Mailchimp is the better choice for small businesses and beginners with its free tier, simpler interface, and lower pricing for basic email marketing. ActiveCampaign is built for growing businesses needing advanced marketing automation, CRM integration, and AI-powered workflows at a higher cost.
ActiveCampaign vs Mailchimp — Side-by-side comparison on A Versus B
Choose Mailchimp if you're a small business or startup prioritizing simplicity, affordability, and ease of use with a free tier that covers basic email marketing and landing pages. Choose ActiveCampaign if your business has outgrown basic email marketing and requires sophisticated automation, CRM capabilities, AI-powered workflows, and advanced list management—accepting the steeper learning curve and higher cost.
Accessible email marketing and automation platform for small businesses, e-commerce, and creators.
Enterprise-grade CRM and marketing automation platform with integrated sales and service tools.
ActiveCampaign vs Mailchimp — Comparison Data
Structured comparison data for ActiveCampaign vs Mailchimp with 284 attributes.
Contact List Size Limit (Standard Pricing)
Price Scaling Factor at 5,000 Subscribers
Starter Tier Monthly Cost (50k contacts)
Automation Workflow Steps (Free/Starter Tier)
Average eCommerce Email Revenue Per Send
Starting Monthly Price (Annual Commitment)
Marketing Automation Workflows (Pre-built)
Mid-Tier Price (5K contacts/subscribers)
Enterprise Price (100K+ contacts/subscribers)
ActiveCampaign vs Mailchimp — Attribute Category Vocabulary
Taxonomy of attribute categories used to classify comparison data for ActiveCampaign vs Mailchimp.
Which platform is best for a startup with zero email marketing experience?
Mailchimp is the clear winner for beginners. It offers a free tier supporting 500 contacts, an intuitive interface requiring minimal training, and all core features (landing pages, A/B testing, basic automation) included free. ActiveCampaign's steep learning curve and higher cost make it unsuitable for inexperienced users just starting out.
Does ActiveCampaign's AI email generation actually save time?
Yes, ActiveCampaign's AI-generated email drafts provide a solid starting point that significantly accelerates the creative process, especially for marketers managing multiple campaigns. Mailchimp offers no equivalent feature, requiring users to start from scratch or templates every time. This is a meaningful advantage if you're running high-volume campaigns.
How much does the landing page builder cost in ActiveCampaign?
ActiveCampaign's landing page builder is only available on the Plus plan ($99+/month) and higher tiers. Mailchimp includes landing page builder functionality free on all plans, including the free tier. This is a significant cost difference for small businesses needing this feature.
Which platform has better customer support?
Both offer email, live chat, and knowledge bases. ActiveCampaign has a slight edge with a Help icon accessible from any screen within the tool. Mailchimp requires going through the knowledge base first before accessing email/chat support, which adds friction but ensures users try self-service first.
Can I scale from Mailchimp to ActiveCampaign later without losing data?
Yes, both platforms support contact imports and exports, making migration feasible. However, ActiveCampaign's automation workflows cannot be directly ported from Mailchimp, so you'll need to rebuild custom automation rules. Plan for migration time and training if you upgrade.