ActiveCampaign vs Buffer: pricing, plans, and positioning compared
Verified pricing and side-by-side plan structures. Updated daily.
Side-by-side comparison
ActiveCampaign Marketing & Email | Buffer Marketing & Email | |
|---|---|---|
| Entry price | $19/mo | $6/mo |
| Annual discount | −21% | −17% |
| Free plan | — | Yes |
| Number of tiers | 4 | 3 |
| Positioning | 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. | Social media scheduling and analytics from a fully-remote 80-person company known for radical transparency (publishes salaries, revenue publicly). Positioned as the alternative to Hootsuite for small businesses and creators. Distinctive for its calm, no-upsell culture. Priced $6-$120/mo across four tiers. Losing ground to Hootsuite (enterprise) and Later (Instagram-first) but still profitable and cash-generative. |
| Full pricing | View full pricing | View full pricing |
Plan-by-plan comparison
| # | ActiveCampaign | Buffer |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Starter Monthly: 19 · Annual: 15 1K contacts, basic automation | Free Monthly: 0 · Annual: 0 3 channels |
| 2 | Plus Annual: 49 1K contacts, CRM + SMS | Essentials Monthly: 6 · Annual: 5 per channel/mo, channels 11+ discounted |
| 3 | Pro Annual: 79 1K contacts, full automation | Team Monthly: 12 · Annual: 10 per channel/mo, unlimited users + approvals |
| 4 | Enterprise Annual: 145 1K contacts, SSO + custom objects | — |