Getting started with marketing automation and looking at software solutions for your email campaigns? Two of the most popular email marketing automation tools are HubSpot and Mailchimp. Both are powerful tools that offer a variety of features to help you reach your marketing goals. But how do you know which one is best for your business?
The short quick answer is:
MailChimp is the best email marketing platform for small businesses with quick email response teams and tight budgets. As you grow and need advanced automation, consider HubSpot.
Current users of Mailchimp may consider whether or not to integrate Mailchimp with HubSpot but it is important to remember HubSpot offers a comprehensive marketing suite that includes email marketing.
Read on as we compare in detail the HubSpot and Mailchimp email marketing platforms so you can make an informed decision.
Both HubSpot and Mailchimp have their strengths and weaknesses, and the choice will depend on your specific needs and budget. It is essential to consider each feature and compare it to your business requirements and goals.
The table provides a quick overview of the main capabilities of each platform:
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HubSpot |
Mailchimp |
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Cost |
HubSpot offers a seat-based pricing model. Paid plans range from $15 to $3,600 per month, depending on the plan and number of seats. The Starter Plan costs $15 per month per Core Seat. The Professional Plan is $800 per month for 3 Core Seats, with additional Core Seats at $50 each. The Enterprise Plan costs $3,600 per month for 5 Core Seats, with additional seats at $75 each. Available features vary based on plans. |
Mailchimp offers several pricing plans to accommodate different needs. The free plan supports up to 500 contacts and 1,000 email sends per month with basic features. The Essentials plan starts at $13 per month, adding features like A/B testing and increased contact limits. The Standard plan, at $20 per month, includes advanced automation and more audience segments. The Premium plan, priced at $350 per month, offers the most comprehensive features, including advanced segmentation, multivariate testing, and priority support |
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Ease of Use |
HubSpot is a more complex platform that may require a steeper learning curve, but it offers a wide range of features and customization options. It is designed for marketers who need advanced marketing automation capabilities and are willing to invest the time and resources required to fully utilise the platform. |
Mailchimp is known for its ease of use and user-friendly interface. It is straightforward and intuitive, which makes it easy for users to create and send emails, even if they have limited technical skills. |
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Contact and Email Limits |
HubSpot's free CRM has no limits on the number of contacts, but email marketing in HubSpot has sending limits depend on the plan selected. Paid plans include limits that range from 500 to 100,000 monthly email sends. |
Mailchimp's free plan includes a limit of 500 contacts and 1,000 monthly email sends, while its paid plans include limits that range from 5,000 contacts and 50,000 email sends to 200,000 contacts and unlimited email sends. |
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Landing Pages |
HubSpot includes landing pages as part of its all-in-one marketing automation suite, which makes it easy for users to create and publish landing pages, as well as track their performance and optimise them for conversions. |
Mailchimp offers landing pages as an add-on feature, which is available with its paid plans. Has limited landing page creation options, can integrate with external tools |
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Automation |
HubSpot offers a wide range of automation features, including lead nurturing, lead scoring, and customer journey mapping, which allow users to set up targeted and personalised marketing campaigns. |
Mailchimp offers basic automation features, such as welcome emails and abandoned cart reminders, but its automation capabilities are limited compared to HubSpot. |
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Email Marketing |
Offers a comprehensive all-in-one marketing automation platform that includes email marketing as a core component. It provides a range of advanced features, such as the drag-and-drop editor, flexible design options, and a wide range of integrations, that make it easier for businesses to create, manage, and track the success of their email campaigns. |
Primarily focused on email marketing and is known for its ease of use and affordability. It provides a simple, user-friendly interface that makes it easy for businesses to create, send, and track the performance of their email campaigns. |
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Analytics |
Provides advanced analytics, including detailed reports and real-time insights, which allow users to track the performance of their marketing campaigns and make informed decisions. |
Provides basic analytics, such as open and click rates, and the ability to track subscriber behaviour and engagement. |
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Social Media |
Includes social media management as part of its all-in-one marketing automation suite, which allows users to schedule, publish, and track the performance of their social media posts. |
Offers social media integration as an add-on feature, which is available with its paid plans. |
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Integrations |
Offers a comprehensive set of integrations, including integrations with popular CRMs, such as Salesforce, as well as a large number of third-party apps and services. |
Offers integrations with a wide range of third-party apps and services, such as e-commerce platforms, payment gateways, and more. |
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AI Tools |
Offers enhanced marketing, sales, and service functions by providing advanced capabilities such as predictive lead scoring, automated email personalisation, and intelligent content recommendations. These AI features are integrated into HubSpot's Smart CRM, enabling businesses to streamline workflows, gain deeper insights into customer behaviour, and improve overall efficiency |
Offers features such as predictive insights, which help optimise email campaigns by suggesting the best times to send emails and the most effective content. Additionally, Mailchimp utilises machine learning to personalise customer interactions and improve engagement through tailored recommendations and automated responses |
Regarding email marketing, both Mailchimp and HubSpot are popular platforms with their unique features and capabilities.
Mailchimp is known for its user-friendly interface and email design features. It offers a wide range of customizable email templates and provides a variety of integrations with other platforms such as Shopify, WooCommerce, etc. Mailchimp is an excellent option for small businesses and solopreneurs looking for a simple and affordable email marketing solution.
On the other hand, HubSpot offers more advanced marketing automation and personalization options for email marketing. It allows for targeted and segmented email campaigns and dynamic email content and provides in-depth analytics and reporting for email campaigns' performance and ROI. It also offers a more comprehensive approach to integrating other tools in the HubSpot ecosystem, such as CRM, Marketing Automation and Sales. It is a more expensive option but also more suited for larger businesses and enterprises.
Mailchimp has a simple and intuitive interface that is easy for users to navigate. It has a drag-and-drop email editor, which makes it easy for users to design and create visually appealing emails. Additionally, the platform offers a wide range of customizable email templates, which you can easily customise to fit your brand and style. These features make it an excellent option for small businesses and solopreneurs who want a user-friendly platform for email marketing.
Mailchimp provides detailed analytics and reporting options to help users track the performance of their email campaigns. It offers metrics such as open rates, click-through rates, bounce rates, and unsubscribes. Additionally, it provides a real-time reporting feature that allows users to monitor their campaigns in real time, which can help make data-driven decisions.
In addition to its user-friendly interface and reporting options, Mailchimp also offers a wide range of added features. For example, it has various automation options, such as welcome emails, abandoned cart emails, and birthday campaigns, which can help save time and increase efficiency. It also offers multiple integrations with other platforms and apps such as Shopify, WooCommerce, etc.
MailChimp uses a reasonably strict drag-and-drop builder, which means deviations outside the way MailChimp wants to do things are impossible. While the Mailchimp builder has many excellent features and some of the best design tools, there are limitations if you want to do customised emails.
Mailchimp's customer service is less comprehensive and responsive than other platforms. Users may have to rely on the platform's self-service resources, such as its knowledge base, to find answers to their questions. This may not be ideal for businesses that require more hands-on support or for users who are not as technically savvy.
Mailchimp does not have the same level of sophistication and complexity as other platforms, such as HubSpot, which can limit the platform's ability to fully support more complex automation needs. Additionally, the platform does not have the same scalability and flexibility as HubSpot, making it difficult for businesses to implement more complex automation processes.
HubSpot's drag-and-drop email editor allows users to design visually appealing and responsive emails easily. The editor is intuitive and easy to use, which makes it easy for users to create and customise emails to match their brand and style. It also allows users to add various design elements, such as images, videos, and buttons, which can help increase engagement and conversions.
HubSpot gives users a lot of flexibility in designing and customising emails. It offers a wide range of templates, layouts, and designs, which can be easily edited and customised to fit a user's specific needs. Users can also use the platform's design manager to create custom designs and templates, which you can use across different marketing channels.
HubSpot provides a comprehensive all-in-one marketing automation suite, which includes email marketing, social media, analytics, CRM, and more. This allows users to manage all of their marketing efforts in one place, saving time and increasing efficiency. It also provides a unified view of customer data and behaviour, which can help users make more informed decisions. Additionally, the platform's automation features allow users to set up targeted and personalised marketing campaigns, which can help increase engagement and conversions.
HubSpot is a powerful and comprehensive platform, which can make it harder to get up and running. It may require a significant amount of setup time and resources before users can fully utilise its features. Additionally, it requires a steeper learning curve for users who need to become more familiar with marketing automation.
Small businesses with teams capable of instantly managing their email campaigns' daily interactions and having a limited budget should stick with MailChimp. Once your business grows to the point where you can no longer instantly reply to every lead and have enough budget for marketing automation, it’s time to consider a more robust solution like HubSpot. As a marketing agency owner, I see many companies that have outgrown products like Mailchimp but have not changed systems to save on software costs, only to be left with the enormous and costly task of doing an extensive database and marketing system migration down the road. It's essential to think about where you are and where you will need to be to make the right decision about what software you will need for the job – and if you're not sure, speak to an expert who does to find out.
Still unsure which product is right for you? Speak with a local marketing automation specialist to learn more about your options.