ActiveCampaign vs MailerLite
Compare ActiveCampaign and MailerLite on features, pricing, and buyer fit using the same researched criteria.
ActiveCampaign
Email marketing automation ESP with multi-step journeys; CRM pipelines strongest on Plus+; contact-based pricing.
Best for
- • Marketing-led SMBs that need automation as the primary email job
- • Email-first GTM teams comparing HubSpot or Keap on journeys
- • Buyers comfortable with contact-tier packaging who want CRM on Plus+
Starting from $15.00/user/mo
No free plan
VS
Our verdict
There is no universal winner between ActiveCampaign and MailerLite. Choose ActiveCampaign when Marketing-led SMBs that need automation as the primary email job. Choose MailerLite when SMBs and creators wanting simple email with a free starting rung. Criterion scores come from approved SoftwareGlimpse editorial assessments and first-party research — not hands-on lab testing.
ActiveCampaign is better for
- ✓ Automation
- ✓ Segmentation
- ✓ Analytics
- ✓ Integrations
MailerLite is better for
- ✓ Landing pages
Tie
- • Templates
Choose ActiveCampaign if: Marketing-led SMBs that need automation as the primary email job
Choose MailerLite if: SMBs and creators wanting simple email with a free starting rung
MailerLite
Simple email marketing for SMBs and creators with a free tier and approachable Comfort/Power subscriber plans.
Best for
- • SMBs and creators wanting simple email with a free starting rung
- • Teams comparing Mailchimp for easier/cheaper freemium email
- • Buyers who want landing pages/sites bundled without deep MAP complexity
Starting from $12.00/user/mo
Free plan available
Feature comparison
Grouped feature support from verified product research for ActiveCampaign and MailerLite.
Campaigns
| Feature | ActiveCampaign | MailerLite | Winner |
|---|---|---|---|
| Email campaigns | Not evidenced | Strong | — |
| Newsletter builder | Not evidenced | Strong | — |
| Email templates | Not evidenced | Strong | — |
| Drag-and-drop editor | Not evidenced | Strong | — |
| Landing pages | Not evidenced | Strong | — |
| Forms | Not evidenced | Strong | — |
Automation & targeting
| Feature | ActiveCampaign | MailerLite | Winner |
|---|---|---|---|
| Automation workflows | Not evidenced | Strong | — |
| Segmentation | Not evidenced | Strong | — |
| Personalization | Not evidenced | Strong | — |
| A/B testing | Not evidenced | Strong | — |
| Transactional email | Not evidenced | Moderate | — |
Platform
| Feature | ActiveCampaign | MailerLite | Winner |
|---|---|---|---|
| Analytics | Not evidenced | Strong | — |
| Deliverability tools | Not evidenced | Strong | — |
| AI content generation | Not evidenced | Moderate | — |
| AI assistance | Strong | Not evidenced | — |
Additional capabilities
| Feature | ActiveCampaign | MailerLite | Winner |
|---|---|---|---|
| Contact management | Strong | Strong | Tie |
| Lead management | Strong | Not evidenced | — |
| Pipeline management | Moderate | Not evidenced | — |
| Deal management | Moderate | Not evidenced | — |
| Email sync | Strong | Not evidenced | — |
| Workflow automation | Strong | Not evidenced | — |
| Sales automation | Strong | Not evidenced | — |
| Reporting | Strong | Not evidenced | — |
| Forecasting | Moderate | Not evidenced | — |
| Custom fields | Strong | Not evidenced | — |
| Custom pipelines | Strong | Not evidenced | — |
| Mobile app | Strong | Not evidenced | — |
| Integrations | Strong | Not evidenced | — |
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