Mailchimp vs ActiveCampaign Pricing 2026
Complete pricing comparison between Mailchimp and ActiveCampaign. Find out which email marketing tool is right for you.
Mailchimp pricing ranges from $0–$350/month, while ActiveCampaign ranges from $15–$145/month. Mailchimp is typically 59% more affordable, though your actual cost depends on tier and team size.
The right choice between Mailchimp and ActiveCampaign depends on your specific requirements: team size, feature needs, and integration requirements all affect which option delivers better value.
See the tier-by-tier breakdown below to compare specific plans, or use our calculators to estimate costs: Mailchimp calculator | ActiveCampaign calculator
Mailchimp and ActiveCampaign are two of the most widely used email marketing and automation platforms, but they serve different audience segments. Mailchimp is the go-to choice for beginners and small businesses seeking an intuitive, all-in-one marketing platform with a generous free tier, while ActiveCampaign is built for businesses that need sophisticated automation workflows, built-in CRM, and advanced segmentation capabilities. Mailchimp starts free for up to 250 contacts with paid plans from $13/month, whereas ActiveCampaign has no free plan but offers more powerful automation starting at $15/month. Understanding the pricing and feature trade-offs between these two platforms is essential for choosing the right email marketing investment for your business.
Pricing Tier Comparison
| Tier | Mailchimp | ActiveCampaign |
|---|---|---|
| Free | Free /month | $15 /month |
| Essentials | $13 /month | $49 /month |
| Standard | $20 /month | $79 /month |
| Premium | $350 /month | $145 /month |
Not sure between Mailchimp and ActiveCampaign?
Tell us about your needs and we'll recommend the best option for your budget.
Our Verdict
Choose Mailchimp if you want a beginner-friendly platform with a free tier, simple email templates, built-in landing pages, and an all-in-one marketing toolkit that includes social ads and postcards. Mailchimp is ideal for small businesses and solopreneurs who need straightforward email marketing without complex automation requirements.
Choose ActiveCampaign if you need powerful multi-step automation workflows, built-in CRM with sales automation, lead scoring, and advanced segmentation. ActiveCampaign is the better choice for B2B companies, agencies, and growing businesses that require deep automation capabilities and want email marketing tightly integrated with their sales pipeline.
Frequently Asked Questions
01 Is Mailchimp cheaper than ActiveCampaign?
At entry level, Mailchimp is cheaper with a free plan (250 contacts) and paid plans starting at $13/month, while ActiveCampaign starts at $15/month with no free tier. However, as contact lists grow, pricing becomes comparable. For 10,000 contacts, Mailchimp Standard costs about $100/month while ActiveCampaign Plus costs about $174/month. Mailchimp is more affordable for basic email marketing, but ActiveCampaign includes CRM and advanced automation that would require separate tools with Mailchimp.
02 Which is better for small businesses, Mailchimp or ActiveCampaign?
For very small businesses just starting with email marketing, Mailchimp is typically the better choice due to its free tier, intuitive interface, and built-in landing pages. For small businesses that have outgrown basic email blasts and need automation workflows, lead scoring, or CRM capabilities, ActiveCampaign delivers significantly more value despite the higher starting price.
03 Can ActiveCampaign replace Mailchimp?
Yes, ActiveCampaign can fully replace Mailchimp for email marketing and offers substantially more powerful automation, CRM, and sales features. The main trade-offs are that ActiveCampaign has no free plan, a steeper learning curve, and lacks some of Mailchimp's built-in extras like social media ad management and postcard mailing. Most businesses migrating from Mailchimp to ActiveCampaign do so to access better automation capabilities.