ConvertKit (Kit) vs ActiveCampaign: Which Should You Pay For in 2026?
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💲 Price it at your list size. Our email marketing cost calculator shows what Kit, MailerLite and ActiveCampaign cost today and in 12 months.
Choose Kit if you are a creator, blogger or newsletter writer. It is free up to 10,000 subscribers, includes unlimited landing pages, and lets you sell digital products out of the box.
Choose ActiveCampaign if automation and segmentation drive your sales. It is cheaper at 1,000 contacts but costs more than Kit as your list grows.
ConvertKit vs ActiveCampaign: side by side
| Category | Kit (ConvertKit) | ActiveCampaign |
|---|---|---|
| Free plan | Up to 10,000 subscribers | None |
| Entry price, 1,000 contacts | $33 a month (Creator) | $15 a month (Starter) |
| Price at 5,000 | $75 (Creator) | $79 (Starter), $145 (Plus) |
| Price at 10,000 | $116 (Creator) | $149 (Starter), $189 (Plus) |
| Automation | Visual automations and sequences on Creator and Pro | Multi-step automation on every plan, 950+ recipes |
| Landing pages | Unlimited on every plan, including Free | Plus plan and above |
| Selling digital products | Built in on every plan | Through ecommerce integrations |
| Sales CRM | Tags and segments only | Pipelines and deals as an add-on |
| Email sends | Unlimited broadcasts | 10 times your contacts a month on Starter and Plus |
| Users | Unlimited on Pro | 1 on Starter and Plus, 3 on Pro, 5 on Enterprise |
Prices are monthly rates on yearly billing. Sources: kit.com/pricing and activecampaign.com/pricing, checked 29 October 2026.
Pricing: who is cheaper?
The answer flips as your list grows. ActiveCampaign is cheapest for small lists, and Kit becomes cheaper from about 5,000 subscribers.
| List size | Kit Creator | ActiveCampaign Starter | ActiveCampaign Plus |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1,000 | $33 | $15 | $49 |
| 5,000 | $75 | $79 | $145 |
| 10,000 | $116 | $149 | $189 |
Monthly price on yearly billing, 29 October 2026.
Kit’s biggest edge is its free plan. You can grow to 10,000 subscribers and pay nothing, as long as you do not need automated sequences.
Full tables are in our Kit pricing guide and ActiveCampaign pricing guide.
Automation: ActiveCampaign goes deeper
Automation is ActiveCampaign’s core strength. Every plan includes multi-step automation, an AI automation builder and more than 950 ready-made recipes.
Higher plans add predictive sending, conditional content and revenue attribution. That depth suits businesses with complex funnels, but it takes longer to learn.
Kit keeps automation simpler. Its visual automations and sequences cover welcome series, launches and course funnels, which is what most creators need.
Landing pages and selling
Kit is built for people who sell to an audience. Unlimited landing pages and forms come free, and you can sell digital products and subscriptions on every plan.
ActiveCampaign adds landing pages from the Plus plan up. It connects to Shopify, WooCommerce and other stores for abandoned carts and product blocks.
CRM and teams
If you have a sales team, ActiveCampaign is the clear choice. Its pipelines, deal records and lead scoring are available as add-ons.
Kit has no sales pipeline. It focuses on tagging subscribers by interest and behaviour, and Pro adds unlimited users for content teams.
Who should choose which?
- You are a blogger, creator or newsletter writer
- You want a free plan that grows with you
- You sell courses, ebooks or paid newsletters
- Your list will pass 5,000 subscribers
- You run an online store or B2B business
- You need advanced segmentation and conditions
- You want a sales CRM in the same tool
- Your list is small and you want automation for $15
Our verdict
For most creators, Kit wins on value thanks to its 10,000-subscriber free plan and built-in selling. ActiveCampaign wins for businesses where automation and sales follow-up directly drive revenue.
Frequently asked questions
Is ConvertKit better than ActiveCampaign?
Kit is better for creators and newsletter writers who want a generous free plan and simple selling tools. ActiveCampaign is better for businesses that need advanced automation, segmentation and an optional sales CRM.
Which is cheaper, Kit or ActiveCampaign?
It depends on list size. At 1,000 contacts on yearly billing, ActiveCampaign Starter ($15) is cheaper than Kit Creator ($33). At 10,000, Kit Creator ($116) is cheaper than ActiveCampaign Starter ($149). Kit is also free up to 10,000 subscribers.
Does Kit have a CRM like ActiveCampaign?
Kit offers tagging and segmentation but no sales pipelines. ActiveCampaign includes contact profiles on every plan and sells pipelines and deals as a CRM add-on.
Can I move from ActiveCampaign to Kit?
Yes. Kit offers free migrations, so its team can move your list from another platform at no extra cost.
Which is better for bloggers?
Kit. Its free plan covers 10,000 subscribers, landing pages are unlimited on every plan, and it can sell digital products without extra tools.
