ActiveCampaign Marketing Starter vs Mailerlite — Pricing, Plans, and Verified Costs (2026)
ActiveCampaign Marketing Starter starts at $19/mo. Mailerlite starts at $12/mo. Mailerlite is $7/mo cheaper on the entry tier than ActiveCampaign Marketing Starter.
See price history: ActiveCampaign Marketing Starter · Mailerlite
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.
- Mailerlite (Per Usage) — Mailerlite bills purely on usage — Subscribers. There is no fixed per-seat fee, so the monthly cost depends entirely on how much you consume.
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.
European (Lithuanian) email platform positioned as the value alternative to Mailchimp for SMBs. Distinctive for its transparent pricing (public tiers, no per-contact games) and formerly generous free tier. Restructured June 16, 2026: Growing Business renamed 'Comfort', paid tiers up 10-30% on effective per-subscriber basis (headline held, coverage shrank), free plan cut to 250 subs / 2,500 emails effective July 1, 2026. Priced $9-$12/mo Comfort tier (annual/monthly). Owned by Vista Equity Partners since 2021. Popular with creators and small businesses in Europe.
All plans compared
| Tier role | Plan | ActiveCampaign Marketing Starter monthly | ActiveCampaign Marketing Starter annual | Mailerlite monthly | Mailerlite annual |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Free / starter | — / Free | — | — | Free | Free |
| Entry paid | Starter / Comfort | $19 | $15 | $12 | $10.8 |
| Mid tier | Plus / — | $59 | $49 | — | — |
| Pro / power | Pro / Power | $99 | $79 | $25 | $22.5 |
| Enterprise | Enterprise | $179 | $145 | Custom | Custom |
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.
Mailerlite is worth it if… creators and SMBs (post-restructure: under 500 subscribers) who want polished email marketing at lower price than Mailchimp — particularly if you value modern templates and drag-and-drop simplicity. Free covers newsletters with under 250 subs (post-July 2026 cut); Comfort adds landing pages, automations, and covers up to 500 subs.
Bottom line: Similar positioning, closer to a preference call than a strategic one.
Choose ActiveCampaign Marketing Starter over Mailerlite 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 Mailerlite if…
- You want to pay only for actual usage (per usage, from $12/mo).
- You match the profile Mailerlite is built for: creators and SMBs (post-restructure: under 500 subscribers) who want polished email marketing at lower price than Mailchimp — particularly if you value modern templates and drag-and-drop simplicity.
- You need a general-purpose marketing & email option rather than a vertical-specific one.
At a glance
| ActiveCampaign Marketing Starter | Mailerlite | |
|---|---|---|
| Free plan | No | Yes |
| Entry price | $19/mo | $12/mo |
| Enterprise available | Yes | Yes |
| Pricing model | Per Usage | Per Usage |
| Last verified | September 12, 2026 | September 13, 2026 |
| Full pricing | View full pricing | View full pricing |
Pricing last verified September 13, 2026. Tracked daily.
Frequently asked questions
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Common questions about ActiveCampaign Marketing Starter and Mailerlite
- 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 Mailerlite cost in 2026?
- Does Mailerlite have a free plan?
- How often does Mailerlite change prices?
- What are the best Mailerlite alternatives in 2026?