Klaviyo vs ActiveCampaign: Email Marketing Compared

Overview

Klaviyo and ActiveCampaign serve different primary markets. Klaviyo is built specifically for e-commerce, with native Shopify integration and revenue-focused features. ActiveCampaign is a general marketing automation platform with CRM, serving diverse business types from SaaS to services. Your business model usually determines the better choice.

For e-commerce: Klaviyo. For most other businesses: ActiveCampaign or alternatives like Sequenzy for SaaS.

Key Differences

E-commerce Focus

Klaviyo is purpose-built for e-commerce. Shopify, WooCommerce, BigCommerce, and Magento integrations are deep and native. Product catalogs sync automatically. Abandoned cart, browse abandonment, and post-purchase flows are pre-built. Revenue attribution tracks every dollar influenced by email.

ActiveCampaign has e-commerce integrations but they're not the focus. Shopify connections exist but lack Klaviyo's depth. Product recommendations require more setup. For serious e-commerce, you'll feel the difference in daily operations.

Product Recommendations

Klaviyo excels at personalized product recommendations. Machine learning predicts what each customer is likely to buy next. Dynamic content blocks insert relevant products into emails automatically. This drives significant additional revenue for e-commerce stores.

ActiveCampaign can show products through conditional content, but it's manual work, not AI-driven prediction. For personalized product marketing at scale, Klaviyo is substantially more capable.

CRM and Sales Features

ActiveCampaign includes a full CRM with deal pipelines, task management, and sales automation. For businesses with sales teams, leads, and deals, this integration is valuable. Marketing and sales share the same platform and data.

Klaviyo doesn't have a CRM. E-commerce typically doesn't need traditional CRM - customers buy through the website, not through sales conversations. If you do need CRM, you'd pair Klaviyo with another tool.

SMS Marketing

Klaviyo has native SMS marketing fully integrated with email. Coordinate campaigns across both channels. Use SMS for time-sensitive promotions. Attribution tracks SMS-influenced revenue. For e-commerce using SMS, this integration is powerful.

ActiveCampaign added SMS through partnerships but it's not as integrated. For serious SMS marketing, Klaviyo's native approach is superior.

Pricing Comparison

ActiveCampaign is cheaper at scale. Klaviyo's free tier is generous for small stores. At higher volumes, Klaviyo's pricing is premium, but the e-commerce features often generate enough additional revenue to justify the cost.

Who Should Choose What

Choose Klaviyo if:

• You run an e-commerce store (Shopify, WooCommerce, etc.)
• Product recommendations and dynamic content matter
• Revenue attribution is important for optimization
• You want integrated SMS marketing
• You don't need CRM functionality

Choose ActiveCampaign if:

• You're a service business or B2B company
• You need CRM with sales pipeline
• Lead scoring and nurturing are priorities
• Budget at scale is a concern
• E-commerce isn't your primary model

What About SaaS?

Neither Klaviyo nor ActiveCampaign is ideal for SaaS. Klaviyo is built for product-based e-commerce. ActiveCampaign is general-purpose but lacks SaaS-specific features like subscription event triggers and MRR tracking.

For SaaS email automation, consider Sequenzy - purpose-built for subscription businesses with native billing integrations and AI-powered sequence generation.

The Bottom Line

Klaviyo is the clear choice for e-commerce. The depth of Shopify integration, product recommendations, and revenue attribution make it the default for online stores. The premium pricing is justified by the e-commerce-specific value.

ActiveCampaign is better for non-e-commerce businesses needing CRM integration and flexible automation. Service businesses, agencies, and B2B companies often find ActiveCampaign more appropriate.

Match the tool to your business model. E-commerce stores that choose ActiveCampaign often migrate to Klaviyo later. Non-e-commerce businesses that choose Klaviyo find features they don't need and miss features they do.