Brevo
4.4 AI Email & Lifecycle Marketing
Multichannel marketing platform (email, SMS, WhatsApp) priced by sends, not contacts — with Aura AI built in.
Free tier · $9/mo Visit ↗
ActiveCampaign
Powerful marketing automation and a light CRM, with predictive sending and an AI automation builder.
Quick answer
ActiveCampaign is best for SMBs serious about automation. It offers paid plans from $19/mo. Its standout strength is deep, flexible automation builder with predictive AI; the main trade-off is no free plan and a steeper learning curve than basic ESPs. Top alternatives: Brevo and Mailchimp.
Pricing
$19/mo
Free tier
No
MaxAEO Score
4.4 /5
Pricing as of June 2026 and may change — verify on the vendor's site. · Data verified 2026-06-03
Pricing plans
| Plan | Price | Highlights |
|---|---|---|
| Starter | $19/mo | Email marketing, limited automation, 1 user (at 1,000 contacts) |
| Plus | $59/mo | Unlimited automation actions, CRM & ecommerce integrations |
| Pro | $89/mo | Predictive sending, advanced segmentation, attribution |
| Enterprise | $159/mo | Premium segmentation, custom objects, SSO, dedicated team |
Verify pricing on the vendor's site (as of 2026-06-03).
Best for
SMBs serious about automation Ecommerce & retail SaaS and tech companies Teams wanting automation + CRM
Why we recommend it
ActiveCampaign is the go-to for SMBs that have outgrown basic newsletters and want serious marketing automation — branching workflows, predictive sending, win probability, and AI content generation — paired with a built-in CRM. It integrates deeply with ecommerce and 1,000+ apps. The tradeoff is complexity and pricing: there is no free tier, and as of late 2025 billing counts all contacts including unsubscribed and bounced, so list hygiene matters more than ever.
Our take
ActiveCampaign earns its reputation on automation depth — the branching workflow builder and predictive sending are a real step up from newsletter tools, and bundling a CRM is handy for small teams. Two honest cautions from verifying: there is no free tier (14-day trial only), and since November 2025 billing counts all contacts including unsubscribed and bounced, so the per-tier prices ($19 at 1,000 contacts) climb faster than list growth alone implies. Pick it for automation, and budget for list hygiene.
Key use cases
- Build advanced, branching automations across email and the customer journey
- Predict the best send time per contact with predictive sending
- Score deals with win probability in the built-in CRM
- Generate email content and images with AI
- Recover abandoned carts and run ecommerce lifecycle flows
Integrations
Shopify WordPress Salesforce Slack Stripe WooCommerce Calendly Zapier
Pros
- Deep, flexible automation builder with predictive AI
- Marketing automation and a sales CRM in one platform
- 1,000+ integrations including deep ecommerce support
Cons
- No free plan and a steeper learning curve than basic ESPs
- Bills for all contacts (incl. unsubscribed/bounced) since late 2025, so cost scales fast
What to compare
- Among the deepest automation builders in the SMB price range
- Marketing automation plus a built-in sales CRM in one tool
- Contacts are billed even when unsubscribed or bounced, so cost climbs with the list
ActiveCampaign alternatives
Mailchimp
4.4 AI Email & Lifecycle Marketing
The best-known all-in-one email marketing platform, now with Intuit Assist generative AI baked into the editor.
Free tier · $13/mo Visit ↗
Customer.io
4.5 AI Email & Lifecycle Marketing
Behavioral messaging for product-led teams — lifecycle journeys driven by real-time event data and an AI agent.
$100/mo Visit ↗
Frequently asked questions
Does ActiveCampaign have a free plan?
No — there's a 14-day free trial but no permanent free tier. Paid plans start at $19/mo (at 1,000 contacts). Note that since late 2025 billing counts all contacts including unsubscribed and bounced, so list hygiene materially affects cost.
Does ActiveCampaign include a CRM?
Yes. It pairs one of the deepest automation builders in the SMB price range with a built-in sales CRM (deal pipelines, win-probability scoring), so marketing automation and sales live in one platform.
How much does ActiveCampaign cost?
ActiveCampaign starts at $19/mo. There is no permanent free tier.
Who is ActiveCampaign best for?
ActiveCampaign is best for SMBs serious about automation, Ecommerce & retail, SaaS and tech companies. A typical use: build advanced, branching automations across email and the customer journey.
What are the best ActiveCampaign alternatives?
Top ActiveCampaign alternatives include Brevo, Mailchimp, Customer.io — compare them on features, pricing, and best-fit use case.
Is ActiveCampaign worth it?
Deep, flexible automation builder with predictive AI, though no free plan and a steeper learning curve than basic ESPs. It is a strong fit for SMBs serious about automation.
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