ActiveCampaign vs Mailchimp: A Detailed Comparison for 2025 (Features, Pricing & Integration)

Trying to pick between ActiveCampaign and Mailchimp? Yep—we’ve been there. These two are heavy hitters in the email marketing world, and choosing between them can get… messy.

We’ve used both. We’ve loved parts of both. And honestly? What works for one business might be total overkill for another. So instead of giving you a one-size-fits-all answer, we’re breaking down ActiveCampaign vs Mailchimp from our real experience—so you can pick the one that fits your style, team, and goals.

Who is ActiveCampaign?

ActiveCampaign is a powerful all-in-one platform built for serious marketing. Think of it like an email platform crossed with a CRM and an automation powerhouse. Founded in 2003, it’s been quietly leveling up behind the scenes—and today, it’s one of the most robust tools for advanced marketers.

Its claim to fame? Automation. ActiveCampaign lets you build insanely detailed workflows based on just about any behavior you can think of. It also throws in sales automation, lead scoring, and a built-in CRM.

If you’re running a growing business, e-commerce shop, or complex funnel system, ActiveCampaign might be your dream setup.

Who is Mailchimp?

Mailchimp is the OG of email marketing. It’s been around since 2001 and is still one of the most recognized names in the game. Known for its generous free plan and friendly UI, Mailchimp has helped thousands of small businesses get started with email.

But as your business scales? Mailchimp’s limitations—especially around automation and pricing—start to show. It’s great for beginners and lean teams, but power users often feel boxed in.

If you’re looking for a quick, simple way to launch email campaigns without diving too deep into tech, Mailchimp still holds its own.

ActiveCampaign vs Mailchimp: Quick Comparison

Here’s how they stack up at a glance:

Automation: Powerhouse vs. Practical

When it comes to automation, ActiveCampaign is in a league of its own. You can build deep, complex journeys that respond to customer behavior with insane precision. Purchase triggers, page visits, SMS follow-ups, lead scoring—it’s all here.

But there’s a learning curve. Building those sequences takes time, strategy, and a bit of patience.

Mailchimp keeps it simpler. Its Customer Journey builder allows for basic logic and email series. You can automate welcome emails, abandoned cart flows, and product follow-ups—especially if you’re on a paid plan. But compared to ActiveCampaign? It’s like comparing a Swiss army knife to a butter knife.

ActiveCampaign automation features:

• Visual automation builder with unlimited logic branches
• Behavior tracking across site, email, and CRM
• Lead scoring + goal-based automations
• Conditional content and split automations
• Integrates deeply with Shopify, WooCommerce, and Salesforce

Mailchimp automation features:

• Email sequences (welcome, onboarding, abandoned cart)
• Triggered sends based on activity (opens, clicks, purchases)
• Some customer journey mapping (on Standard & Premium)
• Basic logic branches (limited in free and Essentials plans)

Bottom line:
If automation is a major part of your growth plan, ActiveCampaign is worth the investment. If you just want to send a solid welcome series and some promos, Mailchimp works fine.

Email Builder & Templates: Customization vs Convenience

Let’s talk looks. Email design matters—a lot. Whether you’re building sleek newsletters or conversion-focused sales emails, both platforms give you drag-and-drop builders. But the experience is very different.

ActiveCampaign focuses on functionality. Its email builder is solid and allows more detailed customization, but it leans toward performance over aesthetics. You can edit HTML, add conditional content, and use dynamic fields based on your contact data.

Mailchimp, on the other hand, shines in the visual department. Its templates are polished and beginner-friendly, especially for creators or small businesses that want quick, good-looking results without coding.

Email builder features in ActiveCampaign:

• Drag-and-drop editor with block-based layout
• HTML editing for developers
• Dynamic content based on custom fields
• Library of responsive templates (not huge, but flexible)

Email builder features in Mailchimp:

• 100+ pre-designed templates
• Intuitive drag-and-drop UI
• Style editor for brand fonts, colors, and logos
• Some limitations on customization in lower-tier plans

Verdict:
If you’re aiming for performance-first emails with deep personalization, ActiveCampaign wins. If design is your top priority and you want to move fast, Mailchimp feels easier.

Segmentation & Personalization: Data-Driven vs. Basic Filters

This is where the two platforms really separate.

ActiveCampaign lets you slice your audience any way you want. Demographics, past behaviors, email opens, website activity, purchase history—it’s all trackable and usable. You can build hyper-targeted segments that update in real time. It’s ideal for advanced marketers who want to send exactly the right message to the right person at the right time.

Mailchimp offers segmentation, too, but with fewer data points and less flexibility—unless you’re on the higher-priced tiers.

Segmentation in ActiveCampaign:

• Tag-based and behavior-based logic
• Combine conditions like “clicked X email + visited Y page”
• Lead scoring to rank subscribers
• Dynamic segments that update automatically

Segmentation in Mailchimp:

• Tags, groups, and segments
• Engagement-based filters (opened/clicked)
• Prebuilt segments (highly engaged, recent buyers)
• Fewer conditional layers compared to ActiveCampaign

Bottom line:
For advanced targeting and personalization, ActiveCampaign is a beast. Mailchimp is better for simple lists and basic filters.

Forms & Lead Capture: Smart vs. Stylish

List building is a big deal. So how do ActiveCampaign and Mailchimp handle it?

ActiveCampaign offers powerful form options—inline, floating, modal popups—with strong automation triggers. You can even tie forms to specific automations or pipeline stages. It’s ideal for lead gen funnels, sales pipelines, and high-converting opt-ins.

Mailchimp’s forms are clean and easy to embed. They look decent out of the box, but lack the depth or flexibility ActiveCampaign brings. No lead scoring. No CRM sync. Just a form and some basic follow-up options.

ActiveCampaign form features:

• Trigger specific automations on form submission
• Custom fields, checkboxes, dropdowns
• Inline, floating bar, modal popup, full page
• Lead scoring and tagging on submit

Mailchimp form features:

• Embedded and popup forms
• Basic visual customization
• Connects to email lists (not CRM pipelines)
• Lacks advanced conditional logic

Choose ActiveCampaign if you want forms to drive your CRM and automations.
Choose Mailchimp if you just want a decent-looking signup box for your blog.

Analytics & Reporting: Granular vs. Glanceable

If you’re a numbers person, this one’s for you.

ActiveCampaign offers advanced reporting tools that dig deep into every campaign, automation, and contact interaction. You can track conversion rates, see goal completions, review split test results, and monitor full customer journeys—ideal for marketers who optimize based on data.

Mailchimp gives you basic performance stats—open rates, click rates, bounces—but only higher-tier plans unlock deeper insights like e-commerce tracking or comparative reporting.

ActiveCampaign reporting includes:

• Campaign performance + heatmaps
• Automation reporting
• Goal tracking and attribution
• Advanced split testing (subject line, content, send time)
• Sales reporting (when using the CRM)

Mailchimp reporting includes:

• Email opens, clicks, bounces
• Link tracking and subscriber activity
• A/B test performance (limited on free/Essentials)
• Basic e-commerce reporting (paid tiers only)

Bottom line:
If you’re tracking ROI and optimizing funnels, ActiveCampaign is more powerful. For simple campaign stats, Mailchimp gets the job done.

CRM & Integrations: Built-In vs. Bolt-On

ActiveCampaign is also a full CRM. You get contact records, deal pipelines, tasks, notes, and sales automations—all under one roof. For small teams, this can replace tools like HubSpot or Pipedrive.

Mailchimp, while improving, doesn’t offer the same level of CRM features. You can tag and group contacts, but you won’t find true sales pipelines or detailed contact timelines without external tools.

ActiveCampaign CRM features:

• Full contact management + deal tracking
• Sales pipeline with drag-and-drop stages
• Task management + lead scoring
• Syncs with email, SMS, and forms

Mailchimp CRM features:

• Contact profiles with tags and activity
• Limited sales tracking (Premium only)
• No true pipeline management
• Lacks built-in lead scoring

Best for teams who want email + CRM in one place: ActiveCampaign
Best for creators or solo biz owners with a separate CRM: Mailchimp

Deliverability: Who Actually Lands in the Inbox?

Both platforms are known for strong deliverability, but ActiveCampaign generally ranks higher in third-party tests. Its focus on engagement-based sending, domain authentication, and list hygiene tools gives users more control over inbox placement.

Mailchimp still performs well but has had occasional deliverability dips, especially on free or lower-tier accounts.

If inbox placement is mission-critical (e.g., sales funnels, webinar launches), ActiveCampaign gives you more reliability and control.

Pricing: Power vs. Simplicity

Let’s talk money.

ActiveCampaign Pricing (2025):

• Lite Plan: Starts at $29/month (1,000 contacts)
• Plus Plan: $49+/month (adds CRM + landing pages)
• Professional: $149+/month (adds predictive sending, site messaging)
• Enterprise: Custom pricing

Pricing scales based on features and contact count. The more power you want—and the more your list grows—the more you’ll pay.

Mailchimp Pricing (2025):

• Free Plan: Up to 500 contacts, 1,000 emails/month
• Essentials: Starts at $13/month (limited features)
• Standard: Starts at $20/month (automation + A/B testing)
• Premium: Starts at $350/month (advanced segmentation + analytics)

Mailchimp is more affordable upfront, but costs climb fast as your audience grows—and contacts on multiple lists count more than once.

Bottom line:
ActiveCampaign is an investment, but it can replace multiple tools.
Mailchimp is cheaper to start, but pricing balloons as you scale.

Final Verdict: ActiveCampaign or Mailchimp?

Real User Feedback

“ActiveCampaign was a game changer. Our email flows are smarter, our team has more visibility, and we converted more leads in Q1 than ever before.”
— SaaS Marketing Director

“I started with Mailchimp, but hit a wall with automation. Switched to ActiveCampaign and never looked back.”
— Online Course Creator

“Mailchimp is great for launching quickly. I still recommend it to clients who just want to send a monthly newsletter.”
— Digital Marketing Consultant

Frequently Asked Questions

Is ActiveCampaign good for beginners?
Not really. It’s powerful, but has a learning curve. Better suited for teams ready to dive deep.

Can I switch from Mailchimp to ActiveCampaign?
Yes! You can export contacts and import them into ActiveCampaign. Most integrations and automations will need to be rebuilt.

Which one has better customer support?
ActiveCampaign offers 24/7 support via chat and email. Mailchimp support depends on your plan.

What’s the main difference?
ActiveCampaign is built for automation + CRM. Mailchimp is easier to use, with lighter features.

The Bottom Line

Both platforms are solid—but they serve different needs.

If you’re a growth-focused team, data-driven marketer, or automation enthusiast, ActiveCampaign gives you the edge.
If you’re a beginner, solo creator, or just want a no-fuss solution, Mailchimp keeps things simple.

👉 Ready to level up your marketing? Try ActiveCampaign free for 14 days
👉 Want to keep things easy? Get started with Mailchimp’s free plan