ActiveCampaign vs MailerLite
Free-plan headroom and true monthly cost as the list grows. Paid columns use Starter vs Comfort. At 10k: ActiveCampaign See vendor · MailerLite $89.
Free plans
| Feature | ActiveCampaign | MailerLite |
|---|---|---|
| Free available | No | Yes |
| Contacts | — | 250 |
| Sends / mo | — | 2500 |
| Automations on free | — | true |
| Remove branding | No | No |
Monthly cost by list size
| Subscribers | ActiveCampaign | MailerLite | Cheaper |
|---|---|---|---|
| 500 | See vendor | $12 | — |
| 1k | See vendor | $19 | — |
| 2.5k | See vendor | $33 | — |
| 5k | See vendor | $49 | — |
| 10k | See vendor | $89 | — |
| 25k | See vendor | $179 | — |
| 50k | Custom | $319 | — |
| 100k | Custom | $439 | — |
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
MailerLite gotchas.
- Free capped at only 250 contacts (much tighter than Kit/beehiiv)
- Comfort send limit = 10× subscriber tier ceiling
- Cumulative active count within billing cycle (deleted still count until anniversary)
ActiveCampaign vs MailerLite FAQ
Which is cheaper at 10,000 subscribers — ActiveCampaign or MailerLite?
On the plans we track (Starter vs Comfort), 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 MailerLite?
ActiveCampaign: no free forever plan. MailerLite: free contacts 250.
Should I switch from ActiveCampaign to MailerLite?
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.