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ActiveCampaign vs Salesforce Essentials comparison

ActiveCampaign and Salesforce are both solutions in the CRM category. ActiveCampaign is ranked #33 with an average rating of 8.5, while Salesforce is ranked #17 with an average rating of 7.8. ActiveCampaign holds a 0.3% mindshare in CRM, compared to Salesforce’s 0.3% mindshare. Additionally, 100% of ActiveCampaign users are willing to recommend the solution, compared to 91% of Salesforce users who would recommend it.
ActiveCampaign
Read 2 ActiveCampaign reviews
  • 114 Views
  • 72 Comparison Views
100% willing to recommend
Salesforce Essentials
Read 13 Salesforce Essentials reviews
  • 108 Views
  • 55 Comparison Views
91% willing to recommend
 

Comparison Buyer's Guide

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Executive SummaryUpdated on Dec 19, 2024

ActiveCampaign and Salesforce Essentials are competing in the customer relationship management (CRM) and marketing automation sector. Salesforce Essentials appears to have an edge with its comprehensive features, although ActiveCampaign offers more favorable pricing and support.

Features: ActiveCampaign includes email marketing, automation, and integration features suitable for marketing-focused teams. Salesforce Essentials provides robust CRM functionalities such as lead management and analytics that cater to businesses prioritizing customer relationship management.

Ease of Deployment and Customer Service: Salesforce Essentials has a complex deployment model, often requiring extended setup time. ActiveCampaign offers a straightforward deployment approach, backed by strong customer support, facilitating quicker implementation.

Pricing and ROI: ActiveCampaign is a cost-effective solution with competitive pricing, offering a noticeable ROI for smaller marketing teams. Salesforce Essentials involves a higher setup cost but can deliver significant ROI for organizations prioritizing CRM capabilities.

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To learn more, read our detailed ActiveCampaign vs. Salesforce Essentials Report (Updated: April 2025).
Buyer's Guide
ActiveCampaign vs. Salesforce Essentials
April 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
2
Ranking in other categories
No ranking in other categories
Salesforce Essentials
Ranking in CRM
17th
Average Rating
8.0
Reviews Sentiment
6.9
Number of Reviews
13
Ranking in other categories
No ranking in other categories
 

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 Salesforce Essentials is 0.3%, up from 0.1% compared to the previous year. It is calculated based on PeerSpot user engagement data.
CRM
 

Featured Reviews

Laura Oosterbroek - PeerSpot reviewer
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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Srini-Dhanaraj - PeerSpot reviewer
Manages service requests and dispatches engineers to resolve issues
I work from home for a heater manufacturing company. They wanted to move away from their current SAP CRM system to Salesforce. There is a fulfillment process, which involves taking an order, delivering it, and providing service. Salesforce is used to manage the order-taking process. Once an order is taken, the backend system, SAP ERP, handles product manufacturing, delivery, and installation. After installation, the Service Cloud in Salesforce takes over for ongoing service management. Once your order is confirmed, integration with the SAP ERP backend will be seamless. The system takes the sales order from Salesforce and starts processing it for procurement, starting with creating a production order, manufacturing, and then delivery. Once the product is delivered, this information is passed back to Salesforce Service Cloud. In the Service Cloud, a service engineer receives a notification indicating that a product needs to be delivered to a specific location for installation. The engineer then inspects and installs the product at the designated site. SAP ERP manages the product manufacturing and delivery processes. After the product is delivered to the customer, Salesforce Service Cloud takes over. It manages service requests and dispatches engineers to resolve issues reported by customers. Service Cloud captures the information and creates an incident record when a customer reports a product fault. Engineers receive this information and promptly visit the client site to fix the issue. The solution is easy to implement. Overall, I rate the solution a nine out of ten.
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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 CRM system has SAP Sales, SAP Service, and SAP Billing, with everything integrated into an on-premise SAP CRM system. Salesforce Essentials replaced this on-premise system, bringing all functionalities onto the cloud platform."
"Salesforce makes tracking every product and customer activity easy, enabling managers to monitor their products, such as key products and their peak performance."
"The solution helps to track the performance of salespersons before closing deals."
"I've found the product's basic AI functionalities, such as predictive analytics and workflow automation useful for optimizing processes and improving productivity."
"In terms of features, the cloud-based solution and easy deployment are standout elements that have made a difference."
"High availability is really important for us when getting our reports as a vendor."
"I can download the data to Excel, create tables, and do whatever I want. I am very comfortable with the tool's mobile application. Its main benefit is transparency because I can share it with representatives."
"The combination of product and service are exceptional."
More Salesforce Essentials pros
 

Cons

"AI is upcoming, so for reporting and dashboarding, it would be nice to have some AI integrated into the system."
"When we use mixed languages, it can be uncomfortable because there seems to be no consideration for right-to-left speakers. It feels like these tools were developed by people who only speak left-to-right languages and didn't consider other language types' needs."
"The solution needs to be more user-friendly. It's difficult for a senior to track leads when a salesperson uploads leads. The solution should also improve its integration capabilities."
"Salesforce should encourage new users by offering smaller license packages, such as packages for three or two users."
"Areas that could be improved or upgraded in the next release include analytics, automation capabilities, and stability."
"The solution could be cheaper."
"The product's reporting area has certain shortcomings, making it an area where improvements are required."
"Integrating Salesforce with SAP, considering our business relies heavily on SAP for ERP, has been quite challenging due to the intricate product configurations. Unlike standard products like computers with a few options, our products have hundreds of configurable options, making the integration complex. If such integration were possible, it would have been easier to understand the unique nature of our industry and the limited number of customers who buy steel products, unlike consumer electronics."
"The primary area for improvement in Salesforce Essentials is its pricing. There are other competitors, like Zoho CRM, that offer similar features at a lower cost."
More Salesforce Essentials cons
 

Pricing and Cost Advice

"The development costs are lower because you don’t have to have consultants changing and all that stuff."
"We chose quarterly payments."
"The pricing is on the higher side, especially with additional costs for professional services like consultants."
"Salesforce Essentials is quite expensive, almost 10 out of 10. I don't have the exact cost, but we found it to be very expensive based on our budget constraints."
"The pricing is a bit on the expensive side."
"It's a perpetual license, and the subscription can be expensive."
"I rate Salesforce Essentials' pricing an eight out of ten."
"There is a need to make yearly payments towards the licensing costs attached to the solution."
"The tool is moderately priced."
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Company Size

By reviewers
Large Enterprise
Midsize Enterprise
Small Business
No data available
 

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.
See all answers
What needs improvement with ActiveCampaign?
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 importe...
See all answers
What is your primary use case for ActiveCampaign?
I use it For marketing automation purposes and for share repurpose purposes.
See all answers
What do you like most about Salesforce Essentials?
Salesforce provides the best they have with the current version. Most of the features we need are already there, and it's very easy to use.
See all answers
What is your experience regarding pricing and costs for Salesforce Essentials?
The pricing is a bit on the expensive side, maybe when we compare it with other solutions. I would rate the pricing a nine out of ten, with one being low price and ten being high price. The licensi...
See all answers
What needs improvement with Salesforce Essentials?
I have seen Salesforce evaluate a lot of AI and analytics into that. But as an end user, I don’t have that much input. So, I would like to have more AI functionality here. That would be really help...
See all answers
 

Comparisons

No data available
No data available
 

Product Reports

Buyer's Guide
CRM
March 2025
ActiveCampaign reportDownload ActiveCampaign product report
Buyer's Guide
Salesforce Essentials
March 2025
Salesforce Essentials reportDownload Salesforce Essentials product report
 

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

Salesforce Essentials is a cloud-based CRM tool for businesses seeking flexible, scalable, and customizable solutions to enhance sales and customer support processes.

Designed for seamless integration across multiple channels, Salesforce Essentials includes Sales and Service Cloud to simplify sales tasks and customer management. It enhances finance, credit, and quality processes with user-friendly AI capabilities and predictive analytics. Despite its strengths, there is room for improvement in SAP integration, interface simplicity, and report generation. Cost-effectiveness and support for diverse languages are also potential upgrade areas. Businesses use this CRM solution for lead management, opportunity tracking, and automating sales workflows, transitioning from paper-based methods to digital efficiency.

What are the essential features of Salesforce Essentials?
  • Scalability and Flexibility: Accommodates growth and customization needs.
  • Multiple Channel Integration: Enhances finance and quality processes.
  • User-Friendly: Easy navigation with AI capabilities.
  • Cloud Deployment: Includes Sales and Service Cloud features.
  • Predictive Analytics: Improves productivity and tracking.
  • Mobile App Support: Facilitates on-the-go access and management.
What benefits or ROI can users expect from Salesforce Essentials?
  • Improved Productivity: Automation features save time and streamline tasks.
  • Enhanced Customer Management: Centralizes interaction and data handling.
  • Ease of Transition: From manual to automated workflows.
  • Performance Monitoring: Standardizes processes for better oversight.

In the retail industry, businesses employ Salesforce Essentials for customer data management and transparency in order processing. Healthcare providers use it for patient engagement and streamlined communication. Financial services utilize it for billing management and compliance, harnessing automation tools for efficient data handling.

Salesforce
Buyer's Guide
ActiveCampaign vs. Salesforce Essentials
April 2025
Free Report: ActiveCampaign vs. Salesforce Essentials
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