ActiveCampaign vs. Mailchimp: Which Tool Is for You?

Updated March 26, 2023

Our Small Business Expert

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Every email marketing software wants to knock the Mailchimp monkey off its perch. But there is a reason -- beyond clever branding and savvy marketing -- why Mailchimp is the industry leader.

It's easy to use, quick to get up and running, and provides a ton of in-app support that not only helps you understand how to use its features, but also supports you in becoming a better email marketer.

Today's workers don't want to spend hours locked up in a training room being bored to death by PowerPoint presentations. They want to start using the software and figure things out as they go along.

Can ActiveCampaign provide the ease of use to triumph over its rival and cement its position as one of the most credible Mailchimp alternatives?

Find out in our head-to-head comparison of ActiveCampaign and Mailchimp.

Product	ActiveCampaign	Mailchimp
Description	ActiveCampaign is stuffed with useful features for intermediate-to-advanced email marketers. If you're looking for a robust email marketing software, ActiveCampaign may be the fit for you.	Mailchimp is built for every marketer -- from novice to advanced. With a painless onboarding process and advanced features, Mailchimp helps set the standard for a fantastic email marketing software.
Best For	Good for large enterprises	Best Features
Rating	Rating image, 3.50 out of 5 stars. 3.50/5 Our ratings are based on a 5 star scale. 5 stars equals Best. 4 stars equals Excellent. 3 stars equals Good. 2 stars equals Fair. 1 star equals Poor.	Rating image, 4.20 out of 5 stars. 4.20/5 Our ratings are based on a 5 star scale. 5 stars equals Best. 4 stars equals Excellent. 3 stars equals Good. 2 stars equals Fair. 1 star equals Poor.
Pricing	Lite: $15 Plus: $70 Professional: $159 Enterprise: $279	Free: $0 Essentials: $9.99 Standard: $14.99 Premium: $299
What We Like	Advanced segmentation Sticky help button Dynamic personalization	Advanced reporting and analytics Automated email responder templates Helpful in-app tips and support tools
Could Be Better	Fixed order of tasks Time-consuming to get started Limited email scheduling	Limited support for lower tiers Occasional navigational issues More expensive than other similar solutions
Key Features	Email segmentation Subscription forms Split testing	Email campaigns Automation A/B testing
Support	Live chat Training Support resources	Guides and tutorials Live chat for paid plans Email support for paid plans
Ease of Use	Advanced features guidance Complicated user experience Lacks functionality	Drag-and-drop editor Checklist-style user interface Personalized tips and assistance
Next Steps	Read Review	Read Review

ActiveCampaign vs. Mailchimp: An overview

Who is ActiveCampaign for?

ActiveCampaign is suitable for experienced marketers who already know how to navigate email marketing software and are already familiar with how to set up autoresponders and create segments.

Since ActiveCampaign lets you manage business accounts as well as individual consumer accounts, it is a good option for both B2B and B2C marketers.

Who is Mailchimp for?

Mailchimp is an easy-to-use solution that provides an abundance of in-app digital marketing tips that are personalized and tailored according to your goals and experience, which makes it a good option for novice email marketers.

Mailchimp's strong feature set -- with advanced segmentation and personalization options -- means it is also suitable for marketers who want to create more complex campaigns.

ActiveCampaign vs. Mailchimp: Features

Both ActiveCampaign and Mailchimp have a very strong feature set, but in different areas.

ActiveCampaign's standout features include segmentation and B2B contact management.

Mailchimp's standout features include its autoresponder templates and its ability to create segments automatically based on customers' past behavior.

What ActiveCampaign offers

ActiveCampaign provides a limited range of email templates, which means you have to put more effort into designing your messages and thinking about how to start an email.

However, these templates are all created with specific goals in mind -- such as product recommendations, discount codes, or welcome emails -- which makes it easier to tailor your emails accordingly.

Email testing

Once you've created your message using ActiveCampaign's drag-and-drop email, there are a ton of features to help you make sure your email is error free and ends up in your recipients' inboxes rather than their spam folders.

ActiveCampaign lets you test your email campaigns before sending to ensure they end up in your recipients' inboxes. Image source: Author

Its email testing options are excellent, as you can see what your message looks like across both mobile and desktop, as well as different email clients.

There is also a spam check, which analyzes factors such as from address, the email client you're using, and your email domain, to predict whether your email will be marked as spam.

Segmentation

ActiveCampaign segmentation functionality is a big part of why it is a market leader.

The software allows you to create very specific segments based on a wide range of criteria. You can add multiple conditions, such as source, location, page views, and purchasing behavior.

ActiveCampaign lets you create very specific segments. Image source: Author

ActiveCampaign is also useful for B2B marketers as it lets you manage contacts by business rather than by individual.

For example, you can create an account for a business that has multiple points of contact and details on the company, including size and turnover.

What Mailchimp offers

Mailchimp's email editor is straightforward to use, without any explanation needed. You simply drag and drop content blocks -- such as images, text, and videos -- and then customize the look and feel of these blocks according to your brand and the goal of your email.

Mailchimp lets you customize every aspect of your email message. Image source: Author

You can change fonts, indents, colors, and shades, and the spell checking can be completely customized to your brand -- for example, if you want British rather than American English.

Autoresponder templates

Mailchimp's drip campaigns are also top notch, as they automate many manual processes to try to make it quicker and easier to create complex campaigns.

Instead of having to build autoresponders yourself, you can use built-in templates to create Mailchimp drip campaigns for purposes such as welcome campaigns, order notifications, cart abandonment, and win-back campaigns.

Mailchimp builds the sequences and sets the intervals between emails; all you have to do is create the design for each email you want to send.

Segmentation

Mailchimp, as an ActiveCampaign alternative, automatically creates segments based on past customer behavior.

Its machine learning–based algorithm analyzes customers' behavior and interactions with your brand -- such as email newsletter clicks and the number of website visits or page views -- to predict how likely a customer is to make a purchase. Mailchimp also uses this data to predict how much they are likely to spend in each purchase.

Results: Mailchimp wins

Mailchimp offers a wider variety of features, and its autoresponder templates and automatic segment creator makes it stand out.

ActiveCampaign vs. Mailchimp: Support

Some email marketing solutions provide different levels of support depending on which pricing plan you choose. It's important to check this out before you commit so you know how you can get in touch with your software vendor when you have a problem.