ActiveCampaign
Marketing
From$15/mo
10 people: $15 a month · $180 a year
- No free plan
- No yearly discount listed
- No startup credits listed
- 4 plans · priced per plan
ActiveCampaign vs Buffer: pricing compared
Plans, list prices and what a team of 5, 10 or 25 pays on each, from Surba's catalog of Marketing tools. Updated for 2026.
At a glance
Side by side
ActiveCampaign starts at $15/mo (Starter) and Buffer at $5/mo (Essentials). For 10 people that's $15 vs $5 a month: Buffer is $10 a month (67%) cheaper than ActiveCampaign on list price.
Buffer
Cheaper for 10 people
From$5/mo
10 people: $5 a month · $60 a year
- Free plan
- No yearly discount listed
- No startup credits listed
- 3 plans · priced per plan
Plans
ActiveCampaign and Buffer plans
Every plan with a public price, in US dollars.
ActiveCampaign
Starter
1,000 contacts, 1 user · $15/mo billed yearly
$15/mo
Plus
1,000 contacts, 1 user · Landing pages · $49/mo billed yearly
$49/mo
Pro
1,000 contacts, 3 users · Predictive sending · $79/mo billed yearly
$79/mo
Enterprise
1,000 contacts, 5 users · SSO, HIPAA · $145/mo billed yearly
$145/mo
Pricing page renders prices via JS; yearly-billed figures at 1,000 contacts from ActiveCampaign's own comparison pages (search snippets). Monthly-billed prices not captured. Price scales with contacts.
Prices from ActiveCampaign's pricing page, checked 26 Oct 2026.
Buffer
Free
Up to 3 channels · 10 scheduled posts per channel
Free
Essentials
Per channel, $5/mo billed yearly · Unlimited scheduled posts · Advanced analytics
$5/mo
Team
Per channel, $10/mo billed yearly · Unlimited team members · Approval workflows
$10/mo
Priced per connected social channel. Monthly-billed prices not shown; page states both 'save 2 months' and a 20% annual discount (inconsistent).
Prices from Buffer's pricing page, checked 26 Oct 2026.
Team cost
What each costs your team
Entry paid plans, per month and per year at list price.
| Team | ActiveCampaign (Starter) | Buffer (Essentials) | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| 5 people | $15/mo$180/yr a year | $5/mo$60/yr a year | Buffer $10 less a month |
| 10 people | $15/mo$180/yr a year | $5/mo$60/yr a year | Buffer $10 less a month |
| 25 people | $15/mo$180/yr a year | $5/mo$60/yr a year | Buffer $10 less a month |
ActiveCampaign is priced per plan. Buffer is priced per plan. Per-user prices are multiplied by the team; per-plan prices aren't. Before tax; yearly discounts not applied.
FAQ
ActiveCampaign vs Buffer: questions
Which is cheaper, ActiveCampaign or Buffer?
ActiveCampaign starts at $15/mo (Starter) and Buffer at $5/mo (Essentials). For 10 people that's $15 vs $5 a month: Buffer is $10 a month (67%) cheaper than ActiveCampaign on list price. Compare features too: the cheaper plan isn't always the closer match.
Do ActiveCampaign and Buffer have free plans?
ActiveCampaign has no free plan in Surba's catalog. Buffer has a free plan (Free).
More comparisons
Other Marketing comparisons
Paying for ActiveCampaign or Buffer? Track it in Surba.
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