ActiveCampaign
AdRoll
| Feature | ActiveCampaign | AdRoll |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing | From $15/mo | From $36/mo |
| Free Plan | ✗ No | ✗ No |
| Rating | 4.5 / 5 | 4 / 5 |
| Best For | ecommerce-businesses, saas-companies, marketing-agencies, small-businesses | ecommerce, dtc-brands, small-businesses, shopify-stores |
| Founded | 2003 | 2007 |
| Email Marketing | ✓ | ✓ |
| Marketing Automation | ✓ | ✗ |
| Crm | ✓ | ✗ |
| Sales Automation | ✓ | ✗ |
| Landing Pages | ✓ | ✗ |
| Sms Marketing | ✓ | ✗ |
| Predictive Sending | ✓ | ✗ |
| Retargeting | ✗ | ✓ |
| Display Ads | ✗ | ✓ |
| Social Ads | ✗ | ✓ |
| Ai Bidding | ✗ | ✓ |
| Audience Segmentation | ✗ | ✓ |
✓ ActiveCampaign Pros
- Most powerful automation builder in email marketing
- Combined CRM and email in one platform
- Excellent deliverability rates consistently
- 800+ integrations with third-party tools
✗ ActiveCampaign Cons
- Steeper learning curve than simpler tools
- No free plan available
- Reporting could be more intuitive
✓ AdRoll Pros
- Great retargeting
- Cross-channel campaigns
- AI optimization
- Easy Shopify integration
✗ AdRoll Cons
- Minimum spend required
- Learning curve
- Reporting could improve
The Verdict
ActiveCampaign is built for ecommerce businesses and saas companies, with a focus on email-marketing and marketing-automation. AdRoll targets ecommerce and dtc brands and leads with retargeting and display-ads.
On pricing, ActiveCampaign is the clear winner for budget-conscious users — starting at $15/mo compared to $36/mo for AdRoll. That $21/mo difference adds up quickly for growing teams.
Neither tool offers a free plan, so factor the subscription cost into your decision from the start.
ActiveCampaign edges out on user ratings (4.5 vs 4). While both are well-regarded, that gap reflects real differences in user satisfaction worth considering.
Feature-wise, ActiveCampaign offers broader built-in capabilities (7 features vs 6), while AdRoll takes a more focused approach — which can mean a simpler, faster onboarding experience.
Both tools are a solid fit for small businesses — in those cases, the decision often comes down to workflow style and how your team prefers to organize work.
Bottom line: ActiveCampaign has a slight overall edge — but if great retargeting matters most to you, AdRoll may still be the right call.