Quick Verdict

ActiveCampaign and Klaviyo are both premium automation platforms priced above basic email tools, and both justify that pricing for their target audiences. ActiveCampaign combines email automation with CRM capabilities, serving businesses where sales processes and customer relationships drive revenue. Klaviyo is built for e-commerce, integrating deeply with shopping platforms to drive purchases through automated email and SMS. The choice is clear: e-commerce businesses choose Klaviyo; service businesses and B2B companies choose ActiveCampaign.

Head-to-Head Comparison

E-Commerce Integration

Winner: Klaviyo

Klaviyo's Shopify, WooCommerce, and BigCommerce integrations are the deepest in the industry. Product catalog sync, browse and cart abandonment tracking, purchase behavior segmentation, and predictive analytics for customer lifetime value come built in. The platform was designed for e-commerce from the start.

ActiveCampaign integrates with e-commerce platforms but as an add-on to a general platform. The integration works but lacks Klaviyo's native e-commerce understanding and depth.

For online stores, Klaviyo's e-commerce focus is unmatched.

Automation Capabilities

Winner: Tie (different strengths)

ActiveCampaign's automation builder is among the most sophisticated available. Complex branching logic, CRM-triggered workflows, sales automation, and conditional paths handle intricate business processes.

Klaviyo's automation excels at e-commerce flows: welcome series, abandoned cart, post-purchase, win-back campaigns. The templates are revenue-optimized by default.

ActiveCampaign wins for complex business process automation; Klaviyo wins for e-commerce revenue automation.

CRM Functionality

Winner: ActiveCampaign

ActiveCampaign includes a genuine CRM with contact management, deal pipelines, lead scoring, and sales automation. Service businesses can manage customer relationships and email marketing in one platform.

Klaviyo tracks customer data for marketing purposes but isn't a CRM. There's no deal pipeline, no sales process management, no lead scoring for B2B. It's customer data for e-commerce, not relationship management.

For businesses with sales teams managing leads and deals, ActiveCampaign provides what Klaviyo doesn't offer.

Revenue Attribution

Winner: Klaviyo

Klaviyo shows exactly how much revenue each email campaign and automation generates. The integration with e-commerce platforms enables precise attribution down to individual flows and messages.

ActiveCampaign tracks engagement and conversion but revenue attribution is less precise without e-commerce platform integration. You know emails were opened; you have to work harder to know they generated revenue.

For e-commerce ROI visibility, Klaviyo's attribution is superior.

SMS Marketing

Winner: Klaviyo

Klaviyo offers native SMS marketing integrated with email campaigns. Coordinated messaging across channels, cart abandonment via SMS, follow-up via email, is built into the platform.

ActiveCampaign offers SMS but as a less integrated feature. SMS marketing requires more manual coordination with email campaigns.

For unified email/SMS marketing, Klaviyo's native integration is more seamless.

Pricing

Winner: Context-dependent

ActiveCampaign starts at $29/month (Lite) and scales to $149/month (Professional). The CRM adds value for service businesses who'd otherwise need separate tools.

Klaviyo is free up to 250 contacts but scales quickly, $45/month for 1,500 contacts, $150/month for 5,000, $700/month for 50,000. E-commerce businesses generating revenue from these contacts can justify the cost.

ActiveCampaign offers better value for general business use. Klaviyo's cost makes sense when e-commerce revenue offsets it.

Learning Curve

Winner: Klaviyo (for e-commerce)

Klaviyo's e-commerce focus means less configuration for online stores. Pre-built flows, template libraries, and e-commerce-specific defaults get stores running quickly.

ActiveCampaign's broader capability means more decisions and configuration. The power requires learning; the flexibility requires planning.

For e-commerce quick-start, Klaviyo is faster. For businesses needing customization, ActiveCampaign's learning investment pays off.

When to Choose ActiveCampaign

ActiveCampaign is the right choice when:

• Service business model: Consulting, agencies, professional services
• CRM integration needed: Sales pipelines and email marketing unified
• B2B sales process: Lead scoring, deal management, sales automation
• Complex automation: Multi-branch workflows beyond e-commerce patterns
• Non-e-commerce: SaaS, services, or businesses without shopping carts
• Budget sensitivity: Lower starting cost for comparable automation

When to Choose Klaviyo

Klaviyo is the right choice when:

• E-commerce business: Shopify, WooCommerce, or BigCommerce store
• Revenue attribution matters: Need to know email ROI precisely
• Cart abandonment priority: Recovering lost sales is critical
• SMS + email wanted: Unified multi-channel customer communication
• Customer lifetime value: Predictive analytics for customer segments
• E-commerce scale: Revenue justifies premium pricing

Final Recommendation

Choose ActiveCampaign if you're a service business, agency, or B2B company that needs CRM functionality alongside email automation. The unified platform eliminates the need for separate CRM and email tools while providing sophisticated automation for sales-driven businesses.

Choose Klaviyo if you run an e-commerce store and revenue is your primary metric. The deep platform integration, revenue attribution, and e-commerce-specific automation are designed for online retail. The premium pricing makes sense when email revenue exceeds email cost.

These platforms serve different business models. E-commerce chooses Klaviyo; services choose ActiveCampaign. Trying to make one serve the other's use case leads to frustration.