Home › Compare › ActiveCampaign vs Kit
ActiveCampaign vs Kit: cost and features compared (2026)
Last verified against official pricing pages · USD, monthly billing, excluding tax
Prices change often. Every price here was checked against the platform's official pricing page on the date shown, but plans, promos and taxes vary. Always confirm on the official site before you buy or switch. Not financial advice.
Quick answer
- Basic newsletter: Kit is cheaper at every size we checked.
- With automations: ActiveCampaign is cheaper at 1,000 subscribers; Kit is cheaper at 5,000, 10,000 and 25,000 subscribers.
- Paid newsletter: only Kit has a verified option at every size we checked.
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Cost at 1k, 5k, 10k and 25k subscribers
Basic newsletter (no automations)
| Subscribers | ActiveCampaign | Kit | Cheaper |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1,000 | $19 (Starter) | $0 (Free) | Kit by $19/mo |
| 5,000 | $99 (Starter) | $0 (Free) | Kit by $99/mo |
| 10,000 | $189 (Starter) | $0 (Free) | Kit by $189/mo |
| 25,000 | $489 (Starter) | $199 (Creator) | Kit by $290/mo |
With automations (welcome sequences, drips)
| Subscribers | ActiveCampaign | Kit | Cheaper |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1,000 | $19 (Starter) | $39 (Creator) | ActiveCampaign by $20/mo |
| 5,000 | $99 (Starter) | $89 (Creator) | Kit by $10/mo |
| 10,000 | $189 (Starter) | $139 (Creator) | Kit by $50/mo |
| 25,000 | $489 (Starter) | $199 (Creator) | Kit by $290/mo |
Paid newsletter (5% of subscribers pay $8/mo)
| Subscribers | ActiveCampaign | Kit | Cheaper |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1,000 | n/a | $29 (Free) | Kit (only option in our verified data) |
| 5,000 | n/a | $145 (Free) | Kit (only option in our verified data) |
| 10,000 | n/a | $290 (Free) | Kit (only option in our verified data) |
| 25,000 | n/a | $924 (Creator) | Kit (only option in our verified data) |
Switching? ActiveCampaign → Kit cost · Kit → ActiveCampaign cost · Best platform for your needs
Cheapest plan on each platform that covers the list size and required features. Paid totals = plan + platform cut + Stripe card fees (2.9% + $0.30 per payment, estimate) + Stripe's 0.7% Billing fee on recurring payments where confirmed (beehiiv, MailerLite, Ghost, Buttondown, Substack, AWeber and Flodesk); not added for GetResponse (not confirmed); Kit's 3.5% + $0.30 is all-in. How we model fees. "limited" = feature is capped on that plan. Run your exact numbers →
Key differences
| ActiveCampaign | Kit | |
|---|---|---|
| Free plan | no free plan | free up to 10,000 subscribers |
| Fee on paid subscriptions | not verified (not listed on the official pricing pages) | 3.5% + $0.30 per transaction (processing included) |
| Cheapest plan with automations | Starter (from $19/mo) | Creator (from $39/mo) |
| Cheapest plan with own domain | Plus (from $59/mo) | Free (free) |
| Cheapest plan without platform branding | Plus (from $59/mo) | Creator (from $39/mo) |
| Plans | Starter, Plus, Pro, Enterprise | Free, Creator, Pro |
| Prices verified | 2026-10-20 | 2026-10-20 |
Who each is best for
ActiveCampaign is best for
Businesses that live on automation (multi-step journeys, scoring, CRM-style follow-up) and are happy to pay more per contact than newsletter-first tools.
- Priced by contact count in bands (1,000, 2,500, 5,000, 7,500, 10,000, 15,000 ... 50,000); above 50,000 you request a quote. No free plan, only a 14-day trial. source
- The pricing page shows yearly billing; monthly billing costs more (e.g. Starter at 1,000 contacts: $19/mo monthly vs $180/yr), as shown on the official checkout page. source
- Monthly sends = 10× contacts on Starter and Plus, 12× on Pro, 15× on Enterprise; extra sends cost $0.005 each. source
- Multi-step automation on every plan. Landing pages on your own domain and turning off ActiveCampaign branding start at Plus. source
Kit is best for
Creators who sell digital products and rely on automations and sequences — or who want a free plan for a list up to 10,000.
- Free plan covers up to 10,000 subscribers, but without visual automations or sequences, and Kit branding stays on. source
- Creator plan includes unlimited visual automations and sequences; Pro adds deliverability reporting and a referral system. source
- Charges 3.5% + 30¢ per paid-subscription transaction, inclusive of card processing. source
FAQ
Is ActiveCampaign cheaper than Kit?
It depends on your list and needs. In our data (monthly billing, 1,000 / 5,000 / 10,000 / 25,000 subscribers): basic newsletter — Kit is cheaper at every size we checked. With automations — ActiveCampaign is cheaper at 1,000 subscribers; Kit is cheaper at 5,000, 10,000 and 25,000 subscribers. Paid newsletter — only Kit has a verified option at every size we checked. Prices verified 2026-10-20.
Which has the bigger free plan, ActiveCampaign or Kit?
ActiveCampaign: no free plan. Kit: free up to 10,000 subscribers. Free plans have feature limits — see the comparison table.
Do ActiveCampaign and Kit take a cut of paid subscriptions?
ActiveCampaign: not verified (not listed on the official pricing pages). Kit: 3.5% + $0.30 per transaction (processing included).
What do ActiveCampaign and Kit cost at 10,000 subscribers?
On monthly billing, a basic newsletter costs $189/mo on ActiveCampaign Starter and $0/mo on Kit Free. With automations: $189/mo (ActiveCampaign Starter) vs $139/mo (Kit Creator).
Sources
- ActiveCampaign pricing (checked 2026-10-20)
- ActiveCampaign: activecampaign.com/signup/?code=ac&tier=starter&contacts=1000¤cy=USD
- ActiveCampaign: help.activecampaign.com/hc/en-us/articles/10918125380764-About-email-send-limits-and-overage-fees
- ActiveCampaign: help.activecampaign.com/hc/en-us/articles/206775170-How-to-turn-off-ActiveCampaign-branding-in-your-account
- Kit pricing (checked 2026-10-20)
- Stripe pricing (card-fee estimate)
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Guides: Is beehiiv worth it in 2026 · beehiiv Free plan (2026) · AWeber Free plan (2026) · Substack fees (2026)
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