HEAD TO HEAD
ActiveCampaign vs Mailchimp: which is better for agencies?
★ OUR PICK
★ 7.4 ease of use from $15/mo Email + CRM automation
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THE SHORT ANSWER
ActiveCampaign wins on automation depth and its built-in CRM; Mailchimp wins on simplicity, brand familiarity and a free plan. Choose ActiveCampaign for sophisticated client campaigns, Mailchimp for straightforward email.
Side-by-side specs
| ActiveCampaign | Mailchimp | |
|---|---|---|
| Index Score | ✓ 85/100 | 80/100 |
| Ease of use | 7.4/10 | ✓ 8.4/10 |
| Price from | from $15/mo | ✓ Free, then $13/mo |
| Free plan | No | ✓ Yes |
| Pricing | From $15/mo | Free plan available |
| Agency fit | Email + CRM automation | Client accounts |
| Client portal | Yes | Yes |
| White-label | ✓ Yes | No |
| Automation & workflows | ✓ Yes | No |
| Integrations | No | No |
| API & Zapier | Yes | Yes |
Round by round
Ease of use Winner: Mailchimp
Mailchimp is the easier tool to get a team productive on (8.4 vs 7.4).
Price Winner: Mailchimp
Mailchimp is cheaper to start (Free, then $13/mo vs from $15/mo).
Feature depth Winner: Tie
Matched on feature depth for agency work.
Scales with clients Winner: ActiveCampaign
ActiveCampaign scales better as you add clients.
FAQ
Is ActiveCampaign better than Mailchimp?
ActiveCampaign wins on automation depth and its built-in CRM; Mailchimp wins on simplicity, brand familiarity and a free plan. Choose ActiveCampaign for sophisticated client campaigns, Mailchimp for straightforward email.
ActiveCampaign vs Mailchimp: which is cheaper?
Mailchimp is cheaper to start, from Free, then $13/mo versus from $15/mo. Remember to multiply per-seat pricing by your team size.
ActiveCampaign vs Mailchimp: which is easier to use?
Mailchimp scored higher on ease of use in our assessment (8.4 vs 7.4 out of 10), meaning a lean team gets productive on it faster.
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