True cost comparison — not just what the pricing page says
Quick Verdict
Microsoft 365 saves you 60%
Best for Microsoft 365
Email marketing and CRM automation platform. Contact-based pricing from $15-$145/mo sounds fair unti
Best for ActiveCampaign
Microsoft's business productivity suite (Outlook, Teams, Office apps). Per-user pricing where deskto
Microsoft's business productivity suite (Outlook, Teams, Office apps). Per-user ...
Advertised
$6
/month
True Cost
$114
/month (typical)
Desktop Apps Require Business Standard
Business Basic ($6/user/mo) only includes web and mobile Office apps. Desktop Word, Excel, PowerPoin...
Copilot AI Add-On
Microsoft 365 Copilot AI is $30/user/mo — separate from all base plans. For 50 users, Copilot alone ...
Compliance Features Require E5
Advanced compliance (eDiscovery, DLP, Information Barriers, Insider Risk Management) require Enterpr...
Teams Phone Add-On
Microsoft Teams Phone System for PSTN calling is not included in any standard plan. Teams Phone Stan...
Email marketing and CRM automation platform. Contact-based pricing from $15-$145...
Advertised
$15
/month
True Cost
$128
/month (typical)
Contact Tier Scaling
Lite at $15/mo for 1K contacts, but 10K contacts = $79/mo, 25K = $149/mo, 50K = $259/mo. Pricing sca...
CRM & Sales Require Plus
CRM pipeline, lead scoring, and SMS marketing require Plus plan at $49/mo minimum — over 3x the Lite...
Transactional Email Separate
Transactional emails (order confirmations, password resets) are NOT included. Requires separate Post...
$9/mo annual
$29/mo annual
$49/mo annual
ActiveCampaign advertises $15/mo. Microsoft 365 advertises $6/mo.
ActiveCampaign has 3 documented hidden fees. Microsoft 365 has 4.
ActiveCampaign confidence: 77%. Microsoft 365 confidence: 84%.
| Metric | Microsoft 365 | ActiveCampaign | Winner |
|---|---|---|---|
| Advertised Price | $6/mo | $15/mo | Microsoft 365 |
| True Monthly Cost | $114/mo | $128/mo | Microsoft 365 |
| Hidden Fee Total | +$107.5/mo | +$113/mo | Microsoft 365 |
| # Hidden Fees | 4 | 3 | ActiveCampaign |
| Confidence Score | 84% | 77% | Microsoft 365 |
| Pricing Tiers | 3 | 3 | — |
| Affiliate Program | No public affiliate program | None | — |
Microsoft 365 advertises $6/mo and ActiveCampaign advertises $15/mo. However, when you include hidden fees, Microsoft 365 has 4 documented hidden fees adding +$107.5/mo, while ActiveCampaign has 3 hidden fees adding +$113/mo. Based on true cost, Microsoft 365 is typically 60% cheaper.
Microsoft 365 has 4 documented hidden fees: Desktop Apps Require Business Standard, Copilot AI Add-On, Compliance Features Require E5, Teams Phone Add-On. These add approximately +$107.5/mo on top of the $6/mo advertised price.
ActiveCampaign has 3 documented hidden fees: Contact Tier Scaling, CRM & Sales Require Plus, Transactional Email Separate. These add approximately +$113/mo on top of the $15/mo advertised price.
Choose Microsoft 365 if: Email marketing and CRM automation platform. Contact-based pricing from $15-$145/mo sounds fair unti. Choose ActiveCampaign if: Microsoft's business productivity suite (Outlook, Teams, Office apps). Per-user pricing where deskto. The right choice depends on your team size, usage volume, and which features you need most.
This comparison is based on manual research of official pricing pages, terms of service, and user reports. Microsoft 365 data has a 84% confidence score and ActiveCampaign has 77%. Prices were last verified in April 2026. For the most accurate estimate, enter your specific usage in our calculator.
Enter your usage to see personalized pricing for both tools
Use Free Calculator