ActiveCampaign
Deepest automation, once the list pays for itself
The most capable automation builder of the five. There is no free tier at all, only a 14-day trial.
Who it suits, and who it doesn't
Worth your time if
- You sell physical products next to the course.
- You have outgrown simple sequences and want real branching logic.
Look elsewhere if
- Starter caps you at 5 actions per automation, which a real welcome sequence will hit.
- You need day-one automation without paying. MailerLite allows it on its free plan.
- You want a bigger free allowance. Kit gives 10,000.
The details that decide it
The things that bite six months in, read off ActiveCampaign's own pages. Where we could not read a page reliably, the row is left out rather than guessed at.
- Deliverability
- Cites EmailToolTester, an outside tester, ranking it first of 16 platforms at 94.2% inbox placement. That is a third-party benchmark rather than a self-reported number, which is rarer than it sounds. Source
- What else it costs
- No setup fees, but your monthly sends are capped at 10 times your contact count on Starter and Plus, 12 times on Pro. The cheapest plan also ships "Limited segmentation" rather than the standard kind. Source
- Getting your list back out
- 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. Source
ActiveCampaign, answered
- Does ActiveCampaign have a free plan?
- Not one we could confirm. Their pricing page showed 14-day trial only when we checked on 5 September 2026. The cheapest paid plan is Starter at A$23/mo.
- Can ActiveCampaign send an automated welcome sequence on the free plan?
- No. No free plan exists. If an automated welcome sequence is the thing you need on day one, MailerLite allows it free.
- What does ActiveCampaign cost once the free plan runs out?
- The entry paid plan is Starter at A$23/mo, billed annually; priced to us in AUD. Prices on every platform here move with list size, so treat that as the floor rather than the bill.
- What is the catch with ActiveCampaign?
- Starter caps you at 5 actions per automation, which a real welcome sequence will hit.
ActiveCampaign against one other
Already down to two? These go straight to the head-to-head.
