Mailchimp vs ActiveCampaign
Quick verdict
As of 2026-07-08, Mailchimp is the cheaper email marketing tool, starting at $13/mo versus ActiveCampaign at $19/mo. That's $6/mo less on the entry plan. Mailchimp has a free plan; ActiveCampaign does not. Mailchimp has 4 plans; ActiveCampaign has 4 plans.
Mailchimp starts at $13/mo and has a free plan. ActiveCampaign starts at $19/mo and has no free plan.
ToolFit may earn a commission when you sign up through some links on this page, at no extra cost to you. This never affects our rankings — those come straight from the dataset. Full affiliate disclosure.
Against the $15.5/mo median entry price across the 12 tools we track, Mailchimp's $13/mo is 16% below and ActiveCampaign's $19/mo is 23% above. 8 of 12 email marketing tools include a free plan.
| Mailchimp | ActiveCampaign | |
|---|---|---|
| Starts at | $13/mo | $19/mo |
| Free plan | ✓ | ✗ |
| Paid plans | 3 | 4 |
| Pricing model | per contacts | per contacts |
| Automation | ✓ | ✓ |
| CRM | ✓ | Sales CRM/pipeline is a paid add-on (~$68/mo) |
| SMS | Add-on (Essentials/Standard); included on Premium (US/CA/UK) | Paid add-on (SMS credits) |
| Ecommerce | Shopify/WooCommerce integrations, product retargeting, abandoned cart, purchase segmentation | Deep: abandoned cart, catalogs, revenue attribution; Shopify/Square/WooCommerce/BigCommerce |
| Entry plan limit | from 500 contacts (max 50k) | from 1,000 contacts (caps 10k) |
| Integrations | 300+ | 1,000+ |
| Visit site | Visit site → | Visit site → |
Sources: mailchimp.com/pricing/marketing, verified · activecampaign.com/pricing, verified
Mailchimp — pros & cons
Pros
- Best-known brand, easiest on-ramp
- Huge template/integration library (300+)
- Genuine (reduced) free tier
- Strong Intuit/QuickBooks ties
Cons
- Price jumps steeply with contacts (top reason for churn)
- Bills for unsubscribed/non-subscribed unless archived
- Free plan gutted Jan 2026
- Multi-step automation locked behind Standard
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
Frequently asked questions
Is Mailchimp or ActiveCampaign cheaper?
Mailchimp is cheaper to start. Mailchimp begins at $13/mo and ActiveCampaign at $19/mo on their entry paid plans, a gap of $6/mo per month. Both usually bill less on an annual plan, so weigh yearly pricing before deciding. Every figure comes straight from our maintained, dated dataset, verified on 2026-07-08.
Does Mailchimp or ActiveCampaign have a free plan?
Mailchimp has a free plan and ActiveCampaign has no free plan. So Mailchimp 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, Mailchimp or ActiveCampaign?
Mailchimp supports 3 of the 5 core features we compare and ActiveCampaign supports 2, so Mailchimp covers more out of the box. Choose on the specific capabilities — automation, CRM, SMS, ecommerce, or landing pages — that matter most for how you plan to send.
Get notified when prices change
We track email-marketing pricing daily. Get an email the moment a tool's price changes — no spam, unsubscribe anytime.