ActiveCampaign vs Brevo for Nonprofits

What Is ActiveCampaign?

ActiveCampaign is an AI-powered marketing automation platform that combines sophisticated email marketing, CRM functionality, and sales automation into a unified system designed to create personalized customer experiences at scale. Founded in 2003 and serving over 185,000 businesses globally, ActiveCampaign has evolved from a basic email marketing tool into a comprehensive customer experience automation platform that particularly appeals to growth-focused organizations ready to invest in advanced marketing infrastructure.

The platform's defining feature is its Active Intelligence system—an AI orchestration layer that deploys 25+ autonomous AI agents to handle predictive send times, win probability scoring, automated campaign creation, and smart segmentation. Unlike AI tools that merely suggest optimizations, ActiveCampaign's AI agents actively manage marketing workflows, making decisions based on real-time engagement data, donor behavior patterns, and campaign performance metrics. This autonomous approach reduces manual campaign management while maintaining sophisticated personalization across large contact databases.

ActiveCampaign's automation builder enables nonprofits to create complex donor journeys with conditional logic, behavioral triggers, and goal tracking that go far beyond simple drip campaigns. You can design multi-step cultivation sequences that adjust based on donation history, event attendance, email engagement, website behavior, and custom data fields. For example, a major gifts workflow might automatically tag high-capacity donors, assign them to development officers, trigger personalized outreach sequences, and track progress toward cultivation goals—all within the platform's unified automation framework.

The built-in CRM distinguishes ActiveCampaign from pure email marketing tools. The CRM includes deal tracking, pipeline management, lead scoring, and sales automation features that help nonprofits manage relationships beyond email communication. Development teams can track major gift prospects through cultivation stages, manage grant application pipelines, coordinate board recruitment processes, or monitor corporate partnership opportunities using CRM workflows integrated directly with email automation campaigns.

ActiveCampaign offers four pricing tiers (Lite, Plus, Professional, Enterprise) starting at $15/month for 1,000 contacts on the Lite plan. Verified nonprofits receive a 20% discount on all plans, bringing the entry price to $12/month. The platform uses contact-based pricing that scales as your database grows, with costs increasing at thresholds of 2,500, 5,000, 10,000, and higher contact counts. Most automation and AI features require the Plus plan or higher, meaning nonprofits serious about leveraging ActiveCampaign's capabilities should budget for $39.20/month (nonprofit discounted) rather than the entry-level Lite tier.

With 900+ native integrations including Salesforce, WordPress, Shopify, Stripe, and nonprofit-specific platforms like Donorbox and Donate2, ActiveCampaign fits into complex technology ecosystems without requiring extensive middleware automation. This integration depth makes it particularly valuable for nonprofits with established tech stacks who need seamless data flow between donation platforms, CRMs, event management tools, and marketing systems.

Both platforms offer nonprofit discounts that significantly reduce costs compared to standard commercial pricing, though the application processes, discount structures, and long-term value differ meaningfully between the two options.

ActiveCampaign Nonprofit Program

ActiveCampaign provides a 20% discount on all plan tiers (Lite, Plus, Professional, Enterprise) for verified 501(c)(3) organizations and eligible nonprofits in other countries. The discount applies to both monthly and annual billing, stacking with the annual prepayment discount to deliver 30%+ savings for nonprofits committing to yearly subscriptions.

Verification requires submitting proof of nonprofit status through the application portal, typically processed within 3-5 business days. The discount applies automatically to monthly invoices once approved and remains valid as long as nonprofit status is maintained. Organizations must re-verify annually to maintain the discount, though the process is straightforward for registered nonprofits with IRS determination letters or equivalent documentation.

ActiveCampaign occasionally offers additional nonprofit-specific promotions including extended free trials, free migration assistance, or discounted onboarding services. The company also partners with nonprofit technology organizations like TechSoup and Percent Pledge to provide additional benefits including free 1:1 coaching sessions, AI-based or human expert onboarding support, and community access to other nonprofit marketers using the platform.

Brevo Nonprofit Program

Brevo offers a 15% discount on all paid plans for verified charitable organizations, bringing the Starter plan to $7.65/month, Business plans to $15.30-424/month depending on email volume, and Enterprise pricing to negotiated discounted rates. The discount applies to monthly and annual billing, with annual prepayment providing additional savings of approximately 10% before the nonprofit discount is applied.

Beyond the paid plan discount, Brevo's most significant nonprofit benefit is the free forever plan itself. With 300 emails per day (9,000/month) and unlimited contacts, this free tier provides permanent access to marketing automation capabilities that many small nonprofits can use indefinitely without upgrading to paid plans. The free plan includes basic automation workflows, the Aura AI assistant, transactional email for donation receipts, and access to core features that competitors typically reserve for paying customers.

Brevo occasionally partners with nonprofit technology providers and intermediary organizations to offer free email credits, extended free trials of premium features, or promotional bundles that include SMS credits for event-based communications. These promotions vary by region and partnership but can provide additional value beyond the standard 15% discount.

Discount Value Comparison

ActiveCampaign's 20% discount is more generous in percentage terms, creating meaningful savings of $36-144+/year depending on plan tier and contact count. For a nonprofit on the Plus plan with 5,000 contacts, the 20% discount saves approximately $190/month or $2,280 annually compared to commercial pricing—a substantial reduction that makes ActiveCampaign's sophisticated capabilities more accessible to mission-driven organizations.

However, Brevo's combination of a free forever plan plus 15% off paid tiers often delivers better absolute value for budget-constrained nonprofits. A small nonprofit that can operate within the 300 emails/day limit saves 100% versus any paid alternative. Even nonprofits exceeding free plan limits benefit from Brevo's lower base pricing combined with the 15% discount—saving $200-400+/year compared to ActiveCampaign's discounted Plus plan for equivalent contact counts.

The discount value proposition shifts as organizational sophistication and scale increase. Nonprofits needing ActiveCampaign's advanced automation, CRM capabilities, or extensive integrations may find the 20% discount makes the platform's additional capabilities cost-effective despite higher absolute prices. Organizations primarily needing email marketing with moderate automation can maximize budget efficiency through Brevo's lower costs even with the smaller percentage discount.

Integration capabilities determine how effectively marketing automation platforms connect with the broader nonprofit technology ecosystem including CRMs, donation platforms, event management tools, volunteer databases, and program tracking systems. The ability to automatically sync data between systems without manual export/import processes or complex custom development significantly impacts operational efficiency and donor experience quality.

ActiveCampaign Integration Ecosystem

ActiveCampaign's 900+ native integrations represent one of the platform's strongest competitive advantages, providing direct connections to a vast array of business software, nonprofit platforms, and specialized tools without requiring middleware automation services. This integration depth covers major categories including CRM systems (Salesforce, HubSpot, Pipedrive), donation platforms (Donorbox, Donate2, Givebutter, Classy), content management (WordPress, Drupal, Webflow), e-commerce (Shopify, WooCommerce, BigCommerce), analytics (Google Analytics, Facebook Pixel), webinar tools (Zoom, GoToWebinar), and countless specialized platforms.

For nonprofit-specific workflows, ActiveCampaign's native integrations with donation platforms automatically sync donor information, gift amounts, campaign attributions, and recurring donation status into marketing automation workflows. A donor making their first $50 contribution through Donorbox can trigger an automated thank-you sequence, update their contact profile with donation history, tag them as "first-time donor," and enroll them in a stewardship campaign—all without manual data entry or middleware tools connecting the systems.

The platform's deep WordPress integration enables behavioral tracking that monitors which blog posts supporters read, which program pages they visit, and which call-to-action buttons they click—feeding behavioral data into automation triggers and segmentation rules. This allows nonprofits to create highly contextual donor journeys such as automatically sending volunteer recruitment emails to supporters who repeatedly visit volunteer opportunity pages or triggering major gift cultivation sequences when contacts view planned giving information.

ActiveCampaign also provides a comprehensive API for custom integrations when native connections don't exist. The API documentation is extensive and well-maintained, enabling developers or technical consultants to build custom connections to proprietary databases, specialized program management systems, or legacy nonprofit tools. However, custom API integration requires technical expertise and development time that may be impractical for small nonprofits without dedicated IT staff or consultant relationships.

Brevo Integration Ecosystem

Brevo offers 70+ native integrations covering popular tools including WordPress, WooCommerce, Shopify, Stripe, Google Analytics, Facebook, and other widely-used platforms. While significantly smaller than ActiveCampaign's integration library, Brevo's native connections cover the most common nonprofit technology stack components—website management, online fundraising, payment processing, analytics tracking, and social media advertising.

For integrations beyond native connections, Brevo connects to Zapier and Make (formerly Integromat)—middleware automation platforms that provide access to thousands of additional tools through pre-built integration templates. This approach enables nonprofits to connect Brevo with specialized fundraising platforms, volunteer management systems, event registration tools, or program databases even when native integrations don't exist. However, middleware integration adds subscription costs (Zapier starts at $19.99/month; Make at $9/month) and requires setup time to configure data mapping and automation workflows between systems.

Brevo's WordPress plugin provides straightforward signup form embedding and basic contact synchronization, though it lacks the behavioral tracking depth of ActiveCampaign's WordPress integration. The plugin effectively handles email list building and opt-in management but won't automatically track which pages contacts visit or trigger workflows based on website behavior without additional configuration through Google Analytics integration or custom tracking code.

The platform provides API access for custom integrations with documentation covering contact management, campaign creation, transactional email sending, and webhook triggers for real-time event notifications. The API is less comprehensive than ActiveCampaign's but sufficient for common integration needs like syncing donation data from proprietary fundraising systems or triggering transactional emails from program databases.

Integration Comparison for Nonprofit Use Cases

ActiveCampaign's integration advantage is most significant for nonprofits with complex technology ecosystems involving multiple specialized platforms. Organizations using Salesforce for CRM, Donorbox for online donations, Eventbrite for event ticketing, Zoom for virtual programming, and WordPress for website management benefit from ActiveCampaign's native connections that create seamless data flow without middleware tools. This integration depth reduces subscription costs (no Zapier fees), simplifies troubleshooting (fewer tools in the chain), and enables real-time synchronization that keeps donor data current across systems.

Brevo's integration ecosystem adequately serves nonprofits with simpler technology stacks or those willing to use middleware automation for specialized connections. An organization using WordPress for their website, WooCommerce for online store fundraising, and Stripe for payment processing can implement all necessary integrations using Brevo's native connections. Organizations needing to connect Brevo with less common platforms (specialized case management systems, niche volunteer databases, proprietary grant management tools) can use Zapier or Make, trading additional subscription costs and setup complexity for integration flexibility.

For most small-to-medium nonprofits, Brevo's integration capabilities prove sufficient because common nonprofit tools (WordPress, payment processors, major donation platforms, Google Analytics) receive native integration support. The integration advantage tips toward ActiveCampaign for larger organizations with enterprise CRMs, complex multi-platform tech stacks, or specialized tools requiring deep behavioral tracking and real-time bidirectional synchronization.

Implementation approach significantly impacts how quickly your nonprofit realizes value from marketing automation. Both platforms require initial setup effort to import contacts, configure integrations, build templates, and create automation workflows—but the specific steps and priorities differ based on platform architecture and your organization's starting point.

Getting Started with ActiveCampaign

Begin by importing your contact database from existing email tools or CRM systems. ActiveCampaign provides import wizards that accept CSV files, direct imports from major email platforms (Mailchimp, Constant Contact), and API-based migrations for technical teams. During import, map custom fields carefully to ensure donation history, volunteer activities, program enrollment, and other nonprofit-specific data translate correctly into ActiveCampaign's data structure. Consider starting with a segment of your database (active donors or event participants) rather than importing all contacts at once, allowing you to test workflows before full-scale deployment.

Configure essential integrations early, particularly connections to your donation platform, website, and analytics tools. The WordPress integration requires installing the ActiveCampaign plugin and enabling site tracking to monitor page visits and behavioral triggers. Donation platform integrations (Donorbox, Givebutter, Classy) should sync contribution data, recurring donation status, and campaign attributions automatically. Set up Google Analytics integration to track email-to-website conversion paths and measure campaign ROI through web analytics dashboards.

Start with simple automation workflows before attempting complex multi-step journeys. A donation thank-you sequence triggered by contribution confirmation provides immediate value while teaching your team the automation builder interface. Expand to welcome series for new newsletter subscribers, re-engagement campaigns for lapsed donors, or event follow-up workflows as comfort with the platform grows. ActiveCampaign's automation templates provide starting points you can customize rather than building workflows from scratch, accelerating initial implementation.

Invest time in the CRM setup if you plan to use deal tracking and pipeline management. Define custom deal stages that match your fundraising process (prospect identification, cultivation, solicitation, stewardship for major gifts; or inquiry, proposal, award, reporting for grants). Create custom fields for tracking relationship data specific to nonprofit development work. Train team members on adding deals, updating stages, and creating tasks so the CRM becomes a working tool rather than unused infrastructure.

Take advantage of ActiveCampaign's nonprofit onboarding resources including free coaching sessions, migration assistance, and training webinars. The platform's complexity means expert guidance accelerates competency development, helping your team avoid common configuration mistakes and implement best practices from the start. Schedule onboarding calls after you've experimented with the platform independently so you can ask specific questions about challenges you've encountered rather than receiving generic training.

Getting Started with Brevo

Begin with the free plan to test Brevo's capabilities before committing to paid subscriptions. Import your contact database using CSV upload, direct imports from Gmail/Outlook contacts, or migrations from other email platforms. Brevo's import process is straightforward, with clear field mapping and duplicate detection. The platform's unlimited contacts on the free plan means you can import your full database immediately without tiered pricing concerns, though you'll be limited to 300 emails per day until upgrading to paid plans.

Set up your sender domain authentication (SPF, DKIM, DMARC records) to ensure strong email deliverability from the start. Brevo provides clear DNS configuration guides for popular domain registrars, walking you through the technical setup required for authenticated sending. This step is critical for avoiding spam folder placement and maintaining sender reputation as email volumes scale.

Create email templates using Brevo's drag-and-drop builder or customize existing templates from the library. Start with a newsletter template, donation appeal template, and event invitation template to cover common communication needs. Use the Aura AI assistant to generate initial content drafts, then edit for voice and mission alignment. Build a small library of reusable content blocks (headers, footers, call-to-action buttons, social media links) that maintain brand consistency across campaigns.

Implement basic automation workflows starting with a welcome series for new contacts and automated thank-you emails for donation form submissions (configured through form integration or webhook triggers). These foundational automations deliver immediate value while familiarizing your team with the workflow builder interface. As confidence builds, add re-engagement campaigns, birthday greetings (using contact birthday fields), or event reminder sequences that gradually expand your automation sophistication.

Configure multi-channel features if SMS, WhatsApp, or live chat will be part of your communication strategy. SMS requires purchasing credits and setting up sender IDs (varies by country). WhatsApp integration connects to WhatsApp Business accounts for automated messaging. Live chat involves adding a widget code to your website for real-time visitor engagement. These channels can be added incrementally rather than configured all at once, allowing you to expand capabilities as team capacity permits.

Monitor your email volume closely during the first months to determine if the free plan's 300 emails/day limit meets your needs or if upgrading to paid plans is necessary. Track sending patterns to identify whether volume-based pricing delivers cost advantages over contact-based alternatives. If you're consistently hitting the daily sending limit, upgrade to the Starter or Business plan rather than breaking campaigns into multiple days—consistent sending schedules improve engagement more than sporadic communication forced by free tier limits.

Implementation Timeline Expectations

ActiveCampaign implementation typically requires 4-8 weeks to reach operational proficiency for nonprofits new to marketing automation. This includes contact import and data cleanup (1-2 weeks), integration configuration (1 week), template creation and brand customization (1 week), initial automation workflow building and testing (2-3 weeks), and team training and process documentation (ongoing). Organizations migrating from other automation platforms can compress this timeline with migration assistance and existing automation workflows that translate to ActiveCampaign's structure.

Brevo implementation moves faster due to simpler configuration requirements, with most nonprofits reaching operational proficiency within 2-4 weeks. Contact import and domain authentication (1 week), template creation using existing library and AI assistance (3-5 days), basic automation setup (1 week), and team training on campaign creation and workflow management (ongoing) constitute the typical path. The gentler learning curve means teams start sending campaigns sooner, though sophisticated automation development still requires iterative refinement over months.

Both platforms benefit from iterative implementation rather than attempting perfect configuration before launching campaigns. Start with basic functionality (newsletters, simple automation), measure performance, gather team feedback, and progressively add complexity (advanced segmentation, multi-step journeys, behavioral triggers) as competency and confidence grow. This staged approach manages change more effectively than overwhelming teams with every feature simultaneously, building sustainable automation practices aligned with organizational capacity.