Updated 2026-01-11

12 Act-On Alternatives Worth Considering

Act-On is B2B marketing automation for mid-market companies starting at $900/month. Here are alternatives for different needs and budgets.

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TL;DR

Quick answer: For enterprise features at lower cost, HubSpot or Marketo. For mid-market automation, ActiveCampaign ($49-149/mo) or SharpSpring ($449/mo). For SaaS email, Sequenzy ($19/mo). For budget email, Brevo or MailerLite. Key question: Do you need full B2B marketing automation, or is focused email enough?

12 Best Act-On Alternatives

Our Pick for SaaS Companies
#1
Sequenzy

Focused email marketing for SaaS with AI content generation. If you're a SaaS founder who doesn't need Act-On's B2B automation suite, Sequenzy delivers email that works at 1/18th the cost.

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Best for
SaaS teams wanting simple email with AI and Stripe
Pricing
$49/month for 10k subscribers

Pros

  • 18x cheaper than Act-On entry level
  • Self-serve signup in minutes
  • AI generates entire email sequences
  • Native Stripe integration
  • Transactional + marketing combined
  • No annual contract required

Cons

  • No advanced lead scoring
  • No ABM features
  • No website visitor tracking
  • SaaS focused, not B2B mid-market
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#2
HubSpot

The enterprise alternative to Act-On with free CRM. Marketing Hub scales from $15/mo Starter to $3,600/mo Enterprise.

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Best for
Growing businesses wanting scalable marketing automation
Pricing
Free CRM, Marketing Starter $15/mo, Pro $800/mo, Enterprise $3,600/mo

Pros

  • Free CRM included
  • Excellent inbound marketing
  • Large ecosystem and integrations
  • Best-in-class reporting
  • Good entry point with Starter tier

Cons

  • Marketing Pro is expensive ($800/mo)
  • Annual contracts on Pro+
  • Complex pricing tiers
  • Add-ons add up quickly
#3
Marketo

Adobe's enterprise marketing automation. For large companies that have outgrown Act-On-class tools or want Adobe ecosystem integration.

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Best for
Enterprise companies with large marketing teams
Pricing
Enterprise pricing (typically $1,000+/mo)

Pros

  • Enterprise scale
  • Advanced automation
  • Adobe ecosystem integration
  • Powerful segmentation
  • Best-in-class for enterprise

Cons

  • Very expensive
  • Complex implementation
  • Requires dedicated resources
  • Steep learning curve
#4
ActiveCampaign

Marketing automation with built-in CRM at a fraction of Act-On's price. Excellent email automation without enterprise complexity.

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Best for
SMB wanting marketing automation without enterprise overhead
Pricing
Plus $49/mo, Pro $149/mo, Enterprise custom

Pros

  • Excellent automation builder
  • CRM included
  • Much cheaper than Act-On
  • Great email deliverability
  • Sales features available

Cons

  • Less enterprise features
  • No ABM capabilities
  • Smaller at scale
  • Less B2B specific
#5
Pardot

Salesforce's B2B marketing automation. If you're already in the Salesforce ecosystem, Pardot offers tight integration.

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Best for
Salesforce customers wanting integrated marketing automation
Pricing
Growth $1,250/mo, Plus $2,500/mo, Advanced $4,000/mo

Pros

  • Native Salesforce integration
  • B2B focused like Act-On
  • Lead scoring and grading
  • Account-based marketing
  • Strong reporting

Cons

  • Expensive
  • Requires Salesforce
  • Complex setup
  • Annual contracts required
#6
SharpSpring

Agency-focused marketing automation with CRM. Full marketing suite at lower price than Act-On with agency white-labeling.

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Best for
Agencies and SMBs wanting full marketing automation
Pricing
Starting $449/mo for SMBs, agency pricing available

Pros

  • Full marketing automation suite
  • CRM included
  • Agency white-labeling
  • Cheaper than Act-On
  • No annual contract required

Cons

  • Acquired by Constant Contact
  • Less enterprise focused
  • Agency-centric features
  • Mixed reviews on support
#7
Brevo

Budget-friendly email marketing with unlimited contacts. Dramatically cheaper than Act-On for email-focused needs.

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Best for
Budget-conscious teams wanting email + SMS
Pricing
Free 300/day, $25/mo for 20k emails, $65/mo for automation

Pros

  • Dramatically cheaper than Act-On
  • Unlimited contacts
  • CRM included
  • SMS included
  • Transactional email included

Cons

  • No B2B lead scoring
  • No ABM features
  • Basic automation compared to Act-On
  • Interface is dated
#8
Mailchimp

Popular email marketing for small businesses. Much simpler than Act-On but covers basic marketing needs at lower cost.

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Best for
Small businesses wanting simple email marketing
Pricing
Free tier, Essentials $13/mo, Standard $20/mo, Premium $350/mo

Pros

  • Easy to use
  • Free tier available
  • Good templates
  • Website builder included
  • Wide integrations

Cons

  • No B2B lead scoring
  • No ABM features
  • Gets expensive at scale
  • Limited automation depth
#9
Customer.io

Behavioral messaging for product-led companies. Different focus than Act-On but strong for SaaS and subscription businesses.

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Best for
Product-led SaaS companies with event-based messaging
Pricing
Essentials $100/mo, Premium $1,000/mo

Pros

  • Event-based messaging
  • Strong for SaaS
  • Visual workflow builder
  • Transactional + marketing
  • Good developer API

Cons

  • Expensive for early-stage
  • Less B2B sales focus
  • No traditional CRM
  • Steeper learning curve
#10
Klaviyo

E-commerce focused platform with powerful automation. Different market than Act-On's B2B focus but strong for online retail.

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Best for
E-commerce businesses wanting advanced automation
Pricing
Free to 250, ~$100/mo for 10k contacts

Pros

  • Best e-commerce integrations
  • Powerful product recommendations
  • Abandoned cart flows
  • SMS included
  • Advanced segmentation

Cons

  • E-commerce focused
  • Not for B2B
  • Expensive at scale
  • Limited for non-ecommerce
#11
Drip

E-commerce email and automation. Simpler than Act-On with e-commerce focus rather than B2B mid-market.

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Best for
E-commerce businesses wanting email automation
Pricing
$39/mo for 2,500, $89/mo for 5,000

Pros

  • E-commerce focused
  • Strong automation
  • Shopify/WooCommerce integrations
  • Revenue attribution
  • Visual workflow builder

Cons

  • E-commerce only
  • No B2B features
  • No CRM
  • Limited for non-ecommerce
#12
Salesforce Marketing Cloud

Salesforce's enterprise marketing platform. More comprehensive than Act-On but significantly more expensive and complex.

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Best for
Large enterprises with Salesforce ecosystem
Pricing
Enterprise pricing ($1,000+/mo)

Pros

  • Enterprise scale
  • Full Salesforce integration
  • Omnichannel marketing
  • Journey builder
  • Advanced personalization

Cons

  • Very expensive
  • Complex implementation
  • Requires Salesforce ecosystem
  • Long deployment time

Why Consider Alternatives to Act-On

Price is high for what you use

Act-On starts at $900/month with annual contracts. If you mainly use email and basic automation, simpler tools deliver similar value at 10-20% of the cost.

Annual contract lock-in

Act-On requires annual contracts with auto-renewal clauses. They won't notify you before auto-renewal, automatically locking you into another year.

Enterprise complexity for SMB needs

Full B2B marketing automation with lead scoring, ABM, website tracking, and 100 sales users. If you're a smaller team, you're paying for and managing unused complexity.

Sales-driven buying process

Can't self-serve signup with Act-On. Requires demos, sales calls, and contract negotiations. Simpler tools let you start in minutes.

Feature Comparison

FeatureAct-OnSequenzyHubSpotActiveCampaignMarketoBrevo
Price (starting)
$900+/mo
$19/mo
Free-$3,600/mo
$19/mo
$1,000+/mo
$25/mo
Annual contract
Required
No
Pro+ only
No
Required
No
Lead scoring
Advanced
Basic
Advanced
Good
Advanced
Basic
ABM features
Yes
No
Yes
Limited
Yes
No
CRM included
Integrations
Stripe integration
Free CRM
Yes
Integrations
Basic
Self-serve signup
No
Yes
Yes
Yes
No
Yes

When to Use Each Platform

Choose Sequenzy if...
  • You're a SaaS founder/small team
  • You just need email that works
  • AI-generated sequences interest you
  • Stripe is your billing source
Choose Stay with Act-On if...
  • You're a mid-market B2B company
  • Lead scoring and ABM are essential
  • You have 100+ sales users to enable
  • Complex buying cycles are your reality
Choose HubSpot if...
  • You want free CRM to start
  • Inbound marketing is your focus
  • You'll grow into enterprise needs
  • Ecosystem and integrations matter
Choose ActiveCampaign if...
  • You want marketing automation cheaper
  • CRM features matter but not enterprise
  • Email deliverability is priority
  • SMB with growing needs
Choose Marketo if...
  • You're true enterprise
  • Adobe ecosystem is in use
  • Large marketing team exists
  • Budget is not a constraint

Why People Consider Act-On Alternatives

Act-On is genuinely useful for mid-market B2B companies with complex marketing operations. But the enterprise approach creates trade-offs for other users:

The Price Problem

Act-On starts at $900/month with required annual contracts. For teams not using lead scoring, ABM, and enterprise features, this is expensive compared to:

  • ActiveCampaign: $49-149/month for similar automation
  • Brevo: $25-65/month for email + SMS
  • Sequenzy: $19/month for SaaS email

The Contract Lock-In

Act-On requires annual contracts with auto-renewal clauses. They won't notify you before auto-renewal, automatically locking you into another year. This lack of transparency frustrates many users.

The Complexity Problem

Full B2B marketing automation with lead scoring, ABM, website tracking, sales enablement, and more. If you mainly send emails and basic automation, you're managing unused complexity.

The Sales-Driven Process

Can't self-serve signup with Act-On. Requires demos, sales calls, and contract negotiations. Companies wanting to start immediately look elsewhere.

The Alternatives, Honestly

If you're SaaS and want simple: Sequenzy

Sequenzy is focused email marketing for SaaS at $19/month. AI-generated sequences, Stripe integration, transactional + marketing. If Act-On's B2B automation is overkill for your software company, this might be enough.

The trade-off: no lead scoring, no ABM, no website tracking. But also 18x cheaper and you can start today.

If you want enterprise features: HubSpot or Marketo

HubSpot offers free CRM with Marketing Hub from $15-3,600/mo. Better inbound marketing and ecosystem. Marketo is Adobe's enterprise solution. Both are enterprise-grade alternatives with different strengths.

The trade-off: HubSpot Marketing Pro is $800/mo (similar to Act-On). Marketo is $1,000+/mo. Both require annual contracts on higher tiers.

If you want automation value: ActiveCampaign

ActiveCampaign delivers excellent email automation with built-in CRM at $49-149/mo. Best-in-class automation builder without enterprise complexity.

The trade-off: less B2B focused than Act-On. No advanced lead scoring or ABM. But 5-10x cheaper.

If you're Salesforce native: Pardot

Pardot is Salesforce's B2B marketing automation. Tight integration if you're already in the Salesforce ecosystem.

The trade-off: Requires Salesforce. $1,250+/mo starting. Similar enterprise positioning to Act-On.

If budget is priority: Brevo or Mailchimp

Brevo ($25-65/mo) and Mailchimp ($13-350/mo) offer email marketing at a fraction of Act-On's price.

The trade-off: no B2B lead scoring, no ABM. Email-focused only. But covers core needs.

The Cost Reality

At mid-market scale, annual cost comparison:

Platform Annual Cost Notes
Act-On $10,800-25,000+ Enterprise B2B
HubSpot Pro $9,600 Full marketing suite
Marketo $12,000+ Adobe enterprise
Pardot $15,000-48,000 Salesforce required
ActiveCampaign Pro $1,788 CRM included
SharpSpring $5,400 Agency focused
Sequenzy $588 SaaS focused
Brevo $780 Basic automation

Act-On makes sense when you're mid-market B2B with complex buying cycles. For simpler needs, alternatives deliver similar value at lower cost.

When Act-On Is Still the Right Choice

Stay with Act-On if:

  • You're a mid-market B2B company (200-2000+ employees)
  • You have dedicated marketing and sales teams
  • Lead scoring and ABM are strategic priorities
  • Complex buying cycles are your reality
  • You need 100+ sales users enabled
  • Annual contracts and enterprise pricing fit your budget

Act-On is excellent software for mid-market B2B. The question is whether your needs match that positioning.

The Auto-Renewal Reality

Act-On's auto-renewal clause is a common complaint:

  • Contracts auto-renew annually
  • No notification sent before renewal
  • Once triggered, non-cancelable
  • Must actively cancel before renewal date

Set calendar reminders 60-90 days before your renewal date. Export data before contract ends.

Migration Considerations

Moving away from Act-On:

  • Contact export: Export contacts and engagement data
  • Lead scores: Won't transfer - need recalculation in new platform
  • Automations: Manual recreation in new platform
  • CRM integrations: Need reconfiguration
  • Timeline: Plan for 4-8 weeks depending on complexity

If you're mainly using Act-On for email, migration is simpler. If you use lead scoring, ABM, and sales enablement, expect more work.

Use our email warmup calculator when transitioning, and check our SPF checker and DKIM checker to ensure your email authentication is configured correctly.

Frequently Asked Questions

Sequenzy ($19/mo) for early-stage SaaS with Stripe integration and AI-generated sequences. Customer.io ($100/mo+) for product-led SaaS with behavioral messaging. Loops for SaaS-focused email. Act-On is more mid-market B2B than SaaS-focused.

Different strengths. HubSpot has better inbound marketing, free CRM, and broader ecosystem. Act-On often wins on specific B2B features like lead scoring and attribution. HubSpot has lower entry point but gets expensive at scale. Both require annual contracts on higher tiers.

Act-On is enterprise B2B marketing automation. Includes advanced lead scoring, ABM, website visitor tracking, multi-touch attribution, 100 sales users, and deep CRM integration. You're paying for a complete B2B demand generation platform, not just email.

For email only: Brevo ($25-65/mo), MailerLite ($18-73/mo). For SaaS email: Sequenzy ($19/mo). For marketing automation: ActiveCampaign ($49-149/mo). None have Act-On's enterprise features, but most businesses don't need them.

For email automation and CRM, largely yes. For advanced lead scoring, ABM, and enterprise sales enablement, no. ActiveCampaign is 5-10x cheaper but positioned for SMB rather than mid-market B2B.

Act-On charges based on contacts you actually email monthly, not your total database. Email 5k contacts from 100k database = pay for 5k. This can save money for large databases with segmented sending, but requires accurate estimation for contracts.

Yes. Act-On requires annual contracts with auto-renewal. The company won't notify you before auto-renewal, automatically locking you into another year. Read contract terms carefully and set renewal date reminders.

Act-On is designed for mid-market B2B (typically 200-2000 employees). Small businesses often find it overpriced and complex for their needs. ActiveCampaign, Brevo, or Mailchimp serve small business better at much lower cost.

Contact Act-On before your contract auto-renewal date. Auto-renewal clauses are non-cancelable once triggered. Export your data (contacts, campaigns, lead scores, reports) before the contract ends. Set calendar reminders 60-90 days before renewal.

Export contacts, engagement history, and campaign data from Act-On's admin. Lead scores and automations require separate handling. CRM integrations need reconfiguration in new platform. Plan for data mapping work if migrating.

Act-On offers demos through their sales team. There's no self-serve free trial - you must talk to sales and commit to annual contracts to get started.

Annual contracts are typically non-refundable. The auto-renewal clause means missed cancellation windows result in another year commitment. Review contract terms carefully before signing.

Yes for email contacts - export from Act-On and import to Sequenzy. Lead scores, automations, and CRM integrations need separate handling. Migrations typically happen when companies realize they mainly use Act-On for email.

Mid-market B2B companies (typically 200-2000 employees) with marketing teams and complex sales cycles. Companies needing lead scoring, ABM, and sales enablement. Less common for early-stage SaaS, e-commerce, or small businesses.

Similar B2B marketing automation positioning. Pardot requires Salesforce CRM while Act-On integrates with multiple CRMs. Pardot often wins for Salesforce-native companies. Act-On is more standalone. Both are enterprise-priced with annual contracts.

Ready to try Sequenzy?

Start your free trial today. AI-generated sequences, Stripe integration, and direct founder support included.

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Sequenzy vs Act-On: Direct Comparison

See a detailed side-by-side comparison of features, pricing, and when to choose each platform.

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Sequenzy - Complete Pricing Guide

Pricing Model

Sequenzy uses subscriber-based pricing. You only pay for subscribers active in sequences (automations). Inactive subscribers are free to store.

All Pricing Tiers

  • 0-100 subscribers: Free (Free annually) - 2k emails/month
  • 101-1,000 subscribers: $19/month ($205/year annually) - 20k emails/month
  • 1,001-5,000 subscribers: $29/month ($313/year annually) - 125k emails/month
  • 5,001-10,000 subscribers: $49/month ($529/year annually) - 300k emails/month
  • 10,001-25,000 subscribers: $99/month ($1069/year annually) - 875k emails/month
  • 25,001-50,000 subscribers: $199/month ($2149/year annually) - 2M emails/month
  • 50,001-100,000 subscribers: $349/month ($3769/year annually) - 4.5M emails/month
  • 100,000+ subscribers: Custom pricing (Custom annually) - Unlimited emails/month

Yearly billing: All plans offer a 10% discount when billed annually.

Free Plan Features (0-100 subscribers)

  • Up to 100 subscribers in sequences
  • 2,000 emails/month
  • Email campaigns
  • Email sequences
  • Advanced analytics
  • Advanced segments
  • Stripe integration
  • API access
  • "Built by Sequenzy" branding

Paid Plan Features (1,000 - 100,000 subscribers)

  • Subscribers in sequences
  • Monthly email quota
  • Email campaigns
  • Email sequences
  • Advanced analytics
  • Advanced segments
  • Stripe integration (Segment by LTV & MRR)
  • API access
  • Priority support
  • No branding

Enterprise Plan Features (100,000+ subscribers)

  • Unlimited subscribers
  • Unlimited emails
  • Advanced analytics
  • Advanced segments
  • Stripe integration
  • Dedicated support
  • Custom integrations
  • SLA guarantee
  • No branding

Important Pricing Notes

  • You only pay for subscribers who are active in automations/sequences
  • Storing inactive subscribers is free
  • No hidden fees - all features included in the price
  • No credit card required for free tier

Contact

  • Pricing Page: https://sequenzy.com/pricing
  • Sales: hello@sequenzy.com