SoftwareDuel

Employment Hero vs ActiveCampaign

A head-to-head comparison to help you pick the right tool

Employment Hero

Employment Hero is an all-in-one HR, payroll, and benefits platform with a strong presence in Australia and New Zealand. It offers a free HR plan alongside paid payroll and benefits modules, making it accessible for businesses at any stage. Employment Hero also operates a job marketplace called Swag for employees.

Freemium pricing · Get Pricing →

ActiveCampaign

ActiveCampaign is a customer experience automation platform that combines email marketing, marketing automation, and CRM in one powerful tool. It is known for having the most advanced email automation capabilities in its price range. ActiveCampaign is used by over 180,000 businesses that want to deliver personalized customer experiences at scale.

Paid pricing · Get Pricing →

Pros

  • Free HR plan available with core employee management features
  • Strong compliance tools for Australian and NZ employment law
  • All-in-one platform covering HR, payroll, and benefits
  • Employee benefits marketplace with discounts and perks

Cons

  • Payroll module costs extra and is best suited for AU/NZ companies
  • Limited support and compliance coverage outside Australia and New Zealand
  • Some users report the platform can feel complex to navigate

Pros

  • Best-in-class email marketing automation at an affordable price
  • Powerful segmentation and personalization capabilities
  • Strong CRM features integrated with marketing tools
  • Excellent deliverability rates

Cons

  • Can be complex to set up advanced automations
  • CRM features are less robust than dedicated CRM tools
  • Interface has a learning curve for new users

Our Take

Choose Employment Hero if australian and nz businesses needing full hr suite. Choose ActiveCampaign if smbs wanting powerful email marketing automation combined with a crm.

Best For

Australian and NZ businesses needing full HR suite

Best For

SMBs wanting powerful email marketing automation combined with a CRM