CRM Comparison for AccessAlly Users

Not all CRMs handle membership site requirements the same way. This guide compares CRMs that integrate with AccessAlly, focusing on features that matter most for membership sites: failed payment handling, subscription management, automation capabilities, and billing features.

If you’re deciding which CRM to use with AccessAlly, or considering whether to switch CRMs, this comparison will help you understand the critical differences.

Quick Comparison Matrix

CRM	Failed Payment Automation	Built-in Order Forms	Team Management	Best For
ActiveCampaign	❌ No native subscription handling	❌ No	✅ Via tags + custom fields	Marketing automation, email sequences
ConvertKit	❌ No native subscription handling	❌ No	⚠️ Basic (via tags only)	Creators, simple setups, great deliverability
Drip	❌ No native subscription handling	❌ No	✅ Via tags + custom fields	E-commerce, visual automation builder
Keap (Infusionsoft)	✅ Yes – built-in dunning	✅ Yes – native payment processing	✅ Advanced team features	Complex automations, CRM order forms
Ontraport	✅ Yes – built-in dunning	✅ Yes – native payment processing	✅ Advanced team features	All-in-one platform, businesses with sales teams
AccessAlly Managed	❌ No CRM automation	✅ Yes – AccessAlly order forms	✅ Via AccessAlly Teams feature	Simplifying tech stack, WooCommerce users

Critical Feature: Failed Payment Handling

How a CRM handles failed payments is crucial for membership sites. This affects subscriber retention, revenue recovery, and member experience.

CRMs with Built-in Failed Payment Automation (Dunning)

Keap and Ontraport both have native subscription billing, which includes:

• ✅ Automatic retry attempts on failed payments
• ✅ Configurable retry schedules (e.g., retry after 3 days, 7 days, 14 days)
• ✅ Automatic email notifications to customers about payment issues
• ✅ Grace period settings (keep access during retry attempts)
• ✅ Automatic subscription cancellation after final failed attempt
• ✅ Automatic tag removal when subscription cancelled

What this means for you:

• Fewer manual interventions needed
• Higher payment recovery rates
• Members automatically lose access when they stop paying
• Built-in dunning sequences reduce involuntary churn

CRMs WITHOUT Built-in Subscription Handling

ActiveCampaign, ConvertKit, and Drip do NOT have native subscription billing. They are email marketing platforms, not payment processors.

What this means for you:

• ❌ No automatic failed payment retry
• ❌ No automatic subscription cancellation
• ❌ You must build failed payment handling manually
• ⚠️ Risk: Members keep access even after payment fails if you don’t manually remove tags

How to handle failed payments with these CRMs:

1. Use AccessAlly order forms with Stripe
   • Stripe handles subscription billing and retry logic
   • Configure webhooks to notify AccessAlly/CRM of payment events
   • Set up automation to remove tags on subscription cancelled
2. Use third-party payment processor
   • WooCommerce Subscriptions, ThriveCart, SamCart, etc.
   • Payment processor handles billing, sends webhooks to CRM
   • You build the webhook → CRM automation flow
3. Manual monitoring
   • Review failed payments weekly in Stripe/payment processor
   • Manually update tags in CRM for cancelled subscriptions
   • ⚠️ This is time-consuming and error-prone

Order Forms & Payment Processing

CRMs with Built-in Order Forms

Keap and Ontraport have native payment processing:

• ✅ Create order forms directly in the CRM
• ✅ Process credit cards through the CRM
• ✅ Manage subscriptions and payment plans in the CRM
• ✅ All billing history in one place
• ✅ Native dunning and retry logic

Migration Impact: If you’re using these CRM order forms today, switching to a different CRM requires migrating your entire payment processing system.

CRMs WITHOUT Built-in Order Forms

ActiveCampaign, ConvertKit, and Drip don’t process payments:

• ❌ No native order forms
• ❌ No subscription management
• ✅ You use AccessAlly order forms + Stripe instead
• ✅ Or use WooCommerce, ThriveCart, SamCart, etc.

Advantage: Payment processing is separate from email marketing, giving you more flexibility to switch CRMs without disrupting billing.

Team & Multi-User Management

If you offer team licenses or multi-user accounts, CRM capabilities vary significantly.

Advanced Team Features (Keap, Ontraport)

• ✅ Hierarchical contact relationships (team leader → team members)
• ✅ Team billing with individual member access
• ✅ Team-specific custom fields and tracking
• ✅ Reporting by team/organization

Tag-Based Team Management (ActiveCampaign, Drip)

• ✅ Use tags to identify team leaders and members
• ✅ Custom fields to link members to teams
• ⚠️ Requires more manual setup
• ⚠️ Reporting is more complex

Basic Team Support (ConvertKit)

• ⚠️ Tag-based only, no custom field structure
• ⚠️ Limited automation for team operations
• ⚠️ Best for simple team setups only

AccessAlly Teams Feature

AccessAlly has a built-in Teams feature that works with any CRM or AccessAlly Managed. This handles:

• ✅ Team leader and member relationships
• ✅ Seat management (e.g., 5-user team license)
• ✅ Member invitations and access provisioning
• ✅ Works regardless of which CRM you use

💡 Pro Tip: If team management is important, use AccessAlly Teams feature regardless of CRM choice. This keeps team logic in AccessAlly where it belongs.

Automation & Workflow Complexity

Visual Automation Builders

ActiveCampaign and Drip have visual automation builders:

• ✅ Drag-and-drop workflow creation
• ✅ See entire automation flow at a glance
• ✅ Complex branching logic and conditions
• ✅ Great for visual thinkers

Campaign-Based Automation

Keap and Ontraport use campaign-based systems:

• ✅ Very powerful for complex business logic
• ✅ Deeper CRM integration (tasks, pipelines, etc.)
• ⚠️ Steeper learning curve
• ⚠️ Can become complex quickly

Simple Automation

ConvertKit has simpler automation:

• ✅ Easy to learn and use
• ✅ Tag-based triggers and actions
• ✅ Good for straightforward sequences
• ⚠️ Limited for complex workflows

Pricing & Contact Limits

CRM costs vary significantly based on features and contact counts:

CRM	Starting Price	Notes
ConvertKit	~$29/mo (1,000 contacts)	Lowest cost, simplest features
ActiveCampaign	~$49/mo (1,000 contacts)	Mid-tier pricing, powerful automation
Drip	~$39/mo (2,500 contacts)	E-commerce focused, good value
Keap	~$249/mo (1,500 contacts)	Premium pricing, includes order forms
Ontraport	~$297/mo (1,000 contacts)	Highest cost, most features
AccessAlly Managed	$0 (no CRM fee)	Included with AccessAlly, eliminates CRM cost

Prices are approximate and change based on contact count and features. Check current pricing with each provider.

Migration Considerations

Easiest to Migrate Between

ActiveCampaign ↔ ConvertKit ↔ Drip

• All tag-based systems
• Similar automation concepts
• No order form migration needed (if using AccessAlly order forms)
• Contact and tag export/import is straightforward

More Complex Migrations

From Keap/Ontraport → Any other CRM

• Must migrate payment processing separately
• Lose built-in failed payment handling
• Need to rebuild order forms
• Team relationships may need restructuring

To Keap/Ontraport from simpler CRM

• Can consolidate payment processing into CRM
• Gain native subscription management
• Learning curve for campaign builder
• Higher monthly cost

Which CRM Should You Choose?

Choose Keap or Ontraport if:

• You want CRM order forms with built-in subscriptions
• You need robust failed payment handling
• You have complex sales processes or teams
• Budget allows for premium pricing
• You want an all-in-one platform

Choose ActiveCampaign or Drip if:

• You use AccessAlly order forms or WooCommerce
• You need powerful marketing automation
• You want visual automation builders
• You prefer separation of email marketing and payment processing
• You want mid-tier pricing with robust features

Choose ConvertKit if:

• You’re a creator with simple needs
• You value ease of use over complexity
• You want great email deliverability
• You have straightforward automations
• You want lowest cost

Choose AccessAlly Managed if:

• You want to eliminate CRM costs
• You use AccessAlly order forms or WooCommerce
• You don’t need advanced CRM automation
• You want to simplify your tech stack
• See decision guide for details

Testing Before You Switch

Before committing to a new CRM:

1. Sign up for free trials – Test automation builders and workflows
2. Map your current workflows – Can the new CRM replicate them?
3. Test payment integrations – Verify webhook connections work
4. Calculate total cost – Factor in contact growth over 12-24 months
5. Review migration complexity – Especially if you have active subscriptions

Questions?

For questions about specific CRM features, connect with that CRM’s support team directly.

For general AccessAlly questions unrelated to migrations, contact our support team.