AI-Ready CMO

Klaviyo vs ActiveCampaign

Last updated: February 2026 · By AI-Ready CMO Editorial Team

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Strategic Summary

Klaviyo and ActiveCampaign are both marketing automation powerhouses, but they're built for different business models. Klaviyo is purpose-built for e-commerce — deep Shopify/WooCommerce integration, product recommendation engines, purchase behavior triggers, and revenue attribution per email. ActiveCampaign is industry-agnostic with a built-in CRM, advanced branching automation, lead scoring, and multi-channel messaging (email, SMS, WhatsApp).

Klaviyo's e-commerce features are unmatched — abandoned cart flows, browse abandonment, post-purchase sequences, and predictive analytics about customer lifetime value. ActiveCampaign's automation builder is more sophisticated for complex, multi-step journeys that go beyond purchase behavior. Klaviyo starts cheaper but scales expensively with list size.

ActiveCampaign's pricing is more predictable.

Our Recommendation: Klaviyo

For e-commerce businesses, Klaviyo's native shopping integrations and revenue-focused features deliver measurably higher ROI than ActiveCampaign's more general approach.

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Choose Klaviyo when...

Choose Klaviyo when you're running an e-commerce business on Shopify, WooCommerce, or BigCommerce. The product recommendation engine, abandoned cart flows, and revenue attribution are purpose-built for online retail.

Choose ActiveCampaign when...

Choose ActiveCampaign when you're running a SaaS, agency, or service business that needs sophisticated automation workflows, a built-in CRM, and multi-channel messaging beyond just email and SMS.

Score Breakdown

Strategic Fit
8.2
8.2
Reliability
8
8
Compliance
8.5
7.8
Integration
8.5
8.5
Ethical AI
7
7
Scalability
8.2
8.2
Support
7.5
7.5
ROI
7.5
7.5
User Experience
7.8
7.2
Klaviyo AI logoKlaviyo AI
ActiveCampaign AIActiveCampaign AI logo

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Courses, workshops, frameworks, daily intelligence, and 6 proprietary tools — built for marketing leaders adopting AI.

Trusted by 10,000+ Directors and CMOs.