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    Convertkit VS Mailerlite VS ActiveCampaign Comparison

    Convertkit VS Mailerlite VS ActiveCampaign

    Written By Jason Rowse - Digital Marketing Expert

    Updated: 09/01/2021

    When searching for the right email marketing software, should the cost be more important than the features? The answer depends on your business requirements and goals. Thus, it’s critical to have a clear idea of your priorities before deciding on a long-term solution. 

    Good software can improve your relationship with subscribers besides helping you save time and resources. Without a thorough analysis of the available services today, you might end up getting zero results or paying more in the long run.

    To help you select the best software that easily fits your marketing strategies, read on to find the complete details behind Convertkit vs. Mailerlite vs. Activecampaign. 

    You may also like the following comparison: ActiveCampaign vs AWeber

    Convertkit 

    Which industry is it best for? Bloggers, ecommerce owners, and small enterprises  

    Top feature: Advanced tagging for segmentation   

    Pricing:  For 1,000 subscribers - 

    • Creator: $29 per month
    • Creator Pro: $59 per month 

    Free version: Yes, for up to 1,000 contacts 

    Pros & Cons

    • Unlimited landing pages and signup forms for all plans 
    • Easy to scale up owing to its transparent pricing 
    • Fully customizable landing page templates 
    • No option for A/B testing 
    • You can’t deliver messages by the timezone
    • Simple text customization without any drag-and-drop interface 

    Devices supported: iPhone, iPad, Android, Mac, Linux, Windows, and Web-based

    Features

    • 30+ pre-designed landing pages
    • 30-day refunds
    • 90 integrations
    • Free migration 
    • Action triggers 
    • Personalization 
    • Double opt-in
    • Advanced automation tools
    • Four triggers for automation
    • Personalized sign up forms
    • Custom white-glove migration
    • Autoresponders 
    • Unlimited emails and registration forms
    • Spam testing 
    • Live chat available from 7 AM to 6 PM
    • Weekly live training

    Third-party integration:

    • SAP
    • Oracle
    • CRM
    • Zapier
    • Outlook
    • Microsoft Dynamics
    • Salesforce
    • Google Analytics
    • Social Media 
    • API 
    • Shopify 

    This U.S-based software service offers a forever free plan with unlimited traffic, subscriber tagging, and more. It’s best for beginners who want to get acquainted with email marketing. You can unlock more features on the free plan by using the ‘refer a friend’ feature. Users also get unlimited sent emails on both paid and free options. 

    If you want to create automated funnels and messaging sequences, go for any of the paid plans on this platform. The best thing is you only pay extra for subscribers on ConvertKit because most of its key features are available across all paid plans. It’s a subscriber-based software wherein automation works via the trigger-and-action format. 

    Convertkit is a good choice for marketers looking for proficient collaboration tools. While the live chat is restrictive, email support is incredibly quick with responses. Moreover, it’s a winner when it comes to precision in segmentation and automation.

    Other features that make it better than its competitors include a landing page builder, ideal deliverability rates, in-depth reporting, and analytics. 

    Marketers can also save up to 16% by billing annually instead of monthly with this service provider. Keep in mind you only get three templates with limited customization on this platform. 

    URL: https://convertkit.helpscoutdocs.com/article/75-guide-to-email-templates 

    Mailerlite 

    Mailerlite review

    Which industry is it best for? Freelancers, bloggers, agencies, and SMEs

    Top feature: Elite quality of templates 

    Pricing: Varies by contacts, as shown below:

    • Up to 1,000 contacts: $10
    • 1,001 to 2,500 subscribers: $15
    • 2,501 to 5,000 addresses: $30
    • 5,001 to 10,000 followers: $50 

    Free version: Yes, for up to 1,000 subscribers  

    Pros & Cons:

    • Affordable, cost-effective, and ideal for beginners 
    • Modern, sleek, and contemporary templates that are easy-to-use 
    • Fully-customizable unsubscribe page builder
    • Disadvantages of this software range from basic analytics tools to lack of premium features
    • The verification system is strict. Thus, it often takes over a day to get approved 

    Devices supported: iPhone, Android, Mac, and Web-based

    Features

    • 30 video tutorials 
    • 25+ customizable templates
    • Unlimited emails and landing pages 
    • 10 landing page templates 
    • Split testing
    • Multi-user 
    • Landing page editor
    • Embedded forms
    • Auto resend
    • Double opt-in
    • Branding tools
    • Automated and manual options for segmentation 
    • Marketing automation
    • 13 CRM integrations 
    • Drag-and-drop email builder
    • Countdown timer
    • 24x7 Live Chat and email support

    Third-party integration:

    • Google Analytics
    • WooCommerce
    • Zapier
    • Social media 
    • Shopify
    • OptinMonster
    • Landingi
    • Sumo
    • Salesforce
    • Pabbly Connect
    • InvoiceBerry
    • Leadpages

    Established in 2010, MailerLite offers custom HTML and rich-text editor on top of its in-built photo editing. It’s used by over 800,000 professionals today. Moreover, the free version on Mailerlite comes with a complete set of features that requires no credit card information. 

    This software’s minimalistic design and simplicity make it an ideal choice for beginners. You get advanced subscription management tools, an easy-to-use email builder, branding tools, clickable email pop-ups, and a landing page builder. 

    The most unique thing is you can customize the unsubscribe page on this platform, unlike ConvertKit or ActiveCampaign. It’s easy to personalize text and images to convince subscribers to stay longer or complete a survey before leaving. When it comes to Mailerlite vs. Convertkit, automation is more basic with the former. 

    Unlike its competitors, you can use two editors on this platform: a classic drag-and-drop editor and a new drag-and-drop editor. This is especially useful if your emails rely more on design than text. MailerLite is also known for its instant support, no matter the way you contact them. Members who pay annually will save up to 30% on this software. 

    URL: https://www.mailerlite.com/features 

    URL: https://www.mailerlite.com/features/custom-email-template-design 

    URL: https://www.mailerlite.com/newsletter-examples/blog-updates  

    ActiveCampaign 

    ActiveCampaign Review

    Which industry is it best for? Advertising, ecommerce, and media

    Top feature: Powerful automation tools 

    Pricing: Varied pricing, as shown below:

    • Lite: $9 per month for 500 subscribers
    • Plus: $49 every month for up to 1,000 subscribers
    • Professional: $129 each month for up to 5,000 subscribers 
    • Enterprise: $229 for every month for 5,000 subscribers 

    Free version: No 

    Pros & Cons

    • The high deliverability rate ensures your messages have a better chance of reaching contacts
    • Offers freebies such as migration, social data, and design services 
    • Includes extensive reporting with geo reporting, purchase tracking, and so forth
    • Too many functions might look congested or seem overwhelming 
    • There isn’t any free plan. However, there’s a free trial available

    Devices supported: iPhone, iPad, Mac, Linux, Windows, Android, Windows Mobile, and Web-based

    Features:

    • 30 free templates
    • Uptime SLA
    • Built-in CRM
    • 300 integrations
    • 15 triggers for automation 
    • Drag-and-drop editor
    • A/B Testing 
    • Unlimited sending
    • SMS marketing
    • Lead scoring
    • Custom permissions 
    • Branding tools
    • Predictive sending 
    • In-depth reporting 
    • SMS marketing
    • Customer messages 
    • 14-day free trial 
    • Live chat and phone support 

    Third-party integration:

    • Google Analytics
    • PayPal
    • Shopify
    • CRM
    • Social media
    • ClickFunnels

    ActiveCampaign is sought after for its advanced solutions such as split automation. It has a special ‘deals’ system where the contact and email list can both be automated. In addition, the ability to send targeted messages to site visitors and blog followers make it a notch above the ordinary.

    When your subscription limit is crossed, you’re automatically upgraded to a higher plan on ActiveCampaign. The best thing is its in-depth onboarding consultation that answers your concerns regardless of how well you know email marketing. This service provider also offers in-depth reporting where you can compare campaigns, do an ROI analysis, and track results via social media. 

    The automation tools on this service provider come with a visual workflow builder equipped with ‘if this, then that’ type of logic. Setting subscribers into varied segments or campaigns based on their actions is effortless on this platform. Marketers can combine their intuitive site tracking tools with the many triggers available to create workflows without hassles.

    You can personalize messages based on logic-based conditions via this software as well. Experts will love its conversion attribution reporting and predictive content with machine learning. ActiveCampaign also supports 270 Apps so you can work seamlessly no matter what your business demands. It offers the complete set of tools you need to familiarize yourself with the world of promotional emails. 

    URL: https://www.activecampaign.com/learn/guides/using-the-campaign-template-library 

    URL: https://www.activecampaign.com/templates/ 

    Bottom line 

    When it comes to email solutions, you must know your business’s needs and requirements first. This will help you narrow down the features and functionalities you need to pick the best software for your business.

    For those who need the best free solution, MailerLite offers more options than ConvertKit, although both platforms offer free versions. After assessing Convertkit vs. Mailerlite, it’s clear that the former is best for scalability while the latter provides the most responsive templates. ConvertKit has no split testing functionality, and Mailerlite comes without any premium features. 

    If you’re looking for the most recommended email marketing software for automation, ActiveCampaign tops the list. But at the same time, it’s not for marketers working on a shoestring budget. 

    The best way to pick the ideal solution is by studying the merits and demerits of all three solutions so that it's easy to decide which fits your needs.

    Check out our other comparisons

    ActiveCampaign vs AWeberGetresponse vs Convertkitmailerlite vs sendinblue