ActiveCampaign Marketing Starter vs Mailchimp — Pricing, Plans, and Verified Costs (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
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 on usage — contacts on top of a paid plan starting at $19/mo. The plan includes an allowance; anything beyond it is metered.
- Mailchimp (Per Usage) — Mailchimp bills on usage — contacts on top of a paid plan starting at $13/mo. The plan includes an allowance; anything beyond it is metered.
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.
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
| Tier role | Plan | ActiveCampaign Marketing Starter monthly | ActiveCampaign Marketing Starter annual | Mailchimp monthly | Mailchimp annual |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Free / starter | — / Free | — | — | Free | — |
| Entry paid | Starter / Essentials | $19 | $15 | $13 | — |
| Mid tier | Plus / Standard | $59 | $49 | $20 | — |
| Pro / power | Pro / Premium | $99 | $79 | $350 | — |
| 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.
Mailchimp is worth it if… SMBs and solo creators who want email marketing + light e-commerce + landing pages — the household-name option with generous templates and easy setup. Free covers up to 500 contacts; Essentials adds automations; Standard adds journeys and A/B testing; Premium adds advanced segmentation.
Bottom line: Similar positioning, closer to a preference call than a strategic one.
Choose ActiveCampaign Marketing Starter over Mailchimp 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 Mailchimp if…
- You want to pay only for actual usage (per usage, from $13/mo).
- You match the profile Mailchimp is built for: SMBs and solo creators who want email marketing + light e-commerce + landing pages — the household-name option with generous templates and easy setup.
- You need a general-purpose marketing & email option rather than a vertical-specific one.
At a glance
| ActiveCampaign Marketing Starter | Mailchimp | |
|---|---|---|
| Free plan | No | Yes |
| Entry price | $19/mo | $13/mo |
| Enterprise available | Yes | Yes |
| Pricing model | Per Usage | Per Usage |
| Verification | Checked October 3, 2026 | Pricing under review |
| Full pricing | View full pricing | View full pricing |
Pricing last verified October 3, 2026. Tracked daily.
Frequently asked questions
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Common questions about ActiveCampaign Marketing Starter and Mailchimp
- 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 Mailchimp cost in 2026?
- Does Mailchimp have a free plan?
- How often does Mailchimp change prices?
- What are the best Mailchimp alternatives in 2026?