PLATFORMS
ActiveCampaign, when the automation is the point
Automation depth: branching, scoring and CRM handoff.
ActiveCampaign is the automation-first choice: branching workflows, behaviour scoring and CRM handoff that the newsletter tools do not reach. You pay for that depth, pricing starts at a thousand contacts, and a simple newsletter would waste most of it. Sending allowances scale as a multiple of your contact tier.
Choose ActiveCampaign for
- Teams that outgrew simple sequence builders
- Automations that branch on behaviour and hand off to a CRM
Look elsewhere if
- Simple newsletters: you would pay for depth you never use
- Lists under a thousand contacts: that is the minimum tier
Four plans, rising depth
| ActiveCampaign | 1,000 contacts | 2,500 contacts | 5,000 contacts | 10,000 contacts | 25,000 contacts | 50,000 contacts |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Starter | $19/mo · $15/mo annual | $49/mo · $39/mo annual | $99/mo · $79/mo annual | $189/mo · $149/mo annual | $489/mo · $391/mo annual | · |
| Plus | $59/mo · $49/mo annual | $119/mo · $95/mo annual | $179/mo · $145/mo annual | $239/mo · $189/mo annual | $489/mo · $389/mo annual | $759/mo · $609/mo annual |
| Pro | $99/mo · $79/mo annual | $189/mo · $149/mo annual | $259/mo · $205/mo annual | $469/mo · $375/mo annual | $789/mo · $629/mo annual | $1,209/mo · $969/mo annual |
| Enterprise | $179/mo · $145/mo annual | $319/mo · $255/mo annual | $469/mo · $375/mo annual | $739/mo · $589/mo annual | $1,099/mo · $879/mo annual | $1,459/mo · $1,169/mo annual |
Priced by marketing contacts from a 1,000-contact minimum; sending allowances are a multiple of the contact tier. Annual billing is cheaper than monthly. Current amounts: the official ActiveCampaign pricing page.
Starter caps automations at five actions; Plus unlocks unlimited actions and landing pages; Pro adds predictive sending and deeper segmentation; Enterprise brings SSO and custom objects. Every plan starts at a thousand contacts, and Starter stops at twenty-five thousand. Sending is 10x to 15x the contact tier depending on plan. Compare it to lighter tools in the cost calculator.
Depth you either need or do not
The reason to choose ActiveCampaign is automation that branches on behaviour, scores contacts and hands off to a sales pipeline. If your journeys are that involved, nothing lighter in the registry matches it. If you send a weekly newsletter with a welcome series, you would pay a premium for machinery you never start, and MailerLite or Moosend do the job for less. Moving away, the ActiveCampaign to GetResponse and ActiveCampaign to Moosend guides list what imports and what you rebuild.
The re-pricing trap on growth
Growing past a contact tier re-prices the whole plan at the next rung, not just the added contacts, so a list creeping over a threshold can jump the bill more than expected. There is no published per-contact overage fee; you simply move up. Model the tier you are heading toward, not just the one you are on.
Inside ActiveCampaign
Ready to try ActiveCampaign?
paid plans only · from $19/mo. Price it against the whole shortlist first if you are unsure.
Questions people also ask
Is ActiveCampaign overkill for a newsletter?
Usually yes. Its value is deep automation and CRM handoff; a straight newsletter pays for depth it never uses. Compare against the newsletter-first tier before committing.
What is the smallest plan?
Pricing starts at a thousand contacts on Starter; there is no sub-thousand rung. Starter also caps automations at five actions and stops at twenty-five thousand contacts.
How much can I send?
Sending is a multiple of your contact tier: 10x on Starter and Plus, 12x on Pro, 15x on Enterprise. High-frequency senders should check that multiple against their volume.