EngageBay vs ActiveCampaign
Choose EngageBay if you want CRM, marketing, helpdesk and live chat in one suite; choose ActiveCampaign if email marketing and automation are the priority, especially when you need advanced segmentation or predictive sending. Both are available to buy, but their plans package sales and marketing tools differently.
Last updated October 31, 2026.
At a glance
| Dimension | EngageBay | ActiveCampaign |
|---|---|---|
| Product focus | Marketing, CRM, sales and service suite | Email marketing and marketing automation |
| Free access | Free plan | 14-day free trial |
| Starting paid price | Basic: $14.99/user/month, paid yearly | Starter: from $15/month, billed annually |
| Sales pipelines | Deals and tasks in All-in-One | Enhanced CRM add-on for Plus and above |
| Customer support tools | Helpdesk, ticketing and live chat | Shared team inbox on WhatsApp plans |
| Marketing automation | Growth and Pro plans | Multi-step automation on all marketing plans |
| Entry-plan contacts | 250 on Free; 500 on Basic | 1,000 on displayed Starter price |
| Entry-plan email sends | 1,000 branded emails on Free | 10 times the contact limit on Starter |
| SMS marketing | Listed on Basic and above | Add-on for Plus and above |
| Integrations | 250+ business tools | 1,000+ app integrations |
| Mobile access | Not published | iOS and Android apps |
| Vendor support | Email and chat; phone on Pro | Chat and ticket support; priority support on Pro |
Scroll the table sideways to compare each row.
Which should you choose?
Choose EngageBay if
- Small teams seeking a free plan with CRM and helpdesk tools
- Businesses wanting live chat and ticketing alongside marketing
- Sales teams wanting deals and tasks in an all-in-one suite
Choose ActiveCampaign if
- Teams that need multi-step automation on an entry plan
- Marketers seeking advanced segmentation and predictive sending
- Businesses connecting campaigns to a broad app ecosystem
- Teams willing to add pipeline or sales-engagement tools to a marketing plan
The verdict
EngageBay is the better fit for a small team that wants sales and customer-support tools alongside marketing, including on a free plan. ActiveCampaign is the better fit for a team building more sophisticated email journeys: automation starts on Starter, while higher tiers add advanced segmentation and predictive sending. The deciding factor is whether you need a bundled business suite or a marketing-first platform; check the relevant plan before comparing prices, since contact limits, seats and add-ons differ.
EngageBay vs ActiveCampaign: common questions
- Is EngageBay or ActiveCampaign better for a small team?
- EngageBay is a better fit if the team wants CRM, helpdesk and live chat alongside marketing on a free plan. ActiveCampaign is a better fit if the team is focused on email campaigns and wants multi-step marketing automation on its entry plan.
- Does either product have a free plan?
- EngageBay has a free All-in-One plan with a 250-contact limit. ActiveCampaign offers a 14-day free trial rather than a published free marketing plan.
- How do their starting prices compare?
- EngageBay lists a free All-in-One plan and a Basic plan at $14.99 per user per month, paid yearly. ActiveCampaign says its Starter plan begins at $15 per month, billed annually. The prices cover different contact limits and seat arrangements.
- Which includes sales pipelines?
- EngageBay lists deals and tasks in its All-in-One suite. ActiveCampaign offers enhanced CRM pipeline and sales-engagement add-ons for Plus, Pro and Enterprise marketing plans.
- Which has marketing automation on its entry plan?
- ActiveCampaign includes multi-step marketing automation on Starter, with limits on automation actions. EngageBay lists marketing automation on its All-in-One Growth and Pro plans; its Free plan includes autoresponders and sequences.
- Can I use either product for customer support?
- EngageBay includes helpdesk and live chat in its free All-in-One plan. ActiveCampaign publishes a shared team inbox with its WhatsApp messaging plans; its marketing plans are centered on campaigns and automation.
- How do contact and email-send limits differ?
- EngageBay lists 250 contacts and 1,000 branded emails on its free All-in-One plan, and 500 contacts on Basic. ActiveCampaign displays 1,000 contacts and 10,000 monthly email sends at its Starter pricing example; its pricing page says send limits scale with contact limits.
- Which offers more published integrations?
- EngageBay advertises integrations with 250-plus business tools, including Shopify and Zapier. ActiveCampaign advertises more than 1,000 app integrations, including Shopify, Salesforce and WordPress. Availability can depend on the plan or integration.