Overview

Zoho Campaigns and ActiveCampaign target different priorities. ActiveCampaign is known for sophisticated automation with deep conditional logic. Zoho Campaigns offers solid email marketing at a lower price, especially for Zoho CRM users. See our ActiveCampaign comparison for more context.

The choice comes down to whether automation power or cost savings matters more.

Automation Depth

ActiveCampaign built its reputation on automation. The visual builder supports:

• Complex conditional branching
• Multiple automation paths
• Advanced site tracking triggers
• Detailed event-based workflows

Zoho Campaigns has automation, but it is more straightforward. You can build welcome sequences and drip campaigns, but the conditional logic and trigger options are more limited.

For sophisticated marketing automation, ActiveCampaign is clearly superior.

Pricing Difference

At 10,000 contacts, Zoho Campaigns costs around $40/month while ActiveCampaign costs $79/month. Zoho also has a free plan for 2,000 contacts. ActiveCampaign only offers a 14-day trial.

For businesses where basic automation suffices, Zoho's pricing is compelling. The question is whether ActiveCampaign's advanced features justify the premium for your use case.

CRM Comparison

Zoho Campaigns integrates natively with Zoho CRM, one of the most feature-rich CRMs available. If you use Zoho CRM, this integration is seamless with bidirectional sync, lead scoring, and deal tracking.

ActiveCampaign includes its own CRM built specifically for marketing-sales alignment. It is less feature-rich than Zoho CRM but integrated directly into the platform.

If you already use Zoho CRM, stick with Zoho Campaigns. If you need a CRM and do not have one, ActiveCampaign's built-in option is convenient.

Site Tracking

ActiveCampaign offers advanced site tracking that powers behavior-based automation. You can trigger emails based on specific page visits, time on site, and browsing patterns.

Zoho Campaigns has basic tracking, but not at the same depth. For behavior-based marketing, ActiveCampaign is more capable.

When Each Platform Shines

Choose Zoho Campaigns when: You use Zoho CRM. You need solid email marketing at a lower cost. Basic automation meets your needs. You want a generous free plan to start.

Choose ActiveCampaign when: Sophisticated automation is your priority. You want advanced site tracking and conditional logic. You need a built-in CRM. You are ready to invest in marketing automation.

For SaaS Companies

Neither platform is specifically designed for SaaS. ActiveCampaign's automation is powerful but generic. Both lack subscription-aware triggers and Stripe integration. If you are building software, Sequenzy offers Stripe integration with automation designed for SaaS use cases.