ActiveCampaign vs iContact

ActiveCampaign logovsIC
Two Marketing automation tools side by side: what each does, what it costs and who it suits.

The verdict

On the data we hold, it's close: neither pulls ahead on features, a free plan or AI access. The choice comes down to how you work.

What the data says
  • iContact starts lower, at $7.67/mo against $15/mo.
  • Both have an API and an MCP server, so either works with AI employees.
  • In our Marketing automation ranking, ActiveCampaign places 3 and iContact 10 of 13.

Side by side

ActiveCampaign and iContact compared
At a glance
Starts at$15/mo$7.67/mo
Free planNoNo
APIYesYes
MCP serverYesYes
Links

Plans and pricing

ActiveCampaign logo

ActiveCampaign

  • StarterEmail marketing plan with multi-step automation; price is for 1,000 contacts and rises with contact count.$15/mo
  • PlusAdds more automation, CRM add-on option and landing-page design service; price is for 1,000 contacts.$49/mo
  • ProMid-tier plan with 3 users; price is for 1,000 contacts and rises with contact count.$79/mo
  • EnterpriseFive users and 15x monthly email sends per contact; price is for 1,000 contacts and rises with contact count.$145/mo
IC

iContact

  • Standardsolo marketers under 2,500 contacts$9/mo
  • Premiumteams needing A/B testing and social posting$16/mo

Prices as the vendors list them. They change often; the final price is on their sites.

Who each is for

ActiveCampaign logo

Choose ActiveCampaign if…

Small and B2B teams that want behaviour-triggered email, SMS and a built-in CRM in one tool, and accept that the CRM side can be outgrown.

IC

Choose iContact if…

We haven't written up who iContact suits yet.

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