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

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.

The AI writes entire email sequences for you based on your product and audience, so you can go from zero to a full onboarding series in minutes. It also combines transactional and marketing emails in one platform with native Stripe integration, which means your billing events automatically trigger the right emails.

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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

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HubSpot

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

HubSpot's strength is its all-in-one approach — you get marketing, sales, service, and CMS in one ecosystem with a massive app marketplace. The free CRM gives you a real starting point before committing, unlike Act-On's sales-gated process. It's particularly strong for inbound marketing and content-driven lead generation.

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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

Marketo

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

Marketo excels at complex, multi-touch B2B campaigns with deep segmentation and lead lifecycle management. It integrates tightly with Adobe Analytics, Adobe Target, and the rest of the Experience Cloud. The trade-off is significant — implementation takes months, requires dedicated admins, and pricing is opaque and enterprise-only.

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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

ActiveCampaign

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

ActiveCampaign's visual automation builder is one of the best in the industry — you can build sophisticated multi-step workflows with conditions, splits, and goals without needing a marketing ops team. It also includes a lightweight CRM with deal pipelines, making it a genuine all-in-one for SMBs. Deliverability is consistently strong, and you can start on monthly billing with no annual commitment.

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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

Pardot

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

Lead scoring and grading work natively with Salesforce objects, so your sales team sees marketing engagement directly in their CRM workflow. It's particularly strong for account-based marketing with Salesforce's account hierarchy. The downside is you're locked into Salesforce — it requires an active Salesforce CRM license and doesn't work standalone.

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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

SharpSpring

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

SharpSpring was built for agencies to manage multiple client accounts under one roof, with rebrandable dashboards and client-facing reports. It includes a built-in CRM, landing page builder, and blog engine alongside standard email and automation features. Now owned by Constant Contact, which adds some uncertainty about its independent future but also brings more resources.

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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

Brevo

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

Brevo charges per email sent rather than per contact stored, which can save significant money if you have a large list but segment your sends. It includes SMS, WhatsApp, and live chat alongside email, giving you a multi-channel marketing toolkit. The automation builder covers the basics well, though it's nowhere near Act-On's depth for B2B lead nurturing.

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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

Mailchimp

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

Mailchimp is the most recognizable name in email marketing, with a massive template library and a drag-and-drop editor that anyone can use. It also includes a basic website builder, social media scheduling, and audience insights. The free tier lets you get started without a credit card, though pricing climbs steeply once you pass a few thousand contacts.

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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

Customer.io

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

Customer.io triggers emails based on what users do in your product — page views, feature usage, subscription changes — rather than traditional marketing lists. The visual workflow builder is intuitive, and it handles both transactional and marketing messages. It's a developer-friendly platform with a strong API, though the $100/mo starting price puts it out of reach for very early-stage teams.

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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.

Klaviyo integrates deeply with Shopify, WooCommerce, and other e-commerce platforms to power abandoned cart flows, product recommendation emails, and post-purchase sequences. Its segmentation is based on actual purchase behavior and browsing data, which makes targeting very precise. It's the industry standard for e-commerce email, though it gets expensive quickly as your contact list grows.

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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.

Drip specializes in helping online stores build personalized email journeys based on shopping behavior, with strong Shopify and WooCommerce integrations. It offers visual workflows, revenue attribution, and dynamic product content blocks. It's more affordable than Klaviyo for smaller stores, though it has a narrower feature set outside the e-commerce vertical.

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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.

Marketing Cloud includes Journey Builder for orchestrating cross-channel campaigns, Einstein AI for predictive analytics, and deep integration across Salesforce's entire ecosystem. It handles email, SMS, push notifications, social, and advertising from one platform. The implementation is a major project — expect months of setup and ongoing admin resources to manage it effectively.

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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

Feature	Act-On	Sequenzy	HubSpot	ActiveCampaign	Marketo	Brevo
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. It handles lead scoring, account-based marketing, multi-touch attribution, and sales enablement in a way that simpler email tools can't match. But the enterprise approach creates real trade-offs — $900+/month starting price, mandatory annual contracts with auto-renewal, and a sales-gated onboarding process that means you can't just sign up and start. For many teams, especially those primarily using email marketing and basic automation, those trade-offs aren't worth it:

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	AI-powered, Stripe integration
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

All Pricing Tiers

0-100 subscribers: Free (Free annually) - 3k emails/month

101-1,000 subscribers: $19/month ($205/year annually) - 15k emails/month

1,001-5,000 subscribers: $29/month ($313/year annually) - 60k emails/month

5,001-10,000 subscribers: $49/month ($529/year annually) - 120k emails/month

10,001-25,000 subscribers: $99/month ($1069/year annually) - 300k emails/month

25,001-50,000 subscribers: $199/month ($2149/year annually) - 600k emails/month

50,001-100,000 subscribers: $349/month ($3769/year annually) - 1.2M emails/month

100,000+ subscribers: Custom pricing (Custom annually) - Unlimited emails/month

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

12 Act-On Alternatives Worth Considering

TL;DR

12 Best Act-On Alternatives

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Why Consider Alternatives to Act-On

Feature Comparison

When to Use Each Platform

Why People Consider Act-On Alternatives

The Price Problem

The Contract Lock-In

The Complexity Problem

The Sales-Driven Process

The Alternatives, Honestly

If you're SaaS and want simple: Sequenzy

If you want enterprise features: HubSpot or Marketo

If you want automation value: ActiveCampaign

If you're Salesforce native: Pardot

If budget is priority: Brevo or Mailchimp

The Cost Reality

When Act-On Is Still the Right Choice

The Auto-Renewal Reality

Migration Considerations

Frequently Asked Questions

What's the best Act-On alternative for SaaS?

Is HubSpot better than Act-On?

Why is Act-On expensive?

What's the cheapest Act-On alternative?

Can ActiveCampaign replace Act-On?

What is active contact pricing?

Does Act-On require annual contracts?

Is Act-On good for small businesses?

How do I cancel Act-On?

How do I export my data from Act-On?

Does Act-On offer a free trial?

What is Act-On's refund policy?

Can I migrate from Act-On to Sequenzy?

What businesses use Act-On?

How does Act-On compare to Pardot?

Ready to try Sequenzy?

Sequenzy vs Act-On: Direct Comparison

More Alternatives

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Sequenzy - Complete Pricing Guide

Pricing Model

All Pricing Tiers

Free Plan Features (2,500 emails/month)

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

Enterprise Plan Features (100,000+ subscribers)

Important Pricing Notes

Contact