Best for
Best for teams that want email marketing with deep marketing automation and a built-in CRM, and that will grow into advanced segmentation and predictive sending.
- Small and mid-sized
- Enterprise
Email Marketing Comparison
ActiveCampaign vs. MailerLite
At a glance
At a glance
Best for
Best for creators and small teams that want a straightforward email marketing platform with a flexible editor, automation and landing pages.
- Freelancers
- Small and mid-sized
- Enterprise
Cataleo does not name a winner. Both statements come from the vendors themselves.
Full Comparison
| Criterion | ActiveCampaign | MailerLite |
|---|---|---|
| Starting price | From $15 / month Starter plan, billed annually, for 1,000 email contacts and 1 user. The price rises with the number of contacts. | lower value From $12 / month Comfort plan; the price scales with the number of subscribers. |
| Free trial | 14-day free trial, no credit card required | Free plan available for up to 250 subscribers |
| API | Yes, an API with webhooks, plus more than 1,000 integrations | Yes, API access on all paid plans |
| Hosting | Cloud (SaaS) | Cloud (SaaS) |
| Campaign types | Yes, email campaigns with a drag-and-drop designer and more than 250 templates | Yes, email campaigns and newsletters, plus landing pages and websites |
| Automation and journeys | Yes, marketing automation, 5 actions per automation on Starter and unlimited on Plus, Pro and Enterprise | Yes, automation workflows, unlimited on the paid plans |
| Segmentation and personalisation | Yes, segmentation from limited on Starter to advanced and premium on the higher plans, with predictive sending | Yes, dynamic segments, tags and dynamic content, with Smart Sending timing delivery per subscriber |
| Templates and editor | Yes, a drag-and-drop email designer for plain text and HTML with more than 250 pre-built templates | Yes, drag-and-drop, simple and custom HTML editors with customizable templates |
| Deliverability and testing | Yes, a spam check across plans and predictive sending | Yes, A/B testing on every plan, with a deliverability consultation and dedicated IP on higher plans |
| Ecommerce and CRM data | Yes, contact profiles with custom fields, tags and lists, plus premium CRM integrations such as Salesforce on the higher plans | Yes, integrations with Stripe, Shopify and WooCommerce |
| Integrations and API | Yes, an API with webhooks plus more than 1,000 integrations | Yes, API access on all paid plans |
| AI features | Yes | Yes |
| Deployment | Cloud (SaaS), Browser-based | Cloud (SaaS), Browser-based |
| Support | Email helpdesk, Chat, Community forum | Email helpdesk, Chat, Community forum |
| Onboarding | Documentation and knowledge base, Video tutorials, Guided onboarding, Live online demos and webinars | Not stated |
| Company size | Small and mid-sized, Enterprise | more entries Freelancers, Small and mid-sized, Enterprise |
| Integrations | more entries Shopify, Salesforce, Zendesk, Wix, Facebook, Google Sheets, Google Ads, ChatGPT, Claude | Stripe, Shopify, WooCommerce |
Add a tool
Adds a column to the table, from the tools in this category.
Row where the values differ The small markers point at the lower number, the longer list or the stated feature. They describe the data, they are not a verdict.
The short version
Key Differences
- Starting price ActiveCampaign From $15 / month MailerLite From $12 / month
- Free trial ActiveCampaign 14-day free trial, no credit card required MailerLite Free plan available for up to 250 subscribers
- Company size ActiveCampaign Small and mid-sized, Enterprise MailerLite Freelancers, Small and mid-sized, Enterprise
- API ActiveCampaign Yes, an API with webhooks, plus more than 1,000 integrations MailerLite Yes, API access on all paid plans
- Campaign types ActiveCampaign Yes, email campaigns with a drag-and-drop designer and more than 250 templates MailerLite Yes, email campaigns and newsletters, plus landing pages and websites
Every line is one datapoint from the table above, picked automatically. Nothing here is written text.
The trade-offs
Strengths and Limitations
ActiveCampaign
Strengths
- Marketing automation with unlimited automation actions on Plus, Pro and Enterprise
- More than 1,000 integrations plus an API with webhooks
- Active Intelligence AI features across all plans
- Built-in CRM with contact profiles, custom fields, tags and lists
Limitations
- Starter caps automations at 5 actions each and offers only limited segmentation
- Prices scale with the number of contacts
MailerLite
Strengths
- Drag-and-drop, simple and custom HTML editors on every plan
- A/B testing available on every plan, including the free tier
- AI email and subject line generator
- Free plan for up to 250 subscribers
Limitations
- Prices scale with the number of subscribers
- Deliverability consultation and dedicated IP are reserved for the higher plans
Plans
Pricing
ActiveCampaign
- Starter $15 Per month, billed annually, for 1,000 email contacts; 1 user. Entry plan with the email designer, templates and up to 5 actions per automation. Scales with contacts.
- Plus $49 Per month, billed annually, for 1,000 email contacts; 1 user. Adds unlimited automation actions and standard segmentation. Scales with contacts.
- Pro $79 Per month, billed annually, for 1,000 email contacts; 3 users. Adds advanced segmentation and predictive sending. Scales with contacts.
- Enterprise $145 Per month, billed annually, for 1,000 email contacts; 5 users. Adds premium segmentation and premium integrations such as Salesforce and Microsoft Dynamics. Scales with contacts.
MailerLite
- Free $0 / month Up to 250 subscribers and 2,500 monthly emails, with 3 automations and community support.
- Comfort From $12 / month Adds 50 automations, an AI writing assistant and 24/7 email support. Scales with subscribers.
- Power From $25 / month Adds unlimited automations and monthly emails, a deliverability consultation and 24/7 live chat support. Scales with subscribers.
- Enterprise Not stated Custom pricing for 200K+ subscribers, with a dedicated success manager, priority support and a dedicated IP option.
What users say
Review Scores · opens after launch
ActiveCampaign
- Ease of use
- Not rated yet
- User interface
- Not rated yet
- Onboarding
- Not rated yet
- Support and service
- Not rated yet
- Value for money
- Not rated yet
- Features
- Not rated yet
No reviews yet. Nothing has been published here yet, and no score is shown. How a review is checked before it appears is described below.
MailerLite
- Ease of use
- Not rated yet
- User interface
- Not rated yet
- Onboarding
- Not rated yet
- Support and service
- Not rated yet
- Value for money
- Not rated yet
- Features
- Not rated yet
No reviews yet. Nothing has been published here yet, and no score is shown. How a review is checked before it appears is described below.
How we check reviews
Before sending, the author has to confirm three things: that they have used the product themselves, that they work neither for the vendor nor for a competitor, and that nobody is paying them for the review. We also ask whether the vendor invited them to write it. That answer is required, either answer is accepted, and it stays with the review.
Every review is read by a person before it appears. An email address is required and is confirmed: we send a link to it, and a review does not reach us until the author opens that link, so a review has a sender who was reachable at least once rather than being anonymous. Where what somebody writes needs backing, we ask them for evidence that they used the product, and a review that does not get it is not published. We publish positive and negative reviews alike, we pay nothing and offer nothing for a review, and we accept none that was bought or incentivised.
What we cannot do is verify a purchase. There is no shop here and no account, so whether the author really used the tool rests on their own declaration, on whatever we ask them for, and on the plausibility of what they write. We say so rather than implying a check that does not exist.
A vendor cannot buy a review, and cannot have one removed or changed because they dislike it. We remove or edit a review only if it breaks our rules or the law, for example a false statement of fact. Paid placement has no effect on which reviews appear or on any score.
Where this comes from
Where this comes from
ActiveCampaign https://www.activecampaign.com · checked against the official source on 2026-08-19
MailerLite https://www.mailerlite.com · checked against the official source on 2026-08-19
This table lists factual criteria taken from information the vendors publish themselves. For how we put it together, see the methodology.