ActiveCampaign vs MailerLite
Both are on our shortlist for course creators. They part company on several things that matter more than the monthly price.
ActiveCampaign 
MailerLite Which one, for whom
- Starting out with no budget MailerLite MailerLite can run an automated welcome sequence on its free plan. ActiveCampaign cannot, so a new subscriber hears nothing from you until you pay.
- A list already in the thousands MailerLite MailerLite stays free to 250 subscribers against ActiveCampaign's nothing.
- Worried about being locked in MailerLite ActiveCampaign's terms cut off access to your contact data when you cancel. MailerLite does not do that.
- Selling the course from the same tool MailerLite MailerLite can take the payment itself, so you do not need a separate checkout.
Side by side
| ActiveCampaign | MailerLite | |
|---|---|---|
| Free plan | None | 250 subscribers |
| Free sends | 14-day trial only | 2,500 emails/mo |
| Welcome sequence on free | No | Yes |
| Paid from | A$23/mo | $12/mo |
| At 5,000 subscribers | Not published | $44.10 |
| At 25,000 subscribers | Not published | $161.10 |
| The catch | Starter caps you at 5 actions per automation, which a real welcome sequence will hit. | Their logo stays on your emails until you pay. |
Figures read off each vendor's own pricing page on 5 September 2026. Where a row says not published, that vendor does not state a price at that list size and we will not invent one.
Getting your list back out
ActiveCampaign
Read this before you sign up. Their terms say that on cancellation "you will not have access to or be able to restore any Contact Data". Export your list before you cancel, not after.
MailerLite
Cancel any time without penalty. Their terms describe still being able to log in, export and migrate your data after a plan lapses.
Try either one
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ActiveCampaign Deepest automation, once the list pays for itself
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See ActiveCampaign pricing Read the full ActiveCampaign breakdown MailerLite Best free plan for a real welcome sequence
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Start free on MailerLite Read the full MailerLite breakdownActiveCampaign vs MailerLite, answered
- Is ActiveCampaign or MailerLite better for an online course?
- Neither is better outright, and anyone who says so is guessing on your behalf. MailerLite if you are starting out with no budget. MailerLite if you are a list already in the thousands. MailerLite if you are worried about being locked in. MailerLite if you are selling the course from the same tool.
- Which of ActiveCampaign and MailerLite has the better free plan?
- MailerLite allows more free subscribers (250 against none). A bigger allowance is not automatically the better plan: check the welcome sequence row above, because that is where the two usually part company.
- Can I move from ActiveCampaign to MailerLite later?
- Yes, and you should assume you will. Export your list before you cancel anything, and keep the tag that says who bought from you. We wrote the order of operations up separately.
Moving between them? Read the switching guide first, or answer four questions to check neither of these is the wrong shortlist.