Pick / avoid summary (fast)
Skim these triggers to pick a default, then validate with the quick checks and constraints below.
- ✓ You need conditional automation workflows with branching logic and wait conditions
- ✓ Lead scoring and CRM pipeline management are requirements
- ✓ You're outgrowing Mailchimp's automation and need more depth without enterprise pricing
- ✓ Email template design quality and visual brand consistency are your top priority
- ✓ You have a small list (<5,000) and simple campaign needs—newsletters, announcements, drips
- ✓ Onboarding speed matters—Mailchimp is the fastest to learn and send from
- × Email template design and visual builder less polished than Mailchimp's—more functional than beautiful
- × Contact-based pricing still applies: 25,000 contacts on Plus is ~$259/mo; 100,000 contacts is $489+/mo
- × Contact-based pricing escalates rapidly: 10,000 contacts on Standard is $100/mo; 50,000 contacts is $299/mo
- × Automation depth is limited compared to ActiveCampaign—no conditional branching, limited triggers
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CheckAt 10,000 contacts, ActiveCampaign is ~40% more expensive but includes CRM and scoring Mailchimp lacks entirely
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The trade-offautomation power and CRM integration vs email design polish and onboarding simplicity
At-a-glance comparison
ActiveCampaign
Mid-market email marketing and automation platform with best-in-class conditional workflows, built-in CRM, and lead scoring. Lite from $29/mo; Plus at $49/mo adds CRM and scoring.
- ✓ Best-in-class automation builder: conditional logic, split actions, wait conditions, and goal tracking rival Marketo's depth at a fraction of the cost
- ✓ Lite plan ($29/mo for 1,000 contacts) includes automation; Plus ($49/mo) adds CRM, lead scoring, and SMS
- ✓ Built-in CRM with deal pipelines, task management, and win probability—no separate tool needed for sales
Mailchimp
The most widely adopted email marketing platform with intuitive drag-and-drop builder, basic automation, landing pages, and 300+ integrations. Free for 500 contacts; Standard $13.99/mo.
- ✓ Easiest email builder in the market: drag-and-drop with 100+ professionally designed templates
- ✓ Free tier includes up to 500 contacts, 1,000 sends/mo, and basic automation—good for testing
- ✓ Standard plan ($13.99/mo for 500 contacts) unlocks automation, A/B testing, and custom templates
What breaks first (decision checks)
These checks reflect the common constraints that decide between ActiveCampaign and Mailchimp in this category.
If you only read one section, read this — these are the checks that force redesigns or budget surprises.
- Real trade-off: Automation workflow depth and CRM integration versus email template design polish and onboarding simplicity.
- Email Simplicity vs Automation Depth: Map your current automation needs: simple drip sequences vs multi-branch conditional flows
- Contact-Based vs Send-Based Pricing: Calculate total contacts vs average monthly sends to model cost on both pricing models
- E-commerce Native vs General Purpose: Determine if revenue-per-email and order-level attribution are must-have metrics
Implementation gotchas
These are the practical downsides teams tend to discover during setup, rollout, or scaling.
Where ActiveCampaign surprises teams
- Email template design and visual builder less polished than Mailchimp's—more functional than beautiful
- Contact-based pricing still applies: 25,000 contacts on Plus is ~$259/mo; 100,000 contacts is $489+/mo
- No native e-commerce revenue attribution—Klaviyo and Omnisend are better for Shopify ROI tracking
Where Mailchimp surprises teams
- Contact-based pricing escalates rapidly: 10,000 contacts on Standard is $100/mo; 50,000 contacts is $299/mo
- Automation depth is limited compared to ActiveCampaign—no conditional branching, limited triggers
- Premium tier ($299/mo) required for advanced segmentation, comparative reporting, and multivariate testing
Where each product pulls ahead
These are the distinctive advantages that matter most in this comparison.
ActiveCampaign advantages
- ✓ Conditional automation builder with branching, splits, and goal tracking
- ✓ Built-in CRM with deal pipelines and lead scoring at $49/mo
- ✓ Top-ranked deliverability in independent third-party tests
Mailchimp advantages
- ✓ Best-in-class drag-and-drop email template builder with 100+ designs
- ✓ Fastest onboarding—teams can send their first campaign in under an hour
- ✓ Strongest brand recognition and broadest plug-and-play integration ecosystem
Pros and cons
ActiveCampaign
Pros
- + You need conditional automation workflows with branching logic and wait conditions
- + Lead scoring and CRM pipeline management are requirements
- + You're outgrowing Mailchimp's automation and need more depth without enterprise pricing
- + Deliverability is mission-critical—ActiveCampaign ranks higher in independent tests
- + You want CRM + email + automation in one tool at $49/mo instead of separate platforms
Cons
- − Email template design and visual builder less polished than Mailchimp's—more functional than beautiful
- − Contact-based pricing still applies: 25,000 contacts on Plus is ~$259/mo; 100,000 contacts is $489+/mo
- − No native e-commerce revenue attribution—Klaviyo and Omnisend are better for Shopify ROI tracking
- − Landing page builder is basic compared to HubSpot's or dedicated tools like Unbounce
- − CRM is capable but less mature than HubSpot CRM or Salesforce for complex sales processes
- − Reporting and analytics are solid but lack the depth of HubSpot Enterprise or Marketo attribution
- − Professional tier ($149/mo) needed for predictive sending, split automations, and site messaging
Mailchimp
Pros
- + Email template design quality and visual brand consistency are your top priority
- + You have a small list (<5,000) and simple campaign needs—newsletters, announcements, drips
- + Onboarding speed matters—Mailchimp is the fastest to learn and send from
- + You need the broadest plug-and-play integration ecosystem for non-technical teams
- + Your team doesn't need CRM, lead scoring, or advanced automation
Cons
- − Contact-based pricing escalates rapidly: 10,000 contacts on Standard is $100/mo; 50,000 contacts is $299/mo
- − Automation depth is limited compared to ActiveCampaign—no conditional branching, limited triggers
- − Premium tier ($299/mo) required for advanced segmentation, comparative reporting, and multivariate testing
- − Affiliate marketing content restricted—Mailchimp's terms prohibit many affiliate-heavy use cases
- − No built-in CRM for sales pipeline management—separate tool needed for lead scoring
- − E-commerce integration exists but revenue attribution is basic compared to Klaviyo's per-email ROI
- − Intuit acquisition shifted pricing upward: legacy free tier (2,000 contacts) reduced to 500 contacts
Keep exploring this category
If you’re close to a decision, the fastest next step is to read 1–2 more head-to-head briefs, then confirm pricing limits in the product detail pages.
FAQ
How do you choose between ActiveCampaign and Mailchimp?
ActiveCampaign wins on automation depth, CRM, and lead scoring at comparable pricing. Mailchimp wins on email template design, brand recognition, and ease-of-use for simple campaigns. Teams that need conditional workflows should switch to ActiveCampaign; teams that just need beautiful newsletters should stay on Mailchimp.
When should you pick ActiveCampaign?
Pick ActiveCampaign when: You need conditional automation workflows with branching logic and wait conditions; Lead scoring and CRM pipeline management are requirements; You're outgrowing Mailchimp's automation and need more depth without enterprise pricing; Deliverability is mission-critical—ActiveCampaign ranks higher in independent tests.
When should you pick Mailchimp?
Pick Mailchimp when: Email template design quality and visual brand consistency are your top priority; You have a small list (<5,000) and simple campaign needs—newsletters, announcements, drips; Onboarding speed matters—Mailchimp is the fastest to learn and send from; You need the broadest plug-and-play integration ecosystem for non-technical teams.
What’s the real trade-off between ActiveCampaign and Mailchimp?
Automation workflow depth and CRM integration versus email template design polish and onboarding simplicity.
What’s the most common mistake buyers make in this comparison?
Staying on Mailchimp because it's familiar, even after outgrowing its basic automation—paying more for less capability.
What’s the fastest elimination rule?
Pick ActiveCampaign if you've outgrown basic email sequences and need automation workflows, CRM, or lead scoring
What breaks first with ActiveCampaign?
Contact-based pricing at 50,000+: $489+/mo on Plus; compare Brevo's send-based model at $25–65/mo. Reporting gaps at scale: teams needing multi-touch attribution outgrow ActiveCampaign's analytics. CRM limitations: complex B2B sales processes with custom objects need HubSpot or Salesforce.
What are the hidden constraints of ActiveCampaign?
API rate limits: 5 requests per second on Lite/Plus; can bottleneck data-heavy integrations. CRM deal pipeline limited to basic fields on Lite—custom fields need Plus tier. SMS requires additional credits purchased separately; not included in base pricing.
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Sources & verification
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