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What every guide covers
What transfers, and what doesn’tThe vendor’s own import path, step by step, plus the data you will rebuild by hand. Switching cost estimatorAn adjustable estimate of the hidden labor, cleanup and retraining cost, with its assumptions shown.
Pricing data
Software IndexEvery tool we track in one sortable table: entry price, free plan, AI pricing and source. AI Pricing DatabaseHow each vendor bills its AI features: bundled, add-on, metered or quote.
Original research
The B2B SaaS Sticker Shock IndexCheapest published entry price in 18 categories, ranked.The AI TaxHow 19 AI features are actually billed: bundled, add-on or metered.The Real Cost of a 10-Person Startup StackThree software stacks priced at published entry prices.
Open data
Download the datasetsJSON and CSV under CC BY 4.0. Every value carries its source page and verification date. How we verify pricingThe research method behind every figure on the site.
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Offline access databaseWhich tools work without internet, in which app, and what syncs later. Remote vs office guideIP allowlisting, device controls, data residency and office hardware, tool by tool.
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Security in every comparisonEach head-to-head now compares compliance, sign-in, offline and remote controls. Download the dataJSON and CSV, CC BY 4.0. Every value carries the vendor URL and quote.
MARKETING AUTOMATION · MIGRATION GUIDE

Switching from Mailchimp to ActiveCampaign

ActiveCampaign offers a free contact-migration service on every plan, one of the more supported paths in this category.

Jump to migration steps Read the full comparison
By Bill Belcamino · Last updated September 23, 2026 · Our methodologyResearched and fact-checked by the HelpCompare team
Switching from Mailchimp to ActiveCampaignVerified Sep 23, 2026

Quick verdict: Move to ActiveCampaign once you need deeper automation (beyond 4 steps) or a standard CRM bundled with your email tool, and 1 user covers your team.

Estimate · your inputs

Switching Cost & Friction Estimator

Most buyers only budget for the new subscription. This estimates the hidden labor, data-cleanup, and retraining cost of actually making the switch.

25,000
10

Estimate assumes: 1 hour of data-mapping/cleaning labor per 2,000 records, a blended $75/hr ops rate, tiered migration & cleaning tooling fees, and 4 hours of retraining per seat at a $45/hr fully-loaded rate.

Estimated Migration Time —
Data Friction Rating —
Total Hidden Switching Cost $0

    Why teams move from Mailchimp to ActiveCampaign

    Standard CRM included

    A feature Mailchimp Essentials does not offer.

    Deeper automation

    15 active goals, 5 actions/automation vs. Mailchimp’s 4-step cap.

    Free migration service

    Included on every ActiveCampaign plan.

    How the migration actually works

    ActiveCampaign Starter caps at 1 user (Mailchimp Essentials includes 3) and has no free plan.

    StepWhat you do
    1Export your contact listExport contacts, tags and segments as CSV from the old tool.
    2Create your ActiveCampaign accountCreate your ActiveCampaign account and use its free contact-migration service, or import your list as CSV.
    3Rebuild automations in ActiveCampaign’s builderRecreate your automation logic using ActiveCampaign’s automation builder, and set up basic CRM/deal tracking if you plan to use it.
    4Rebuild automationsRecreate email sequences, triggers and automation rules by hand — these do not transfer automatically.
    5Reconnect integrationsReconnect your website forms, e-commerce store or CRM sync to the new tool.
    6Run a real send before cancellingSend one real campaign through the new tool and confirm deliverability before cancelling the old plan.

    What this path doesn’t do for you:

    Mailchimp’s permanent free plan and 3 included seats have no ActiveCampaign equivalent — ActiveCampaign offers only a 14-day trial and caps Starter at 1 user.

    Pricing side by side

    PlanMailchimpActiveCampaign
    Pricing basisPer contact tier, account-widePer contact tier, account-wide
    Entry priceEssentials $13/mo (500 contacts)Starter $15/mo (1,000 contacts)
    CRMBasic contact recordsStandard CRM included
    Free plan250 contactsNone, 14-day trial

    Standard list prices checked on each vendor’s pricing page on September 23, 2026. HubSpot price is the $20/seat standing rate, not its current new-customer promo.

    Feature parity check

    CapabilityMailchimpActiveCampaign
    Automation4 steps max (Essentials)15 goals, 5 actions/automation
    CRMBasic contact recordsIncluded
    Price$13/mo$15/mo
    Free plan250 contactsNone, 14-day trial

    Going the other direction, or want the full comparison first?

    Read the ActiveCampaign vs Mailchimp comparison Switching from ActiveCampaign to Mailchimp instead?

    Frequently Asked Questions

    Does ActiveCampaign import Mailchimp contacts?

    Yes, through its free contact-migration service available on every plan, or by CSV import.

    Will it cost more?

    Slightly, $2/mo, but you gain a standard CRM and deeper automation.

    Do I lose seats?

    Yes — ActiveCampaign Starter includes only 1 user against Mailchimp Essentials’ 3; upgrade to Plus for more.

    Do my automations and workflows carry over?

    No. Automation logic, workflows and segmentation rules are specific to each platform’s builder and are rebuilt by hand in the new tool; only contact data moves via export/import.

    Canonical data for the tools on this page

    Every pricing fact, rating, AI billing model and switching guide we hold on each tool, on one page, with the date each figure was last verified.

    MailchimpPricing, free plan, AI cost & every comparison›ActiveCampaignPricing, free plan, AI cost & every comparison›
    ActiveCampaign vs MailchimpHead-to-head comparisonActiveCampaign vs KeapHead-to-head comparisonActiveCampaign vs KlaviyoHead-to-head comparisonHubSpot vs MailchimpHead-to-head comparisonKeap vs MailchimpHead-to-head comparisonMailchimp vs Constant ContactHead-to-head comparison
    ActiveCampaign to MailchimpSwitching guideActiveCampaign to HubSpotSwitching guideHubSpot to ActiveCampaignSwitching guideHubSpot to MailchimpSwitching guideMailchimp to HubSpotSwitching guideConstant Contact to MailchimpSwitching guide

    Sources

    Prices on this page were recorded from each vendor’s own pricing page on the date shown at the top of the page. Vendors change pricing often — check the live source before you buy.

    Every figure is also in our open dataset (JSON and CSV, CC BY 4.0), with its source page and verification date. See how we research pricing.

    Start with the job

    Guides for the jobs this software does

    Plain-language guides: the steps, what to check before you buy, common mistakes, and every tool it takes with verified prices.

    Get more leads and customersAutomate follow-ups and nurture campaignsSend a newsletter or email campaignSchedule social media postsBuild an email listSend text messages to customersBuild landing pagesCollect forms and surveysAll 50 job guides
    Need sign-off?

    Turn this into a one-page decision brief

    Verified prices costed for your team size, a check against your must-have requirements, the questions to settle before you sign, and a source for every figure. Print it, or paste it into an email to whoever approves the spend.

    Build a decision brief

    From shortlist to switched

    Built for the leader who owns the selection, answers for the spend, drives the rollout, and lives with the results. HelpCompare covers the whole decision, not just the first step.

    01 · CompareWhich tool fits your team, side by side.113 comparisons 02 · Price & approveSourced, dated pricing and a one-page brief for sign-off.Decision brief 03 · SwitchWhat moves, what you rebuild, what it costs.226 guides 04 · ShareDownload and cite the data. CC BY 4.0.Open data
    Bill Belcamino, founder of HelpCompare
    About the author

    Bill Belcamino

    Founder and author, HelpCompare

    Engineer by training, operator by experience, marketer by choice. Bill spent nine years as an engineer at HP, was COO of Auctiva (the number one third-party selling platform on eBay, past 200,000 users) and ran Google’s $70M/year search syndication partnership at Alot.com. Then he spent 13 years building his own web properties with his own money at stake. He has bought, trialled, integrated and cancelled more SaaS tools than he can count, and started HelpCompare because the real cost of switching tools is the part nobody covers.

    “I’ve sat on both sides of the table: the agency recommending the tool and the client paying for it.”

    Researched and fact-checked by the HelpCompare team. Pricing on this page was last verified on September 23, 2026. No paid sponsorships, no affiliate commissions.

    Read Bill’s story How we verify pricingSpot an error? Tell Bill