Softwr

Email Marketing · head to head

ActiveCampaign vs Loops

ActiveCampaign logo

ActiveCampaign

Email Marketing

CRM, marketing automation, and sales platform

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
Loops logo

Loops

Email Marketing

Email platform for modern startups

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Each has a real cost: ActiveCampaign starter tier capped at 5 automation actions per automation; unlimited actions require Plus tier or higher; Loops free plan limited to 1000 subscribed contacts
  • Prices and features above were last checked on 30 August 2026.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which ActiveCampaign and Loops actually diverge.

Attributes where ActiveCampaign and Loops differ
AttributeActiveCampaignLoops
Pricing modelsubscriptionfreemium
PlatformsCloud-based SaaSWeb
Founded2003Unknown

Identical on both: starting price (Free), free tier (Yes), user rating (Not yet rated), category (Email Marketing).

What each one covers

Drawn from each product's published feature list. An absence here means we hold no record of it - not that the product lacks it.

Only in ActiveCampaign

  • Contact management
  • Sales pipeline
  • Marketing automation
  • Email marketing
  • Customer service
  • Reporting
  • Automation
  • Zapier

Only in Loops

Nothing recorded that ActiveCampaign does not also cover.

What people use each for

The jobs each tool is most often brought in to do.

ActiveCampaign

  • Businesses automating cross-channel campaigns (email, SMS, WhatsApp)not Loops
  • Marketing teams needing AI-driven lead scoring and automationnot Loops

Loops

  • Setting up lifecycle email from onboarding to winbacknot ActiveCampaign
  • Consolidating product, marketing, and transactional emailsnot ActiveCampaign
  • Designing email themes picked up automaticallynot ActiveCampaign
  • Tracking revenue attribution to specific emailsnot ActiveCampaign

Where each one falls short

Documented limitations, not opinions. Every one is a constraint you would hit in normal use.

ActiveCampaign

  • Starter tier capped at 5 automation actions per automation; unlimited actions require Plus tier or higher
  • Active Intelligence (AI features) limited or excluded in Starter and Plus tiers; Advanced Intelligence only available in Pro and Enterprise
  • SSO and advanced CRM integrations only available in Pro and Enterprise tiers
  • Multiple users scaling limited: Starter allows 1 user, Plus allows 3, Enterprise allows 5 users

Loops

  • Free plan limited to 1000 subscribed contacts
  • Free plan limited to 4000 sends per month
  • Free plan includes Powered by Loops branding footer
  • Paid plan pricing not publicly specified, requires using pricing calculator

Pricing, plan by plan

ActiveCampaign

Free

No published plan breakdown. See the ActiveCampaign review.

Loops

Free
  • FreeFree
    • Up to 1000 subscribed contacts
    • Up to 4000 sends per month
    • Up to 10 emails per second

Which should you pick?

Choose ActiveCampaign if

  • You need contact management.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You work on Cloud-based SaaS.
  • You also want sales pipeline.
ActiveCampaign review

Choose Loops if

  • You want to start without paying.
Loops review

Questions people ask

Is ActiveCampaign or Loops better?
Neither clearly leads. ActiveCampaign starts at Free and Loops at Free, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, ActiveCampaign or Loops?
ActiveCampaign starts at Free and Loops at Free.
Does ActiveCampaign or Loops run on more platforms?
ActiveCampaign runs on Cloud-based SaaS. Loops runs on Web.
Can I use ActiveCampaign for free?
Both have a free tier, so you can try either at no cost before committing.
What is ActiveCampaign best used for?
ActiveCampaign is most often used for businesses automating cross-channel campaigns (email, sms, whatsapp), marketing teams needing ai-driven lead scoring and automation. Of those, businesses automating cross-channel campaigns (email, sms, whatsapp) and marketing teams needing ai-driven lead scoring and automation are not what Loops is typically brought in for.
What can ActiveCampaign do that Loops cannot?
ActiveCampaign covers Contact management, Sales pipeline, Marketing automation, Email marketing.

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

ActiveCampaign: Is there a free trial without providing a credit card?

Yes, ActiveCampaign offers a 14-day free trial that requires only an email address for sign-up. No credit card is needed and setup is instant.

Source
Loops: Does Loops have a free plan?

Yes, Loops is free to start with no credit card required. The free plan supports up to 1000 subscribed contacts and up to 4000 sends per month, with up to 10 emails per second.

Source
ActiveCampaign: How is pricing determined for my account?

Pricing is custom and based on your contact volume, which ranges from fewer than 500 to more than 250,000 contacts. ActiveCampaign states they will put together a pricing package specific to your needs after you submit the pricing request form.

Source
Loops: What are the limitations of Loops' free plan?

The free plan includes all features but is limited to 1000 subscribed contacts and 4000 sends per month. The free plan displays a Powered by Loops footer in emails.

Source
ActiveCampaign: Do I need to talk to sales to access the platform?

No, the 14-day free trial provides full access to the autonomous marketing platform without requiring sales contact. After the trial ends, you must complete a pricing request form to move forward.

Source
Loops: How much do Loops paid plans cost?

Loops paid plans use contact-based pricing, meaning costs scale with the number of subscribed contacts synced to Loops. Exact pricing requires using Loops' pricing calculator based on your subscriber count.

Source
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Related pages

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