ActiveCampaign vs Kit (formerly ConvertKit)
Quick verdict
As of 2026-07-08, ActiveCampaign is the cheaper email marketing tool, starting at $19/mo versus Kit (formerly ConvertKit) at $33/mo. That's $14/mo less on the entry plan. Kit (formerly ConvertKit) has a free plan; ActiveCampaign does not. ActiveCampaign has 4 plans; Kit (formerly ConvertKit) has 3 plans.
ActiveCampaign starts at $19/mo and has no free plan. Kit (formerly ConvertKit) starts at $33/mo and has a free plan.
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Against the $15.5/mo median entry price across the 12 tools we track, ActiveCampaign's $19/mo is 23% above and Kit (formerly ConvertKit)'s $33/mo is 113% above. 8 of 12 email marketing tools include a free plan.
| ActiveCampaign | Kit (formerly ConvertKit) | |
|---|---|---|
| Starts at | $19/mo | $33/mo |
| Free plan | ✗ | ✓ |
| Paid plans | 4 | 2 |
| Pricing model | per contacts | per contacts |
| Automation | ✓ | ✓ |
| CRM | Sales CRM/pipeline is a paid add-on (~$68/mo) | ✗ |
| SMS | Paid add-on (SMS credits) | ✗ |
| Ecommerce | Deep: abandoned cart, catalogs, revenue attribution; Shopify/Square/WooCommerce/BigCommerce | Sell digital products & paid subscriptions natively (~0.6% + processing); not a full store |
| Entry plan limit | from 1,000 contacts (caps 10k) | 1,000 subscribers |
| Integrations | 1,000+ | 100+ |
| Visit site | Visit site → | Visit site → |
Sources: activecampaign.com/pricing, verified · kit.com/pricing, verified
ActiveCampaign — pros & cons
Pros
- Most powerful automation & segmentation here
- Predictive AI ahead of peers
- Optional integrated sales CRM
- Largest integration ecosystem
Cons
- No free plan (14-day trial)
- Real cost balloons with add-ons (CRM, SMS, reporting, users)
- Steeper learning curve
- Starter heavily limited
Kit (formerly ConvertKit) — pros & cons
Pros
- Best-in-class for creators (tagging, automation, audience-first)
- Very generous free plan (10,000 subs)
- Native digital-product & subscription sales
- Creator Network organic growth
Cons
- No native SMS (integration only)
- No CRM/webinars
- Not ideal for traditional ecommerce
- Pricey as subscribers grow
Frequently asked questions
Is ActiveCampaign or Kit (formerly ConvertKit) cheaper?
ActiveCampaign is cheaper to start. ActiveCampaign begins at $19/mo and Kit (formerly ConvertKit) at $33/mo on their entry paid plans, a gap of $14/mo per month. Both usually bill less on an annual plan, so weigh yearly pricing before deciding.
Does ActiveCampaign or Kit (formerly ConvertKit) have a free plan?
ActiveCampaign has no free plan and Kit (formerly ConvertKit) has a free plan. So Kit (formerly ConvertKit) is the one to try first if a free plan is a must-have for you. Every figure comes straight from our maintained, dated dataset, verified on 2026-07-08.
Which has more features, ActiveCampaign or Kit (formerly ConvertKit)?
ActiveCampaign supports 2 of the 5 core features we compare and Kit (formerly ConvertKit) supports 2, so the two are evenly matched on breadth. Choose on the specific capabilities — automation, CRM, SMS, ecommerce, or landing pages — that matter most for how you plan to send.
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