ActiveCampaign review: buy it for automation depth, not the cheapest list
On this page, 5 sections
Buy it to build automations, if your sends stay under the cap
What works
- Pro adds predictive sending and 3 seats at $79 a month, billed yearly
- Enterprise adds SSO and HIPAA support at $145 a month, billed yearly
- Starter includes multi-step automation from $15 a month, billed yearly
- Pro lists 200 active business goals, against 15 on Starter
What doesn't
- 357 of 1,459 Trustpilot reviews give one star
- Starter and Plus stop sending at 10,000 emails a month at 1,000 contacts
Bottom line: Buy it if multi-step automation is the job and your sends fit under the cap. Skip it if live-person support comes first or you buy on the lowest card price.
ActiveCampaign's plans and prices
| Plan | Billed yearly, per month | Seats | Contacts | Emails |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Starter | $15 | 1 | 1,000 | 10,000 |
| Plus | $49 | 1 | 1,000 | 10,000 |
| Pro | $79 | 3 | 1,000 | 12,000 |
| Enterprise | $145 | 5 | 1,000 | 15,000 |
ActiveCampaign scores 2.8 on Trustpilot, from 1,459 reviews, as of 2026-11-05. That score changes no table here.
You open the pricing page and every plan card says “Starts at”. Under it sits a smaller line: “Billed yearly for 1,000 contacts.”
Slide the contact selector and the price moves. A card price is a floor for your list, not a quote.
Four plans buy automation depth, and three rivals start lower
ActiveCampaign Starter costs $15 a month, billed yearly, at 1,000 contacts. Plus costs $49, Pro $79 and Enterprise $145 on the same basis, checked 2026-11-05.
Multi-step automation and 15 active business goals come with Starter. At Plus you get landing pages and generative AI, with 25 goals. Pro adds predictive sending and attribution tracking, with 200 goals. Enterprise adds SSO and HIPAA support.
Seats climb with the plan. Starter and Plus include 1 seat, Pro includes 3 and Enterprise includes 5.
Building multi-step automations? Pay $15 for ActiveCampaign Starter over $8.08 for Brevo Starter. Brevo bills that yearly. Monthly it is $9.00.
Constant Contact Lite costs $10.20 a month billed annually.
Each rival lists its own contact allowance. Match your list size before you trust a price gap.
The send cap bites Starter and Plus first, and support is the real risk
Will the send cap box you in? ActiveCampaign sets sends as a multiple of your contacts. Starter and Plus allow 10x, Pro 12x and Enterprise 15x. At 1,000 contacts that means 10,000, 10,000, 12,000 and 15,000 sends a month.
Hit the limit and you cannot send any more messages until the next monthly period. Scheduled mail waits too. Nobody has ever thanked a send cap for its timing.
A weekly newsletter fits under 10,000. A daily mailer to a big list does not. Move up a plan or skip this tool.
Constant Contact takes the other route. Its Lite plan keeps sending. It charges $2 for each 1,000 sends past the allowance.
Should 357 one-star reviews out of 1,459 end your search? Not by themselves, because the free 14-day trial lets you judge before you pay. But if live-person support decides your purchase, skip ActiveCampaign. The alternatives page lists where to go.
Is the money-back promise firm? ActiveCampaign ties its 30 days to results. ActiveCampaign adds a longer line about refunds if you are unhappy after 30 days.
Treat it as a 30-day window with conditions. ActiveCampaign’s terms give no other refund rule. They bar refunds on AI Credits, WhatsApp Credits and consulting. If you want a longer safety net, Mailchimp gives 60 days on annual plans.
Will it renew without asking? Yes, until you cancel. Every card bills yearly. A cancel from you lands once the paid period is over.
Trustpilot is split, and the newest low reviews point at support and glitches
On Trustpilot, ActiveCampaign averages 2.8 stars across 1,459 reviews as of 2026-11-05.
The newest low reviews run from 2026-10-22 to 2026-11-03. A 1-star review dated 2026-11-03 says only “Terrible service”. A 2-star review dated 2026-10-29 comes from a ten-year user who left after cancelling. That user says support and pricing went downhill.
A 1-star review dated 2026-10-22 calls the system unreliable and blames its glitches.
Test both in the trial.
Brevo costs less, Constant Contact refunds fully, and Mailchimp refunds longest
Brevo wins on entry price. Brevo Starter costs $9.00 a month on monthly billing, and Brevo lists a free plan. Its terms refuse refunds on prepaid or unused fees. Read the Brevo review if price and a free start come first.
Constant Contact Lite costs $10.20 a month billed annually, against $15 for Starter. You can cancel and get a full refund within 30 days of signing up.
Pick Lite for that price and a plain refund line. Pick ActiveCampaign if Pro’s predictive sending at $79 is the draw. The Constant Contact review has the rest.
Mailchimp Essentials costs $13 a month for 12 months. Mailchimp lists a free plan and a 14-day trial. Its 60-day guarantee covers annual paid plans only.
Monthly paid plans get no refund or credit. See the Mailchimp review.
Pay for the automation you will build, not for the card price
Back at the selector, the card price is a floor. Build multi-step flows and stay under the cap, and that floor buys real depth.
Send a plain newsletter, and a rival’s lower start fits better.
Best if: you want multi-step automation and a trial first.
Skip it if: you mail a big list daily or need live-person support first.
Frequently asked questions
How much does ActiveCampaign cost for 1,000 contacts?
Plans start at $15 a month on Starter and reach $145 on Enterprise, billed yearly. Your own list size changes that price. Checked 2026-11-05.
What happens if I hit my ActiveCampaign send limit?
ActiveCampaign stops every message until the next monthly usage period starts. ActiveCampaign's terms name scheduled mail among the blocked messages.
Does ActiveCampaign have a free trial or a refund?
Yes, you get 14 days free with an email sign-up. ActiveCampaign also promises 'See results in 30 days or get your money back'. The terms of service call only credits and consulting purchases non-refundable.
Does ActiveCampaign renew automatically?
Yes, an ActiveCampaign subscription is continuous until you cancel it. Its terms of service end a cancelled plan when the paid period ends.
Sources
- Trustpilot, : ActiveCampaign rating of 2.8 on 1,459 reviews, with the one-star count and the newest low reviews
- ActiveCampaign, : terms
- ActiveCampaign, : plan details and prices and terms
- Brevo, : terms
- Brevo, : plan details and prices
- Constant Contact, : plan details and prices and terms
- Mailchimp, : terms
- Mailchimp, : plan details and prices and terms