to key features such as:

• Design tools and interactive whiteboard
• Screen sharing / interactive chat room
• Recording (so you can re-market the webinar once it's completed)
• Question and answer session
• Moderate chat
• Several hosts

However, what sets the webinar tool apart from GetResponse is that it has a predefined promotion machine that you can use to sell content from your webinars. The machine has features such as:

• Pre-defined registration pages
• Advanced subscription settings
• Payment gateways

With these features, you can sell products, services, and courses directly from your webinars.

ActiveCampaign:

ActiveCampaign does not have its own webinar tool. But you can integrate tools like GoToWebinar, StealthSeminat, and WebinarNinja to host webinars right from the software.

Verdict:

GetResponse comes with built-in webinar software for which you don't need to pay extra. And if you want to use an external tool to run your webinar campaigns with, both platforms will integrate seamlessly with them.

7. Any provisions for Facebook or Google ads?

GetResponse:

GetResponse has a suite of tools specially created to enable small businesses and freelancers to create successful Facebook and Google ad campaigns without taking a lot of time.

Let's take a look at the Facebook ad tool first, which allows you to easily create and post ads from the tool's dashboard directly to social media.

First, you can create a list for the ad to target by choosing from categories such as website visitors, similar audiences, or existing contacts.

Facebook ads in GetResponse.

Then you can use the Social Ads Creator app to create professional, impactful Facebook ads that appear to come straight from a designer. Like the other features of GetResponse, Ad Builder is a simple drag and drop tool that anyone can master.:

Social Ads Creator app in GetResponse.

Once you're happy with how the ad looks, all that's left to do is submit it - and you're done.

We also recently launched a tool that lets you create Google Ads from the dashboard. Just add your Google Ads account, add content to your ad, create a target audience, and set your budget.: 

Google Ads setting your budget.

Easy!

ActiveCampaign:

You cannot launch Facebook or Google Ads from ActiveCampaign, but you can still sync your Facebook Ads account and add / remove contacts from Facebook Custom Audiences.

Verdict:

If you're looking for simplicity in your paid ad campaigns, GetResponse is here for you.

8. In terms of segmentation, which tool does it better?

GetResponse:

We believe our lead generation suite of tools makes it easy to nurture contacts and convert them into paying customers.

How? 'Or' What? Using segmentation to create personalized, highly targeted emails that make contacts feel like you're talking to them one-on-one.

Segmenting your email list in GetResponse.

It all starts with our forms, which we've created to collect the most useful data from contacts when they sign up through a newsletter or landing page.

Once they arrive on your contact list, you can tag them based on their behavior and send targeted emails to specific groups.

What sets GetResponse apart is that it automatically selects the most engaged contacts from your list so you can target them.

We call this an engagement score. Using real-time data, GetResponse assigns each contact on your list a score based on a 5-step scale:

• Not engaged (when somebody is not interested in the content you send them… at all)
• At-risk
• Neutral
• Engaged
• Highly engaged (when somebody loves the content you send and is actively opening emails and clicking the links)

The engagement score will then be displayed on your contact list, so you can target your most engaged contacts and increase your chances of turning them into paying customers.

Engagement score in GetResponse.

An example of contacts with varying engagement scores

ActiveCampaign:

ActiveCampaign has a comprehensive segmentation tool that allows you to capture and use contact data such as names, actions, and geography to segment contacts.

Not only can you track this data, but you can also use it to segment your contacts. In ActiveCampaign, you can use segmentation to target your contacts based on their behavior, using data such as whether a contact opened an email or clicked a link:

ActiveCampaign segmentation.

Verdict:

The biggest difference between the two platforms is the intuitiveness of GetResponse's segmentation.

While both platforms allow you to segment your email list into categories such as products purchased, website visits, or industry, GetResponse also breaks down lists based on contact engagement (automatically).

And it can be powerful when targeting contacts and trying to make deals.

9. Do they both offer email templates?

GetResponse

We have over 100 responsive email templates specially designed for the New GetResponse Email Creator and open on any device.

GetResponse newsletter templates.

Each template is high quality and professionally designed so that you can send campaigns to host, educate, promote and sell without the need for coding skills. To make things even easier, the library is divided into sections, from Online Marketing and Ecommerce, Travel, Notifications and many more.

Like many other tools in our toolkit, our email templates are easy to customize using a drag and drop builder.

ActiveCampaign:

ActiveCampaign also offers a set of templates that you can use to send to your subscribers.

Like GetResponse, all ActiveCampaign templates are mobile friendly and easy to customize using the drag and drop builder. However, the bookcase is slightly smaller and the aesthetic looks a bit dated.

ActiveCampaign Email Templates

10. Marketing automation? Anyone?

GetResponse:

One of the best parts of a marketing suite is that the automation features can put everyday tasks on autopilot.

GetResponse Marketing Automation Builder is one of the most comprehensive tools available for marketers who want to create simple and advanced automation.

The drag-and-drop automation builder lets you create visual workflows to see the automation and customize each step as you go. You can create automation events based on your contacts' behavior, and then trigger actions based on the conditions you select.

For example, if you want a certain email to only be sent if a contact clicks a link in an email, all you have to do is create that sequence and condition using the visual automation generator:

GetResponse Marketing Automation workflows.

Along with the workflow, you can also add a 'trigger' in the workflow for events such as: 

• new subscribers
• email opens
• clicks on links
• abandoned carts
• product purchases
• product upgrades
• URLs visited (i.e. pricing pages)

ActiveCampaign:

ActiveCampaign also has a visual automation builder that lets you see and build the steps in your automation sequence.

All you have to do is add the conditions and emails you chose, and ActiveCampaign will send the campaign you design:

ActiveCampaign automation.

It also comes with over 500 ready-to-go automation templates (or recipes as ActiveCampaign calls it), which will help you quickly get to grips with their tool.

Verdict:

Both platforms offer robust marketing automation tools that you can use to execute simple and complex communication sequences.

Read more:

1. GetResponse vs. MailerLite

2. GetResponse vs. ClickFunnels

3. 10 best email marketing affiliate programs

11. Do they both offer an autoresponder feature?

GetResponse:

Like many other features that come with GetResponse, autoresponders come packaged and ready to use.

By using the auto responder, you can nurture and nurture relationships with your contacts without spending all your time stuck in your inbox.

Here's a quick rundown of everything you can do with GetResponse's autoresponder:

How do I create an autoresponder? – GetResponse Help

You can also view autoresponders in a simple and intuitive calendar view. So if you are running a specific campaign or want autoresponders sent on a specific day, you just need to add it to the calendar:

ActiveCampaign:

ActiveCampaign also has an auto responder feature that you can activate when you create a campaign or create a marketing sequence using the automation builder.

You can set up autoresponders to send to new subscribers or through drip campaigns depending on where they are in your marketing funnel.

Using the Automation Builder, you can also customize the triggers when the autoresponder will be sent to a contact, such as delaying them an hour or a day after they've signed up to your list:

ActiveCampaign autoresponders.

Another cool feature? ActiveCampaign also has a built-in SMS auto responder, so you can feed contacts outside of their inbox.

Verdict:

Both platforms allow you to create email delivery campaigns using autoresponders.

The functionality of ActiveCampaign also allows you to add SMS to the equation, which can be useful if you are running an e-commerce business.

12. What about pricing?

GetResponse:

GetResponse has four different pricing plans: Basic, Plus, Professional, and a custom one – Max.

GetResponse Pricing plans.

The price ultimately depends on the size of your list and how many features you want to access.

For 1,000 contacts, the Basic plan will cost you $ 15 per month. This will give you access to GetResponse's email marketing suite, autoresponders, landing pages, lead funnels, Facebook ads, and other essential features.

The next tiered plan, Plus, costs $ 49 / month and gives you access to additional solutions like webinars, sales funnels, and the automation builder.

GetResponse offers a 30-day free trial so you can test the plans and decide which one is right for you. And the best part? If you pay for an annual plan you'll get an 18% discount, and if you pay for a two-year plan you'll get a 30% discount! In addition, GetResponse offers an extra deal just for nonprofits.

ActiveCampaign:

ActiveCampaign offers a free 14-day trial and four paid plans: Lite, Plus, Professional, and Enterprise.

ActiveCampaign pricing.

For 1,000 contacts, the Lite plan costs $ 29 per month. It gives you access to their marketing automation, email marketing, web forms, and segmentation.

But if you want to use more advanced tools like landing pages, contact rating, or Facebook Custom Audiences, you'll need to upgrade to the More than $ 70 per month plan.

And if you want to A / B test your automations and use predictive sending, you'll need to opt for their Professional plan which costs $ 159 / month for 1,000 contacts.

Verdict:

GetResponse and ActiveCampaign offer unique features and integrations.

Of the two, GetResponse is more affordable for the same list size. It also comes with additional built-in features that essentially eliminate the need to sign up for external tools to run your webinars or create funnels.

GetResponse vs ActiveCampaign full feature comparison

So, ActiveCampaign vs GetResponse… which one is better?

The answer to this question comes down to what you really need the tool to do.

If you want a tool that goes beyond email marketing and lets you create professional Facebook ads, create custom funnels, and automatically nurture customers, GetResponse is your tool.

However, the easiest way to make a choice is to compare features and prices. Choosing a marketing automation tool is an important step - so make sure you do your homework and that the tool you choose ticks all the boxes on your list before you invest!

And if you've already made up your mind and want to try GetResponse, you can sign up for free for 30 days using the button below 🙂

Sign up for GetResponse free trial today

Author’s note:

This comparison is accurate as of November 16, 2020. We do our best to keep it as accurate as possible, and we check it regularly, however, if you want to familiarize yourself with our competitors' offerings, you should check it on their site official or contact their representatives.

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