Choosing the right CRM and marketing automation platform can make or break your growth strategy—especially if you’re a small to medium business or agency. GoHighLevel and ActiveCampaign are two powerful contenders, but they serve very different needs. Here’s a side-by-side breakdown to help you decide.
Overview
GoHighLevel is an all-in-one sales and marketing platform built with agencies in mind. It combines funnels, email marketing, SMS, websites, calendars, call tracking, CRM, and more—under one dashboard.
ActiveCampaign is an email marketing powerhouse known for its advanced automations, segmentation, and CRM features. It integrates with a wide range of third-party tools, making it a flexible choice for SMBs focused on email performance.
Email Marketing & Automation
ActiveCampaign
- Advanced automation builder
- Predictive sending and lead scoring
- Conditional content and deep segmentation
- Best-in-class deliverability
GoHighLevel
- Email builder with conditional visibility
- Automation workflows (email, SMS, calls)
- Less robust than ActiveCampaign for complex email marketing
CRM & Sales Tools
GoHighLevel
- Full-featured CRM with visual pipelines
- Call tracking, voicemail drops, and appointment scheduling
- Ideal for agencies managing multiple clients
ActiveCampaign
- Sales CRM with lead scoring and deal stages
- Great for simple to moderate sales processes
- Limited telephony or direct sales outreach tools
Funnels & Landing Pages
GoHighLevel
- Built-in drag-and-drop funnel and website builder
- A/B testing, membership areas
- Replace the need for third-party funnel software
ActiveCampaign
- Offers basic landing pages
- No funnel builder included
- Best used alongside tools like Leadpages or ClickFunnels
Integrations & Ecosystem
ActiveCampaign
- 900+ integrations (e.g., Shopify, WooCommerce, Zapier, Stripe)
- Works well within an existing tech stack
GoHighLevel
- Fewer integrations; focuses on being a standalone suite
- Stronger native functionality means fewer add-ons required
Ease of Use & Speed
GoHighLevel
- Fast interface, especially for managing high volumes of tasks
- Streamlined for agency operations
ActiveCampaign
- Great user interface but can lag with large contact lists
- Some users report clunky email builder experiences
Pricing Comparison
For approximately 1,000 contacts:
GoHighLevel
- Starter Plan: $97/month
- Agency Unlimited Plan: $297/month
- White Label SaaS Mode: $497/month
ActiveCampaign
- Lite Plan: $19/month
- Plus Plan: $59/month
- Professional Plan: $99/month
- Enterprise Plan: Starts at $179/month and scales with contacts
Note: ActiveCampaign pricing increases significantly as your contact list grows, while GoHighLevel offers more consistent pricing for agencies.
Pros and Cons
GoHighLevel Pros
- All-in-one platform (funnels, CRM, calls, SMS, email)
- Built for agencies with white label features
- Replaces multiple tools in one
GoHighLevel Cons
- Email marketing features are less advanced
- Learning curve for solo users or non-agencies
ActiveCampaign Pros
- Industry-leading automation and email segmentation
- Excellent deliverability
- Huge integration library
ActiveCampaign Cons
- Price increases rapidly with contact volume
- Lacks built-in funnels or telephony
Final Verdict
Choose GoHighLevel if:
- You run a digital agency or serve multiple clients
- You need a full-stack marketing platform
- You want to white-label services
Choose ActiveCampaign if:
- You’re a small business focused on email marketing
- You already use other tools for websites and sales funnels
- You want advanced email features and scalability
This comparison helps clarify which tool fits your goals. Still unsure? Draft your feature wish list, identify your pain points, and match them to what each platform does best.