ActiveCampaign Pricing 2026: Plans, Add-ons, Real Cost
ActiveCampaign pricing as of October 2026: Starter, Plus, Pro and Enterprise by contact count, SMS credits, add-ons, and when Klaviyo is the better value.
Table of contents
- How much does ActiveCampaign cost?
- ActiveCampaign’s plans at a glance
- ActiveCampaign cost by list size
- The hidden costs in ActiveCampaign pricing
- SMS is an add-on with country-based credits
- Other add-ons
- Contact bands and seats
- Which is better, Mailchimp or ActiveCampaign?
- When ActiveCampaign is cheaper than Klaviyo, and when Klaviyo pays for itself
- How to keep ActiveCampaign costs down
- Moving from ActiveCampaign to Klaviyo
- Sources
ActiveCampaign is a marketing automation platform with a CRM attached, and its pricing reflects that. You choose a plan for the feature set, a contact band for the price, and then add SMS, transactional email, custom reports or sales tools as separate add-ons.
Prices below come from activecampaign.com/pricing and ActiveCampaign’s help centre, checked in September 2026. The 1,000-contact prices and billing terms were re-checked on 10 October 2026. We are a Klaviyo agency, so we will also say plainly where ActiveCampaign is the stronger choice.
How much does ActiveCampaign cost?
As of 10 October 2026, ActiveCampaign starts at $15 a month (Starter), $49 (Plus), $79 (Pro) and $145 (Enterprise) for 1,000 contacts, billed annually. Price climbs with contacts: at 10,000 contacts the same plans cost $149, $189, $375 and $589 a month (September 2026). There is no free plan, only a 14-day trial.
The pricing page shows annual-billing prices only (checked 10 October 2026). Month-to-month prices aren’t published there, so confirm them in checkout or with sales before you compare against a vendor that bills monthly, such as Klaviyo.
ActiveCampaign’s plans at a glance
| Starter | Plus | Pro | Enterprise | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| From (1,000 contacts, billed annually) | $15/mo | $49/mo | $79/mo | $145/mo |
| Users | 1 | 1 | 3 | 5 |
| Email sends | 10x contacts | 10x contacts | 12x contacts | 15x contacts |
| Automation | 5 actions per automation | Unlimited actions | Unlimited actions | Unlimited actions |
| Segmentation | Limited | Standard | Advanced | Premium |
| Landing pages | No | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Predictive sending, conditional content | No | No | Yes | Yes |
| SMS add-on | Not available | Available | Available | Available |
| Max contacts | 25,000 | Quote above 50,000 | Quote above 50,000 | Quote above 50,000 |
Source: activecampaign.com/pricing and ActiveCampaign’s “Overview of ActiveCampaign plans” help article, September 2026. ActiveCampaign notes that existing customers don’t qualify for Starter.
Starter is a proper entry plan, but the five-actions-per-automation cap is tight. A welcome series with a delay, a condition and three emails already uses five actions.
Plus is the realistic starting point for ecommerce: unlimited automation actions, landing pages and access to every add-on.
Pro adds predictive sending, conditional content, attribution and conversion tracking, and three users.
Enterprise adds custom objects, single sign-on, HIPAA support and a dedicated account team.
ActiveCampaign cost by list size
Annual-billed monthly prices in USD from ActiveCampaign’s pricing calculator, September 2026. The Klaviyo column is Klaviyo’s monthly email plan from klaviyo.com/pricing on the same date.
| Contacts | Starter | Plus | Pro | Enterprise | Klaviyo (email) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1,000 | $15 | $49 | $79 | $145 | $30 |
| 2,500 | $39 | $95 | $149 | $255 | $60 |
| 5,000 | $79 | $145 | $205 | $375 | $100 |
| 10,000 | $149 | $189 | $375 | $589 | $150 |
| 25,000 | $391* | $389 | $629 | $879 | $400 |
| 50,000 | Not available | $609 | $969 | $1,169 | $720 |
*Starter is capped at 25,000 contacts, and at that size the calculator showed Starter slightly above Plus. Choose Plus.
Remember that Klaviyo’s figure is a monthly price and ActiveCampaign’s is a monthly equivalent of annual billing. Compare like with like before you sign a 12-month commitment.
The hidden costs in ActiveCampaign pricing
SMS is an add-on with country-based credits
SMS is available on Plus and above. You buy the add-on and a recurring block of credits in Billing & Upgrade, and credits are consumed per message by destination. ActiveCampaign doesn’t publish the dollar price of credit blocks on its pricing page, so you see it in checkout.
Credits per message, from ActiveCampaign’s supported-countries article (September 2026):
| Destination | Credits per SMS | Credits per MMS |
|---|---|---|
| United States | 1 | 3 |
| Canada | 1 | Not listed |
| Australia | 3 | 21 |
| United Kingdom | 5 | Not listed |
Unused SMS credits don’t roll over to the next month. Broadcast SMS campaigns are supported in the US, UK and Australia; other countries can receive SMS from automations. US senders must register for A2P 10DLC before sending.
Other add-ons
ActiveCampaign sells these separately:
- Transactional Email (powered by Postmark), available on every plan.
- Custom Reports, on Plus and Pro; included with Enterprise.
- Pipelines and Sales Engagement enhanced CRM add-ons, on Plus and above. Lead scoring and deal automation live here.
- AI Activities (AI translations and AI actions).
None of the add-on prices are listed on the public pricing page, so ask before you commit.
Contact bands and seats
When your list grows past your plan’s contact band, ActiveCampaign moves you to the next band (its FAQ says without penalties or lock-outs). Plus includes one user and Pro three; additional seats are extra.
Which is better, Mailchimp or ActiveCampaign?
ActiveCampaign has the more capable automation builder and a CRM; Mailchimp is easier and cheaper for newsletters. At 5,000 contacts, ActiveCampaign Starter is $79 a month billed annually and Mailchimp Essentials $75 a month. Our Mailchimp pricing guide has the full table.
When ActiveCampaign is cheaper than Klaviyo, and when Klaviyo pays for itself
ActiveCampaign is the better fit when:
- You sell with a sales team. Deals, pipelines, lead scoring and 1:1 sales emails are ActiveCampaign’s territory. Klaviyo is not a sales CRM.
- You are B2B, a course business or a service provider. Tag-based automation and site tracking suit long consideration journeys.
- Your list is small and you’ll live on Starter. $15 to $79 a month up to 5,000 contacts is competitive if five actions per automation is enough.
Klaviyo pays for itself when:
- You run an ecommerce store. At 5,000 contacts, ActiveCampaign Plus is $145 a month against Klaviyo’s $100; at 10,000 it’s $189 against $150. And Klaviyo’s segmentation is built on order data: predicted next order date, lifetime value, product affinity.
- You want email and SMS in one flow. Klaviyo’s mobile messaging uses the same profile and flow builder, with dollar-based rates that include carrier fees. See our Klaviyo SMS pricing guide.
- Flows are your revenue engine. Klaviyo’s benchmark report shows automated flows earning far more per recipient than campaigns. That gap is worth much more than the subscription difference.
ActiveCampaign does get cheaper than Klaviyo at 25,000 contacts on Plus ($389 against $400) and 50,000 ($609 against $720). If you’re B2C at that size and only need solid automation, that is a fair saving. If you’re ecommerce, weigh it against what flow revenue and segmentation are worth to you.
For the feature comparison, read Klaviyo vs ActiveCampaign. For Klaviyo’s own tiers, see our Klaviyo pricing guide.
How to keep ActiveCampaign costs down
- Pick the plan for the automation you need. Don’t buy Pro for predictive sending you won’t use.
- Clean your contact list before renewal. Your band is set by contacts, so dead contacts cost money.
- Price add-ons before signing. SMS, transactional email and CRM add-ons can double the headline cost.
- Match billing terms when comparing. ActiveCampaign’s page shows annual-billed prices.
Moving from ActiveCampaign to Klaviyo
If you are an ecommerce brand on ActiveCampaign and your flows have hit the limits of tag-based logic, our ActiveCampaign to Klaviyo migration rebuilds your automations on order data and moves your list and consent history safely. Want to know whether it’s worth it first? Get a free audit.
Sources
- ActiveCampaign Pricing (plans and prices by contact count, September 2026; 1,000-contact prices and annual-only billing re-checked 10 October 2026)
- Overview of ActiveCampaign plans
- Purchase the SMS add-on and SMS supported countries
- Klaviyo Pricing
/ Frequently Asked Questions
Q.01 How much does ActiveCampaign cost? +
/ Answer
As of 10 October 2026, ActiveCampaign's pricing page lists annual-billing prices only, starting at $15 a month for Starter, $49 for Plus, $79 for Pro and $145 for Enterprise at 1,000 contacts. Month-to-month prices aren't published there. At 10,000 contacts the calculator showed $149, $189, $375 and $589 a month in September 2026. Above 50,000 contacts you request a quote. SMS, transactional email and CRM tools are paid add-ons.
Q.02 Does ActiveCampaign have a free version? +
/ Answer
No. ActiveCampaign has no free plan as of September 2026. It offers a 14-day free trial based on the Pro plan, with no credit card needed, and its pricing page advertises a 30-day money-back guarantee. If you need a free tier to start, Klaviyo, Mailchimp, Omnisend, MailerLite and Brevo all offer one with limits.
Q.03 Is ActiveCampaign worth it? +
/ Answer
For businesses that need marketing automation tied to a sales pipeline, often B2B, coaching or services, yes. Its automation builder is strong and the CRM add-ons are useful. For ecommerce brands, Plus and Pro cost more than Klaviyo at most list sizes, and Klaviyo's segmentation on order data and native SMS are usually the better fit.
Q.04 Which is better, Mailchimp or ActiveCampaign? +
/ Answer
ActiveCampaign has the deeper automation builder and CRM; Mailchimp is simpler and cheaper for newsletters. As of September 2026, 5,000 contacts cost $79 a month on ActiveCampaign Starter (billed annually) against $75 on Mailchimp Essentials, but ActiveCampaign Starter limits automations to five actions each. For ecommerce, both are generally outgrown by Klaviyo or Omnisend.
Q.05 How much does ActiveCampaign SMS cost? +
/ Answer
SMS is a paid add-on for Plus, Professional and Enterprise plans. You buy recurring credits, and each message uses credits by destination: 1 per US SMS and 3 per US MMS, 3 per Australian SMS, 1 for Canada and 5 for the UK, as of September 2026. Unused credits don't roll over, and US senders must register for A2P 10DLC.
Q.06 How many emails can I send with ActiveCampaign? +
/ Answer
Your monthly email allowance is a multiple of your contact limit: 10 times on Starter and Plus, 12 times on Pro and 15 times on Enterprise, as of September 2026. A Plus plan for 5,000 contacts therefore includes 50,000 emails a month. If your list grows past your plan's contact band, you move up to the next band.
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