ActiveCampaign Marketing Starter vs Mailchimp: Pricing Comparison (2026)
ActiveCampaign Marketing Starter starts at $19/mo. Mailchimp starts at $13/mo. Mailchimp is $6/mo cheaper on the entry tier than ActiveCampaign Marketing Starter.
See price history: ActiveCampaign Marketing Starter · Mailchimp
Marketing automation platform positioned as the mid-market alternative to HubSpot Marketing Hub and Mailchimp — more powerful than Mailchimp, cheaper than HubSpot. Distinctive for its automation depth (multi-step workflows, conditional logic) available at lower tiers than competitors. Priced per contact starting at $15/mo (Lite tier). Popular with agencies managing client marketing and SMB e-commerce teams.
The original email marketing platform for SMBs, now owned by Intuit ($12B acquisition, 2021). Distinctive for pricing per subscriber rather than per email sent — which surprises teams with large-but-inactive lists. Free tier up to 500 contacts. Paid tiers get expensive fast as your list grows ($350/mo Premium at 10K+ contacts). Losing SMB share to Beehiiv (creators) and Klaviyo (e-commerce) but still the default for non-technical marketers.
All plans compared
| # | Plan | ActiveCampaign Marketing Starter monthly | ActiveCampaign Marketing Starter annual | Mailchimp monthly | Mailchimp annual |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Starter / Free | 19 | 15 | 0 | — |
| 2 | Plus / Essentials | — | 49 | 13 | — |
| 3 | Pro / Standard | — | 79 | 20 | — |
| 4 | Enterprise / Premium | — | 145 | 350 | — |
What each is best for
Marketing automation platform positioned as the mid-market alternative to HubSpot Marketing Hub and Mailchimp — more powerful than Mailchimp, cheaper than HubSpot. Distinctive for its automation depth (multi-step workflows, conditional logic) available at lower tiers than competitors. Priced per contact starting at $15/mo (Lite tier). Popular with agencies managing client marketing and SMB e-commerce teams.
The original email marketing platform for SMBs, now owned by Intuit ($12B acquisition, 2021). Distinctive for pricing per subscriber rather than per email sent — which surprises teams with large-but-inactive lists. Free tier up to 500 contacts. Paid tiers get expensive fast as your list grows ($350/mo Premium at 10K+ contacts). Losing SMB share to Beehiiv (creators) and Klaviyo (e-commerce) but still the default for non-technical marketers.
At a glance
| ActiveCampaign Marketing Starter | Mailchimp | |
|---|---|---|
| Free plan | — | Yes |
| Entry price | $19/mo | $13/mo |
| Enterprise available | Yes | Yes |
| Pricing model | Per Usage | Per Usage |
| Last verified | July 23, 2026 | July 28, 2026 |
| Full pricing | View full pricing | View full pricing |
Pricing last verified July 28, 2026. Tracked daily.