ActiveCampaign Marketing Starter vs SE Ranking — Pricing, Plans, and Verified Costs (2026)
ActiveCampaign Marketing Starter starts at $19/mo. SE Ranking starts at $129/mo. ActiveCampaign Marketing Starter is $110/mo cheaper on the entry tier than SE Ranking.
See price history: ActiveCampaign Marketing Starter · SE Ranking
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.
- SE Ranking (Flat Rate) — SE Ranking bills on a fixed plan from $129/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.
SEO platform positioned as the value alternative to Semrush (now Adobe) at roughly half the price. Distinctive for its "full SEO suite" positioning — keyword research, rank tracking, backlink monitoring, site audit — bundled at the Essential tier rather than sold as add-ons. Priced $65-$259/mo (annual). Bootstrapped, popular with agencies serving SMB clients where the client can't justify Semrush's price tag.
All plans compared
| Tier role | Plan | ActiveCampaign Marketing Starter monthly | ActiveCampaign Marketing Starter annual | SE Ranking monthly | SE Ranking annual |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Entry paid | Starter / Core | $19 | $15 | $129 | $103.2 |
| Mid tier | Plus / — | $59 | $49 | — | — |
| Pro / power | Pro / Growth | $99 | $79 | $279 | $223.2 |
| 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.
SE Ranking is worth it if… small-to-mid marketing agencies and in-house SEO teams that want a full-stack SEO suite — keyword research + rank tracking + backlink analysis + site audit + competitor research — at a fraction of Ahrefs/Semrush price. Core (formerly Essential) covers small teams; Pro adds larger keyword databases; Business scales for agencies.
Bottom line: Choose based on how you want to pay — ActiveCampaign Marketing Starter is per usage, SE Ranking is flat rate.
Choose ActiveCampaign Marketing Starter over SE Ranking 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 SE Ranking if…
- You want fixed-price predictability (flat rate, from $129/mo).
- You match the profile SE Ranking is built for: small-to-mid marketing agencies and in-house SEO teams that want a full-stack SEO suite — keyword research + rank tracking + backlink analysis + site audit + competitor research — at a fraction of Ahrefs/Semrush price.
- You need a general-purpose marketing & email option rather than a vertical-specific one.
At a glance
| ActiveCampaign Marketing Starter | SE Ranking | |
|---|---|---|
| Free plan | No | No |
| Entry price | $19/mo | $129/mo |
| Enterprise available | Yes | Yes |
| Pricing model | Per Usage | Flat Rate |
| 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 SE Ranking
- 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 SE Ranking cost in 2026?
- Does SE Ranking have a free plan?
- How often does SE Ranking change prices?
- What are the best SE Ranking alternatives in 2026?