Independent SaaS comparison
ActiveCampaign vs Constant Contact: Pricing Comparison
Constant Contact is cheaper for straightforward email marketing. ActiveCampaign costs more once contact count, add-ons, and plan tier matter, but it is the stronger value when automation, segmentation, CRM-connected workflows, and lead scoring replace manual work.
Verdict
Depends on fit
Starting price
$15/mo vs $12/mo
User rating
4.5/5 vs 4/5
ActiveCampaign
DependsMarketing automation for any business
Experienced marketers who need flexible marketing automation, may add Enhanced CRM for pipeline management, and do not mind a learning curve.
Constant Contact
DependsDigital and email marketing platform for small business
Small businesses and nonprofits that need reliable email marketing with event management, high deliverability, and a 30-day free trial.
TL;DR verdict
It depends on your needs.
ActiveCampaign wins on automation depth, segmentation, and extensibility; eligible plans can add Enhanced CRM for pipeline workflows. Constant Contact wins on accessibility, simpler campaign creation, support, and event management. Pick ActiveCampaign when automation drives revenue. Pick Constant Contact when the job is straightforward small-business email without a complex setup.
ActiveCampaign vs Constant Contact: At a Glance
| Feature |  ActiveCampaign |  Constant Contact |
|---|---|---|
| Starting price | $15/mo (annual) | $12/mo |
| Free plan | ||
| Free trial | 14 days | 30 days |
| G2 rating | 4.5/5 (14,600+ reviews) | 4.0/5 (5,900+ reviews) |
| Primary purpose | Marketing automation + CRM | Simple email marketing |
| CRM included | Standard contact data; Enhanced CRM add-on | |
| Marketing automation | 5 actions on Starter; broader on higher tiers | 3 pre-built workflows |
| Event management | ||
| Email deliverability | High | 88% (independent tests) |
| Best for | Automation-driven marketers | Small businesses and nonprofits |
Which has better automation?
ActiveCampaign
Wins sectionMarketing automation for any business
ActiveCampaign's automation is in a different category. Its visual builder supports conditional logic, waits, goals, and plan-dependent trigger and action sets. Starter is capped at five actions per automation; Plus and higher tiers allow longer workflows and unlock broader capabilities. SMS and pipeline-related actions depend on additional plan or add-on requirements, so compare the exact workflow against the current packaging.
Constant Contact
Digital and email marketing platform for small business
Constant Contact's automation is minimal. The Standard plan ($35/mo) includes 3 pre-built workflows: welcome, birthday, and anniversary. There's no visual flow builder, no conditional branching, and no behavioral triggers beyond email engagement. Premium ($80/mo) adds a few more templates but still lacks a custom automation builder. If you need anything beyond a basic welcome email, Constant Contact will hold you back.
Winner: ActiveCampaign. ActiveCampaign's automation is in a different category.
Which is easier to use?
ActiveCampaign
Marketing automation for any business
ActiveCampaign has a steeper learning curve. The automation builder is powerful but takes 3-4 sessions to learn properly. The interface is dense with features, and new users can feel overwhelmed. Most teams need a few weeks to get comfortable. The payoff is that once you learn it, you can build automations that Constant Contact users can only dream about.
Constant Contact
Wins sectionDigital and email marketing platform for small business
Constant Contact is one of the easiest email platforms to learn. You can create and send your first campaign in under 20 minutes. The editor is straightforward, templates are simple to customize, and phone support is available on every plan. For small business owners who don't have time to learn a complex tool, Constant Contact gets out of the way and lets you send emails.
Winner: Constant Contact. Constant Contact is one of the easiest email platforms to learn.
Pricing comparison: which is cheaper?
ActiveCampaign
Marketing automation for any business
ActiveCampaign pricing scales with contact count, plan tier, billing term, and add-ons. Starter is capped at five actions per automation, while Plus and higher tiers unlock longer workflows and broader capabilities. Enhanced CRM is separately priced on eligible plans, and there is no permanent free plan.
Constant Contact
Wins sectionDigital and email marketing platform for small business
Constant Contact starts at $12/mo for Lite, Standard starts at $35/mo, and Premium starts at $80/mo. There is no free plan, but the 30-day trial gives buyers time to test basic campaigns before paying. The pricing is easier to reason about for basic campaigns, but the bill still rises with contacts, sends, SMS, and add-ons.
Winner: Constant Contact. Constant Contact starts at $12/mo for Lite, Standard starts at $35/mo, and Premium starts at $80/mo.
Which has a better CRM?
ActiveCampaign
Wins sectionMarketing automation for any business
ActiveCampaign offers Enhanced CRM add-ons on Plus, Professional, and Enterprise. Depending on the package, these can add pipelines, enrichment, sales engagement, and deal-related automation. The capability is lighter than a full HubSpot or Salesforce deployment and must be priced on top of the eligible email plan.
Constant Contact
Digital and email marketing platform for small business
Constant Contact doesn't have a CRM. It manages contacts with tags, segments, and custom fields, but there are no deal pipelines, no sales tracking, and no lead scoring. If you need to track sales alongside marketing, you'll need a separate tool.
Winner: ActiveCampaign. ActiveCampaign offers Enhanced CRM add-ons on Plus, Professional, and Enterprise.
Which has better deliverability?
ActiveCampaign
Marketing automation for any business
ActiveCampaign has strong deliverability with built-in spam testing, list hygiene tools, and predictive sending. It consistently scores well in independent deliverability tests. The platform enforces list quality standards, which helps maintain high inbox placement rates across its user base.
Constant Contact
Wins sectionDigital and email marketing platform for small business
Constant Contact has one of the highest deliverability rates in the industry at 88% in independent tests. It has built this reputation over 25+ years and maintains it through strict anti-spam policies and a well-managed sending infrastructure. For businesses where inbox placement is the top priority, Constant Contact has the strongest documented track record.
Winner: Constant Contact. Constant Contact has one of the highest deliverability rates in the industry at 88% in independent tests.
Which has better event management?
ActiveCampaign
Marketing automation for any business
ActiveCampaign doesn't have event management features. You can integrate with Eventbrite or similar tools through Zapier, but there's no native event ticketing, registration, or RSVP management.
Constant Contact
Wins sectionDigital and email marketing platform for small business
Constant Contact includes built-in event ticketing, registration forms, RSVP tracking, and survey tools. These features are unique in the email marketing category. For nonprofits, community organizations, and businesses that run regular events, this is a genuine differentiator that no competitor matches natively.
Winner: Constant Contact. Constant Contact includes built-in event ticketing, registration forms, RSVP tracking, and survey tools.
Pricing Comparison
ActiveCampaign
Starts at $15/mo · 14-day free trial
Starter
$19/mo
$15/mo billed annually
Plus
$59/mo
$49/mo billed annually
Pro
$99/mo
$79/mo billed annually
Enterprise
$179/mo
$145/mo billed annually
Constant Contact
Starts at $12/mo · 30-day free trial
Lite
$12/mo
Save up to 15% with annual prepay
Standard
$35/mo
Save up to 15% with annual prepay
Premium
$80/mo
Save up to 15% with annual prepay
Sources and Methodology
We checked current vendor pricing pages, send limits, automation packaging, CRM add-on language, SMS packaging, trial length, and the query patterns visible in the July 2026 Search Console snapshot.
Sources checked Jul 18, 2026.
Final Verdict
Constant Contact is cheaper for straightforward email marketing. ActiveCampaign costs more once contact count, add-ons, and plan tier matter, but it is the stronger value when automation, segmentation, CRM-connected workflows, and lead scoring replace manual work.
Choose ActiveCampaign if you...
Marketing automation for any business
- ✓You need advanced automation with conditional logic and behavioral triggers
- ✓You want optional pipeline management alongside email marketing
- ✓Lead scoring and sales-marketing alignment are priorities
- ✓You're willing to invest time learning a more complex tool
- ✓You've outgrown Constant Contact's 3 pre-built workflows
Choose Constant Contact if you...
Digital and email marketing platform for small business
- ✓You want the simplest possible email marketing with minimal setup time
- ✓Email deliverability is your top concern
- ✓You run events and need ticketing, registration, and RSVP management
- ✓You're a nonprofit that needs discounted pricing and event tools
- ✓Phone support and a 30-day trial matter to you
Frequently Asked Questions
Constant Contact is cheaper for basic email marketing. Lite starts at $12/month, while ActiveCampaign starts at $15/month when billed annually. ActiveCampaign can be worth the higher cost if you need advanced automation, segmentation, CRM-connected workflows, or lead scoring.
If you use automation beyond basic welcome emails, yes. ActiveCampaign's automation builder pays for itself when you're running multi-step nurture sequences, behavioral triggers, and lead scoring. If you only send monthly newsletters and event invitations, the extra complexity adds no value.
Constant Contact has better pricing for simple email marketing because the entry plans are cheaper and easier to understand. ActiveCampaign is better value only if you need advanced automation, CRM, lead scoring, or complex segmentation.
Constant Contact is easier to use. Most small teams can create a campaign quickly without training. ActiveCampaign is still usable, but the automation builder and CRM features require more setup and a clearer contact strategy.
Constant Contact has the clearer deliverability advantage for small-business senders, with a long track record and strong independent test results. ActiveCampaign also performs well, especially for teams that maintain clean lists and use its hygiene tools.
ActiveCampaign has the stronger path to sales workflows because Plus and higher plans can add Enhanced CRM for pipelines, enrichment, and engagement. Constant Contact is an email marketing platform with contact management, not a sales CRM.
ActiveCampaign has the stronger integration ecosystem, especially for CRM, ecommerce, analytics, and automation-heavy stacks. Constant Contact covers the common small-business integrations but is less flexible for complex workflows.
Constant Contact is better if phone support matters because phone support is available on all plans. ActiveCampaign offers strong support and education, but it is usually a better fit for teams comfortable learning a more advanced platform.
Yes. Export your contacts as a CSV from Constant Contact and import them into ActiveCampaign. ActiveCampaign offers migration assistance on higher plans. Email templates and automations need to be rebuilt. The 3 pre-built workflows from Constant Contact can typically be recreated in ActiveCampaign within a day.
ActiveCampaign. It supports A/B testing for email content on the Plus plan and split testing within automations on Pro. Constant Contact limits A/B testing to email subject lines only on the Standard plan, with no support for content testing or automation testing.
Constant Contact. It offers nonprofit discounts, event ticketing, registration forms, and survey tools built for organizations that run community events. ActiveCampaign has no event management features and doesn't offer nonprofit-specific pricing.
ActiveCampaign. It has 900+ native integrations plus 8,000+ through Zapier. Constant Contact has 300+ integrations. ActiveCampaign connects with more CRM, e-commerce, and analytics tools natively.
Read the Full Reviews
If one of these tools is still on your shortlist, read the full review before you decide. The review pages go deeper on pricing pressure, best-fit teams, and the trade-offs that do not fit neatly inside a side-by-side table.
ActiveCampaign Review
ActiveCampaign is one of the strongest choices for teams that need deeper marketing automation and are willing to add Enhanced CRM when pipeline management matters. It is a weaker choice for businesses that mainly want a simple email platform, a permanent free tier, or a product that new users can master quickly.
Constant Contact Review
Constant Contact is still a workable choice for small businesses, nonprofits, and event-driven teams that want straightforward email marketing and do not need much automation depth. It is a weaker choice for buyers who care about price-to-feature value, stronger testing, or modern lifecycle automation.
Compare the Pricing in More Detail
If cost is the real sticking point, these pricing guides break down the entry tiers, upgrade pressure, and the budget traps that are harder to show in a simple comparison table.
ActiveCampaign Pricing
ActiveCampaign pricing makes sense when automation is central to the workflow and the list is still in a manageable range. The budget risk is not the $15/month annual entry point. It is the jump from Starter to Plus or Pro, then the contact-band increases as the database grows.
Constant Contact Pricing
Constant Contact pricing can still make sense for small businesses that care most about ease of use, support, deliverability, and event-related features. Standard is the practical plan for many buyers, while Premium needs a stronger reason because the same budget opens up more automation-heavy email platforms.