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Security & access: what changes when you switch

Security, offline and access rules that differ between ActiveCampaign and GoHighLevel. Rows where both tools are the same (3) are left out; the full side-by-side is on each tool’s page: ActiveCampaign, GoHighLevel.

What changesActiveCampaign (today)GoHighLevel (after)
ISO/IEC 27001Not publishedCertifiedsource
HIPAA (BAA)BAA availableEnterprisesourceBAA availablePaid add-on (can’t be turned off once enabled)source
Single sign-on (SAML/OIDC)YesEnterprisesourceYesAgency Pro (OpenID Connect only, not SAML)source
Two-factor authenticationYesEnforcement: StartersourceYesEnforcement: Not plan-gated in vendor docs (portal admin setting)source
Admin audit logNot publishedYessource
Data residency choicesUS, EU, APACsourceUS onlysource
EncryptionNot publishedAES-256 at rest; TLS 1.2+ in transitsource
Offline modePartialThe Forms for iPad app can collect form sign-ups offline and adds them to the account once back online; the main ActiveCampaign mobile app needs an internet connection.sourceNot documented
Desktop appsNot publishedWindows, macOS, Linuxsource
Device & session controlsYesIdle-session timeout with customizable session length; MFA required to use the mobile app.sourceNot published
Editorial assessment

Before you cut over

  • Set up single sign-on in GoHighLevel on Agency Pro (OpenID Connect only, not SAML) before you invite the team, so accounts are created through your identity provider rather than by hand.
  • People who rely on ActiveCampaign offline will lose that: GoHighLevel doesn’t document an offline mode. Tell field and travelling staff before the switch.

Checked September 19, 2026 against each vendor’s own trust center, help docs and app pages. Hover or tap “source” to see the exact wording we relied on. “Not published” means we could not find the vendor saying it on its own site; it doesn’t mean the feature is missing. Plan names are the lowest plan the vendor says includes the feature. Security · Offline · Remote vs office · Download the data

MARKETING AUTOMATION · MIGRATION GUIDE

Switching from ActiveCampaign to GoHighLevel

Businesses moving from ActiveCampaign’s email-marketing-first platform to GoHighLevel’s broader all-in-one suite are usually trying to consolidate funnels, SMS, and CRM into a single tool.

Quick verdict: Makes sense for teams that want SMS, funnels, and CRM pipelines alongside email in a single platform; you’ll likely see email automation sophistication step down a level compared to ActiveCampaign’s specialty tooling.

Why teams switch from ActiveCampaign to GoHighLevel

Consolidate funnels, SMS, and CRM in one tool

GoHighLevel replaces ActiveCampaign plus a separate funnel/page builder and SMS tool with a single platform.

Unlimited contacts on flat plans

GoHighLevel’s tiers don’t charge per contact, which can be materially cheaper for large email lists compared to ActiveCampaign’s contact-based pricing.

Agency and sub-account support

Agencies managing several clients’ marketing can use GoHighLevel sub-accounts, which ActiveCampaign isn’t built around.

Estimate · your inputs

Switching Cost & Friction Estimator

Estimate the real hidden cost of moving from ActiveCampaign to GoHighLevel, not just the subscription price.

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Estimated migration time
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Data friction rating
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Total hidden switching cost
Data mapping & cleaning labor—
Migration / cleaning tooling fees—
Team retraining overhead—
Switching friction buffer (10%)—
Assumes a blended $45/hr internal labor rate with no native importer available, so sequences/records are rebuilt largely by hand. Adjust the sliders to match your team.

How to migrate your data

GoHighLevel’s CSV importer covers contacts, so ActiveCampaign’s automation and scoring logic needs a manual rebuild.

StepWhat happens
1Export from ActiveCampaignExport contacts, tags, and custom fields from ActiveCampaign as CSV.
2Clean and remap fieldsMatch ActiveCampaign tags and custom fields to GoHighLevel’s contact fields and pipeline stages.
3Set up your GoHighLevel sub-accountCreate and configure the destination sub-account, including sending domains.
4Import contacts via CSVUse GoHighLevel’s native CSV contact importer to bring records in.
5Rebuild automations and campaignsRecreate ActiveCampaign automations as GoHighLevel workflows, since automation logic doesn’t transfer between platforms.
6Test deliverability and go liveSend test campaigns, verify domain authentication, and confirm SMS/voice numbers before cutting over.
What GoHighLevel’s importer doesn’t handle: GoHighLevel has no named ActiveCampaign importer — contacts move via CSV only, and ActiveCampaign’s automation logic, lead scoring, and any custom reporting have to be manually rebuilt inside GoHighLevel.

Pricing during the transition

Larger lists tend to favor GoHighLevel’s flat pricing over ActiveCampaign’s per-contact model.

PlanActiveCampaignGoHighLevel
Free planNo free tier (14-day trial)No free tier (14-day trial)
Entry paid tier$15/mo billed annually, $19 monthly (Starter, 1,000 contacts)$97/mo (Starter)
Mid tier$49/mo (Plus) or $79/mo (Pro) billed annually; $59 or $99 monthly (1,000 contacts)$297/mo (Unlimited)

GoHighLevel’s flat tiers include unlimited contacts, while ActiveCampaign’s pricing rises with your contact count, so larger lists tend to favor GoHighLevel on raw cost even before counting the extra tools GoHighLevel replaces.

Feature-parity checklist

GoHighLevel trades some email precision for broader channel coverage and sales pipelines.

FeatureActiveCampaignGoHighLevel equivalent
Automations/workflowsPrecise, email-focused automation and segmentationBroader but somewhat less refined automation builder — a mild downgrade for pure email sophistication, a gain in cross-channel reach
CRM/pipelineLightweight sales CRMMore built-out opportunity pipeline, a genuine upgrade for sales tracking
Funnels/landing pagesLanding pages on Plus and higher plans (not on Starter); no funnel builderNative funnel/page builder, a genuine upgrade
Email/SMS marketingStrong email, SMS as a paid add-onNative unified email and SMS, an upgrade for texting-heavy outreach
ReportingStrong email/engagement analyticsMore operational/CRM reporting, a downgrade for granular email performance analysis

Frequently Asked Questions

Does GoHighLevel have a native ActiveCampaign importer?

No, its only named competitor importer is for HubSpot; ActiveCampaign data comes in via CSV.

Will my ActiveCampaign automations transfer?

No, they need to be manually rebuilt as GoHighLevel workflows.

Is GoHighLevel’s email as good as ActiveCampaign’s?

It’s more general-purpose: ActiveCampaign is more specialized for email deliverability and segmentation, so heavy email marketers may notice the difference.

Can I run funnels and email from the same place now?

Yes, that’s GoHighLevel’s core value proposition versus ActiveCampaign plus a separate funnel tool.

How long does this migration typically take?

Contacts import quickly; rebuilding automations and testing deliverability realistically takes one to two weeks.

Sources

Prices on this page were recorded from each vendor’s own pricing page on the date shown at the top of the page. Vendors change pricing often — check the live source before you buy.

Every figure is also in our open dataset (JSON and CSV, CC BY 4.0), with its source page and verification date. See how we research pricing.

Cite this page: HelpCompare, “Switching from ActiveCampaign to GoHighLevel: A Step-by-Step Migration Guide”, helpcompare.com/activecampaign-to-gohighlevel-migration/ (updated ).

Source links on this site are checked every month; last check . How sources are checked.

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About the author

Bill Belcamino

Founder and author, HelpCompare

Engineer by training, operator by experience, marketer by choice. Bill spent eight and a half years as an engineer at HP, was COO of Auctiva (the number one third-party selling platform on eBay, past 200,000 users) and ran Google’s $70M/year search syndication partnership at Alot.com. Then he spent 13 years building his own web properties with his own money at stake. He has bought, trialled, integrated and cancelled more SaaS tools than he can count, and started HelpCompare because the real cost of switching tools is the part nobody covers.

“I’ve sat on both sides of the table: the agency recommending the tool and the client paying for it.”

Researched and fact-checked by the HelpCompare team. Pricing on this page was last verified on September 16, 2026. No paid sponsorships, no affiliate commissions.