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ActiveCampaign vs Mailchimp
Priced at four list sizes, the features checked against both pricing pages.
Take ActiveCampaign if you want serious automation and email inside the platform that runs everything. Take Mailchimp if you want a mature platform with a large ecosystem and the least to learn. ActiveCampaign is cheaper at a small contact count and Mailchimp is cheaper by 5,000 contacts, so the answer changes with your size.
What each one actually costs
The real monthly figure at four list sizes with the add-ons each platform forces on you included, from the same engine the shortlist quiz uses. The cheaper of the two is marked on every row.
| ActiveCampaign | Mailchimp | Difference | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1,000 contacts | $15 | $45 | $30 |
| 5,000 contacts | $79 | $75 | $4 |
| 25,000 contacts | $389 | $270 | $119 |
| 100,000 contacts | $1,169 | $800 | $369 |
What is actually different
- Nothing. On every feature this site records, these two are level, so the decision is price, who each is built for, and which you prefer using.
No verdict from me yet
I have not used ActiveCampaign or Mailchimp on camera, so everything on this page comes from their own pricing pages, re-read weekly, and nothing from my own experience. When I review either, it will be here.
Before you sign up to either
| ActiveCampaign | Mailchimp | |
|---|---|---|
| Free trial | 14 days | 14 days |
| Free plan | None | None |
| Contract | Annual billing is the published price | Monthly; cancel or downgrade any time, change takes effect at the end of the billing period |
| Payment fee | None on top | None on top |
Reading further
The full price ladder, every plan and the add-ons charged on top are on each platform's own page. If neither of these two is quite it, each page also has the alternatives ranked against it.
People search for this comparison as: activecampaign vs mailchimp.
Questions people ask about these two
Is ActiveCampaign or Mailchimp cheaper?
ActiveCampaign is cheaper at a small contact count and Mailchimp is cheaper by 5,000 contacts, so the answer changes with your size.
How much does ActiveCampaign cost a month?
ActiveCampaign is $15 a month at 1,000 contacts and $1,169 at 100,000 contacts, read off their own pricing page and re-checked every week.
How much does Mailchimp cost a month?
Mailchimp is $45 a month at 1,000 contacts and $800 at 100,000 contacts, read off their own pricing page and re-checked every week.
Does ActiveCampaign or Mailchimp have a free trial?
ActiveCampaign publishes a 14-day free trial. Mailchimp publishes a 14-day free trial and a Free, 250 contacts plan at $0.
Make a third option? If you make email marketing and newsletter platforms and it is missing from this list, ask to be shortlisted. Listings are free and cannot be bought.
Neither, or not sure?
A head to head only helps once you have picked the two. The shortlist asks 6 questions about what you send and how big your list is, and gives you four picks priced at your own list size, from all 18.
Build your shortlist