ActiveCampaign vs GetResponse
Marketing Automation pricing comparison · 2026
ActiveCampaign pricing ranges from $15–$145/month, while GetResponse ranges from $19–$690/month. ActiveCampaign is typically 31% more affordable, though your actual cost depends on tier and team size.
ActiveCampaign and GetResponse both offer marketing automation but at meaningfully different price points and feature depths. ActiveCampaign's Starter plan begins at $15/month for 1,000 contacts, stepping up to $49/month (Plus), $79/month (Pro), and $145/month (Enterprise) — all at 1,000 contacts base, with costs increasing significantly at higher contact counts. GetResponse's Starter runs $19/month for 1,000 contacts, Marketer at $59/month, and Creator at $69/month, with similarly steep per-contact scaling for large lists.
The critical difference is automation depth. ActiveCampaign's Starter plan limits automations to just 5 actions per workflow — barely enough for a basic welcome sequence. GetResponse's $19/month Starter includes 1 full custom automation workflow without action limits. Moving to ActiveCampaign Plus ($49/month) to unlock unlimited automation actions still trails GetResponse Marketer ($59/month), which additionally includes abandoned cart recovery, sales funnels, contact scoring, and revenue reporting. For teams who prioritize CRM integration however, ActiveCampaign's built-in deal pipelines and contact history (available on Plus) are more mature than GetResponse's CRM-adjacent features.
Cost escalation is a known issue with ActiveCampaign: multiple users report 25-35% year-over-year price increases, and the November 2025 policy change now charges new accounts for ALL contacts including unsubscribed and bounced. GetResponse pricing is more stable and transparent. For 10,000 contacts, ActiveCampaign Plus runs approximately $189/month vs GetResponse Marketer at $114/month — a 65% premium for comparable automation features.
Plan-by-Plan Pricing
| Plan | ActiveCampaign | GetResponse |
|---|---|---|
| Starter | $15 /month | $19 / |
| Plus | $49 /month | $29 / |
| Pro | $79 /month | $54 / |
| Enterprise | $145 /month | $79 / |
| Starter (25,000 contacts) | — | $174 / |
| Starter (50,000 contacts) | — | $299 / |
| Starter (100,000 contacts) | — | $539 / |
| Marketer (1,000 contacts) | — | $59 / |
| Marketer (5,000 contacts) | — | $95 / |
| Marketer (10,000 contacts) | — | $114 / |
| Marketer (50,000 contacts) | — | $359 / |
| Marketer (100,000 contacts) | — | $599 / |
| Creator (1,000 contacts) | — | $69 / |
| Creator (5,000 contacts) | — | $109 / |
| Creator (10,000 contacts) | — | $134 / |
| Creator (50,000 contacts) | — | $414 / |
| Creator (100,000 contacts) | — | $690 / |
| Enterprise (MAX) | — | Custom |
Cost at Scale
Total cost of ownership — licenses, implementation, and hidden costs included.
ActiveCampaign
3 scenariosGetResponse
3 scenariosMarket Intelligence
ActiveCampaign
- Median annual cost
- $10,548
- Average negotiated discount
- 20%
GetResponse
- Median annual cost
- $708
- Average negotiated discount
- 92%
Contract Terms
| Term | ActiveCampaign | GetResponse |
|---|---|---|
| Auto-renewal | Yes | Yes |
| Cancellation | Must cancel before renewal date; refund window is 30 days from charge | Unclear - users report difficulty canceling even with advance notice |
| Minimum commitment | Monthly or annual billing available | — |
| Price escalation | Year-over-year price increases of 25-35% reported by multiple long-term customers. One user documented costs rising from $2,700 to $4,700 over three years. | — |
| Can downgrade | Yes | — |
Our Verdict
Choose ActiveCampaign if your business relies heavily on CRM functionality, deal pipeline management, and deep sales automation. ActiveCampaign's predictive content, lead scoring, and Salesforce-level contact history are unmatched at its price point among email-native tools. Teams that use email marketing as a sales-support function — not just a broadcast channel — will find ActiveCampaign's CRM more capable than GetResponse's.
Choose GetResponse if you need capable automation without CRM complexity, want webinar hosting built in, or plan to build landing pages and sales funnels without additional tools. At 1,000-10,000 contacts, GetResponse delivers more marketing features per dollar than ActiveCampaign, and its pricing is more predictable. For e-commerce businesses, course creators, or solo marketers running campaigns, GetResponse Marketer ($59/month) outperforms ActiveCampaign Plus ($49/month) on feature coverage despite the higher price.
Frequently Asked Questions
01 Is ActiveCampaign more expensive than GetResponse?
At most contact tiers, yes. For 1,000 contacts, ActiveCampaign Plus ($49/month) vs GetResponse Marketer ($59/month) is close, but at 10,000 contacts ActiveCampaign Plus costs ~$189/month vs GetResponse Marketer at $114/month — a 65% premium. Additionally, ActiveCampaign's documented 25-35% annual price increases mean long-term costs tend to be higher than stated rates.
02 Which has better automation — ActiveCampaign or GetResponse?
ActiveCampaign has more sophisticated automation with predictive sending, conditional content, and deeper CRM triggers on Pro and Enterprise plans. However, ActiveCampaign Starter ($15/month) limits automations to just 5 actions per workflow. GetResponse provides more automation value at entry level — unlimited sends and 1 full workflow at $19/month. For advanced sequences, ActiveCampaign Pro ($79/month) outperforms GetResponse, but at a premium.
03 Does ActiveCampaign have a free plan?
No. ActiveCampaign offers only a 14-day free trial with 100 contacts and 100 email sends. GetResponse also has a limited free tier. Both platforms require paid plans for real usage. If a free tier is essential, Mailchimp (500 contacts free) or Brevo (9,000 emails/month free) are better alternatives.
04 Does GetResponse include CRM features like ActiveCampaign?
GetResponse includes contact tagging, scoring, and basic pipeline features on the Marketer plan ($59/month). ActiveCampaign's CRM — available on Plus ($49/month) and above — offers more mature deal management, sales automation, and contact history tracking. For businesses with a formal sales process managing leads through a pipeline, ActiveCampaign's CRM is more capable.
05 Which platform is better for e-commerce?
GetResponse Marketer ($59/month for 1,000 contacts) includes abandoned cart recovery, promo codes, revenue reporting, and sales funnels natively. ActiveCampaign offers e-commerce automation on Plus and Pro tiers but with deeper Shopify/WooCommerce integrations for order-based triggers. For simpler e-commerce automations, GetResponse offers better value. For complex multi-step post-purchase journeys, ActiveCampaign is more powerful.
06 How do their pricing models compare for large lists?
Both platforms scale contact-based pricing steeply. For 25,000 contacts, GetResponse Starter is $174/month and GetResponse Marketer is $299/month. ActiveCampaign Plus at 25,000 contacts runs approximately $489/month — nearly 60% more expensive than GetResponse Marketer for comparable automation. Critically, ActiveCampaign's November 2025 policy change charges new accounts for all contacts including unsubscribed, further inflating costs.