ActiveCampaign vs Intercom Customer Communications Platform comparison

ActiveCampaign and Intercom are both solutions in the CRM category. ActiveCampaign is ranked #33 with an average rating of 8.5, while Intercom is ranked #28 with an average rating of 9.0. ActiveCampaign holds a 0.3% mindshare in CRM, compared to Intercom’s 0.2% mindshare. Additionally, 100% of ActiveCampaign users are willing to recommend the solution, compared to 100% of Intercom users who would recommend it.

ActiveCampaign

Read 2 ActiveCampaign reviews

114 Views
72 Comparison Views

100% willing to recommend

Intercom Customer Communica...

Read 1 Intercom Customer Communications Platform review

101 Views
57 Comparison Views

100% willing to recommend

ActiveCampaign

Intercom Customer Communica...

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Executive SummaryUpdated on Apr 20, 2025

Intercom and ActiveCampaign are rival products in the communication and marketing automation category. While Intercom may have an advantage in real-time communication tools, ActiveCampaign is potentially superior in its automation offerings due to the strength of its advanced reporting and segmentation.

Features: Intercom offers live chat, in-app messaging, and collaborative team inboxes, ideal for engaging and supporting customers. ActiveCampaign provides advanced automation, email marketing capabilities, and extensive CRM integration, making it appealing to businesses focused on email campaigns and sales automation.

Ease of Deployment and Customer Service: Intercom offers an intuitive setup with comprehensive support documentation tailored to live chat business needs. ActiveCampaign provides straightforward deployment with strong customer service support, including onboarding and training, beneficial for businesses seeking thorough setup assistance and continuous support.

Pricing and ROI: Intercom's pricing can be higher, justified by its real-time support features, offering a robust ROI for businesses centered on customer support. ActiveCampaign is typically more affordable, delivering cost-effective marketing automation with a favorable ROI for companies prioritizing email marketing and automation. The price difference highlights Intercom's focus on immediate communication benefits, while ActiveCampaign emphasizes automation capabilities and cost-effectiveness.

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March 2025

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Review summaries and opinions

We asked business professionals to review the solutions they use. Here are some excerpts of what they said:

Categories and Ranking

ActiveCampaign

Ranking in CRM

33rd

Average Rating

8.6

Reviews Sentiment

7.2

Number of Reviews

Ranking in other categories

No ranking in other categories

Intercom Customer Communica...

Ranking in CRM

28th

Average Rating

9.0

Reviews Sentiment

7.5

Number of Reviews

Ranking in other categories

CRM Customer Engagement Centers (12th), Social CRM (6th)

Mindshare comparison

As of April 2025, in the CRM category, the mindshare of ActiveCampaign is 0.3%, up from 0.2% compared to the previous year. The mindshare of Intercom Customer Communications Platform is 0.2%, up from 0.1% compared to the previous year. It is calculated based on PeerSpot user engagement data.

CRM

Featured Reviews

Laura Oosterbroek

Head of Markting at Vanderkamp

Easy to use, efficient marketing automation and CRM tool

AI is upcoming, so for reporting and dashboarding, it would be nice to have some AI integrated into the system. Overall, some AI features can be added. For example, I can ask, like, we have imported conversion rates, and you can ask like, "What is the trend of the conversion of the last half year?" So, more on a reporting side you can get those kinds of AI skills. Not that you have to download an Excel and put it into another AI system to do the analysis, but that it would be possible to do it on its own.

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Karan-Singh

Account Executive at Speak Ai

A good tool that can be used to capture inbound leads and manage all customer interactions

Sometimes, the solution lags and takes time to update something. If I put a specific tag on an inbound lead, it would take around five minutes for that tag to reflect throughout the solution for all the users. If my colleague and I are using the solution simultaneously and I create a tag for a specific lead, then that tag would not be visible to my colleague for about three to four minutes. Since the solution is great at capturing leads and giving me an overview of all the people interacting with our platform, I would love to see a CRM structure created. We can create a pipeline in the solution itself, and then it can give us that CRM experience.

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Quotes from Members

We asked business professionals to review the solutions they use. Here are some excerpts of what they said:

Pros

"ActiveCampaign is for medium-sized companies is the better solution because it’s way less complex than the other solutions."

"The live chat is pretty good because you can create a macro, which is a predefined input we can give customers."

Cons

"AI is upcoming, so for reporting and dashboarding, it would be nice to have some AI integrated into the system."

"Sometimes, the solution lags and takes time to update something."

Pricing and Cost Advice

"The development costs are lower because you don’t have to have consultants changing and all that stuff."

Information not available

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Questions from the Community

What is your experience regarding pricing and costs for ActiveCampaign?

The development costs are lower because you don’t have to have consultants changing and all that stuff. I feel that it’s a bit cheaper than the other systems.

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What needs improvement with ActiveCampaign?

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What is your primary use case for ActiveCampaign?

I use it For marketing automation purposes and for share repurpose purposes.

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What do you like most about Intercom Customer Communications Platform?

The live chat is pretty good because you can create a macro, which is a predefined input we can give customers.

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What needs improvement with Intercom Customer Communications Platform?

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What is your primary use case for Intercom Customer Communications Platform?

We use the solution to capture leads and interact with them. Our company manages all the customer interactions through the solution.

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Comparisons

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March 2025

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Buyer's Guide

CRM Customer Engagement Centers

March 2025

Intercom Customer Communications Platform report

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Also Known As

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Intercom

Overview

ActiveCampaign provides marketing automation, email marketing, and CRM capabilities tailored for businesses looking to enhance customer engagement. Known for its rich feature set, it offers flexible solutions to help businesses streamline processes and improve marketing efforts.

ActiveCampaign serves as a key tool for businesses aiming to integrate automation with CRM functions. Its platform offers a robust range of features that help businesses engage effectively with their audience. Known for its flexibility, ActiveCampaign helps create personalized customer experiences. The platform is continually updated, reflecting feedback from a diverse user base. Some areas for improvement include intuitive navigation and analytics capabilities. Despite these, ActiveCampaign remains a popular choice among professionals who desire comprehensive marketing solutions.

What are the essential features of ActiveCampaign?

Marketing Automation: Offers sophisticated workflows for scheduling messages and segmenting contacts.
Email Marketing: Provides customizable templates and advanced reporting tools.
CRM Integration: Automates customer data management for efficient workflow processing.
Customer Experience Automation: Creates personalized experiences with data-driven insights.
Sales Automation: Streamlines sales processes through task management and deal updates.

What benefits should users look for in reviews of ActiveCampaign?

Enhanced Efficiency: Saves time through automation of repetitive tasks.
Improved Engagement: Increases interaction rates with personalized communications.
Scalable Solutions: Grows alongside business needs, adapting to larger campaigns.
Comprehensive Support: Provides extensive resources and support for seamless use.

In specific industries like e-commerce, ActiveCampaign is implemented to manage customer journeys from lead generation to purchase conversion. Retail businesses leverage its automation features to target promotions and optimize customer retention strategies. In the service sector, companies use its CRM functionality to maintain client relationships and streamline communication. These tailored approaches demonstrate the adaptability of ActiveCampaign across different market needs.

ActiveCampaign

Intercom Customer Communications Platform enhances interactions by offering robust tools designed to streamline customer engagement and support, effectively catering to modern business communication needs.

Providing a comprehensive approach to customer interaction, Intercom facilitates seamless conversation management through its adaptable suite of messaging, logistical, and analytical features. Frequently utilized for customer support and marketing, its flexibility and user-friendly design encourage efficient communication. While offering valuable insights through analytics, some users note areas for improvement in customizability and pricing models, pointing towards a potential enhancement in fine-tuning its cost-effectiveness and adaptability to diverse business strategies.

What are the standout features of Intercom?

Live Chat: Immediate customer support through real-time messaging.
Automated Bot: Streamlines inquiries by handling routine questions.
Integration Capabilities: Connects seamlessly with third-party tools.
Inbox Management: Organizes conversations for efficient response.

What benefits and ROI should users look for?

Enhanced Customer Satisfaction: Faster resolutions lead to happier clients.
Improved Team Efficiency: Automation reduces manual workload.
Actionable Analytics: Data-driven insights optimize strategies.
Scalable Solutions: Adapts to growing business demands.

Industries such as e-commerce, SaaS, and tech-driven businesses often implement Intercom for its ability to provide personalized customer journeys. Its messaging platform excels in maintaining customer relationships and resolving issues quickly, which is crucial in these fast-paced sectors.

Intercom

Sample Customers

Information Not Available

Expensift, Moz, Invision, Salesforce, Droplr, Vend, BugHerd, Ghost, Put.io, Codeship

Find out what your peers are saying about Salesforce, Microsoft, SAP and others in CRM. Updated: March 2025.

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