ActiveCampaign vs Mailchimp
Free-plan headroom and true monthly cost as the list grows. Paid columns use Starter vs Essentials. At 10k: ActiveCampaign See vendor · Mailchimp $110.
Free plans
| Feature | ActiveCampaign | Mailchimp |
|---|---|---|
| Free available | No | Yes |
| Contacts | — | 250 |
| Sends / mo | — | 500 |
| Automations on free | — | false |
| Remove branding | No | No |
Monthly cost by list size
| Subscribers | ActiveCampaign | Mailchimp | Cheaper |
|---|---|---|---|
| 500 | See vendor | $13 | — |
| 1k | See vendor | $26.50 | — |
| 2.5k | See vendor | $45 | — |
| 5k | See vendor | $75 | — |
| 10k | See vendor | $110 | — |
| 25k | See vendor | $270 | — |
| 50k | Custom | $385 | — |
| 100k | Custom | $800 | — |
ActiveCampaign gotchas.
- No free plan
- New accounts (on/after 2025-11-03) count ALL contacts including unsubscribed
- Starter automations capped at 5 actions
- Above 50k contacts: Talk to Sales on pricing page
Mailchimp gotchas.
- Free plan cut to 250 contacts / 500 sends — poorly suited for real newsletters
- Unsubscribed contacts still count toward paid tiers
- Often more expensive than MailerLite/Kit at same list size
ActiveCampaign vs Mailchimp FAQ
Which is cheaper at 10,000 subscribers — ActiveCampaign or Mailchimp?
On the plans we track (Starter vs Essentials), the cheaper verified bill at 10k is insufficient verified data to call a winner. Unknown cells stay blank.
Which has the better free plan — ActiveCampaign or Mailchimp?
ActiveCampaign: no free forever plan. Mailchimp: free contacts 250.
Should I switch from ActiveCampaign to Mailchimp?
Use free-plan headroom and the cost table on this page — not feature star ratings. Read gotchas on each tool page and confirm live vendor pricing before migrating.