ActiveCampaign
$15/mo est.
- Entry price
- $15/mo (Starter)
- Free plan
- No (14-day trial)
- Automation
- Advanced (Plus+); Basic (Starter)
- SMS
- Yes (US SMS add-on)
- E-commerce
- Shopify, WooCommerce, BigCommerce, Magento
- Est. monthly cost
- $15/mo
ActiveCampaign
A powerful marketing automation platform with a built-in CRM, strong AI features, and the deepest workflow engine in this set.
- Entry price
- $15/mo (Starter)
- Free plan
- No (14-day trial)
- Integrations
- 900+
- SMS
- Yes (US SMS add-on)
Best for
US businesses that treat marketing automation and a built-in CRM as the core of their stack. No free plan, 14-day trial only.
Pricing breakdown
All prices in USDLast verified June 19, 2026Every fee we track, grouped by where it applies.
Strengths and trade-offs
Pros
- Deepest automation and workflow engine in this set
- Built-in sales CRM
- Official MCP server for AI agents
- Native US SMS as a paid add-on
Cons
- No free plan (14-day trial only)
- Steeper learning curve than simpler tools
- Bills for all contacts (active and inactive)
- Costs climb at larger list sizes
About ActiveCampaign
ActiveCampaign is the automation-first choice in this set, built around a powerful visual workflow engine and a built-in sales CRM. US businesses that want to connect marketing email to sales follow-up in one platform, with conditional logic, behavioral triggers, and goal-based sequences, choose it for that depth.
The Starter plan covers core sending and basic automation, while the Plus plan and above unlock advanced multi-step automations, the CRM, and predictive sending. It bills by contact count in US dollars and has no free plan, only a 14-day trial. SMS marketing is a paid add-on, and it has an official MCP server for AI assistants and agents. It suits senders who treat automation as the core of their marketing.
ActiveCampaign was founded in 2003 and is headquartered in Chicago, USA.
How ActiveCampaign compares
Side-by-side with the closest alternatives by estimated cost.
Tier pricing based on 1,000 subscribers and 5,000 emails per month, using each free plan where it fits.
Mailchimp
$27/mo est.
- Entry price
- $13/mo (Essentials)
- Free plan
- Yes (500 contacts, 1,000 sends /mo)
- Automation
- Basic (Essentials), Advanced (Standard+)
- SMS
- Yes (US SMS, paid add-on)
- E-commerce
- Shopify, WooCommerce, BigCommerce, Magento
- Est. monthly cost
- $27/mo
Brevo
$0/mo est.
- Entry price
- $9/mo (Starter)
- Free plan
- Yes (300 emails /day, unlimited contacts)
- Automation
- Basic (Starter), Advanced (Business+)
- SMS
- Yes (US supported)
- E-commerce
- Shopify, WooCommerce, PrestaShop, Magento
- Est. monthly cost
- $0/mo
Kit
$0/mo est.
- Entry price
- $0 (free to 10K)
- Free plan
- Yes (10K subscribers, 1 automation, no A/B)
- Automation
- Basic (Free), Advanced (Creator+)
- SMS
- No
- E-commerce
- Shopify, WooCommerce
- Est. monthly cost
- $0/mo
Common questions about ActiveCampaign
The same questions US merchants ask before signing up.
ActiveCampaign starts at $15/mo (Starter) on the Starter plan. Pricing scales by contact count, so the monthly fee rises as your list grows. There is no free plan, only a 14-day trial.
No. ActiveCampaign does not offer a free plan. You can try the platform with a 14-day free trial, after which a paid subscription is required. If a permanent free tier matters, look at Mailchimp, Brevo, or Kit instead.
The Starter plan includes basic automation workflows. The Plus plan and above unlock advanced multi-step automations, conditional logic, a built-in sales CRM, and goal-based sequences. Predictive sending, which uses AI to determine the best send time per contact, is available on higher tiers. This is the deepest automation engine in this comparison.
Yes. ActiveCampaign offers an official MCP (Model Context Protocol) server, which lets AI assistants and agents connect to your account to read data and trigger actions through a standard interface, rather than relying only on Zapier or community workarounds.
Yes. ActiveCampaign offers SMS marketing to US mobile numbers as a paid add-on. Email and SMS can be coordinated within the same automation flows, so multi-channel sequences stay aligned.
ActiveCampaign offers more powerful marketing automation and a built-in CRM, while Mailchimp has a more familiar interface and a free entry tier. ActiveCampaign suits businesses that treat automation as the core of their marketing; Mailchimp suits those who want a simple, recognizable tool. Compare both at your list size in the table above.
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