ActiveCampaign Marketing Starter vs Constant Contact — Pricing, Plans, and Verified Costs (2026)
ActiveCampaign Marketing Starter starts at $19/mo. Constant Contact starts at $12/mo. Constant Contact is $7/mo cheaper on the entry tier than ActiveCampaign Marketing Starter.
See price history: ActiveCampaign Marketing Starter · Constant Contact
How pricing works
These two tools don't price the same way, so the headline numbers below aren't directly comparable until you plug in your own volume.
- ActiveCampaign Marketing Starter (Per Usage) — ActiveCampaign Marketing Starter bills purely on usage — contacts. There is no fixed per-seat fee, so the monthly cost depends entirely on how much you consume.
- Constant Contact (Unknown model) — Constant Contact bills on a fixed plan from $12/mo, so the listed price is what you pay regardless of volume.
Per-minute, per-credit and per-token rates exclude any downstream model, speech or telephony costs unless the vendor states otherwise.
ActiveCampaign Marketing Starter is ActiveCampaign's entry marketing automation product — email marketing, drip campaigns, segmentation, and basic automation at 1,000 contacts baseline for $19/mo monthly ($15/mo annual). Price scales with contact list size: 10K contacts ≈ $149/mo Plus. ActiveCampaign sells 2 additional products with independent pricing not tracked here: ActiveCampaign Sales (standalone CRM), ActiveCampaign Bundle (Marketing + Sales combined at a discount, Bundle Plus at $93/mo is the sweet spot for many customers). All three products scale with contact count. Popular with SMBs and solopreneurs graduating from Mailchimp.
One of the original email marketing platforms (founded 1995), positioned as the beginner-friendly alternative to Mailchimp for very-small-business and nonprofit segments. Distinctive for its 98% inbox delivery rate and dedicated live-support model — unusual in the SMB email space. Restructured 2026 with 3 published tiers (Lite/Standard/Premium) plus custom Teams tier for franchises and multi-location businesses. Lite starts at $12/mo monthly ($8.40 annual) for 500 contacts scaling by list size. 30% off first 3 months promo currently active. Owned by Endurance International / Newfold Digital.
All plans compared
| Tier role | Plan | ActiveCampaign Marketing Starter monthly | ActiveCampaign Marketing Starter annual | Constant Contact monthly | Constant Contact annual |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Entry paid | Starter / Lite | $19 | $15 | $12 | $10.2 |
| Mid tier | Plus / Standard | $59 | $49 | $35 | $29.75 |
| Pro / power | Pro / Premium | $99 | $79 | $80 | $68 |
| Teams | — / Teams | — | — | Custom | Custom |
| Enterprise | Enterprise / — | $179 | $145 | — | — |
Tier names differ across vendors. Rows are aligned by tier role, not name. Full tier structures on each tool's page.
What each is best for
ActiveCampaign Marketing Starter is worth it if… SMBs (500-5,000 contacts) that need email + basic automation + CRM in one tool without HubSpot's price tag. Starter covers most basic email flows; Plus adds sales automation and SMS.
Constant Contact is worth it if… very-small businesses, nonprofits, and event organizers who want email + basic automation + live phone support — particularly if you've outgrown MailerLite's free tier and want more hand-holding than Mailchimp offers. Lite covers newsletter-only needs with 1 automation template; Standard adds A/B testing and 3 automations; Premium unlocks unlimited automations, SEO recommendations, and Google Ads manager; Teams for multi-location businesses.
Bottom line: Similar positioning, closer to a preference call than a strategic one.
Choose ActiveCampaign Marketing Starter over Constant Contact if…
Choose ActiveCampaign Marketing Starter if…
- You want to pay only for actual usage (per usage, from $19/mo).
- You match the profile ActiveCampaign Marketing Starter is built for: SMBs (500-5,000 contacts) that need email + basic automation + CRM in one tool without HubSpot's price tag.
- You need a general-purpose marketing & email option rather than a vertical-specific one.
Choose Constant Contact if…
- You're comfortable with Constant Contact's from $12/mo entry point.
- You match the profile Constant Contact is built for: very-small businesses, nonprofits, and event organizers who want email + basic automation + live phone support — particularly if you've outgrown MailerLite's free tier and want more hand-holding than Mailchimp offers.
- You need a general-purpose marketing & email option rather than a vertical-specific one.
At a glance
| ActiveCampaign Marketing Starter | Constant Contact | |
|---|---|---|
| Free plan | No | No |
| Entry price | $19/mo | $12/mo |
| Enterprise available | Yes | Yes |
| Pricing model | Per Usage | — |
| Last verified | September 12, 2026 | September 18, 2026 |
| Full pricing | View full pricing | View full pricing |
Pricing last verified September 18, 2026. Tracked daily.
Frequently asked questions
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Common questions about ActiveCampaign Marketing Starter and Constant Contact
- How much does ActiveCampaign Marketing Starter cost in 2026?
- Does ActiveCampaign Marketing Starter have a free plan?
- How often does ActiveCampaign Marketing Starter change prices?
- What are the best ActiveCampaign Marketing Starter alternatives in 2026?
- How much does Constant Contact cost in 2026?
- Does Constant Contact have a free plan?
- How often does Constant Contact change prices?
- What are the best Constant Contact alternatives in 2026?