ActiveCampaign vs Systeme.io
Both are on our shortlist for course creators. They part company on several things that matter more than the monthly price.
ActiveCampaign 
Systeme.io Which one, for whom
- A list already in the thousands Systeme.io Systeme.io stays free to 2,000 subscribers against ActiveCampaign's nothing.
- Worried about being locked in Systeme.io ActiveCampaign's terms cut off access to your contact data when you cancel. Systeme.io does not do that.
- Selling the course from the same tool Systeme.io Systeme.io can take the payment itself, so you do not need a separate checkout.
Side by side
| ActiveCampaign | Systeme.io | |
|---|---|---|
| Free plan | None | 2,000 subscribers |
| Free sends | 14-day trial only | Unlimited emails |
| Welcome sequence on free | No | Not confirmed |
| Paid from | A$23/mo | $17/mo |
| At 5,000 subscribers | Not published | $17 |
| At 25,000 subscribers | Not published | $97 |
| The catch | Starter caps you at 5 actions per automation, which a real welcome sequence will hit. | The free plan holds one course only, and takes 0% on sales, which is rare. |
Figures read off each vendor's own pricing page on 5 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.
Getting your list back out
ActiveCampaign
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.
Systeme.io
You can export contacts to CSV yourself at any time. We could not find their cancellation terms at the usual addresses, so treat the rest as unchecked.
Try either one
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ActiveCampaign Deepest automation, once the list pays for itself
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See ActiveCampaign pricing Read the full ActiveCampaign breakdown Systeme.io Course hosting, funnels and email on one free plan
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Start free on Systeme.io Read the full Systeme.io breakdownActiveCampaign vs Systeme.io, answered
- Is ActiveCampaign or Systeme.io better for an online course?
- Neither is better outright, and anyone who says so is guessing on your behalf. Systeme.io if you are a list already in the thousands. Systeme.io if you are worried about being locked in. Systeme.io if you are selling the course from the same tool.
- Which of ActiveCampaign and Systeme.io has the better free plan?
- Systeme.io allows more free subscribers (2,000 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 Systeme.io later?
- Yes, and you should assume you will. Export your list before you cancel anything, and keep the tag that says who bought from you. We wrote the order of operations up separately.
Moving between them? Read the switching guide first, or answer four questions to check neither of these is the wrong shortlist.