ActiveCampaign is a full-featured CRM and marketing automation platform designed for growing businesses with complex workflows, while Mailchimp is a simpler, more affordable email marketing tool better suited for small businesses and beginners. ActiveCampaign starts at $15/month but requires more technical setup, whereas Mailchimp's free plan serves up to 500 contacts with basic features.
ActiveCampaign vs Mailchimp — Side-by-side comparison on A Versus B
Enterprise-grade CRM and marketing automation platform with advanced workflow automation and sales tools.
All-in-one marketing platform offering email campaigns, automation, landing pages, and CRM features.
Primary Focus. Starting Price. Automation Workflows. Contact Management. Learning Curve. API & Integrations. Customer Support Response Time
Choose ActiveCampaign if you need advanced CRM functionality, complex marketing automation, and have a growing sales team managing leads and pipelines. Choose Mailchimp if you're a small business or entrepreneur focused primarily on email marketing, have a limited budget, and prefer simplicity over advanced features.
ActiveCampaign: Plus plan ($99+/month) and above | Mailchimp: Free on all plans
ActiveCampaign: AI-generated email drafts included | Mailchimp: Not available
ActiveCampaign: Advanced - conditional branching, multi-step, custom logic | Mailchimp: Basic (Customer Journey Builder)
ActiveCampaign: A/B testing and spam testing | Mailchimp: A/B testing and design testing (free)
ActiveCampaign: Limited platform support | Mailchimp: More extensive platform coverage
ActiveCampaign: Native CRM with advanced features | Mailchimp: Basic contact management
ActiveCampaign: Experienced marketers preferred | Mailchimp: Beginner-friendly
ActiveCampaign: $15/month | Mailchimp: N/A
ActiveCampaign: $49/month (Plus) | Mailchimp: N/A
ActiveCampaign: $145/month | Mailchimp: N/A
ActiveCampaign: 2 (Marketing & CRM) | Mailchimp: N/A
ActiveCampaign: $49/month | Mailchimp: N/A
ActiveCampaign: Nearly identical ratings | Mailchimp: N/A
ActiveCampaign: 1,000 contacts | Mailchimp: N/A
Average eCommerce Email Revenue Per Send
ActiveCampaign: Not published | Mailchimp: N/A
ActiveCampaign: $9 (500 contacts) | Mailchimp: N/A
ActiveCampaign: $385–$495 | Mailchimp: N/A
ActiveCampaign: Full B2B/B2C CRM with lead scoring | Mailchimp: N/A
ActiveCampaign: Available (add-on/integration) | Mailchimp: N/A
ActiveCampaign: Supported via marketplace | Mailchimp: N/A
ActiveCampaign: 4,200% ROI (industry average) | Mailchimp: N/A
ActiveCampaign: Email, SMS, web, social, chat (native) | Mailchimp: N/A
ActiveCampaign: Unlimited | Mailchimp: N/A
ActiveCampaign: No (forms only) | Mailchimp: Yes (drag-and-drop, AI-assisted)
ActiveCampaign: Full-featured with scoring | Mailchimp: N/A
ActiveCampaign: Advanced (conditional logic, multi-branch) | Mailchimp: ~5 basic automations
ActiveCampaign: 2-4 weeks (with training) | Mailchimp: N/A
ActiveCampaign: $149 (Pro plan, unlimited) | Mailchimp: $50-100
ActiveCampaign: Yes | Mailchimp: Yes, full CRM suite
ActiveCampaign: Predictive sending, lead scoring | Mailchimp: N/A
ActiveCampaign: Unlimited advanced workflows | Mailchimp: N/A
ActiveCampaign: Moderate - requires learning | Mailchimp: N/A
Starting Monthly Price (Annual Commitment)
ActiveCampaign: Behavioral, manual, predictive (limited AI) | Mailchimp: N/A
ActiveCampaign: Yes (native) | Mailchimp: N/A
ActiveCampaign: 2-5 days | Mailchimp: N/A
ActiveCampaign: 2-4 hour sync | Mailchimp: N/A
ActiveCampaign: 10,000+ | Mailchimp: N/A
ActiveCampaign: 4-8 weeks | Mailchimp: 0.5-2 hours (no code required)
ActiveCampaign: Basic (via third-party apps) | Mailchimp: N/A
ActiveCampaign: 8-12% (varies by setup) | Mailchimp: N/A
ActiveCampaign: Yes (behavioral, predictive, dynamic) | Mailchimp: N/A
ActiveCampaign: None (paid only) | Mailchimp: 1,000 emails/month
ActiveCampaign: 4+ (Salesforce, HubSpot, Pipedrive, native) | Mailchimp: 3 (Salesforce, HubSpot, custom)
ActiveCampaign: 2 (last-click, first-click) | Mailchimp: N/A
ActiveCampaign: Advanced predictive with AI priority ranking | Mailchimp: N/A
ActiveCampaign: No (14-day trial only) | Mailchimp: Yes (500 contacts)
ActiveCampaign: 10-300 calls (tier-dependent) | Mailchimp: N/A
ActiveCampaign: 100+ (plan-dependent) | Mailchimp: N/A
ActiveCampaign: Advanced with A/B testing, dynamic content, behavior triggers | Mailchimp: N/A
ActiveCampaign: Predictive send time, contact scoring, revenue attribution | Mailchimp: N/A
ActiveCampaign: Unlimited (500 contacts max) | Mailchimp: N/A
ActiveCampaign: 10,000+ | Mailchimp: 300+
ActiveCampaign: Advanced (deals, pipelines, forecasting) | Mailchimp: N/A
ActiveCampaign: Yes (all paid plans) | Mailchimp: N/A
ActiveCampaign: Yes (all plans) | Mailchimp: Advanced AI copywriter with subject line optimization
ActiveCampaign: 600 calls/min | Mailchimp: 10 calls/second
ActiveCampaign: $9 (Lite tier) | Mailchimp: $0 (free tier) or $20 (Pro)
ActiveCampaign: No free tier | Mailchimp: 500 free contacts
ActiveCampaign: 500+ templates | Mailchimp: 1,000+ templates
ActiveCampaign: Full CRM with sales pipelines and deal tracking | Mailchimp: Full CRM with customer profiles
ActiveCampaign: 500+ pre-built workflows | Mailchimp: 300+
ActiveCampaign: $229/month | Mailchimp: N/A
ActiveCampaign: 3.9/5 | Mailchimp: 7.8/10
ActiveCampaign: 2-4 weeks | Mailchimp: N/A
ActiveCampaign: 200+ professional templates | Mailchimp: 100+ professional templates
ActiveCampaign: 100,000 | Mailchimp: N/A
ActiveCampaign: Limited functionality | Mailchimp: N/A
ActiveCampaign: 500 | Mailchimp: 500 (free) / 5,000 (paid)
ActiveCampaign: No free plan | Mailchimp: 500 contacts
ActiveCampaign: Add-on only | Mailchimp: No (add-on only)
ActiveCampaign: Advanced AI-powered with predictive scoring | Mailchimp: N/A
ActiveCampaign: 14 days | Mailchimp: N/A
ActiveCampaign: $15/month | Mailchimp: Free
ActiveCampaign: $549 (10 seats @ $35 + contact tier) | Mailchimp: N/A
ActiveCampaign: 1-2 weeks | Mailchimp: 0.08 months (1 hour)
Marketing Automation Workflows (Pre-built)
ActiveCampaign: 1,000+ | Mailchimp: 300+
ActiveCampaign: Unlimited with advanced conditional logic | Mailchimp: Limited basic sequences
ActiveCampaign: Full CRM with lead scoring, pipeline, forecasting | Mailchimp: List management only
ActiveCampaign: 24 hours (email) | Mailchimp: Email-based, no SLA
ActiveCampaign: Yes - iOS and Android | Mailchimp: Yes - iOS and Android
ActiveCampaign: Not included | Mailchimp: N/A
ActiveCampaign: All plans | Mailchimp: N/A
ActiveCampaign: 4 hours | Mailchimp: N/A
ActiveCampaign: 4-6 weeks | Mailchimp: N/A
ActiveCampaign: Yes - full sales pipeline, deal tracking | Mailchimp: No (API integration only)
ActiveCampaign: No - requires third-party integration | Mailchimp: N/A
Mid-Tier Price (5K contacts/subscribers)
Enterprise Price (100K+ contacts/subscribers)
ActiveCampaign: Full deal pipelines with forecasting and attribution | Mailchimp: N/A
ActiveCampaign: 1,000 | Mailchimp: 500 contacts
ActiveCampaign: Separate add-on ($10+/month) | Mailchimp: N/A
ActiveCampaign: Full sales pipeline with deal tracking | Mailchimp: N/A
ActiveCampaign: 8/10 (steep) | Mailchimp: N/A
ActiveCampaign: N/A | Mailchimp: 5 channels
ActiveCampaign: N/A | Mailchimp: 7 (moderate to high)
ActiveCampaign: N/A | Mailchimp: Sophisticated data-driven rules
ActiveCampaign: N/A | Mailchimp: Yes, varies by plan
ActiveCampaign: N/A | Mailchimp: Yes, with international expansion
ActiveCampaign: N/A | Mailchimp: Limited (abandoned cart via integrations)
ActiveCampaign: N/A | Mailchimp: Yes - charges per contact/send overages
ActiveCampaign: N/A | Mailchimp: Comprehensive campaign performance and subscriber insights
ActiveCampaign: N/A | Mailchimp: Basic personalization features
ActiveCampaign: N/A | Mailchimp: Available but less intuitive setup
ActiveCampaign: N/A | Mailchimp: Full SMS suite with 2026 international expansion
ActiveCampaign: N/A | Mailchimp: Legacy interface, steep learning curve
ActiveCampaign: N/A | Mailchimp: Full native CRM platform integrated
ActiveCampaign: N/A | Mailchimp: $13/month
ActiveCampaign: N/A | Mailchimp: $50-70/month
ActiveCampaign: N/A | Mailchimp: $100/month
ActiveCampaign: N/A | Mailchimp: Limited core features only
ActiveCampaign: N/A | Mailchimp: Extensive design variety and customization
ActiveCampaign: N/A | Mailchimp: Standard audience segmentation
ActiveCampaign: N/A | Mailchimp: Basic contact data syncing
ActiveCampaign: N/A | Mailchimp: 1,000-5,000
ActiveCampaign: N/A | Mailchimp: Yes (added 2026, supports international markets)
ActiveCampaign: N/A | Mailchimp: 1-2 hours
Contact List Size Limit (Standard Pricing)
ActiveCampaign: N/A | Mailchimp: Unlimited growth with pro-rated pricing
ActiveCampaign: N/A | Mailchimp: 250 contacts
ActiveCampaign: N/A | Mailchimp: Capped by contact tier multipliers
ActiveCampaign: N/A | Mailchimp: 13 million users
ActiveCampaign: N/A | Mailchimp: 4.3/5 stars
ActiveCampaign: N/A | Mailchimp: Full CRM suite with advanced segmentation
ActiveCampaign: N/A | Mailchimp: Limited e-commerce via integrations
Price Scaling Factor at 5,000 Subscribers
ActiveCampaign: N/A | Mailchimp: Steep 3-4x multiplier
ActiveCampaign: N/A | Mailchimp: 500 contacts
ActiveCampaign: N/A | Mailchimp: Basic add-on CRM
ActiveCampaign: N/A | Mailchimp: Manual segmentation only
ActiveCampaign: N/A | Mailchimp: Email, basic social
ActiveCampaign: N/A | Mailchimp: Minimal (intuitive interface)
ActiveCampaign: N/A | Mailchimp: Standard quarterly updates
ActiveCampaign: N/A | Mailchimp: Email, SMS, landing pages, ads
ActiveCampaign: N/A | Mailchimp: Moderate, marketing-focused
ActiveCampaign: N/A | Mailchimp: 10-20 minutes
ActiveCampaign: N/A | Mailchimp: 300,000 (based on plan)
ActiveCampaign: N/A | Mailchimp: $13/month (Essentials)
ActiveCampaign: N/A | Mailchimp: $800/month (100,000 contacts)
ActiveCampaign: N/A | Mailchimp: Full-featured free plan
ActiveCampaign: N/A | Mailchimp: Yes (up to 500 contacts)
ActiveCampaign: N/A | Mailchimp: Modern and professional
ActiveCampaign: N/A | Mailchimp: Advanced automation included
ActiveCampaign: N/A | Mailchimp: Third-party integrations
ActiveCampaign: N/A | Mailchimp: Transactional email and small business
ActiveCampaign: N/A | Mailchimp: All paid plans
ActiveCampaign: N/A | Mailchimp: Behavioral segmentation only
ActiveCampaign: N/A | Mailchimp: 2/10 (simple)
ActiveCampaign: N/A | Mailchimp: Basic (list segmentation only)
ActiveCampaign: N/A | Mailchimp: No (Zapier third-party only)
ActiveCampaign: N/A | Mailchimp: 1 (beginner-friendly)
ActiveCampaign: N/A | Mailchimp: None (requires third-party solutions)
ActiveCampaign: N/A | Mailchimp: Unlimited (with 10k contacts max)
ActiveCampaign: N/A | Mailchimp: Not applicable (subscriber-based)
Starter Tier Monthly Cost (50k contacts)
ActiveCampaign: N/A | Mailchimp: $350/month
Automation Workflow Steps (Free/Starter Tier)
ActiveCampaign: N/A | Mailchimp: Unlimited (standard feature)
ActiveCampaign: N/A | Mailchimp: Unlimited (with pricing increase)
ActiveCampaign: N/A | Mailchimp: Unlimited
ActiveCampaign: N/A | Mailchimp: Phone support on paid plans only
ActiveCampaign: N/A | Mailchimp: 0% (you handle payments)
ActiveCampaign: N/A | Mailchimp: Advanced (conditional, behavioral triggers)
ActiveCampaign: N/A | Mailchimp: No (third-party required)
ActiveCampaign: N/A | Mailchimp: Yes (subject lines, send time)
ActiveCampaign: N/A | Mailchimp: Included in paid plans
ActiveCampaign: N/A | Mailchimp: 30+ (payment processor + Mailchimp config)
ActiveCampaign: N/A | Mailchimp: Not offered (email-focused)
ActiveCampaign: N/A | Mailchimp: Not offered
ActiveCampaign: N/A | Mailchimp: 3 (email, SMS via paid add-on, social)
ActiveCampaign: N/A | Mailchimp: $70/month
ActiveCampaign: N/A | Mailchimp: Limited (up to 5-10 per plan tier)
ActiveCampaign: N/A | Mailchimp: $0.01-0.05 per SMS
ActiveCampaign: N/A | Mailchimp: 100+ templates
ActiveCampaign: N/A | Mailchimp: 4-6 weeks
ActiveCampaign: N/A | Mailchimp: $2–$7 (plan-dependent)
ActiveCampaign: N/A | Mailchimp: 0.5–1 hour (UI-based)
ActiveCampaign: N/A | Mailchimp: Advanced (subject, send time, content)
ActiveCampaign: N/A | Mailchimp: Manual review required
ActiveCampaign: N/A | Mailchimp: Full CRM with segmentation, tagging, custom fields
ActiveCampaign: N/A | Mailchimp: $200–$350 (based on tier)
ActiveCampaign: N/A | Mailchimp: $0.01 (SMS add-on)
ActiveCampaign: N/A | Mailchimp: 45+ countries
ActiveCampaign: N/A | Mailchimp: 1 day (no-code signup)
ActiveCampaign: N/A | Mailchimp: 12M+ users (2025)
ActiveCampaign: N/A | Mailchimp: Unlimited steps
ActiveCampaign: N/A | Mailchimp: No (paid add-on)
ActiveCampaign: N/A | Mailchimp: 0% (SaaS model)
ActiveCampaign: N/A | Mailchimp: 30-60 minutes
ActiveCampaign: N/A | Mailchimp: 20 (1K-contact plan)
ActiveCampaign: N/A | Mailchimp: 20M+ users
ActiveCampaign: N/A | Mailchimp: 500+ templates including AI-generated
ActiveCampaign: N/A | Mailchimp: $20 additional per month
ActiveCampaign: N/A | Mailchimp: Advanced abandoned cart, product recommendations, dynamic pricing
ActiveCampaign: N/A | Mailchimp: Basic automation on free plan
ActiveCampaign: N/A | Mailchimp: $20/month
ActiveCampaign: N/A | Mailchimp: 1,000+ templates
ActiveCampaign: N/A | Mailchimp: Not included
ActiveCampaign: N/A | Mailchimp: Limited - basic integration support only
ActiveCampaign: N/A | Mailchimp: Advanced visual builder included
ActiveCampaign: N/A | Mailchimp: 15-20 minutes
ActiveCampaign: N/A | Mailchimp: Yes (drag-and-drop)
ActiveCampaign: N/A | Mailchimp: Available at higher tiers
How to choose between ActiveCampaign and Mailchimp
ActiveCampaign vs Mailchimp — Structured Comparison Data
Machine-readable comparison dataset for ActiveCampaign vs Mailchimp. Contains 253 attribute comparisons, 5 FAQ pairs.
ActiveCampaign vs Mailchimp — Attribute Category Vocabulary
Taxonomy of attribute categories used to classify comparison data for ActiveCampaign vs Mailchimp.
Which platform is better for email marketing only?
Mailchimp is the clear winner for email marketing alone. Its free plan, intuitive interface, and lower learning curve make it ideal for small businesses focused purely on email campaigns. ActiveCampaign's advanced features would be overkill and unnecessarily expensive for basic email marketing needs.
Can I use Mailchimp for sales team management?
Mailchimp lacks true CRM functionality. While it offers basic contact management and automation, it has no lead scoring, deal pipelines, or sales forecasting. ActiveCampaign is specifically designed for sales teams with full CRM capabilities including lead scoring and pipeline management.
What's the actual cost difference at scale?
For 10,000 contacts, Mailchimp costs $300/month while ActiveCampaign costs $449/month on comparable plans. However, ActiveCampaign includes CRM, advanced automation, and lead scoring that Mailchimp doesn't offer, so direct price comparison is misleading. Mailchimp is cheaper for email-only use cases.
How long does it take to get started with each platform?
Mailchimp: You can create your first email campaign within 10-15 minutes. ActiveCampaign requires 1-2 weeks of setup and onboarding, including integrations and workflow configuration. For immediate email deployment, Mailchimp is significantly faster.
Which integrates better with Shopify and WooCommerce?
Both integrate well with ecommerce platforms. Mailchimp offers a simple, native Shopify integration focused on email list sync. ActiveCampaign provides deeper integration with advanced automation like abandoned cart recovery workflows and customer data syncing. ActiveCampaign is better for complex ecommerce automation.
How to Choose Between ActiveCampaign and Mailchimp
Primary Focus: ActiveCampaign has CRM + Marketing Automation, while Mailchimp has Email Marketing + Basic Automation.
Starting Price: ActiveCampaign has $15/month, while Mailchimp has Free (up to 500 contacts).
Automation Workflows: ActiveCampaign has Unlimited workflows with advanced logic, while Mailchimp has Basic automation limited to email sequences.
Contact Management: ActiveCampaign has Full CRM with lead scoring & pipeline, while Mailchimp has List management only, no CRM features.
Learning Curve: ActiveCampaign has Steep - requires onboarding & training, while Mailchimp has Minimal - intuitive for beginners.
API & Integrations: ActiveCampaign has 1000+ native integrations + custom API, while Mailchimp has 300+ integrations via Zapier & native.
Consider: Customer Support Response Time
Customer Support Response Time: ActiveCampaign has 24 hours (email) / Live chat on paid plans, while Mailchimp has Email-based, no guaranteed response time.