Mailchimp vs ActiveCampaign: Which is better in 2026?
A side-by-side comparison of pricing, features, and use cases to help you decide between Mailchimp and ActiveCampaign.
Mailchimp
Email marketing and automation platform
From $13/mo
Free plan available
ActiveCampaign
Email marketing and CRM automation platform
From $15/mo
No free plan
Head-to-head comparison
| Feature | Mailchimp | ActiveCampaign |
|---|---|---|
| Starting price | $13/mo ✓ Cheaper | $15/mo |
| Free plan | ✓ Yes | ✗ No |
| Pricing model | freemium | paid |
| G2 rating | 4.3/5 | 4.5/5 ↑ |
| Capterra rating | 4.5/5 | 4.6/5 |
| Founded | 2001 | 2003 |
Mailchimp: pros & cons
Pros
- ✓Easy to use
- ✓Generous free plan
- ✓Good template library
- ✓Strong e-commerce integrations
Cons
- ✗Pricing jumps steeply
- ✗Automations less powerful than competitors
- ✗Contact-based pricing gets expensive
ActiveCampaign: pros & cons
Pros
- ✓Best-in-class automation builder
- ✓Powerful conditional logic
- ✓Good deliverability
- ✓Strong CRM integration
Cons
- ✗No free plan
- ✗Learning curve for automations
- ✗UI can feel complex
- ✗Pricing scales up quickly