GetResponse is the better pick if you want landing pages, webinars, and email marketing under one roof without breaking the bank — plans start at $15.58/mo. ActiveCampaign is the clear winner for automation depth, with its visual automation builder and built-in CRM pulling ahead for growing sales and marketing teams. ActiveCampaign’s Starter plan begins around $15/mo but climbs quickly as your contact list grows. If budget is tight and you want more features per dollar, GetResponse wins. If automation sophistication is your top priority, ActiveCampaign is worth the extra cost.

Both tools price by contact count, but their feature tiers differ significantly. Here is how the real-world costs stack up across common use cases.

ActiveCampaign’s visual automation builder is genuinely one of the best in the email marketing space. You can build multi-branch workflows triggered by site visits, purchase behavior, lead scores, email clicks, and CRM stages — all in one canvas. GetResponse has automation too, but it is simpler and more linear, better suited to basic drip sequences than complex customer journeys. ActiveCampaign also includes lead scoring, conditional content, and split automation paths out of the box on paid plans. For any team running sophisticated nurture campaigns or aligning marketing with a sales pipeline, ActiveCampaign wins this category decisively. GetResponse is fine for beginners but hits a ceiling fast.

GetResponse bundles a website builder, landing pages, webinar hosting, and sales funnels into plans starting under $20/mo. ActiveCampaign does not include webinars at all, and its landing page builder is only available on higher-tier plans. If you are a creator, coach, or small business trying to consolidate tools, GetResponse gives you more in one subscription. The GetResponse MAX plan even includes SMS, web push notifications, and dedicated support — features that cost significantly more to replicate in ActiveCampaign. For pure feature-per-dollar value, GetResponse is the winner here, especially for solo users and small teams.

ActiveCampaign includes a built-in CRM with deal pipelines, task management, and win probability on its Plus plan and above. This is a real CRM, not just a contact database. GetResponse has contact tagging and basic segmentation but no native deal pipeline or sales CRM. If your team has a dedicated sales function running alongside email marketing, ActiveCampaign eliminates the need for a separate CRM tool like HubSpot or Pipedrive at the lower end. GetResponse would need to integrate with an external CRM to match this, adding cost and complexity. For sales-driven teams, ActiveCampaign is the clear choice.

GetResponse holds its price better as your list grows — the $15.58/mo entry plan covers up to 1,000 contacts and doesn’t punish you aggressively for scaling. ActiveCampaign’s Starter plan looks competitive at $15/mo, but costs climb steeply once you push past a few thousand contacts, and key automation features are locked behind higher tiers. For small businesses or creators who want predictable monthly costs, GetResponse is the smarter financial choice. ActiveCampaign’s pricing only starts to justify itself when your team is actively using the CRM and advanced automation to drive measurable revenue. If you’re not extracting full value from those sales tools, you’re overpaying. Winner: GetResponse, for delivering more usable features at a lower cost across most contact ranges.