1v1 Pricing Showdown
ActiveCampaign vs MailerLite
Side-by-side pricing breakdown for Email Marketing decision-makers
Prices in USD, verified from the United States. Regional pricing may vary.
When choosing between ActiveCampaign and MailerLite for your email marketing stack, the right answer depends on three things: your budget, the specific features you actually use day-to-day, and your tolerance for renewal-price increases. Below we lay out the prices each vendor advertises today (verified against their live pricing pages), the plan limits that decide whether they'll fit your team, and the features that differ between them.
ActiveCampaign starts at $19/mo; MailerLite starts at $10/mo. The cheaper headline price isn't always the cheaper total cost — renewal pricing, per-user fees, and overage charges can shift the math. Use the plan-by-plan tables below to model your actual spend.
Feature Comparison
| Feature | | |
|---|---|---|
| automation | Yes | Yes |
| crm | Yes | — |
| ab testing | Yes | — |
| predictive sending | Yes | — |
| lead scoring | Yes | — |
| deal pipelines | Yes | — |
| drag drop editor | — | Yes |
| landing pages | — | 10 on Free, Unlimited paid |
| digital products | — | 1 Free, 3 Growing, Unlimited Advanced |
| multivariate testing | — | Growing+ |
| ai writing | — | Advanced |
| dedicated ip | — | Enterprise |
| signup forms | — | Yes |
| free trial | — | 14 days premium |
| annual discount | — | 10% |
Affiliate links — you pay the same price
Dive Deeper
ActiveCampaign
About the email marketing category
Email marketing pricing in 2026 splits into two models: per-subscriber (Kit, Mailchimp, ActiveCampaign, AWeber, GetResponse) and per-email (Brevo). That distinction matters more than the sticker price. A 10,000-subscriber list costs $99/mo on Kit Creator, $115/mo on Mailchimp Standard, $119/mo on ActiveCampaign Starter, and $65/mo on AWeber — but only $18/mo on Brevo if you send fewer than 5,000 emails. Free plans range from genuinely useful (Kit at 10,000 subscribers, Brevo at unlimited contacts with 300 sends/day) to functionally useless (Mailchimp at 250 contacts). The market is also splitting on features: ActiveCampaign and GetResponse are evolving into full marketing platforms with CRM and webinars, while Kit and AWeber stay focused on email-first simplicity.
How to choose between email marketing options
Start with your list size and sending frequency — they determine which pricing model saves you money. If you have a large list but email it weekly or less, Brevo's per-email pricing can be 80% cheaper than per-subscriber platforms. If you send frequently to a growing list, per-subscriber models give you predictable costs. Next, check deliverability. Kit leads at 99.2%, AWeber at 98.7%. A 1% deliverability difference on a 50,000-subscriber list means 500 fewer inboxes reached per send. Finally, look at what's bundled. ActiveCampaign includes a CRM and deal pipelines. GetResponse includes webinar hosting. Kit includes digital product sales. Each can replace a separate tool costing $15-50/mo.
Building Your Business Stack?
Decision-makers comparing tools often need more than one category. Here are related comparisons:
Frequently Asked Questions
- Is ActiveCampaign cheaper than MailerLite?
- MailerLite is cheaper starting at $10/mo. ActiveCampaign starts at $19/mo and MailerLite at $10/mo.
- Does ActiveCampaign or MailerLite offer a free plan?
- MailerLite offers a free plan.
- Which is better, ActiveCampaign or MailerLite?
- ActiveCampaign scores 8.8/10 compared to MailerLite's 8.7/10 in our analysis. ActiveCampaign ranks higher on features and value, but MailerLite may suit specific use cases — see the feature comparison above.
- Is ActiveCampaign cheaper than MailerLite for a team of 5?
- For a team of 5, ActiveCampaign costs $19/mo (flat rate) and MailerLite costs $10/mo (flat rate). MailerLite is the cheaper option at this team size.
- Are there other email marketing alternatives besides ActiveCampaign and MailerLite?
- Yes. Our [Email Marketing pricing comparison](/pricing/email-marketing/) page covers all major providers with daily-verified prices. You can also see the [cheapest email marketing](/pricing/email-marketing/cheapest/) for budget-focused options.