How much does ActiveCampaign cost?
The real price of the email and automation platform, plan by plan, add-ons included.
Short answer: ActiveCampaign starts at $15/mo on the Starter plan billed annually for 1,000 contacts ($19 month to month), with a 14-day free trial. But that number hides a lot, because pricing is tied to your contact count, and the CRM, SMS, and extra users are billed separately. For a small business running automation and sales, the real bill lands closer to $150 to $220/mo. Below, every plan, every add-on, and what you truly pay based on your list.
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ActiveCampaign, the key numbers
How much each ActiveCampaign plan costs
Here are the four plans, from Starter to Enterprise. The price shown is for a 1,000-contact base on annual billing, the lowest tier. The key thing: this price rises with your contact list, the number one driver of the bill. Month-to-month billing costs around 20% more. CRM, SMS, and extra users are add-ons on top.
Prices in USD, 1,000-contact base, annual billing. Checked June 2026.
Starter
Get going with email marketing
$19/mo month to month
- 1,000 contacts included
- 1 user
- Limited segmentation
- 5 actions per automation
- Caps out at 10,000 contacts
Plus
Automation and customer insights
$59/mo month to month
- 1,000 contacts included
- 1 user
- Standard segmentation
- Unlimited automation actions
- Customer insights and reporting
Pro
Advanced email orchestration
$99/mo month to month
- 1,000 contacts included
- 3 users
- Advanced segmentation
- Orchestration and unlimited automations
- Deeper reporting
Enterprise
Email marketing at scale
$179/mo month to month
- 1,000 contacts included
- 5 users
- Premium segmentation
- Dedicated account team
- Enterprise-level support
Prices checked June 2026 on activecampaign.com/pricing and cross-referenced across several sources. The official page shows dynamic pricing (customize your plan) based on contact count and currency, so confirm these figures on the official page before buying. All prices are for a 1,000-contact base and rise with list size.
What makes the bill climb
That $15/mo only holds for 1,000 contacts on the most basic plan. The moment you grow, several levers push the bill up. Here they are.
Your contact count
This is lever number one. Pricing is tied to your list size. At 10,000 contacts on annual billing, expect roughly ~$149/mo on Starter, ~$189 on Plus, ~$375 on Pro, and ~$589 on Enterprise. And Starter caps at 10,000 contacts: beyond that, upgrading to Plus or higher is mandatory.
CRM and sales pipelines
The full CRM module (deal tracking, pipelines, scoring) is a separate add-on, around ~$68/mo. If you want marketing and sales in one place, that cost stacks on top of your email plan.
Extra users
Each plan includes a fixed number of seats: 1 (Starter, Plus), 3 (Pro), 5 (Enterprise). Beyond that, each extra user runs about $12/mo. A six-person marketing team on Pro therefore pays for three extra seats.
SMS, WhatsApp, and reporting
SMS runs on credits, from ~$16.83/mo. WhatsApp lives on dedicated plans (lines billed separately). Advanced custom reporting is an add-on around ~$159/mo. These bricks stack up fast.
- Estimate your true list size first: it drives the price.
- Mostly doing email? Starter or Plus can be enough.
- Want marketing plus sales in one place? Add the CRM (~$68/mo).
- Team bigger than your included seats? Budget $12/mo per extra user.
- Not sending SMS? Skip the module, it bills per credit.
How we price the real cost
ActiveCampaign's headline price doesn't tell you what a real small business pays, because it depends on contacts and add-ons. For our small-business marketing plus sales scenario, we take the Pro plan with a realistic contact base and the CRM module, on annual billing. Here is the breakdown.
- Pro (larger contact base)Orchestration, automations, 3 users~$99
- CRM / pipelines add-onDeals, pipelines, sales scoring~$68
- Contact / SMS headroomDepends on your list and channelsvariable
- Total per monthWell above the headline price~$150+
Estimate for a typical small business. Adjust for your real list size and the add-ons you need.
What you actually pay per month
Price depends mostly on your contact list and the modules you turn on. Four typical profiles, on annual billing, assumptions stated.
Estimates in USD, annual. Possible add-ons flagged.
Solo, small list
Email only
- Plus plan, 1,000 contacts
- Unlimited automations
- No CRM, no SMS
SMB marketing + sales
Email + CRM
- Pro + CRM add-on, larger contact base
- Marketing and sales in one place
- Well above the headline price
Growing team
10,000+ list
- Pro, 10,000 contacts
- Extra seats at $12/mo
- CRM on top if needed
Enterprise
At scale
- Enterprise, 10,000 contacts
- Dedicated account team
- Reporting and channel add-ons
Estimates on annual billing (June 2026), based on plan, list size, and add-ons. Adjust for your real base. Reminder: ActiveCampaign's price rises mostly with contact count, not with the number of emails sent.
ActiveCampaign's price versus the alternatives
ActiveCampaign's entry plan compared to three common email alternatives. ActiveCampaign stands out on automation depth, but Brevo bills by email volume (unlimited contacts) and offers a free plan. Sort by price or score.
| Best for | Model | Free plan | Team size | Visit | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2 | Brevo | Free plan | Per email volume | 4.3/5 | $9/mo | ✓ | Tight budgets, unlimited contacts | Visit → |
| 1 |  ActiveCampaign | Deep automation | Per contact | 4.2/5 | $15/mo | — | SMB marketing + sales | Visit → |
| 3 | GetResponse | All-rounder | Per contact | 4.1/5 | $19/mo | ✓ | Email + landing pages | Visit → |
Entry prices checked June 2026 (1,000-contact base for tools billed per contact). ActiveCampaign and GetResponse bill by contact count, while Brevo bills by email volume with unlimited contacts, which changes the math entirely if you hold a large but rarely-emailed list. Brevo and GetResponse have a free plan; ActiveCampaign does not.
So, is ActiveCampaign expensive?
Our take after testing it: the headline price is competitive, but the real cost depends on your list and your add-ons. Here is when it is worth it, and when it stings.
Good value if…
You need deep automation and want marketing plus CRM in one place. On that front, ActiveCampaign is one of the most complete tools on the market, and its Pro plan at $79/mo (annual) stays reasonable as long as your list is under control.
Too expensive if…
You hold a large, rarely-emailed list or run on a tight budget. Per-contact pricing hurts as the base grows, and the lack of a free plan shuts out the smallest projects. In those cases, Brevo (per email volume, unlimited contacts) often comes out cheaper.
The verdict
ActiveCampaign is an excellent automation platform at a fair price, as long as you watch two things: your list size and the add-ons you switch on. Pick the plan that covers your real need, and only add the CRM or SMS if you genuinely use them.
- Pay yearly: around 20% off across all plans.
- Clean your list before you pay: you are billed per contact.
- Use the 14-day trial to validate automation and deliverability.
- Only turn on the CRM (~$68/mo) if you truly run sales.
- Compare with Brevo if your list is large but rarely emailed.
Frequently asked questions about ActiveCampaign pricing
How much does ActiveCampaign cost per month?
ActiveCampaign starts at $15/mo on the Starter plan billed annually for 1,000 contacts, or $19/mo month to month. Plus is $49, Pro is $79, and Enterprise starts at $145/mo (all annual, 1,000-contact base). But this price rises with your list: for 10,000 contacts, expect closer to ~$149 on Starter and ~$375 on Pro. The smart move is to size your real list first, then add the CRM or SMS add-ons only if you need them.How much does ActiveCampaign cost per year?
On annual billing for 1,000 contacts, Starter works out to about $180/yr ($15 × 12), Plus around $588/yr, Pro around $948/yr, and Enterprise from about $1,740/yr. Annual billing saves roughly 20% versus monthly. Be careful: these figures assume a small list. If your base hits 10,000 contacts, the annual cost of Pro climbs to around $4,500. Always confirm the exact price on the official page before paying, since the tiers shift.Does ActiveCampaign have a free plan?
No, ActiveCampaign has no permanent free plan. It offers a 14-day free trial that unlocks Pro-level features, but capped at 100 contacts and 100 emails. That is enough to test the interface, the automation, and deliverability on a small sample before committing. After 14 days, you move to a paid plan starting at $19/mo month to month. If you want a genuine permanent free tier, look at Brevo or Mailchimp instead.Does ActiveCampaign pricing go up with the number of contacts?
Yes, and this is the single most important thing to understand. ActiveCampaign's price is tied to your contact list size, the number one driver of the bill. The $15/mo headline only holds for 1,000 contacts. At 10,000 contacts, Starter jumps to ~$149/mo and Pro to ~$375/mo on annual billing. Starter also caps at 10,000 contacts: beyond that you are forced onto Plus or higher. Clean your list regularly so you are not paying for inactive contacts.Is the CRM included in ActiveCampaign's price?
Not fully. The email plans include basic features, but the complete CRM module with sales pipelines, deal management, and scoring is an add-on billed on top, around $68/mo. If you want marketing and sales in one place, that cost stacks onto your email subscription. For a small business on Pro that enables the CRM, the real bill lands closer to $150/mo. If you only do email marketing, you can skip this module and stay on your base plan.Is ActiveCampaign more expensive than Brevo or Mailchimp?
It depends on your profile. Brevo bills by email volume sent, with unlimited contacts and a free plan, so it often comes out cheaper if you hold a large, rarely-emailed list. ActiveCampaign and Mailchimp bill by contact count, which pushes the bill up as the base grows. That said, ActiveCampaign offers far deeper automation than Brevo or Mailchimp. If advanced automation and CRM are your need, ActiveCampaign justifies its price; otherwise, Brevo is more economical.How much do extra users cost on ActiveCampaign?
Each plan includes a fixed number of seats: 1 user on Starter and Plus, 3 on Pro, 5 on Enterprise. Beyond that, each extra user costs about $12/mo. A six-person marketing team on a Pro plan therefore pays for three extra seats, roughly $36/mo on top of the plan. Size your plan to your team: stepping up to a higher tier can sometimes cost less than stacking many add-on seats.Is there a discount for paying ActiveCampaign yearly?
Yes. Annual billing saves around 20% versus monthly across all plans. Starter drops from $19 to $15/mo, Plus from $59 to $49, Pro from $99 to $79, for example. That is the main way to pay less for ActiveCampaign. ActiveCampaign also regularly offers a 30-day money-back guarantee. Be wary of unofficial third-party promo codes: the most reliable lever is the annual commitment, plus keeping your list clean.How much does ActiveCampaign cost for a large contact list?
For a large base, the price climbs fast because ActiveCampaign bills per contact. At 10,000 contacts on annual billing, expect about $149/mo on Starter, $189 on Plus, $375 on Pro, and $589 on Enterprise, before CRM, SMS, or reporting add-ons. Above 10,000 contacts, Starter is no longer available and you must move to Plus or higher. If your list far exceeds these volumes but you send few emails, a volume-billed tool like Brevo can come out significantly cheaper.Can you cancel ActiveCampaign easily?
Yes, the subscription cancels from your account. ActiveCampaign also offers a 30-day money-back guarantee, which lets you recover your money if the platform falls short within that window. Before closing your account, export your contacts, automations, and email history, since you lose access once the subscription ends. If you are unsure, use the 14-day free trial upfront to validate the tool without committing any budget.
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