ActiveCampaign vs EmailOctopus
Both are on our shortlist for course creators. They part company on several things that matter more than the monthly price.
ActiveCampaign
EmailOctopusWhich one, for whom
- Starting out with no budgetEmailOctopusEmailOctopus can run an automated welcome sequence on its free plan. ActiveCampaign cannot, so a new subscriber hears nothing from you until you pay.Start free on EmailOctopus
- A list already in the thousandsEmailOctopusEmailOctopus stays free to 2,500 subscribers against ActiveCampaign's nothing.
- Worried about being locked inEmailOctopusActiveCampaign's terms cut off access to your contact data when you cancel. EmailOctopus does not do that.
Side by side
| ActiveCampaign | EmailOctopus | |
|---|---|---|
| Free plan | None | 2,500 subscribers |
| Free sends | 14-day trial only | 10,000 emails/mo |
| Welcome sequence on free | No | Yes |
| Connects to Teachable | Direct | Through Zapier |
| Connects to Kajabi | Direct | Not listed |
| Connects to Podia | Direct | Not listed |
| Connects to Thinkific | Direct | Not listed |
| Paid from | A$23/mo AUD | $9/mo USD |
| The catch | Starter caps you at 5 actions per automation, which a real welcome sequence will hit. | Fewer features than the others by design. Good if you only need to send, thin if you need funnels. |
| G2 score | 4.4 out of 5, from 14,791 reviews | 4.2 out of 5, from 46 reviews |
| Trustpilot score | 2.7 out of 5, from 1,433 reviews | 4.8 out of 5, from 267 reviews |
Figures read off each vendor's own pricing page on 9 September 2026. Where a row says not published, that vendor does not state a price at that list size and we will not invent one.
The last two rows are other people's scores, not ours, read on 6 September 2026. Check them yourself:ActiveCampaign on G2, ActiveCampaign on Trustpilot, EmailOctopus on G2, EmailOctopus on Trustpilot.
- ActiveCampaign: Reviewers disagree about this one. It scores 4.4 on G2 and 2.7 on Trustpilot. Read a page of each before you decide, because one of those audiences is having a different experience to the other.
- EmailOctopus: The G2 score rests on 46 reviews, which is a small enough number that a handful of unhappy or delighted people can move it.
Getting your list back out
ActiveCampaignHard to leave
Read this before you sign up. Their terms say that on cancellation "you will not have access to or be able to restore any Contact Data". Export your list before you cancel, not after. Source
EmailOctopusHard to leave
Cancelling the paid plan on its own just drops you to the free tier: contacts and lists are retained, though automations pause. Their Terms of Use go further than that, though: "Once terminated, we may permanently delete your account and all the data associated with it, including your Content from our Website." A full, deliberate account deletion is described in their own help article as removing everything, including lists, campaigns and reports, and is irreversible. Export your list before deleting anything, not just before cancelling. Source
ActiveCampaign vs EmailOctopus, answered
- Is ActiveCampaign or EmailOctopus better for an online course?
- Neither is better outright, and anyone who says so is guessing on your behalf. EmailOctopus if you are starting out with no budget. EmailOctopus if you are a list already in the thousands. EmailOctopus if you are worried about being locked in.
- Which of ActiveCampaign and EmailOctopus has the better free plan?
- EmailOctopus allows more free subscribers (2,500 against none). A bigger allowance is not automatically the better plan: check the welcome sequence row above, because that is where the two usually part company.
- Can I move from ActiveCampaign to EmailOctopus later?
- Yes, and you should assume you will. Export your list before you cancel anything, and keep whatever marks who bought from you. We wrote the whole running order up separately.
Try either one
ActiveCampaignDeepest automation, once the list pays for itself
A$23/mo AUDpaid plans start here. No free plan. Read off their pricing page on 9 September 2026.
See ActiveCampaign pricingRead the full ActiveCampaign breakdownEmailOctopusCheapest way to run a plain list
$9/mo USDpaid plans start here. Free up to 2,500. Read off their pricing page on 9 September 2026.
Start free on EmailOctopusRead the full EmailOctopus breakdownMoving between them? Read the switching guide first, or answer 5 questions to check neither of these is the wrong shortlist.
Neither of these? See all 14, including which ones connect straight to Teachable, Kajabi, Podia or Thinkific, or compare what they cost as your list grows.