Mailchimp
Classic
Email marketing platform
Mailchimp handles newsletters, automations and audience segmentation for small and mid-size businesses.
Campaigns
Automations
Segments
Freemium · from $0
ActiveCampaign
AI tool
Customer experience automation platform
4.5
Paid · from $15/mo
Best for SMBs prioritizing marketing automation over full CRMOverview
ActiveCampaign combines email marketing, marketing automation, and a light CRM with AI-powered send-time and content optimization, targeting SMBs.
Key features
- Marketing automation builder
- AI predictive sending
- Email and SMS marketing
- Lightweight CRM
Pros
- Excellent automation workflows
- More affordable than HubSpot
- Strong email deliverability
Cons
- CRM less robust than HubSpot's
- Learning curve for automations
ActiveCampaign screenshot
Captured from the official website
ActiveCampaign replaces
AI alternatives to ActiveCampaign
HubSpot
Classic
CRM and inbound marketing platform
HubSpot bundles CRM, email marketing, landing pages and reporting into one platform. Costs climb quickly once contact lists grow.
CRM
Email marketing
Landing pages
Freemium · from $20/mo
Brevo AI
AI
Email marketing with AI assistance
Brevo combines email, SMS and automation with AI subject lines, send-time optimisation and content generation at a lower price than legacy suites.
AI subject lines
Send time optimisation
Automation flows
Freemium · from $0
Salesforce Service Cloud
Classic
Enterprise customer service platform
Service Cloud is Salesforce's enterprise support suite with omnichannel routing and deep CRM data. Implementation is long and costly.
Omnichannel routing
Case management
Knowledge base
Paid · from $25/user/mo
Zoho CRM
AI
Affordable AI-powered CRM suite
Zoho CRM offers sales pipeline management, marketing automation, and Zia AI insights across a broad app ecosystem, at a fraction of HubSpot's enterprise pricing.
Zia AI sales assistant
Marketing automation
Pipeline and deal management
Freemium · from $14/user/mo
Klaviyo
AI
AI-powered email and SMS for ecommerce
Klaviyo specializes in ecommerce email and SMS marketing with deep Shopify/BigCommerce integration, predictive analytics, and AI-generated campaign content.
AI content and subject line generation
Predictive analytics (CLV, churn)
Deep ecommerce integrations
Freemium · from $0/mo