ActiveCampaign
Loops
| Feature | ActiveCampaign | Loops |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing | From $15/mo | Free / from $49/mo |
| Free Plan | ✗ No | ✓ Yes |
| Rating | 4.5 / 5 | 4.4 / 5 |
| Best For | ecommerce-businesses, saas-companies, marketing-agencies, small-businesses | saas-companies, developers, product-teams, startups |
| Founded | 2003 | 2022 |
| Email Marketing | ✓ | ✗ |
| Marketing Automation | ✓ | ✗ |
| Crm | ✓ | ✗ |
| Sales Automation | ✓ | ✗ |
| Landing Pages | ✓ | ✗ |
| Sms Marketing | ✓ | ✗ |
| Predictive Sending | ✓ | ✗ |
| Event Triggers | ✗ | ✓ |
| Email Editor | ✗ | ✓ |
| Automation | ✗ | ✓ |
| Analytics | ✗ | ✓ |
| Api | ✗ | ✓ |
| Contact Management | ✗ | ✓ |
✓ 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
✓ Loops Pros
- Built for SaaS specifically
- Event-triggered automation
- Clean modern interface
- Good developer tools
✗ Loops Cons
- Limited to transactional/product emails
- Newer platform less proven
- Fewer templates than Mailchimp
The Verdict
ActiveCampaign is built for ecommerce businesses and saas companies, with a focus on email-marketing and marketing-automation. Loops targets saas companies and developers and leads with event-triggers and email-editor.
On pricing, ActiveCampaign is the clear winner for budget-conscious users — starting at $15/mo compared to $49/mo for Loops. That $34/mo difference adds up quickly for growing teams.
Loops has a free plan, which gives it a meaningful edge for individuals and small teams exploring their options. ActiveCampaign requires a paid subscription from day one.
Feature-wise, ActiveCampaign offers broader built-in capabilities (7 features vs 6), while Loops takes a more focused approach — which can mean a simpler, faster onboarding experience.
Both tools are a solid fit for saas companies — in those cases, the decision often comes down to workflow style and how your team prefers to organize work.
This is a genuinely close comparison. If you can, sign up for both free trials (where available) and run a one-week test with your actual team tasks before deciding.