GoHighLevel CRM vs ActiveCampaign: Honest Review (2025)
Email marketing has evolved — and so have CRMs.
For years, ActiveCampaign was the go-to tool for email automation. But now GoHighLevel has exploded in popularity, especially with agencies that want to do more than just send emails.
If you’re deciding between the two, this no-fluff comparison will help you pick the right tool for your business.
👉 If you’re new to GoHighLevel, read our Beginner’s Guide first.
🧾 1. Pricing: Big Gap in Total Cost
- ActiveCampaign: Starts affordable but pricing increases with contacts and automation usage. Add-ons like CRM and SMS cost extra.
- GoHighLevel: One flat monthly subscription includes everything — CRM, funnels, automations, SMS, calendars, white-labeling.
👉 Check GoHighLevel CRM Pricing for real numbers.
💡 Winner: GoHighLevel — simpler, more predictable pricing.
🧠 2. Features: Email vs All-in-One
- ActiveCampaign: Excellent at email marketing and autoresponders. Good CRM features, but it still revolves around email.
- GoHighLevel: Full CRM + funnel builder + calendar booking + automations + SMS + white-label SaaS — everything under one roof.
👉 See GoHighLevel CRM Features You’ll Actually Use.
💡 Winner: GoHighLevel — more tools without stacking platforms.
⚡ 3. Automation Power
- ActiveCampaign: Strong in email automations with advanced conditions and tags. Limited outside of email unless you integrate with other tools.
- GoHighLevel: Automates emails, texts, calls, pipeline movement, reminders, task creation, and appointment booking — all natively.
💡 Winner: GoHighLevel — broader automation capability.
📅 4. Appointment Scheduling
- ActiveCampaign: No built-in calendar or appointment system. Requires third-party tools.
- GoHighLevel: Full scheduling system with confirmations, reminders, and triggers.
💡 Winner: GoHighLevel — built-in scheduling.
📈 5. CRM Capabilities
- ActiveCampaign: CRM works but is primarily built around contact lists and tags.
- GoHighLevel: True pipeline CRM with stages, automations, and reporting.
💡 Winner: GoHighLevel — better for sales tracking and client management.
🧰 6. Funnels & Landing Pages
- ActiveCampaign: No native funnel builder — must integrate with another platform.
- GoHighLevel: Built-in funnel builder with drag-and-drop pages and forms.
💡 Winner: GoHighLevel — one platform, fewer integrations.
🧭 7. White-Label SaaS Mode
- ActiveCampaign: You can’t rebrand or resell the platform.
- GoHighLevel: Agencies can white-label the CRM, sell it under their own brand, and create monthly recurring revenue.
💡 Winner: GoHighLevel — game changer for agencies.
🤝 8. Ideal Use Case
- ActiveCampaign: Businesses focused mostly on email marketing and simple automations.
- GoHighLevel: Agencies, service providers, real estate pros, and entrepreneurs who want a full marketing and sales engine.
💡 Winner: Depends on your goals — but for scaling businesses, GoHighLevel wins big.
🏁 Final Verdict
ActiveCampaign is still a solid platform — especially if your only goal is email marketing.
But GoHighLevel is so much more than an email tool.
- 🚀 Full CRM system
- 📅 Built-in calendar
- ⚡ Advanced automations
- 🧰 Funnel builder
- 🪙 White-label SaaS mode
👉 Try GoHighLevel CRM and experience why agencies and marketers are making the switch in 2025.
Also, don’t miss 15 Reasons Agencies Are Switching to GoHighLevel CRM for a deeper look at why this shift is happening fast.
