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ActiveCampaign vs Mailchimp: 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: ActiveCampaign is cheaper at 1,000 subscribers; Mailchimp is cheaper at 5,000, 10,000 and 25,000 subscribers.
- With automations: ActiveCampaign is cheaper at 1,000 subscribers; Mailchimp is cheaper at 5,000, 10,000 and 25,000 subscribers.
- Paid newsletter: neither platform offers this in our verified data.
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Cost at 1k, 5k, 10k and 25k subscribers
Basic newsletter (no automations)
| Subscribers | ActiveCampaign | Mailchimp | Cheaper |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1,000 | $19 (Starter) | $26.50 (Essentials) | ActiveCampaign by $7.50/mo |
| 5,000 | $99 (Starter) | $75 (Essentials) | Mailchimp by $24/mo |
| 10,000 | $189 (Starter) | $110 (Essentials) | Mailchimp by $79/mo |
| 25,000 | $489 (Starter) | $270 (Essentials) | Mailchimp by $219/mo |
With automations (welcome sequences, drips)
| Subscribers | ActiveCampaign | Mailchimp | Cheaper |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1,000 | $19 (Starter) | $26.50 (Essentials, limited) | ActiveCampaign by $7.50/mo |
| 5,000 | $99 (Starter) | $75 (Essentials, limited) | Mailchimp by $24/mo |
| 10,000 | $189 (Starter) | $110 (Essentials, limited) | Mailchimp by $79/mo |
| 25,000 | $489 (Starter) | $270 (Essentials, limited) | Mailchimp by $219/mo |
Paid newsletter (5% of subscribers pay $8/mo)
| Subscribers | ActiveCampaign | Mailchimp | Cheaper |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1,000 | n/a | n/a | neither |
| 5,000 | n/a | n/a | neither |
| 10,000 | n/a | n/a | neither |
| 25,000 | n/a | n/a | neither |
Switching? ActiveCampaign → Mailchimp cost · Mailchimp → ActiveCampaign cost · Best platform for your needs
Cheapest plan on each platform that covers the list size and required features. Paid-newsletter totals include the plan, any platform cut and estimated card processing (Stripe 2.9% + $0.30 per payment; Kit's all-in fee instead). "limited" = feature is capped on that plan. Run your exact numbers →
Key differences
| ActiveCampaign | Mailchimp | |
|---|---|---|
| Free plan | no free plan | free up to 250 subscribers |
| Fee on paid subscriptions | not verified (not listed on the official pricing pages) | not verified (not listed on the official pricing pages) |
| Cheapest plan with automations | Starter (from $19/mo) | Standard (from $20/mo) |
| Cheapest plan with own domain | Plus (from $59/mo) | not verified |
| Cheapest plan without platform branding | Plus (from $59/mo) | Essentials (from $13/mo) |
| Plans | Starter, Plus, Pro, Enterprise | Free, Essentials, Standard, Premium |
| 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
Mailchimp is best for
Small businesses that want an all-round email marketing tool with automation flows (Standard and up) and are fine with contact-based pricing and overage billing.
- Priced by stored contacts (the peak in each billing period); each tier includes a monthly send limit of 10× (Essentials), 12× (Standard) or 15× (Premium) your contacts. source
- Going over the contact or send limit on a paid plan adds overage charges rather than pausing sending. source
- Free plan: 250 contacts and 500 emails/month (250/day), no automation flows, Mailchimp branding stays. source
- Annual billing is only available through sales (Standard and Premium, 10,000+ contacts). On 2026-10-20 the page offered 15% off the first 12 months at 10,000+ contacts. source
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FAQ
Is ActiveCampaign cheaper than Mailchimp?
It depends on your list and needs. In our data (monthly billing, 1,000 / 5,000 / 10,000 / 25,000 subscribers): basic newsletter — ActiveCampaign is cheaper at 1,000 subscribers; Mailchimp is cheaper at 5,000, 10,000 and 25,000 subscribers. With automations — ActiveCampaign is cheaper at 1,000 subscribers; Mailchimp is cheaper at 5,000, 10,000 and 25,000 subscribers. Paid newsletter — neither platform offers this in our verified data. Prices verified 2026-10-20.
Which has the bigger free plan, ActiveCampaign or Mailchimp?
ActiveCampaign: no free plan. Mailchimp: free up to 250 subscribers. Free plans have feature limits — see the comparison table.
Do ActiveCampaign and Mailchimp take a cut of paid subscriptions?
ActiveCampaign: not verified (not listed on the official pricing pages). Mailchimp: not verified (not listed on the official pricing pages).
What do ActiveCampaign and Mailchimp cost at 10,000 subscribers?
On monthly billing, a basic newsletter costs $189/mo on ActiveCampaign Starter and $110/mo on Mailchimp Essentials. With automations: $189/mo (ActiveCampaign Starter) vs $110/mo (Mailchimp Essentials).
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
- Mailchimp pricing (checked 2026-10-20)
- Mailchimp: mailchimp.com/pricing/marketing/compare-plans/
- Mailchimp: mailchimp.com/help/about-additional-charges/
- Stripe pricing (card-fee estimate)
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