ActiveCampaign
A marketing automation platform priced by contacts, with Starter, Plus, Pro and Enterprise plans and no permanent free plan.
- Free trial
- Contact-based pricing
- Cloud
- Advanced automation
- Independent sources
- Verified 10 Nov 2026Sources are dated on this profile
- 2 sourcesLinked, typed and dated
- Independent third-party sourcesHow this profile was compiled
- Not an endorsementStack18 has not tested this product
What is ActiveCampaign?
ActiveCampaign is an email marketing and marketing automation platform sold in Starter, Plus, Pro and Enterprise plans priced by contact count, with CRM and messaging add-ons.
- Best forTeams that need deep automation and segmentation
- Team size fitSmall teams, Mid-size teams, Large enterprises
- PricingNo free plan; plans reported from $15 per month billed yearly (Starter, 1,000 contacts).
- Main limitationThere is no permanent free plan.
- AlternativesGetResponse, Brevo, Kit (ConvertKit), Klaviyo · compare all
ActiveCampaign overview: who it is for and what it does.
ActiveCampaign is known for its automation builder: multi-step workflows that react to contact behaviour, combined with segmentation, scoring and reporting. Email marketing, forms and site tracking are included from the entry plan.
Guides from mid-2026 list four plans at 1,000 contacts: Starter at $15 a month billed yearly ($19 monthly), Plus at $49 ($59), Pro at $79 ($99) and Enterprise from $145 ($179). Prices rise with contact count, roughly doubling at 10,000 contacts on most tiers.
Starter allows up to five actions per automation, and the CRM pipeline, SMS, WhatsApp, extra users and advanced reporting are add-ons. Unsubscribed and inactive contacts still count toward your tier unless purged.
Main problem it solves
Automates personalised marketing based on contact behaviour, from welcome series to scored, segmented nurture programmes.
Typical customer segment
Small businesses on Starter through larger organisations that need SSO, SLAs and premium segmentation on Enterprise.
Target users
- Marketers who need complex, behaviour-driven automations
- Small sales and marketing teams that want scoring and a CRM add-on
- Larger organisations that need SSO and an uptime SLA
Primary use cases
- Behaviour-based email automation
- Lead scoring and segmentation
- Newsletters and campaigns
- SMS and WhatsApp (add-ons)
- Sales pipeline (CRM add-on)
What makes it distinct
- A deep automation builder available from the entry plan, with limits on Starter.
- Contact scoring and custom objects from Plus.
- Predictive and AI features from Pro.
ActiveCampaign features explained.
Automation
- Automations
- Available from Starter, limited to five actions per automation; unlimited actions from Plus.
- Orchestration and advanced segmentation
- Listed for Pro.
- Site tracking and forms
- Included from Starter.
Data and scoring
- Contact scoring
- Listed from Plus.
- Custom objects
- Listed from Plus.
- Predictive and AI features
- Listed from Pro.
Admin and add-ons
- Users
- 1 on Starter and Plus, 3 on Pro and 5 on Enterprise; extra users about $12 a month each.
- SSO and uptime SLA
- Enterprise.
- Add-ons
- CRM pipelines (about $68 a month), SMS credits, WhatsApp and advanced reporting (about $159 a month).
ActiveCampaign pricing and plans.
Figures reported by independent sources; vendor page not reviewed directly. Checked 10 Nov 2026 against Automation Atlas · Hackceleration.
Pricing model
Monthly or yearly subscription priced by contact count, with add-ons for CRM, users and messaging.
Free plan
No
Free trial
Yes (14 days)
ActiveCampaign plans and prices (USD)
Starter
$15 per month billed yearly; $19 monthly (1,000 contacts)
Yearly or monthly
1 user; up to 5 actions per automation; capped at 10,000 to 25,000 contacts depending on source.
Plus
$49 per month billed yearly; $59 monthly
Yearly or monthly
Unlimited automation actions, scoring, custom objects.
Pro
$79 per month billed yearly; $99 monthly
Yearly or monthly
3 users, advanced segmentation, predictive features.
Enterprise
From $145 per month billed yearly; $179 monthly
Yearly or monthly
5 users, SSO, uptime SLA, premium support.
At 10,000 contacts one guide reports about $149 (Starter), $189 (Plus), $375 (Pro) and $589 (Enterprise) a month billed yearly. ActiveCampaign's pricing page is dynamic and was not reviewed directly.
Prices change. Confirm current plans and terms on the vendor's site before you decide.
Visit official website (external) ↗See alternativesActiveCampaign integrations, API and platforms.
Important integrations
- CRM and pipelines (add-on)
- SMS and WhatsApp (add-ons)
- Postmark transactional email (add-on)
- API (from Starter)
Supported platforms
- Web
API
An API is listed from the Starter plan.
Data import and export
Not reviewed for this profile.
Integration coverage was not assessed in full. Check ActiveCampaign's integrations directory and documentation for your tools.
ActiveCampaign pros and cons.
Strengths, limitations and best fit. Each point cites a source; editorial summaries are not customer reviews.
Strengths
Limitations
Best for
- Teams that need deep automation and segmentation
- Marketers who want scoring and custom objects
- Organisations that may add a sales CRM later
May be less suited to
- Teams that want a permanent free plan
- Very small senders who only need simple newsletters
Top ActiveCampaign alternatives and competitors.
GetResponse
An email marketing platform with webinars, courses and funnels, a free plan for 500 contacts and paid…
Explore →Related productBrevo
A multichannel marketing platform, formerly Sendinblue, priced by emails sent rather than contacts, with…
Explore →Related productKit (ConvertKit)
An email platform for creators, formerly ConvertKit, with a free Newsletter plan for up to 10,000…
Explore →Related productKlaviyo
An ecommerce email and SMS platform billed on active profiles, with a free plan for 250 profiles and…
Explore →ActiveCampaign compared with similar email marketing software.
Summaries come from each profile. This is a side-by-side aid, not a ranking.
| Product | Pricing model | Free plan | Automation | Ecommerce focus | AI features |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| ActiveCampaign | By contacts; add-ons extra | No; 14-day trial | Advanced; 5 actions on Starter | General purpose | Predictive features from Pro |
| Brevo | By emails sent per month | Yes (300 emails a day) | Full automation from Standard | General purpose, multichannel | AI segmentation on Professional |
| Campaign Monitor | By contacts | No permanent plan (sources conflict) | Unlimited automations from Essentials | General purpose; design-led | AI Writer |
| Constant Contact | By contacts; send caps per plan | No; 14-day trial | Templates; custom flows on Premium | General purpose; events | AI copy generator, AI campaign builder |
| GetResponse | By contacts | Yes (500 contacts) | 1 workflow on Starter; unlimited from Marketer | General purpose; funnels | AI content generators |
| Kit (ConvertKit) | By subscribers | Yes (up to 10,000 subscribers) | Visual automations from Creator | Creators and digital products | Not reviewed |
ActiveCampaign vs competitors: head-to-head comparisons.
Each comparison has a feature table, pricing side by side, strengths and limits, and best-fit scenarios.
Zoho Marketing Automation vs ActiveCampaign
Zoho Marketing Automation and ActiveCampaign are marketing automation platforms priced by contacts.
Explore →ComparisonActiveCampaign vs GetResponse
ActiveCampaign vs GetResponse (2026): pricing, free plans, features and best fit compared from dated sources.…
Compare →Compare ActiveCampaign with all its alternatives in one table →
ActiveCampaign discussions and buying questions.
No published discussions mention this product yet.
ActiveCampaign questions and answers
What is ActiveCampaign used for?
ActiveCampaign is an email marketing and marketing automation platform sold in Starter, Plus, Pro and Enterprise plans priced by contact count, with CRM and messaging add-ons. Typical uses include behaviour-based email automation, lead scoring and segmentation, newsletters and campaigns, sMS and WhatsApp (add-ons).
How much does ActiveCampaign cost?
At 1,000 contacts, guides report Starter at $15, Plus at $49, Pro at $79 and Enterprise from $145 a month billed yearly, or $19, $59, $99 and $179 billed monthly.
Does ActiveCampaign have a free plan?
No. It offers a 14-day free trial without a credit card and a reported 30-day money-back guarantee.
Does ActiveCampaign include a CRM?
CRM and sales pipelines are sold as an add-on, reported at about $68 a month.
How does ActiveCampaign compare with its competitors?
Stack18 publishes head-to-head comparisons of ActiveCampaign vs GetResponse, each with a feature table, pricing and best-fit scenarios.
What are the main alternatives to ActiveCampaign?
The main alternatives to ActiveCampaign covered on Stack18 are GetResponse, Brevo, Kit (ConvertKit) and Klaviyo. GetResponse may suit marketers who want email, funnels and webinars in one tool. Brevo may suit senders with large contact lists but modest sending volume. Kit (ConvertKit) may suit creators and solo businesses building a newsletter. See the ActiveCampaign alternatives guide for a side-by-side table.
What are the pros and cons of ActiveCampaign?
Strengths: Automation is available from the entry plan, with unlimited actions from Plus. Scoring, custom objects and advanced segmentation support sophisticated targeting. Limitations: There is no permanent free plan. Starter limits each automation to five actions.
Who is ActiveCampaign best for?
ActiveCampaign may suit teams that need deep automation and segmentation; marketers who want scoring and custom objects; organisations that may add a sales CRM later. It may be less suited to teams that want a permanent free plan; very small senders who only need simple newsletters.
What integrations does ActiveCampaign support?
Documented integrations and ecosystem items include CRM and pipelines (add-on), SMS and WhatsApp (add-ons), Postmark transactional email (add-on), API (from Starter). API: An API is listed from the Starter plan.
When was the ActiveCampaign profile last verified?
Sources for this profile were last reviewed on 10 Nov 2026. 2 sources are listed under Sources, and prices and plans can change, so confirm with the vendor.
Where this information comes from.
- How much does ActiveCampaign cost in 2026? Automation Atlas Third-party Accessed 10 Nov 2026
- How much does ActiveCampaign cost? Hackceleration Third-party Accessed 10 Nov 2026
Secondary-source profile. Vendor pages were not reviewed directly for this profile. Facts and prices are taken from independent third-party sources and may differ from the vendor's current pages. Confirm with the vendor before buying.
Prices come from two independent guides dated June and July 2026. Capabilities were not tested.
Stack18 has not tested this product or received anything from the vendor for this profile. Editorial summaries of vendor information are not endorsements. Confirm details with the vendor before buying.
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