ActiveCampaign vs Mailchimp: Prices and Automation Compared

By Jody Rourke · Published October 22, 2026 · Last updated October 22, 2026 · Prices checked October 19, 2026

How we checked this: Compared from official docs and pricing pages as of 2026-10-19 (trial, contact selector and flow steps re-read 2026-10-22). We haven't tested these tools hands-on.

Pick Mailchimp if you want a free plan or month-to-month billing. Its Free plan covers up to 250 contacts [5], and Essentials is $13 per month for 0-500 contacts, billed monthly, as of Oct. 19, 2026 [4]. Pick ActiveCampaign if you need longer automations and can pay yearly. Starter is $15 per month for 1,000 contacts, billed annually, as of Oct. 19, 2026 [1].

Short version: Mailchimp's cheapest paid plan caps automation flows at 4 steps [4], and ActiveCampaign's Starter caps them at 5 actions per automation [1]. Past that, ActiveCampaign Plus lists "Unlimited automation actions" [1]. If you're weighing other email tools too, see Mailchimp alternatives for small business, or the best AI tools for small business for the wider picture.

ActiveCampaign vs Mailchimp: quick answer

• Free option: Mailchimp has a Free plan with up to 250 contacts and 500 sends per month [5]. ActiveCampaign has no free plan; it offers a free 14-day trial [1].
• Billing: ActiveCampaign's pricing page shows annual billing only [1]. Mailchimp's prices at these list sizes are monthly; it offers annual plans only for Standard and Premium at 10,000+ contacts, through sales [4].
• Automation on the cheapest paid plan: ActiveCampaign Starter allows 5 actions per automation; Mailchimp Essentials allows flows of up to 4 steps [1][4].
• Seats on the cheapest paid plan (logins for your own team, not contacts): ActiveCampaign Starter has 1 user; Mailchimp Essentials has 3 seats [1][4].

Prices and plan limits change. Check the vendor's pricing page before you buy. Retrieved 2026-10-19.

ActiveCampaign vs Mailchimp pricing at 1,000 and 2,500 contacts

• ActiveCampaign prices by contact count. Its pricing selector starts at 1,000 contacts, and its pricing page shows no price below 1,000 [1]. Our source lists prices at 1,000, 2,500, 5,000 and 10,000 contacts [1].
• Mailchimp prices by contact band: 0-500, 501-1,500, 1,501-2,500, 2,501-5,000 and 5,001-10,000 [4].

So the table below uses only list sizes both vendors price: 1,000 contacts (Mailchimp's 501-1,500 band) and 2,500 contacts (Mailchimp's 1,501-2,500 band). The last row shows each vendor's next tier up: 5,000 contacts (Mailchimp's 2,501-5,000 band).

ActiveCampaign Enterprise is $145 per month at 1,000 contacts, $255 at 2,500 and $375 at 5,000, billed annually, as of Oct. 19, 2026 [1]. Mailchimp Premium is $350 per month at 1,000, 2,500 and 5,000 contacts (its 501-1,500, 1,501-2,500 and 2,501-5,000 bands), billed monthly, as of Oct. 19, 2026 [4].

A few things the table can't show:

• Billing basis differs. Every ActiveCampaign price above is per month, billed annually [1]. Every Mailchimp price above is per month, billed monthly [4]. Billed annually means one bill for the year, so check the yearly total before you commit.
• Small lists. At 0-500 contacts, Mailchimp Essentials is $13 and Standard is $20 per month, billed monthly, as of Oct. 19, 2026 [4]. ActiveCampaign's pricing selector starts at 1,000 contacts [1], so the lowest ActiveCampaign price we can give you is the 1,000-contact price: Starter at $15 per month, billed annually, as of Oct. 19, 2026 [1].
• Lists between tiers. If your list falls between the sizes above (say 1,200 contacts), the two vendors' steps don't line up: Mailchimp prices 1,200 in its 501-1,500 band, while ActiveCampaign's selector jumps from 1,000 to 2,500 contacts [1][4]. Check each vendor's contact selector for your exact count.
• Overages. Mailchimp says overages apply if you go over your contact or email-send limit on a paid plan [4], and an import that pushes you over your plan's contact limit means additional charges [6].

ActiveCampaign's pricing page says "There are no setup costs or hidden fees when you start with ActiveCampaign" [1]. That's the vendor's claim.

Free plan vs free trial

Mailchimp Free includes up to 250 contacts and 500 sends per month, with a daily send limit of 250, 1 audience and 1 seat [5]. Mailchimp's plan table lists marketing automation flows as "Not included" on Free [4]. If you go over 250 contacts on Free, Mailchimp says it places a hold on sending until you upgrade or reduce your contact total [5].

Mailchimp's trial is the first 14 days of a Standard or Essentials monthly plan, and valid payment information must be provided at enrollment [4]. It's for new customers, or Free-plan accounts created within the last 90 days in select countries, and it's limited to one per account [4].

ActiveCampaign has no free plan. Its pricing page offers a "Free 14-day trial with email sign-up" [1]. Its pricing page says "No credit card needed" [1]. ActiveCampaign also advertises "Guaranteed results in 30 days or your money back" [1]. Read its terms before you rely on that.

Automation depth: actions vs flow steps

An automation (Mailchimp calls it a flow) is a set of emails or steps that runs on its own after a trigger, such as someone joining your list. Here's what each vendor's pricing page lists:

Mailchimp's help page describes Standard as including "Expanded automation flow capabilities and flow templates" [5]. Mailchimp's help page says you can add up to 200 steps to a flow on Standard or higher, and up to 4 on Essentials [7].

The two vendors count differently. ActiveCampaign counts actions per automation, and Mailchimp counts flow steps (on Essentials) or flows (on Standard and Premium). Don't assume 5 ActiveCampaign actions equal 5 Mailchimp steps; map out your own sequence and count it both ways.

Seats and email sends

On Essentials, Mailchimp's help page says your monthly send limit is 10 times your contact limit [5]. In plain terms, your send cap grows with the contact tier you pay for. Mailchimp's help page also says Essentials stores up to 50,000 contacts and Standard up to 100,000 [5].

Decision rule: when automation depth is worth the price

Count the emails and other steps in your longest planned sequence, then check how each vendor counts them (see above).

1. No automations, 250 contacts or fewer, one person: stay on Mailchimp Free. It includes up to 250 contacts and 1 seat, but no automation flows [4][5].
2. Sequences of up to 4 flow steps, and you want to pay month to month: Mailchimp Essentials. It allows flows of up to 4 steps and is billed monthly [4].
3. Sequences of up to 5 actions, one user, and you can pay yearly: ActiveCampaign Starter. It allows 5 actions per automation [1]. At 1,000 contacts it's $15 per month billed annually, against $26.50 per month billed monthly for Mailchimp Essentials, as of Oct. 19, 2026 [1][4].
4. Longer sequences, one user: ActiveCampaign Plus, which lists "Unlimited automation actions" [1], at $49 per month for 1,000 contacts, billed annually, as of Oct. 19, 2026 [1]. Mailchimp Standard ($45 per month for 501-1,500 contacts, billed monthly, as of Oct. 19, 2026 [4]) allows up to 200 flows [4]. Each Standard flow can hold up to 200 steps [7].
5. Two or more people need a login: Mailchimp Essentials has 3 seats and Standard has 5 [4]. On ActiveCampaign, you need Pro for 3 users, at $79 per month for 1,000 contacts, billed annually, as of Oct. 19, 2026 [1].

Who each plan is not for

• Mailchimp Free. Not for: you, if you need any automation or more than 250 contacts, because Free has no automation flows and a 250-contact limit [4][5].
• Mailchimp Essentials. Not for: you, if your sequences run past 4 steps, because that's its flow limit [4].
• Mailchimp Standard. Not for: teams of more than 5 people, because it includes 5 seats [4].
• Mailchimp Premium. Not for: most lists at these sizes, because it's $350 per month for 501-1,500 or 1,501-2,500 contacts, billed monthly, as of Oct. 19, 2026 [4].
• ActiveCampaign Starter. Not for: teams, or sequences longer than 5 actions, because it includes 1 user and 5 actions per automation [1].
• ActiveCampaign Plus. Not for: teams, because it includes 1 user [1], or owners who want monthly billing, because the pricing page shows annual billing only [1].
• ActiveCampaign Pro and Enterprise. Not for: a solo owner with short sequences, because Pro is $79 and Enterprise $145 per month at 1,000 contacts, billed annually, as of Oct. 19, 2026 [1], and Starter already covers 5 actions per automation [1].

Switching from Mailchimp to ActiveCampaign

ActiveCampaign's help center documents a manual path that starts with Mailchimp's "Export as CSV" [2].

On its own comparison page, ActiveCampaign claims its free migration covers automations up to 10 steps, that most migrations finish in under 2 hours, and that Mailchimp restricts migration help to Premium customers [3]. Those are ActiveCampaign's claims about itself and a competitor. We haven't checked them.

Going the other way, Mailchimp imports contacts from a CSV file, by copy and paste from a spreadsheet, or from 6 connected apps [6].

Before you switch, list your forms, automations and segments. Plan to rebuild anything the new tool doesn't move.

What to do next

Count your contacts and the steps in your longest planned automation, then find your row in the decision rule above. Read each vendor's trial terms before you enter payment details. If neither fits, compare cheaper email tools in MailerLite vs Kit, or look at CRMs with email features in HubSpot alternatives.

Prices checked October 19, 2026. Prices and plans change; confirm on each vendor's site.

Last updated: October 22, 2026