software
Mailerlite vs ActiveCampaign 2026: Full Comparison
Mailerlite is a simpler, more affordable email marketing platform ideal for small businesses and creators, while ActiveCampaign is a comprehensive CRM and marketing automation suite designed for larger teams requiring advanced workflows and multi-channel capabilities.
M
Mailerlite
User-friendly email marketing and SMS platform designed for small businesses and creators.
Solopreneurs, small e-commerce businesses, bloggers, and creators managing email lists under 10,000 subscribers on tight budgets.
Score63%
VS
A
ActiveCampaign
Marketing automation CRM with behavioral AI and advanced email workflows for SMBs.
Mid-market and enterprise businesses, SaaS companies, agencies, and sales-driven teams requiring integrated CRM, complex automation, and multi-team collaboration.
Score63%
Quick Answer
AI SummaryMailerlite is a simpler, more affordable email marketing platform ideal for small businesses and creators, while ActiveCampaign is a comprehensive CRM and marketing automation suite designed for larger teams requiring advanced workflows and multi-channel capabilities.
Our Verdict
AI-assistedChoose Mailerlite if you're a small business, solopreneur, or creator prioritizing simplicity, affordability, and fast setup—its free tier supports up to 1,000 contacts with full automation access. Choose ActiveCampaign if you need advanced CRM capabilities, complex multi-step automations, team collaboration features, or multi-channel marketing—it's built for scaling teams and sophisticated customer journeys.
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M
Mailerlite
7.7/10
ActiveCampaign
7.3/10
A
M
Choose Mailerlite if
Best pickSolopreneurs, small e-commerce businesses, bloggers, and creators managing email lists under 10,000 subscribers on tight budgets.
A
Choose ActiveCampaign if
Mid-market and enterprise businesses, SaaS companies, agencies, and sales-driven teams requiring integrated CRM, complex automation, and multi-team collaboration.
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Key Differences at a Glance
- Starting Price:✓ Mailerlite wins($0/month (free tier) vs $9/month (Lite plan))
- Automation Workflows:✓ ActiveCampaign wins(Advanced visual automation builder with 200+ pre-built workflows vs Basic workflows, up to 2 automation triggers)
- CRM Features:✓ ActiveCampaign wins(Full CRM with contact scoring, pipelines, and deal tracking vs Basic contact management only)
Key Facts & Figures
80 numeric metrics compared
| Metric | Mailerlite | ActiveCampaign | Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Starter Plan Monthly Cost(USD) | $20 | — | — |
| Contact Limit at Entry Paid Tier(contacts) | 1,000 | — | — |
| Landing Pages on Free Plan(pages) | 10 | — | — |
| Starting Monthly Price(USD) | $0 (free) | $9/month | |
| Mid-Tier Plan (5,000 contacts)(USD/month) | $40 | — | — |
| Email Delivery Speed(minutes) | Near-instantaneous (seconds to minutes) | — | — |
| Automation Workflow Triggers(count) | 50+ | — | — |
| Native Integrations(count) | 600+ | 1000+ | |
| Customer Support Response Time(hours) | 24-48 (email/chat only) | — | — |
| Starting Price (Monthly)(USD) | Free | $15 | |
| Included Subscribers at Free Tier(contacts) | 1,000 | — | — |
| Price at 10,000 Subscribers(USD/month) | $60 | — | — |
| Landing Page Templates(templates) | 80+ templates | — | — |
| Automation Workflows Included(templates) | 25 | — | — |
| Customer Support Channels(count) | Email, chat, phone | — | — |
| API Rate Limit(calls/minute) | 120 | 600 calls/min | |
| Form Builder Types(types) | 10+ | — | — |
| Average User Satisfaction (G2)(rating) | 4.8/5 | — | — |
| Starting Price(USD/month) | $0 (Free tier) | $9 (Lite tier) | |
| Free Tier Contact Limit(contacts) | 500 | — | — |
| Pre-Built Automation Templates(templates) | 50+ | 500+ | |
| User Interface Ease Rating(score out of 5) | 4.8/5 | — | — |
| Free Plan Starting Price(USD) | $0 (Limited to 1,000 subscribers) | — | — |
| Pro Plan Monthly Cost(USD) | $29/month | — | — |
| User Rating (G2)(stars out of 5) | 4.8/5 (based on 2,100+ reviews) | — | — |
| Monthly Cost for 5,000 Subscribers(USD) | $40/month | — | — |
| Email Deliverability Rate(percent) | 97.8% | 97.2% | |
| Third-Party Integrations(count) | 100+ native integrations | 1000+ | |
| SMS Cost Per Message(USD) | Included in plan | — | — |
| Pre-Built Email Templates(count) | 200+ templates | — | — |
| User Onboarding Time (Average)(hours) | 1-2 weeks | — | — |
| Native E-commerce Integrations(integrations) | 6 (Shopify, WooCommerce, BigCommerce, PrestaShop, Magento, Zapier) | — | — |
| Setup Time (Minutes)(minutes) | 15-20 | — | — |
| Available Template Library(templates) | 100+ | — | — |
| Free Tier Subscriber Limit(subscribers) | 1,000 subscribers | No free tier | |
| Email Templates Available(templates) | 200+ templates | 500+ templates | |
| Pre-built Automation Workflows(workflows) | Basic workflows (limited) | 500+ pre-built workflows | |
| Mid-tier Monthly Cost (50K subscribers)(USD/month) | $85/month | $229/month | |
| Ease of Use Rating(1-5 scale) | 4.7/5 | 3.9/5 | |
| Starter Plan Monthly Price(USD) | $15/month | $15/month | |
| Mid-Tier Plan Monthly Price(USD) | $49/month (Plus) | $49/month (Plus) | |
| Enterprise Plan Monthly Price(USD) | $145/month | $145/month | |
| Unlimited Automation Available From(USD/month) | $49/month | $49/month | |
| Minimum Contact Threshold (Starter)(contacts) | 1,000 contacts | 1,000 contacts | |
| Starting Price (Email Only)(USD/month) | $9 (500 contacts) | $9 (500 contacts) | |
| Price at 100K Contacts(USD/month) | $385–$495 | $385–$495 | |
| eCommerce Email Automation ROI(%) | 4,200% ROI (industry average) | 4,200% ROI (industry average) | |
| Base Monthly Price(USD) | $15 | $15 | |
| Cost at 10,000 Subscribers(USD/month) | $149 (Pro plan, unlimited) | $149 (Pro plan, unlimited) | |
| Max Contacts at Entry Plan(contacts) | 1,000 contacts | 1,000 contacts | |
| Mid-Tier Plan Price(USD/month) | $49/month (Plus) | $49/month (Plus) | |
| Starting Monthly Price (Annual Commitment)(USD) | $9 | $9 | |
| User Training Required (Days)(days) | 2-5 days | 2-5 days | |
| Salesforce CRM Sync Latency(hours) | 2-4 hour sync | 2-4 hour sync | |
| Contacts at $99/Month(contacts) | 10,000+ | 10,000+ | |
| Average Setup Time(days) | 4-8 weeks | 4-8 weeks | |
| Abandoned Cart Recovery Rate(percent) | 8-12% (varies by setup) | 8-12% (varies by setup) | |
| Lowest Paid Plan Price(USD/month) | $15 | $15 | |
| Available Integrations(count) | 1000+ | 1000+ | |
| Native CRM Integrations(integrations) | 4+ (Salesforce, HubSpot, Pipedrive, native) | 4+ (Salesforce, HubSpot, Pipedrive, native) | |
| Implementation Time to Productivity(weeks) | 1 week | 1 week | |
| Attribution Model Depth(models) | 2 (last-click, first-click) | 2 (last-click, first-click) | |
| Typical User Seat Cost(USD/user/month) | $25-50 | $25-50 | |
| API Call Rate Limit (per 15 min)(calls) | 10-300 calls (tier-dependent) | 10-300 calls (tier-dependent) | |
| Custom Fields Supported(fields) | 100+ (plan-dependent) | 100+ (plan-dependent) | |
| Mid-Tier Plan Cost (100 contacts)(USD) | $49/month | $49/month | |
| Minimum Monthly Cost (Core Plan)(USD) | $9 | $9 | |
| Mid-Tier Monthly Price(USD) | $299 | $299 | |
| Daily API Rate Limit(calls/day) | 10,000 | 10,000 | |
| Email Template Library(templates) | 500+ | 500+ | |
| Maximum Contacts (Mid-Tier Plan)(contacts) | 100,000 | 100,000 | |
| Max Contacts (Starter Plan)(contacts) | 500 | 500 | |
| Free Plan Contact Limit(contacts) | 500 contacts | 500 contacts | |
| Average Onboarding Time(days) | 14 days | 14 days | |
| Cost for 10 Users + 10,000 Contacts(USD/month) | $549 (10 seats @ $35 + contact tier) | $549 (10 seats @ $35 + contact tier) | |
| Native APIs Available(count) | 200+ | 200+ | |
| Average Implementation Time(weeks) | 1-2 weeks | 1-2 weeks | |
| Marketing Automation Workflows (Pre-built)(count) | 1000+ | 1000+ | |
| Custom Field Limit(fields) | 500 | 500 | |
| Languages Supported(count) | 20+ | 20+ |
Sourced from publicly available data ·
Key Differences
7 attributes compared head-to-head
M
3MailerliteActiveCampaign leads
A
4ActiveCampaignMailerlite
Attribute
ActiveCampaign
- $0/month (free tier)(winner)Starting Price$9/month (Lite plan)
- Basic workflows, up to 2 automation triggersAutomation WorkflowsAdvanced visual automation builder with 200+ pre-built workflows(winner)
- Basic contact management onlyCRM FeaturesFull CRM with contact scoring, pipelines, and deal tracking(winner)
- 10,000 requests per minuteAPI Rate Limits100,000 requests per minute(winner)
- 1,000 contacts on free plan(winner)Max Contacts (Free/Entry)500 contacts on Lite plan
- Intuitive drag-and-drop interface, 2-3 hours to master(winner)Learning CurveComplex interface, 15-20 hours to fully master
- Email and SMS onlyMulti-Channel SupportEmail, SMS, push notifications, landing pages, and chat(winner)
- Starting Price
Mailerlite
$0/month (free tier)(winner)
ActiveCampaign
$9/month (Lite plan)
- Automation Workflows
Mailerlite
Basic workflows, up to 2 automation triggers
ActiveCampaign
Advanced visual automation builder with 200+ pre-built workflows(winner)
- CRM Features
Mailerlite
Basic contact management only
ActiveCampaign
Full CRM with contact scoring, pipelines, and deal tracking(winner)
- API Rate Limits
Mailerlite
10,000 requests per minute
ActiveCampaign
100,000 requests per minute(winner)
- Max Contacts (Free/Entry)
Mailerlite
1,000 contacts on free plan(winner)
ActiveCampaign
500 contacts on Lite plan
- Learning Curve
Mailerlite
Intuitive drag-and-drop interface, 2-3 hours to master(winner)
ActiveCampaign
Complex interface, 15-20 hours to fully master
- Multi-Channel Support
Mailerlite
Email and SMS only
ActiveCampaign
Email, SMS, push notifications, landing pages, and chat(winner)
Full Comparison
| Attribute | Mailerlite | ActiveCampaign |
|---|---|---|
| Free Plan Subscriber Limit(contacts) | Unlimited | — |
| Contact Limit at Entry Paid Tier(contacts) | 1,000 | — |
| Monthly Cost for 5,000 Subscribers(USD) | $40/month | — |
| SMS Cost Per Message(USD) | Included in plan | — |
| Starter Plan Monthly Cost(USD) | $20 | — |
| Starting Monthly Price(USD) | $0 (free)(winner) | $9/month |
| Mid-Tier Plan (5,000 contacts)(USD/month) | $40 | — |
| Starting Price (Monthly)(USD) | Free(winner) | $15 |
| Included Subscribers at Free Tier(contacts) | 1,000 | — |
Show 23 more attributesPrice at 10,000 Subscribers(USD/month) $60 — Starting Price(USD/month) $0 (Free tier) $9 (Lite tier) Free Tier Contact Limit(contacts) 500 — Free Plan Starting Price(USD) $0 (Limited to 1,000 subscribers) — Pro Plan Monthly Cost(USD) $29/month — Free Tier Subscriber Limit(subscribers) 1,000 subscribers No free tier Mid-tier Monthly Cost (50K subscribers)(USD/month) $85/month $229/month Starter Plan Monthly Price(USD) $15/month — Mid-Tier Plan Monthly Price(USD) $49/month (Plus) — Enterprise Plan Monthly Price(USD) $145/month — Starting Price (Email Only)(USD/month) $9 (500 contacts) — Price at 100K Contacts(USD/month) $385–$495 — Base Monthly Price(USD) $15 — Mid-Tier Plan Price(USD/month) $49/month (Plus) — Starting Monthly Price (Annual Commitment)(USD) $9 — Lowest Paid Plan Price(USD/month) $15 — Free Plan Monthly Email Limit(emails) None (paid only) — Typical User Seat Cost(USD/user/month) $25-50 — Free Plan Available No (14-day trial only) — Mid-Tier Plan Cost (100 contacts)(USD) $49/month — Minimum Monthly Cost (Core Plan)(USD) $9 — Mid-Tier Monthly Price(USD) $299 — Cost for 10 Users + 10,000 Contacts(USD/month) $549 (10 seats @ $35 + contact tier) — | ||
| Landing Pages on Free Plan(pages) | 10 | — |
| Email Automation Workflows | Standard automation builder with conditional logic | — |
| Native CRM Integration | Basic contact management | — |
| Automation Workflow Triggers(count) | 50+ | — |
| Native Integrations(count) | 600+ | 1000+(winner) |
Show 45 more attributesLanding Page Templates(templates) 80+ templates — Automation Workflows Included(templates) 25 — SMS Marketing Availability(tier) Included in Pro plan — Built-in Paywall/Paid Subscriptions(availability) No — A/B Testing on Landing Pages(availability) Yes, native feature — Affiliate Program for Creators(availability) No — Form Builder Types(types) 10+ — Pre-Built Automation Templates(templates) 50+ 500+ A/B Testing Variants Supported(variant types) Subject line, send time — SMS Marketing Included in all plans — Built-in AI Content Tools Basic template suggestions only — Automation Sequences Limit(sequences) Unlimited — Segmentation Capabilities(trigger types) 25 behavioral triggers — Pre-Built Email Templates(count) 200+ templates — Native E-commerce Integrations(integrations) 6 (Shopify, WooCommerce, BigCommerce, PrestaShop, Magento, Zapier) — Automation Workflows (Free Tier)(workflows) Unlimited — Available Template Library(templates) 100+ — SMS Channel Support(available) Yes (paid plans only) — Email Templates Available(templates) 200+ templates 500+ templates CRM Functionality Contact management only Full CRM with sales pipelines and deal tracking Landing Page Builder Access Plus plan ($99+/month) and above — AI Email Generation AI-generated email drafts included — Included Core Hubs(count) 2 (Marketing & CRM) — Unlimited Automation Available From(USD/month) $49/month — Minimum Contact Threshold (Starter)(contacts) 1,000 contacts — Landing Page Builder No (forms only) — CRM & Deal Pipeline Full-featured with scoring — Automation Workflow Complexity(triggers/conditions) Advanced (conditional logic, multi-branch) — Built-In CRM Yes — AI Predictive Features Predictive sending, lead scoring — Automation Capabilities(features) Unlimited advanced workflows — Lead Scoring Algorithms Behavioral, manual, predictive (limited AI) — Built-in CRM Included Yes (native) — Automation Workflows (Standard Plan)(workflows) Unlimited — Built-in Email Marketing Capabilities Advanced with A/B testing, dynamic content, behavior triggers — AI-Powered Sales Features Predictive send time, contact scoring, revenue attribution — CRM Capability Level Advanced (deals, pipelines, forecasting) — SMS Included in Base Plan Yes (all paid plans) — Email Template Library(templates) 500+ — Native ABM Tools Limited functionality — Free Plan Contact Limit(contacts) 500 contacts — SMS Marketing Included Add-on only — Marketing Automation Sophistication Advanced AI-powered with predictive scoring — CRM Pipeline Management Enterprise-grade sales CRM — Marketing Automation Workflows (Pre-built)(count) 1000+ — | ||
| Editor Learning Curve | Beginner-friendly, intuitive interface | — |
| User Interface Ease Rating(score out of 5) | 4.8/5 | — |
| User Onboarding Time (Average)(hours) | 1-2 weeks | — |
| Ease of Use Rating(1-5 scale) | 4.7/5(winner) | 3.9/5 |
| User Skill Level Required | Experienced marketers preferred | — |
Show 2 more attributesSetup Time to Productivity(days) 2-4 weeks (with training) — User Training Required (Days)(days) 2-5 days — | ||
| Email Delivery Speed(minutes) | Near-instantaneous (seconds to minutes) | — |
| Customer Support Response Time(hours) | 24-48 (email/chat only) | — |
| Customer Support Channels(count) | Email, chat, phone | — |
| Average Onboarding Time(days) | 14 days | — |
| API Rate Limit(calls/minute) | 120 | 600 calls/min(winner) |
| API Call Rate Limit (per 15 min)(calls) | 10-300 calls (tier-dependent) | — |
| Daily API Rate Limit(calls/day) | 10,000 | — |
| Average User Satisfaction (G2)(rating) | 4.8/5 | — |
| User Rating (G2)(stars out of 5) | 4.8/5 (based on 2,100+ reviews) | — |
| Customer Review Parity(rating) | Nearly identical ratings | — |
| Email Deliverability Rate(percent) | 97.8%(winner) | 97.2% |
| Third-Party Integrations(count) | 100+ native integrations | 1000+(winner) |
| Automation Workflows on Standard Plan(count) | Unlimited workflows | — |
| Setup Time (Minutes)(minutes) | 15-20 | — |
| Pre-built Automation Workflows(workflows) | Basic workflows (limited) | 500+ pre-built workflows(winner) |
| Advanced Segmentation | Yes (behavioral, predictive, dynamic) | — |
| Automation Complexity Level | Advanced (Enterprise-grade automation) | — |
| Email Deliverability Testing | A/B testing and spam testing | — |
| eCommerce Platform Support(platforms) | Limited platform support | — |
| CRM Integration Capabilities | Native CRM with advanced features | — |
| Available Integrations(count) | 1000+ | — |
| Native CRM Integrations(integrations) | 4+ (Salesforce, HubSpot, Pipedrive, native) | — |
| Average eCommerce Email Revenue Per Send(USD) | Not published | — |
| eCommerce Email Automation ROI(%) | 4,200% ROI (industry average) | — |
| Built-in CRM for Sales Teams | Full B2B/B2C CRM with lead scoring | — |
| Native SMS Channel | Available (add-on/integration) | — |
| Shopify Integration Depth | Supported via marketplace | — |
| Multi-Channel Automation Support | Email, SMS, web, social, chat (native) | — |
| Contacts/Subscribers (Base Plan)(count) | Unlimited | — |
| Max Contacts at Entry Plan(contacts) | 1,000 contacts | — |
| Contacts at $99/Month(contacts) | 10,000+ | — |
| Max Contacts (Starter Plan)(contacts) | 500 | — |
| Cost at 10,000 Subscribers(USD/month) | $149 (Pro plan, unlimited) | — |
| Ease of Use(score/10) | Moderate - requires learning | — |
| Salesforce CRM Sync Latency(hours) | 2-4 hour sync | — |
| Native APIs Available(count) | 200+ | — |
| Average Setup Time(days) | 4-8 weeks | — |
| Average Implementation Time(weeks) | 1-2 weeks | — |
| Shopify Native Integration | Basic (via third-party apps) | — |
| Abandoned Cart Recovery Rate(percent) | 8-12% (varies by setup) | — |
| Implementation Time to Productivity(weeks) | 1 week | — |
| Attribution Model Depth(models) | 2 (last-click, first-click) | — |
| Lead Scoring AI Capability(text) | Advanced predictive with AI priority ranking | — |
| Custom Fields Supported(fields) | 100+ (plan-dependent) | — |
| Custom Field Limit(fields) | 500 | — |
| Free Tier Daily Email Limit(emails/day) | Unlimited (500 contacts max) | — |
| AI Writing Assistant | Yes (all plans) | — |
| Implementation Time(weeks) | 2-4 weeks | — |
| Maximum Contacts (Mid-Tier Plan)(contacts) | 100,000 | — |
| Languages Supported(count) | 20+ | — |
MMailerlite
AActiveCampaign
Free Plan Subscriber Limit(contacts)
Unlimited
—
Contact Limit at Entry Paid Tier(contacts)
1,000
—
Monthly Cost for 5,000 Subscribers(USD)
$40/month
—
SMS Cost Per Message(USD)
Included in plan
—
Starter Plan Monthly Cost(USD)
$20
—
Starting Monthly Price(USD)
$0 (free)
$9/month
Mid-Tier Plan (5,000 contacts)(USD/month)
$40
—
Starting Price (Monthly)(USD)
Free
$15
Included Subscribers at Free Tier(contacts)
1,000
—
Show 23 more attributes
Price at 10,000 Subscribers(USD/month)
$60
—
Starting Price(USD/month)
$0 (Free tier)
$9 (Lite tier)
Free Tier Contact Limit(contacts)
500
—
Free Plan Starting Price(USD)
$0 (Limited to 1,000 subscribers)
—
Pro Plan Monthly Cost(USD)
$29/month
—
Free Tier Subscriber Limit(subscribers)
1,000 subscribers
No free tier
Mid-tier Monthly Cost (50K subscribers)(USD/month)
$85/month
$229/month
Starter Plan Monthly Price(USD)
$15/month
—
Mid-Tier Plan Monthly Price(USD)
$49/month (Plus)
—
Enterprise Plan Monthly Price(USD)
$145/month
—
Starting Price (Email Only)(USD/month)
$9 (500 contacts)
—
Price at 100K Contacts(USD/month)
$385–$495
—
Base Monthly Price(USD)
$15
—
Mid-Tier Plan Price(USD/month)
$49/month (Plus)
—
Starting Monthly Price (Annual Commitment)(USD)
$9
—
Lowest Paid Plan Price(USD/month)
$15
—
Free Plan Monthly Email Limit(emails)
None (paid only)
—
Typical User Seat Cost(USD/user/month)
$25-50
—
Free Plan Available
No (14-day trial only)
—
Mid-Tier Plan Cost (100 contacts)(USD)
$49/month
—
Minimum Monthly Cost (Core Plan)(USD)
$9
—
Mid-Tier Monthly Price(USD)
$299
—
Cost for 10 Users + 10,000 Contacts(USD/month)
$549 (10 seats @ $35 + contact tier)
—
Landing Pages on Free Plan(pages)
10
—
Email Automation Workflows
Standard automation builder with conditional logic
—
Native CRM Integration
Basic contact management
—
Automation Workflow Triggers(count)
50+
—
Native Integrations(count)
600+
1000+
Show 45 more attributes
Landing Page Templates(templates)
80+ templates
—
Automation Workflows Included(templates)
25
—
SMS Marketing Availability(tier)
Included in Pro plan
—
Built-in Paywall/Paid Subscriptions(availability)
No
—
A/B Testing on Landing Pages(availability)
Yes, native feature
—
Affiliate Program for Creators(availability)
No
—
Form Builder Types(types)
10+
—
Pre-Built Automation Templates(templates)
50+
500+
A/B Testing Variants Supported(variant types)
Subject line, send time
—
SMS Marketing
Included in all plans
—
Built-in AI Content Tools
Basic template suggestions only
—
Automation Sequences Limit(sequences)
Unlimited
—
Segmentation Capabilities(trigger types)
25 behavioral triggers
—
Pre-Built Email Templates(count)
200+ templates
—
Native E-commerce Integrations(integrations)
6 (Shopify, WooCommerce, BigCommerce, PrestaShop, Magento, Zapier)
—
Automation Workflows (Free Tier)(workflows)
Unlimited
—
Available Template Library(templates)
100+
—
SMS Channel Support(available)
Yes (paid plans only)
—
Email Templates Available(templates)
200+ templates
500+ templates
CRM Functionality
Contact management only
Full CRM with sales pipelines and deal tracking
Landing Page Builder Access
Plus plan ($99+/month) and above
—
AI Email Generation
AI-generated email drafts included
—
Included Core Hubs(count)
2 (Marketing & CRM)
—
Unlimited Automation Available From(USD/month)
$49/month
—
Minimum Contact Threshold (Starter)(contacts)
1,000 contacts
—
Landing Page Builder
No (forms only)
—
CRM & Deal Pipeline
Full-featured with scoring
—
Automation Workflow Complexity(triggers/conditions)
Advanced (conditional logic, multi-branch)
—
Built-In CRM
Yes
—
AI Predictive Features
Predictive sending, lead scoring
—
Automation Capabilities(features)
Unlimited advanced workflows
—
Lead Scoring Algorithms
Behavioral, manual, predictive (limited AI)
—
Built-in CRM Included
Yes (native)
—
Automation Workflows (Standard Plan)(workflows)
Unlimited
—
Built-in Email Marketing Capabilities
Advanced with A/B testing, dynamic content, behavior triggers
—
AI-Powered Sales Features
Predictive send time, contact scoring, revenue attribution
—
CRM Capability Level
Advanced (deals, pipelines, forecasting)
—
SMS Included in Base Plan
Yes (all paid plans)
—
Email Template Library(templates)
500+
—
Native ABM Tools
Limited functionality
—
Free Plan Contact Limit(contacts)
500 contacts
—
SMS Marketing Included
Add-on only
—
Marketing Automation Sophistication
Advanced AI-powered with predictive scoring
—
CRM Pipeline Management
Enterprise-grade sales CRM
—
Marketing Automation Workflows (Pre-built)(count)
1000+
—
Editor Learning Curve
Beginner-friendly, intuitive interface
—
User Interface Ease Rating(score out of 5)
4.8/5
—
User Onboarding Time (Average)(hours)
1-2 weeks
—
Ease of Use Rating(1-5 scale)
4.7/5
3.9/5
User Skill Level Required
Experienced marketers preferred
—
Show 2 more attributes
Setup Time to Productivity(days)
2-4 weeks (with training)
—
User Training Required (Days)(days)
2-5 days
—
Email Delivery Speed(minutes)
Near-instantaneous (seconds to minutes)
—
Customer Support Response Time(hours)
24-48 (email/chat only)
—
Customer Support Channels(count)
Email, chat, phone
—
Average Onboarding Time(days)
14 days
—
API Rate Limit(calls/minute)
120
600 calls/min
API Call Rate Limit (per 15 min)(calls)
10-300 calls (tier-dependent)
—
Daily API Rate Limit(calls/day)
10,000
—
Average User Satisfaction (G2)(rating)
4.8/5
—
User Rating (G2)(stars out of 5)
4.8/5 (based on 2,100+ reviews)
—
Customer Review Parity(rating)
Nearly identical ratings
—
Email Deliverability Rate(percent)
97.8%
97.2%
Third-Party Integrations(count)
100+ native integrations
1000+
Automation Workflows on Standard Plan(count)
Unlimited workflows
—
Setup Time (Minutes)(minutes)
15-20
—
Pre-built Automation Workflows(workflows)
Basic workflows (limited)
500+ pre-built workflows
Advanced Segmentation
Yes (behavioral, predictive, dynamic)
—
Automation Complexity Level
Advanced (Enterprise-grade automation)
—
Email Deliverability Testing
A/B testing and spam testing
—
eCommerce Platform Support(platforms)
Limited platform support
—
CRM Integration Capabilities
Native CRM with advanced features
—
Available Integrations(count)
1000+
—
Native CRM Integrations(integrations)
4+ (Salesforce, HubSpot, Pipedrive, native)
—
Average eCommerce Email Revenue Per Send(USD)
Not published
—
eCommerce Email Automation ROI(%)
4,200% ROI (industry average)
—
Built-in CRM for Sales Teams
Full B2B/B2C CRM with lead scoring
—
Native SMS Channel
Available (add-on/integration)
—
Shopify Integration Depth
Supported via marketplace
—
Multi-Channel Automation Support
Email, SMS, web, social, chat (native)
—
Contacts/Subscribers (Base Plan)(count)
Unlimited
—
Max Contacts at Entry Plan(contacts)
1,000 contacts
—
Contacts at $99/Month(contacts)
10,000+
—
Max Contacts (Starter Plan)(contacts)
500
—
Cost at 10,000 Subscribers(USD/month)
$149 (Pro plan, unlimited)
—
Ease of Use(score/10)
Moderate - requires learning
—
Salesforce CRM Sync Latency(hours)
2-4 hour sync
—
Native APIs Available(count)
200+
—
Average Setup Time(days)
4-8 weeks
—
Average Implementation Time(weeks)
1-2 weeks
—
Shopify Native Integration
Basic (via third-party apps)
—
Abandoned Cart Recovery Rate(percent)
8-12% (varies by setup)
—
Implementation Time to Productivity(weeks)
1 week
—
Attribution Model Depth(models)
2 (last-click, first-click)
—
Lead Scoring AI Capability(text)
Advanced predictive with AI priority ranking
—
Custom Fields Supported(fields)
100+ (plan-dependent)
—
Custom Field Limit(fields)
500
—
Free Tier Daily Email Limit(emails/day)
Unlimited (500 contacts max)
—
AI Writing Assistant
Yes (all plans)
—
Implementation Time(weeks)
2-4 weeks
—
Maximum Contacts (Mid-Tier Plan)(contacts)
100,000
—
Languages Supported(count)
20+
—
Pros & Cons
10 pros·6 cons across both
M
A
M
Mailerlite
+5-3
Pros
- Free tier includes 1,000 subscribers with full automation access
- Intuitive drag-and-drop email and landing page builder
- Fastest onboarding time at 2-3 hours to productive use
- Excellent customer support with live chat included on all plans
- Affordable pricing: $12/month for 1,000 subscribers (vs $99+ for competitors)
Cons
- Limited automation workflows with basic triggers only
- No native CRM—contact management lacks deal tracking and sales pipelines
- Cannot handle enterprise-level API demand or complex integrations
A
ActiveCampaign
+5-3
Pros
- 200+ pre-built automation workflows with unlimited triggers and conditions
- Integrated CRM with contact scoring, sales pipelines, and deal management
- Multi-channel: email, SMS, push notifications, landing pages, and live chat
- Advanced API (100,000 requests/min) supports complex integrations and scaling
- Team collaboration tools with role-based permissions for enterprise teams
Cons
- Steep learning curve requiring 15-20 hours to master—complex UI
- Minimum $9/month entry cost with limited free tier (500 contacts)
- Overkill for simple email campaigns—advanced features add unnecessary complexity for small teams
Frequently Asked Questions
5 questions
Mailerlite is the clear choice for beginners. It has a free tier supporting 1,000 subscribers, an intuitive interface that requires only 2-3 hours to master, and excellent onboarding documentation. ActiveCampaign's complexity and steeper learning curve (15-20 hours) make it better suited for experienced marketers.
Resources & Learn More
Curated sources to dive deeper
Where to Buy
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