ActiveCampaign vs Omnisend
Both are on our shortlist for course creators. They part company on a couple of things that matter more than the monthly price.
ActiveCampaign
OmnisendWhich one, for whom
- Starting out with no budgetOmnisendOmnisend 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 Omnisend
- Worried about being locked inOmnisendActiveCampaign's terms cut off access to your contact data when you cancel. Omnisend does not do that.
Side by side
| ActiveCampaign | Omnisend | |
|---|---|---|
| Free plan | None | 250 subscribers |
| Free sends | 14-day trial only | 500 emails/mo |
| Welcome sequence on free | No | Yes |
| Connects to Teachable | Direct | Not listed |
| Connects to Kajabi | Direct | Not listed |
| Connects to Podia | Direct | Not listed |
| Connects to Thinkific | Direct | Not listed |
| Paid from | A$23/mo AUD | $11.20/mo USD |
| The catch | Starter caps you at 5 actions per automation, which a real welcome sequence will hit. | 500 free emails a month is roughly 2 sends to a 250-person list. |
| G2 score | 4.4 out of 5, from 14,791 reviews | 4.6 out of 5, from 1,246 reviews |
| Trustpilot score | 2.7 out of 5, from 1,433 reviews | 4.4 out of 5, from 506 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, Omnisend on G2, Omnisend 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.
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
OmnisendEasy to leave
Cancelling a paid plan does not delete anything by itself: their help centre says you drop to the free plan and your contacts, campaigns and reports "remain accessible in read-only mode." The real risk is inactivity rather than cancellation: an account with no login for several months can be treated as inactive and permanently deleted, and a deliberate account deletion is instant and irreversible. Export your list if you plan to leave the account untouched for a while. Source
ActiveCampaign vs Omnisend, answered
- Is ActiveCampaign or Omnisend better for an online course?
- Neither is better outright, and anyone who says so is guessing on your behalf. Omnisend if you are starting out with no budget. Omnisend if you are worried about being locked in.
- Which of ActiveCampaign and Omnisend has the better free plan?
- Omnisend allows more free subscribers (250 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 Omnisend 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 breakdownOmnisendOnly if you also ship physical products
$11.20/mo USDpaid plans start here. Free up to 250. Read off their pricing page on 9 September 2026.
Start free on OmnisendRead the full Omnisend 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.