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Home › Categories › Marketing Automation

Marketing Automation Software, Compared: Verified 2026 Pricing

Bill BelcaminoBy Bill Belcamino · Last updated September 23, 2026 · Our methodologyResearched and fact-checked by the HelpCompare team

Side-by-side pricing for ActiveCampaign, HubSpot, Klaviyo, Mailchimp and Keap: entry price, free plan, how each vendor bills for AI, and the date we last checked each figure against the vendor’s own pricing page.

Marketing Automation Software, ComparedVerified Sep 23, 2026
Bill Belcamino
Bottom line up frontby Bill Belcamino, founder of HelpCompare
Editorial assessment

Bottom line up front: How should a small business choose a marketing automation platform?

Sort these five by how they bill before comparing prices, because HubSpot charges from $7/seat/mo while the others price per account, with ActiveCampaign's $15/mo covering 1,000 contacts.

Keap sits at the top at $299/mo, and its trial allows 25 email sends, so you can't test much before paying, while HubSpot's Breeze AI agents run on metered credits. The bigger cost is the one you build yourself. Every nurture sequence, lead score and trigger lives inside the tool, and automation logic generally doesn't export to a competitor, so switching means rebuilding each workflow by hand and re-testing it. Keep a plain-language map of every workflow (trigger, wait, action, goal) outside the platform from day one. My advice: start with the few flows that touch revenue, like a welcome series and lead follow-up, and prove those work before you build anything clever.

Verified data · quick answer
  • Lowest published entry price: Mailchimp — From $13/mo. Entry prices use different billing units (per seat vs per account), so compare at your team size.
  • Free plans: HubSpot (free CRM for up to 2 users, no card required); Klaviyo (250 active profiles / 500 emails + $5 of SMS/MMS credit per month); Mailchimp (250 contacts / 500 sends per month).
  • How AI is billed: HubSpot — metered / credit-based.

My read of the verified data on this page, checked against vendor sources on September 23, 2026. Disagree or spot an error? Tell Bill

Marketing Automation pricing at a glance

Every row links to the comparison where the figure was verified and to the vendor’s pricing page.

ToolEntry priceFree planAI billingG2 ratingVerifiedSource
ActiveCampaignFrom $15/mo (1,000 contacts)No free plan — trial available—4.4 / 515,000 reviewsSeptember 14, 2026in ActiveCampaign vs HubSpotVendor pricing ↗
HubSpotFree tier, from $20/seat/mo (Starter; $7/seat/mo new-customer promo, limited time)Yes — free CRM for up to 2 users, no card requiredMetered / credit-based4.4 / 514,284 reviewsSeptember 23, 2026in HubSpot vs MailchimpVendor pricing ↗
KlaviyoFrom $20/mo250 active profiles / 500 emails + $5 of SMS/MMS credit per month—4.6 / 51,361 reviewsAugust 11, 2026in Mailchimp vs KlaviyoVendor pricing ↗
MailchimpFrom $13/mo250 contacts / 500 sends per month—4.3 / 512,987 reviewsSeptember 18, 2026in Mailchimp vs Constant ContactVendor pricing ↗
KeapStarting at $299/moNo free plan — limited free trial (no card required; 25 email sends, no payments or texts)—3.8 / 533 reviewsSeptember 14, 2026in GoHighLevel vs KeapVendor pricing ↗

Head-to-head comparisons

ActiveCampaign vs HubSpotUpdated September 12, 2026ActiveCampaign vs KeapUpdated September 23, 2026ActiveCampaign vs KlaviyoUpdated September 23, 2026ActiveCampaign vs MailchimpUpdated September 23, 2026HubSpot vs KeapUpdated September 23, 2026HubSpot vs KlaviyoUpdated September 23, 2026HubSpot vs MailchimpUpdated September 23, 2026Keap vs KlaviyoUpdated September 23, 2026Keap vs MailchimpUpdated September 23, 2026Mailchimp vs KlaviyoUpdated August 11, 2026

Switching guides

ActiveCampaign to GoHighLevelSwitching guideActiveCampaign to HubSpotSwitching guideActiveCampaign to KeapSwitching guideActiveCampaign to KlaviyoSwitching guideActiveCampaign to MailchimpSwitching guideAttio to HubSpotSwitching guidebeehiiv to MailchimpSwitching guideConstant Contact to MailchimpSwitching guideGoHighLevel to ActiveCampaignSwitching guideGoHighLevel to HubSpotSwitching guideGoHighLevel to KeapSwitching guideHubSpot to ActiveCampaignSwitching guideHubSpot to AttioSwitching guideHubSpot to GoHighLevelSwitching guideHubSpot to KeapSwitching guideHubSpot to KlaviyoSwitching guideHubSpot to MailchimpSwitching guideHubSpot to PipedriveSwitching guideHubSpot to SalesforceSwitching guideHubSpot to Zoho CRMSwitching guideKeap to ActiveCampaignSwitching guideKeap to GoHighLevelSwitching guideKeap to HubSpotSwitching guideKeap to KlaviyoSwitching guideKeap to MailchimpSwitching guideKlaviyo to ActiveCampaignSwitching guideKlaviyo to HubSpotSwitching guideKlaviyo to KeapSwitching guideKlaviyo to MailchimpSwitching guideMailchimp to ActiveCampaignSwitching guideMailchimp to beehiivSwitching guideMailchimp to Constant ContactSwitching guideMailchimp to HubSpotSwitching guideMailchimp to KeapSwitching guideMailchimp to KlaviyoSwitching guidePipedrive to HubSpotSwitching guideSalesforce to HubSpotSwitching guideZoho CRM to HubSpotSwitching guide
CRM PlatformsRelated categoryAgency & Funnel SoftwareRelated categoryEmail MarketingRelated category
Verified data

Marketing Automation: security, offline & remote work

The marketing automation tools we track, side by side on compliance, single sign-on, offline access and remote or office controls. Every value links to the vendor page it came from.

What we checkedActiveCampaignHubSpotKlaviyoMailchimpKeap
Security & compliance
SOC 2 reportSOC 2 Type IIsourceSOC 2 Type IIsourceSOC 2 Type IIsourceSOC 2 reportType not stated by vendorsourceNot published
ISO/IEC 27001Not publishedNot publishedCertifiedsourceCertifiedsourceNot published
Other certificationsNot publishedSOC 1 Type II, SOC 3, HIPAA attestation, EU Cloud Code of Conduct, TRUSTe Certified PrivacysourceISO/IEC 27017, PCI DSSsourceNot publishedPCI DSSsource
HIPAA (BAA)BAA availableEnterprisesourceBAA availableEnterprisesourceNot supportedsourceNot publishedBAA availablesource
GDPR data processing agreementDPA offeredsourceDPA offeredsourceDPA offeredsourceDPA offeredsourceDPA offeredsource
Single sign-on (SAML/OIDC)YesEnterprisesourceYesProfessionalsourceYesPaid planssourceNot publishedNot published
SCIM user provisioningNot publishedYesProfessionalsourceYesPaid planssourceNot publishedNot published
Two-factor authenticationYesEnforcement: StartersourceYesEnforcement: Free (optional to require); mandatory on Starter, Professional, EnterprisesourceYesEnforcement: Mandatory on all paid plans; Owner can require it on free accountssourceYesEnforcement: Any multi-user plan (automatic once an Owner or Admin enables 2FA)sourceYesEnforcement: All plans (2FA mandatory for every user)source
Admin audit logNot publishedYesStartersourceYessourceNot publishedNot published
Data residency choicesUS, EU, APACsourceUS, EU, Canada, AustraliaStartersourceUS onlysourceUS onlysourceNot published
EncryptionNot publishedAES-256 at rest; TLS 1.2 or 1.3 in transitsourceEncrypted at rest and in transit ('strong encryption'; algorithm not stated)sourceTLS 1.2+ in transit; at-rest encryption not statedsourceNot published
Self-hosting optionNot publishedNot publishedNot publishedNot publishedNot published
Offline access
Offline modePartialThe Forms for iPad app can collect form sign-ups offline and adds them to the account once back online; the main ActiveCampaign mobile app needs an internet connection.sourcePartialCRM records cannot be created, edited, or viewed in the mobile app without a connection; only Mobile Notetaker can record meetings offline and link them to CRM records once back online.sourceNot documentedNot documentedNot documented
Desktop appsNot publishedBrowser onlysourceNot publishedNot publishedNot published
Mobile appsiOS, AndroidsourceiOS, AndroidsourceNot publishediOS, AndroidsourceiOS, Androidsource
Offline limits—Offline meeting recording (Mobile Notetaker) is available on Sales Hub or Service Hub Professional and EnterpriseSales Hub / Service Hub Professionalsource———
Remote, hybrid & in-office
IP allowlistingNot publishedYesStartersourceNot publishedNot publishedNot published
Device & session controlsYesIdle-session timeout with customizable session length; MFA required to use the mobile app.sourceYesAll plansAdmin-set inactive session timeout (15 minutes to 3 days); users can review and remotely log out their own sessions on other devices.sourceNot publishedNot publishedNot published
Editorial assessment

What this means for your team

  • Audit reports: ActiveCampaign, HubSpot, Klaviyo and Mailchimp state a SOC 2 report on their own site; we found no SOC 2 statement for Keap. If your security team requires SOC 2, ask Keap directly before shortlisting.
  • Single sign-on: ActiveCampaign includes it on Enterprise; HubSpot includes it on Professional; Klaviyo includes it on Paid plans. Mailchimp and Keap don’t document single sign-on with your own identity provider. If your team signs in through Okta, Microsoft Entra ID or Google, price the ActiveCampaign and HubSpot plans that include SSO, not their entry plans; Klaviyo includes it on the entry plan.
  • Health data: ActiveCampaign, HubSpot and Keap will sign a HIPAA business associate agreement (ActiveCampaign: Enterprise; HubSpot: Enterprise). We found no BAA offer for Klaviyo and Mailchimp, so keep protected health information out of them.
  • Working offline: ActiveCampaign and HubSpot work offline only in part; Klaviyo, Mailchimp and Keap don’t document an offline mode. Details are in the Offline mode row above.
  • Office-only access: HubSpot can restrict sign-ins to approved IP ranges on Starter. That suits an office network or a company VPN; fully remote teams need a VPN for it to work.
  • Where your data lives: ActiveCampaign lets you choose US, EU, APAC; HubSpot lets you choose US, EU, Canada, Australia on Starter. This matters for teams hiring across the EU, UK or Australia.

ActiveCampaign: worth knowing

  • SecurityCustomers are assigned to the nearest regional data center by the account's GEO IP address and cannot currently change it. source
  • OfflineThe ActiveCampaign mobile app pulls live data and needs an internet connection. source
  • RemoteMulti-factor authentication is mandatory to sign in to the ActiveCampaign mobile app. source
  • OfficeThe Forms for iPad app (all plans) can capture sign-ups at in-person events or front desks, even without connectivity. source

HubSpot: worth knowing

  • RemoteHubSpot's trusted-IP login restriction also applies to the mobile app, so reps logging in from outside the allowed range on a phone are blocked. source
  • SecurityEach HubSpot account is hosted in one data center (US, EU, Canada or Australia); paid accounts can migrate to another region. source
  • RemoteUsers can see every device, browser and app where they are signed in and log out of lost devices remotely. source

Klaviyo: worth knowing

  • SecurityAll Klaviyo customer data is stored in AWS us-east-1 in Northern Virginia. source
  • RemoteKlaviyo staff in Australia, Ireland, Singapore and the UK may access (but not store) customer data to provide support across regions. source
  • SecurityWhen SSO is enforced for all users, new users must accept the invite and log in via SSO; an exemption list lets chosen users bypass SSO. source
  • SecurityThe activity log is visible only to Account Owners, Admins and users with Account Settings permissions. source

Mailchimp: worth knowing

  • RemoteMailchimp's iOS and Android apps cover campaigns, reports, inbox replies and adding contacts, but Mailchimp says they do not replace the full web version. source
  • SecurityMailchimp states it has SOC 2 reports but does not say on its security page whether they are Type I or Type II; reports are downloadable from the Intuit Compliance portal. source
  • SecurityMailchimp's terms leave HIPAA suitability to the customer and disclaim liability if the service does not meet HIPAA requirements. source
  • RemoteAccounts have up to five user levels (Owner, Admin, Manager, Author, Viewer), and the number of seats depends on the pricing plan. source

Keap: worth knowing

  • SecurityAfter a successful 2FA challenge, a recognized device is not challenged again for 90 days unless a new device signs in. source
  • SecurityHIPAA protections must be switched on in-app (HIPAA Security Controls) before signing Keap's BAA. source
  • RemoteKeap can be used from a phone through the native app or the mobile browser. source

Checked September 19, 2026 against each vendor’s own trust center, help docs and app pages. Hover or tap “source” to see the exact wording we relied on. “Not published” means we could not find the vendor saying it on its own site; it doesn’t mean the feature is missing. Plan names are the lowest plan the vendor says includes the feature. Security · Offline · Remote vs office · Download the data

Frequently asked questions

Which marketing automation tool is cheapest?

Of the 5 marketing automation tools HelpCompare tracks, the lowest published entry price belongs to Mailchimp (From $13/mo, verified September 18, 2026). Entry prices are the cheapest paid tier each vendor publishes; the right answer at your team size depends on seat minimums and add-ons, which each head-to-head comparison breaks down.

Which marketing automation tools have a free plan?

Free plans: HubSpot (free CRM for up to 2 users, no card required); Klaviyo (250 active profiles / 500 emails + $5 of SMS/MMS credit per month); Mailchimp (250 contacts / 500 sends per month).

How do marketing automation tools charge for AI?

HubSpot: Metered / credit-based (Breeze AI agents).

Where does this pricing data come from?

Every figure was recorded from the vendor's own pricing page during research for a HelpCompare comparison, and is dated. The most recent check in this category was September 23, 2026. Nothing is estimated: where a vendor publishes no price, we say so. The full dataset is free to reuse under CC BY 4.0 at helpcompare.com/data/.

Sources

Figures come from each vendor’s pricing page, recorded on the date shown. Download the full dataset from Open Data (JSON and CSV, CC BY 4.0).

Cite this page: HelpCompare, “Marketing Automation Software, Compared: Verified 2026 Pricing”, helpcompare.com/marketing-automation/ (updated ).

Source links on this site are checked every month; last check . How sources are checked.

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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 eight and a half 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.

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