Overview
MailWizz and ActiveCampaign represent different philosophies. MailWizz is a self-hosted PHP email marketing application with one-time license. ActiveCampaign is a industry-leading marketing automation with CRM.
Self-Hosted vs Managed
The fundamental choice here is control vs convenience. MailWizz gives you complete ownership of your data and infrastructure for a $86 one-time fee. ActiveCampaign handles everything for $79/month but you're renting the platform.
MailWizz requires you to set up servers, configure delivery services, and handle updates. ActiveCampaign handles all of that. For teams with technical resources, MailWizz's one-time cost can save thousands over years. For teams wanting simplicity, ActiveCampaign removes the operational burden.
Feature Comparison
MailWizz offers automation, A/B testing, landing pages, multiple delivery servers, and white-label support. ActiveCampaign offers best automation in industry, crm built-in, lead scoring.
ActiveCampaign's automation is significantly more sophisticated than MailWizz's. If complex workflows are critical, ActiveCampaign justifies its higher price.
For SaaS Companies
Neither tool is built specifically for SaaS. If you need Stripe integration and subscription-aware automation, Sequenzy is purpose-built for that at $49/month with AI sequences and unified transactional + marketing email.