ActiveCampaign
n8n
| Feature | ActiveCampaign | n8n |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing | From $15/mo | Free / from $24/mo |
| Free Plan | ✗ No | ✓ Yes |
| Rating | 4.5 / 5 | 4.6 / 5 |
| Best For | ecommerce-businesses, saas-companies, marketing-agencies, small-businesses | developers, technical-teams, agencies, cost-conscious-teams, ai-builders |
| Founded | 2003 | 2019 |
| Email Marketing | ✓ | ✗ |
| Marketing Automation | ✓ | ✗ |
| Crm | ✓ | ✗ |
| Sales Automation | ✓ | ✗ |
| Landing Pages | ✓ | ✗ |
| Sms Marketing | ✓ | ✗ |
| Predictive Sending | ✓ | ✗ |
| Workflows | ✗ | ✓ |
| Self Hosting | ✗ | ✓ |
| Code Nodes | ✗ | ✓ |
| Webhooks | ✗ | ✓ |
| Ai Agents | ✗ | ✓ |
| Api | ✗ | ✓ |
| Docker | ✗ | ✓ |
✓ 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
✓ n8n Pros
- Free self-hosting (forever)
- Full JavaScript/Python in every node
- AI agent workflow builder
- No per-task pricing when self-hosted
✗ n8n Cons
- Requires technical setup for self-hosting
- 400+ integrations vs Zapier's 7,000+
- Steeper learning curve than Zapier or Make
The Verdict
ActiveCampaign is built for ecommerce businesses and saas companies, with a focus on email-marketing and marketing-automation. n8n targets developers and technical teams and leads with workflows and self-hosting.
On pricing, ActiveCampaign is the clear winner for budget-conscious users — starting at $15/mo compared to $24/mo for n8n. That $9/mo difference adds up quickly for growing teams.
n8n 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.
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.
