ActiveCampaign
Email marketing with genuinely good automation, set up a follow-up sequence once and it runs forever. Has a learning curve and no free plan, so only worth it if you'll actually use the automations.
Starting from
$30/mo
Free trial
14 days
Free plan
No
Overall rating
4.6/5 (2,400)
“Genuinely capable email automation if you're willing to learn it. Most tradies won't use half the features, but the ones who do get a real edge on follow-up and nurturing leads.”
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Overview
ActiveCampaign sits at the intersection of email marketing and CRM, with automation as its superpower. For trade businesses, the use case is straightforward: capture leads from your website, automatically follow up with a sequence of emails, track which leads convert to quotes, and re-engage past customers with seasonal offers or maintenance reminders.
The automation builder is where ActiveCampaign genuinely shines. You can build workflows like "when a customer submits a quote request, send a confirmation email, wait 2 days, send a follow-up, and if they don't respond, create a task for a phone call." These automations run in the background and keep your pipeline moving without you having to remember every follow-up.
Strengths: The automation builder is the best in its class at this price point, more flexible than Mailchimp, more intuitive than HubSpot's workflows. Email deliverability rates are consistently high. The CRM module is surprisingly capable for a tool that started as an email platform. Conditional content and segmentation let you send genuinely relevant emails rather than mass blasts.
Limitations: ActiveCampaign is a marketing and CRM tool, not a field service platform. There's no quoting, invoicing, scheduling, or job management. The interface has a learning curve, it's powerful but not immediately intuitive. Pricing is based on contact count, which can escalate as your list grows. There's no free plan, and the entry price is higher than basic email tools like Mailchimp.
If you take marketing seriously and want to automate lead nurturing and customer follow-ups, ActiveCampaign is the most capable tool in the category for the price.
Pros & Cons
What we like
- ✓Automation builder is best-in-class, set up lead nurture sequences and forget about them
- ✓Email deliverability is consistently excellent
- ✓CRM module is surprisingly capable for tracking deals and follow-ups
- ✓Segmentation and conditional content make emails feel personal, not spammy
- ✓Large template library and solid A/B testing tools
Watch out for
- ✕No free plan, higher entry price than Mailchimp or HubSpot free
- ✕Learning curve is real, not a pick-up-and-go tool
- ✕Pricing scales with contacts, can get expensive as your list grows
- ✕Not a field service tool: no quoting, scheduling, or job management
- ✕Billed in USD, AUD costs fluctuate with exchange rate
Best for
Trade businesses with 500+ contacts that want to automate lead follow-ups, send seasonal maintenance reminders, and run email campaigns. Particularly valuable for businesses with a steady flow of website enquiries.
Not ideal for
Tradies who just want to send the occasional email newsletter (Mailchimp is simpler and cheaper). Sole traders with small contact lists who won't use the automation features.
Key Features
Top Integrations
Frequently Asked Questions
Ratings
2,400 reviews
Source: Capterra
Checked April 2026
Pricing
1,000 contacts, 1 user
1,000 contacts, 1 user
1,000 contacts, 3 users
1,000 contacts, 5 users
Prices shown are approximate AUD equivalents for 1,000 contacts, billed in USD. Pricing scales with contact count. Verify current pricing at activecampaign.com/pricing.
Technical
Getting your marketing sorted?
We build websites for trade and service businesses. Fixed price, no lock-in.
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