Last updated: October 2026 | Pricing and ratings checked on October 28, 2026 | 9 min read
ActiveCampaign is best known for marketing automation. Founded in Chicago in 2003, it serves more than 150,000 businesses and has spent 2026 adding AI features that can build and run campaigns for you.
In this review we look at what ActiveCampaign does well, where it falls short, and what it really costs in 2026, using the prices on its pricing page at 1,000 to 10,000 contacts.
Short verdict: ActiveCampaign has some of the most powerful automation in email marketing, plus 1,000+ integrations. It’s expensive, there’s no free plan, Starter is limited to email-only automations with 5 actions, and pipelines, SMS and transactional email cost extra.
Quick Answer: ActiveCampaign is worth it if advanced automation is your priority and you have the budget. There’s no free plan, only a 14-day trial. On monthly billing, Starter costs $19/month, Plus $59, Pro $99 and Enterprise $179 for 1,000 contacts, rising to $99, $179, $259 and $469 at 5,000 contacts. Annual billing saves about 17–21%.
Table of Contents
ActiveCampaign at a Glance
| ActiveCampaign | |
|---|---|
| Best for | Businesses that need advanced automation |
| Company | ActiveCampaign (founded 2003, Chicago) |
| Free plan | None; 14-day trial |
| Starter | From $19/month (1,000 contacts); $99 at 5,000 |
| Plus | From $59/month; $179 at 5,000 |
| Pro | From $99/month; $259 at 5,000 |
| Enterprise | From $179/month; $469 at 5,000 |
| Sends | 10x contacts (Starter, Plus); 12x Pro; 15x Enterprise |
| Our verdict | Best-in-class automation at a premium price |
ActiveCampaign Pricing in 2026
ActiveCampaign has four plans: Starter, Plus, Pro and Enterprise. Prices depend on your contact count, starting at 1,000 contacts. On monthly billing:
| Contacts | Starter | Plus | Pro | Enterprise |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1,000 | $19 | $59 | $99 | $179 |
| 2,500 | $49 | $119 | $189 | $319 |
| 5,000 | $99 | $179 | $259 | $469 |
| 10,000 | $189 | $239 | $469 | $739 |
What each plan includes:
- Starter: 1 user, email-only automations limited to 5 actions each, 5 lists and basic support. No landing pages.
- Plus: cross-channel automation, landing pages, AI writing and image tools, and more integrations. 1 user.
- Pro: 3 users, automation maps, split and connected automations, predictive sending, conversion tracking and priority email and chat support.
- Enterprise: 5 users, Salesforce and Microsoft Dynamics integrations, SSO, HIPAA support, an uptime SLA and a dedicated account team.
Sends are capped at 10x your contacts on Starter and Plus, 12x on Pro and 15x on Enterprise, with overage at $0.005 per email. CRM pipelines, SMS, WhatsApp and transactional email are paid add-ons. Nonprofits get 20% off.
Sidenote: The 14-day trial lets you send only 100 emails, so you can test the builder but not a real campaign. ActiveCampaign also offers a 30-day money-back guarantee.
What ActiveCampaign Does Well
Powerful automation
ActiveCampaign’s automation builder is one of the most capable available. On Pro you get automation maps, split testing inside automations, connected automations and predictive sending.
1,000+ integrations
It connects to over 1,000 apps, so it fits into most sales and ecommerce stacks. SaaS teams can see how it fits in our SaaS email marketing guide.
AI that does real work
Every plan includes AI credits, and 2026 updates added AI that can draft, build and adjust campaigns. Writing and image tools start on Plus.
Contact data and scoring
Contact profiles, custom fields, tags and (on higher plans) lead scoring and conversion tracking help sales and marketing work from the same data.
Where ActiveCampaign Falls Short
Expensive as you grow
At 5,000 contacts, Plus costs $179/month and Pro $259. At 10,000, Pro is $469. Most email-first tools cost a fraction of that. Our guide to cheap email marketing compares lower-cost options.
No free plan, tiny trial
There’s no free plan, and the trial sends just 100 emails.
Starter is very limited
Starter allows email-only automations with up to 5 actions, 1 user and no landing pages, so most businesses need Plus or Pro.
Add-ons add up
CRM pipelines, SMS, WhatsApp and transactional email cost extra on top of the plan price.
Deliverability
ActiveCampaign has a solid deliverability reputation, and higher plans add predictive sending to time emails for each contact. ActiveCampaign’s results still depend on your list and your domain setup. Gmail and Yahoo now require bulk senders to authenticate with SPF, DKIM and DMARC, keep spam complaints low and offer one-click unsubscribe. See Google’s sender guidelines, Yahoo’s best practices and RFC 8058 on one-click unsubscribe. Set up DMARC for your domain (dmarc.org) and track your reputation in Google Postmaster Tools.
ActiveCampaign Pros and Cons
✅ActiveCampaign Pros:
- Some of the most powerful automation available
- 1,000+ integrations
- AI tools on every plan
- Contact scoring and conversion tracking on higher plans
- 20% nonprofit discount
❌ActiveCampaign Cons:
- No free plan; trial sends only 100 emails
- Expensive at scale: $259/month for 5,000 contacts on Pro
- Starter limits automations to 5 actions, email only
- Pipelines, SMS and transactional email are add-ons
- Low Trustpilot score (2.7)
💰Pricing: No free plan. Starter from $19/month; Plus from $59; Pro from $99; Enterprise from $179 (1,000 contacts, monthly). 20% off for nonprofits.
Who ActiveCampaign Is Best For
- Businesses whose growth depends on complex automation.
- B2B and ecommerce teams that want marketing and sales data in one place.
- Teams with the budget for Pro or Enterprise.
It’s a weaker fit for small businesses that mostly send newsletters, and for anyone who needs a free plan.
How ActiveCampaign Compares
- ActiveCampaign vs Mailchimp: Mailchimp is cheaper with more templates.
- ActiveCampaign vs HubSpot: HubSpot adds a full CRM at a higher price.
- ActiveCampaign vs Klaviyo: Klaviyo is built for ecommerce data.
- Email marketing automation software: other automation tools compared.
See our full list of ActiveCampaign alternatives. You can also compare our GetResponse review and Brevo review.
Every campaign, on any tool, needs an unsubscribe link and a physical address under the CAN-SPAM Act.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is ActiveCampaign worth it in 2026?
ActiveCampaign is worth it if advanced automation drives your revenue and you can afford Plus or Pro. For simple newsletters, cheaper tools do the job.
How much does ActiveCampaign cost?
On monthly billing for 1,000 contacts, Starter costs $19, Plus $59, Pro $99 and Enterprise $179. At 5,000 contacts they cost $99, $179, $259 and $469.
Does ActiveCampaign have a free plan?
No. ActiveCampaign offers a 14-day free trial that can send up to 100 emails, plus a 30-day money-back guarantee.
Does ActiveCampaign include a CRM?
Contact profiles, tags and custom fields are included, but sales pipelines are a paid add-on.
Does ActiveCampaign offer a nonprofit discount?
Yes, 20% off with proof of nonprofit status, applied to future payments.
What are the best ActiveCampaign alternatives?
Brevo, GetResponse and MailerLite are common, cheaper alternatives. See our ActiveCampaign alternatives guide.
Final Verdict
ActiveCampaign remains one of the strongest automation platforms, with 1,000+ integrations and useful AI tools. The trade-offs are price, no free plan, a limited Starter tier and paid add-ons for pipelines and SMS. Choose it if automation is central to your growth and you’re ready to pay for Plus or Pro.
Looking for a Simpler Alternative?
If you need solid automation without ActiveCampaign’s price, Mailercloud is worth testing. Mailercloud is free for 1,000 contacts and 12,000 emails a month. Premium costs $10/month for 5,000 contacts with unlimited sends, 25 advanced automations, A/B testing and AI subject lines. ActiveCampaign Plus costs $179 at the same size.
Automation from $10/month — try Mailercloud free
★★★★★ 4.5 on G2 · 4.7 on Capterra · 4.4 on Trustpilot · Trusted by 35,000+ businesses
Free for 1,000 contacts · No credit card · $10/month for 5,000
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