Every business owner – marketing expert or not, needs an email automation tool that can get the work done effectively and efficiently. 

Marketing tools that automate email marketing can increase your conversion rates by 50%. At least 75% of all revenue generated from email marketing campaigns comes from triggered personalized campaigns rather than a one size fits all campaign. (READ More: What is email marketing?)

There are several email automation tools out there but a few of them standout and can assist your small or medium-sized business to evolve to the marketing powerhouse you would like it to be. ActiveCampaign and GetResponse are amongst them.

The main differences between ActiveCampaign vs GetResponse

The main differences between ActiveCampaign vs GetResponse are:

•   ActiveCampaign has 30 free templates while GetResponse has a broader range of email templates in the hundreds. 
•   ActiveCampaign does not have a free trial period, whereas GetResponse has a 30-day free trial period
•   ActiveCampaign can feel a bit clunky to use and in the field of text editing. In contrast, GetResponse wins with its easy to use drag and drop editor.
•   ActiveCampaign sorely focuses on highly effective email marketing automation, whereas GetResponse has a range of other features such as its landing pages creator

ActiveCampaign

Unlike other email marketing tools with several other glitzy features, ActiveCampaign’s core focus is on creating automation rules and workflows. The platform’s deal pipelines bring the principles of kanban boards or agile into your sales efforts. 

The platform has four main pricing plans; which includes:

• Lite- $9/month
• Plus- $49/month
• Professional- $129/month
• Enterprise- $229/month

ActiveCampaign powerful features

Below are some of the powerful features of ActiveCampaign.

Email campaigns

Email marketing tools differ significantly when it comes to email templates. Some are highly disadvantaged by outdated designs, while others have poorly selected templates.  Some other tools will have a difficult to use email editor. However, ActiveCampaign seems to have all the right email marketing design elements in place.

On their website, ActiveCampaign promises to help you send beautiful emails in a few clicks. Its pre-designed email templates cover various industries, with a choice of 30 templates to choose from. This low number is very different from what other tools offer. If you have used more robust builders, you might, therefore, feel a bit underwhelmed. 

Marketing automation

ActiveCampaign’s selling point is its automation prowess. The features under its marketing automation tab are what makes it a stand out marketing tool. The platform uses a visual workflow builder to assist you in designing your automation. This makes it much easier for its users to build sophisticated branch out segments using conditional logic. The platforms call this system ‘Actions,’ and there are plenty of choices here to work with.  

Sales funnels / CRM

This is the other feature where ActiveCampaign’s deal pipelines shine. The fantastic CRM can help you automate your sales processes and move your valuable leads along your pipeline to bring in more revenue. The CRM has a drag-and-drop functionality with customizable leads stages.  

Integrations

The platform integrates with over 150 apps, including Shopify, WordPress, Facebook, Stripe, and PayPal. Their extensive library of integrations also has extensive documentation that explains how each app’s integration works.

GetResponse

A creation of Simon Grabowski, GetResponse is now two decades old. The platform has a wide range of customers from at least 182 countries worldwide. The software is available in 21 various languages, providing top-notch quality marketing solutions to businesses online. (READ More: A comprehensive review on GetResponse)

This all in one marketing solution goes beyond email marketing and provides other fantastic solutions. First, unlike ActiveCampaign, GetResponse has a cool landing page feature. It also has customer relationship management (CRM) and automated sales funnel functionality.

The platform has four main pricing plans; which includes;

•       Basic- $15/month
•       Plus- $49/month
•       Professional- $99/month
•       Enterprise- $1,199/month

(READ More: GetResponse Pricing Plans)

GetResponse powerful features

Below are some of the powerful features of GetResponse.

Email marketing 

GetResponse has a fantastic 99% email deliverability record, one of the highest seen across platforms. The platform is first, is a spam-free solution, a factor that highly contributes to its deliverability success. Its email marketing feature also has over 500 pre-designed email templates to ensure that you can send attractive emails without breaking a sweat. 

The software also has a drag and drop editor that makes email marketing a blast for both the novice and the professional marketer. Your marketing team is also free to design their templates using the drag and drop editor. There are, however, tons of email templates to choose from, segmented by industry. All you need to do is to select one for your brand and get going.   

Autoresponders

The platform’s autoresponders are a vital selling point of GetResponse. Through them, you can send to your subscriber’s e-newsletters at intervals when they take individual predetermined decisions on your website. For instance, you can send a welcome message for all signups and then send a discount offer to these same email addresses a week later. You can set an autoresponder a few weeks down the line, which has a follow-up message.  

Sales funnels / CRM

The GetResponse CRM tools have undergone a useful facelift, which has made them much easier to use. For instance, you no longer need to export data to CSV format to do your mail outs. The tool has grown from its ability to perform essential functions. It is now integrated with the software’s email marketing function. 

Now you use it to go beyond the creation of sales pipelines. Through it, you can track activity from phone calls and emails. You can now usher users to your sales pipeline based on actions such as purchases, email opens, and form completions. 

The CRM nonetheless lacks email activity tracking as well as task management tools. Without a task management tool, you cannot assign a task to a team member. With GetResponse, the addition of contacts to a pipeline is not as intuitive as ActiveCampaign. The procedure is clunky and time-consuming, making the CRM look a bit half-baked.  

Analytics

The platform has a good range of reporting and analytics tools. They cover the basics such as click-throughs, open rates, and unsubscribe rates. There are, however, additional nifty features, such as their one-click segmentation tools. This feature allows you to identify customers who have not interacted with your emails. You can then segment them and send a different version of the email to capture their attention.   

Split testing

An email marketing campaign is a fantastic way to procure repeat and new customers. However,  it is much easier to retain old customers in business than acquire new ones. The tests will assist you in improving your campaign’s conversion rates, which will have a good impact on your marketing efforts.

The platform’s A/B test tool sets up two variations of a campaign and sends them to a small segment of your recipients. Clicks or opens measure the results of the tests, and the version that has received more attention wins the trial.   

Landing page creator

The conversion of your website’s visitors into leads is the most important revenue-generating process of your online business. This means that you can never have too many landing pages.

A landing page does not only capture visitor’s information but converts them into potential buyers. Therefore, these pages have very few distractions on them.

GetResponse assists in the building of clean and well-designed landing pages. The lead pages creator is the software’s unique selling point. Most of its competitors lack this functionality. This tool builds these useful pages and tests their conversion rates against each other in real-time. 

(READ More: Why choose GetResponse)

The verdict: GetResponse vs ActiveCampaign

ActiveCampaign and GetResponse are undoubtedly among the best email marketing software products in the industry. However, the question remains, which email marketing tool is better?

We recommend choosing GetResponse if your goal is to send beautifully designed emails to your subscribers. Besides, you can use the GetResponse platform to build landing pages, create different types of forms or manage stores and products.

Opting for ActiveCampaign can’t be a bad decision since you can use the platform to manage contacts or run highly effective email marketing campaigns. Nonetheless, GetResponse lets you choose from a broader range of email templates and unlike ActiveCampaign, it enables you to create polls and surveys.

The online market is expected to continue growing in the foreseeable future. Companies that want to remain competitive in their industries can’t afford to miss out on such a vast market.

Consequently, having the right tools that make the distribution of marketing messages easier has never been more critical. ActiveCampaign and GetResponse are probably some of the best marketing tools currently available. Consider your business needs to know the best marketing tool for your business.