Migrating from Mailchimp to ActiveCampaign is one of the most common moves in email marketing. Mailchimp is where most people start. ActiveCampaign is where they go when they need more automation power, a built-in CRM, or better segmentation.
The migration is not complicated, but it does take planning. Your contacts transfer easily. Your automations do not - ActiveCampaign's workflow engine works differently from Mailchimp's, and you will need to rebuild your sequences from scratch. If you have complex automation logic, budget a full day for the rebuild.
This guide walks you through the entire process step by step, including what to do before you cancel Mailchimp.
What transfers and what does not
| Data | Transfers? | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Contacts and email addresses | Yes | Via CSV export and import |
| Tags | Partial | Export as custom fields, remap in ActiveCampaign |
| Custom fields | Yes | Map fields during import |
| Segments | No | Recreate using ActiveCampaign tags and conditions |
| Unsubscribe history | Yes | Include suppression list in export |
| Email templates | Partial | Export HTML and rebuild or recreate in AC editor |
| Automation workflows | No | Must be rebuilt manually in ActiveCampaign |
| Campaign history and analytics | No | Download reports from Mailchimp before cancelling |
| Forms and landing pages | No | Recreate in ActiveCampaign or use existing tools |
Before you start
Do not cancel Mailchimp before you have finished setting up ActiveCampaign and confirmed everything is working. Run both accounts in parallel during the transition. This costs a little extra for a month but protects you from gaps in your email program.
Start your ActiveCampaign free trial before you do anything else. The trial gives you 14 days to set up your account and test everything before committing.
Step-by-step migration guide
Go to Audience in Mailchimp, select your audience, and click Export Audience. Download the CSV. Make sure you include all custom merge fields and tags. Also export your unsubscribe list separately - you will need to suppress these contacts in ActiveCampaign to stay compliant.
Go through every active automation in Mailchimp and document it - screenshot each workflow or write down the trigger, conditions, and actions in order. You will not be able to access Mailchimp after you cancel, so do this now. Pay particular attention to timing delays, branching logic, and any conditional splits.
Export the HTML of any email templates you want to reuse. In Mailchimp, open each template, click Edit, then export or copy the HTML. ActiveCampaign has its own template builder - you can either import the HTML directly or rebuild templates using their drag-and-drop editor, which is more flexible.
Export your historical campaign performance data from Mailchimp Reports before you cancel. This data will not transfer to ActiveCampaign and you will lose access to it once your Mailchimp account closes.
Complete your account setup in ActiveCampaign: authenticate your sending domain, verify your email address, and configure your account settings. Domain authentication is critical for deliverability - do not skip it. ActiveCampaign has a setup checklist in the dashboard that walks you through each step.
Import your CSV into ActiveCampaign under Contacts. Map each column to the correct field - pay close attention to custom fields and make sure they match what you set up in the previous step. Import your unsubscribe list separately as a suppression list. After importing, review the import report and fix any errors before moving on.
This is the most time-intensive step. ActiveCampaign's automation builder is more powerful than Mailchimp's but works differently. Use your documentation from Step 2 to rebuild each workflow. Start with your highest-priority automations - typically your welcome series and any active nurture sequences - and work down. Test each automation by triggering it with a test contact before activating it.
Replace your Mailchimp signup forms with ActiveCampaign forms on your website. ActiveCampaign has an embeddable form builder and also integrates with most landing page tools. Update any popup tools, website embeds, or third-party integrations that were pointed at Mailchimp.
Send test emails from ActiveCampaign to yourself. Trigger each automation manually using a test contact and verify the sequence fires correctly. Check all links, unsubscribe functionality, and that your domain authentication is passing. Do not cancel Mailchimp until you have done this.
Once ActiveCampaign is fully set up and tested, cancel your Mailchimp account. Check your Mailchimp billing date first - if you are close to a renewal, you may want to wait a day or two to avoid being charged for another month. In Mailchimp, go to Account then Settings then Pause or Delete Account.
Make sure you have exported your contacts, campaign history, and templates. Once your account is closed you cannot recover this data. If you have connected integrations (Shopify, WordPress, Zapier) update them to point to ActiveCampaign first or they will stop working.
How long does the migration take?
For most small businesses, the full migration takes half a day to a full day. The contact import itself takes under an hour. The rebuild of automations is where the time goes. If you have a simple welcome series and a few campaigns, you can be fully live in ActiveCampaign within a few hours. If you have complex multi-step automation sequences, budget a full day.
Common issues to watch out for
Domain authentication. If you skip domain authentication in ActiveCampaign, your emails may land in spam. Complete the SPF, DKIM, and DMARC setup before sending your first campaign. ActiveCampaign walks you through this in the account setup.
Tag mapping. Mailchimp uses groups and tags. ActiveCampaign uses tags and custom fields. The concepts are similar but the structure is different. Spend time mapping your Mailchimp tags to ActiveCampaign tags before importing so your segmentation logic works correctly.
Automation triggers. ActiveCampaign has more trigger options than Mailchimp but they are named differently. Your "Customer Journey" automations in Mailchimp will need to be recreated as "Automations" in ActiveCampaign with equivalent triggers. The logic is the same but you will need to find the right trigger in ActiveCampaign for each step.
Is ActiveCampaign worth switching to?
If you have outgrown Mailchimp's automation capabilities or need a CRM alongside your email marketing, yes. ActiveCampaign's automation builder is significantly more powerful, its segmentation is more granular, and the built-in CRM means you can manage deals and contacts in the same place as your campaigns.
If you are only sending basic newsletters and do not need complex automation, the switch may not be worth the effort. Mailchimp vs MailerLite might be a better comparison if you are looking for something simpler.
The bottom line
Migrating from Mailchimp to ActiveCampaign is a half-day project for most businesses. The contacts import quickly and cleanly. The automations take more work but the rebuild is worth it - ActiveCampaign's workflow engine is considerably more capable than what you are leaving behind.
Not sure if ActiveCampaign is the right destination? Take the Marketing Automation Buyer's Guide quiz and get a recommendation based on your specific situation.