HubSpot vs. Mailchimp
HubSpot and Mailchimp are popular email automation platforms, but they serve different needs. HubSpot combines email marketing with a broader CRM and marketing automation suite, while Mailchimp focuses on email campaigns, audience management, and straightforward automation.
Users often compare them for their campaign tools, automation capabilities, integrations, and potential to grow with a business. The right choice depends on factors such as features, pricing, ease of use, and how much CRM functionality is needed.
HubSpot VS Mailchimp: Which tool is the most popular?
| Tool | Reviews | Average rating | Positive reviews | Summary |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mailchimp | 748 | 2.76/5 | 332 (44.4%) | Most popular by review volume and better rated of the two. |
| HubSpot | 606 | 1.92/5 | 129 (21.3%) | Least popular by review volume and lower rated. |
Mailchimp leads both in review count and average rating. However, its average remains below 3/5, while HubSpot’s is lower still.
HubSpot and Mailchimp: Quick Comparison Overview
I can’t perform a live web search in this chat, so this overview reflects established product positioning; features and plan limits may change.
| Ahrefs | Semrush | |
|---|---|---|
| Primary features | Backlink and competitor analysis; keyword research; site audits; rank tracking; content research. | SEO and competitor research; keyword tools; site audits; rank tracking; plus PPC, local SEO, social, and content-marketing tools. |
| Target audience | SEO specialists, content teams, link builders, and agencies focused on organic search. | SEO teams, agencies, and businesses seeking a broader digital-marketing toolkit. |
| Main advantages | Strong backlink research and a focused workflow for analyzing search performance and content opportunities. | Broad coverage across SEO and adjacent marketing channels, with tools for managing more of the marketing workflow in one platform. |
| Core value proposition | Find opportunities to grow organic traffic through links, keywords, and content insights. | Plan, analyze, and manage digital marketing across SEO, paid search, local, social, and content. |
| Ideal use cases | Backlink prospecting, competitor SEO analysis, keyword discovery, and content planning. | Coordinating SEO with PPC or other marketing activities; agency and multi-channel campaign research. |
Most liked vs most disliked features of HubSpot and Mailchimp
| Platform | Overall positive sentiment | Main concerns |
|---|---|---|
| HubSpot | Users value its integrated marketing, sales, and customer-service tools, intuitive navigation, automation, integrations, and customization options. | Paid plans can be expensive, and the broad feature set may overwhelm new users. Reviews also mention inconsistent save controls, gaps in basic functionality, and a sometimes cluttered interface. |
| Mailchimp | Users appreciate its easy-to-use campaign tools, audience segmentation, analytics, email templates, and integrations. | Common complaints include customer support, limited pricing flexibility, and manual newsletter scheduling. Users also want more template customization and a wider range of integrations. |
Key Features of HubSpot vs Mailchimp
HubSpot vs. Mailchimp for email automation
Both platforms can automate email campaigns, but HubSpot emphasizes automation tied to a broader CRM, while Mailchimp focuses on email marketing and customer journeys for audiences and online businesses.
| Feature | HubSpot | Mailchimp |
|---|---|---|
| Automated workflows and journeys | Marketing Hub workflows can automate follow-ups and other marketing actions based on customer information and activity. Benefit: reduce manual work and coordinate communication across the customer lifecycle. | Customer Journey Builder lets users map automated paths and trigger messages based on audience actions or other conditions. Benefit: guide subscribers through a series of timely, relevant messages. |
| Segmentation and personalization | Uses CRM data to organize contacts and tailor marketing, including email content and workflow actions. Benefit: send more relevant messages using information held across customer records. | Audience tools support segments and targeted campaigns. Benefit: tailor sends to groups such as customers with particular interests or behaviors. |
| Email creation and sending | Email tools sit within Marketing Hub, alongside other marketing capabilities. Benefit: connect email campaigns with broader marketing work and contact records. | Email marketing features include tools for creating and sending campaigns. Benefit: manage email creation and audience outreach within a platform centered on marketing campaigns. |
| Measurement and optimization | Marketing reporting helps users assess campaign and workflow performance. Benefit: see how marketing activity is performing and use results to improve campaigns. | Campaign reporting and testing tools help users evaluate email performance. Benefit: compare results and refine future sends. |
| Connections to other tools and channels | HubSpot connects marketing activity to its CRM and wider sales and service products. Benefit: teams can work from shared customer information and coordinate outreach. | Mailchimp offers integrations and features for connecting email marketing with other business and marketing tools. Benefit: bring campaign activity into an existing marketing or ecommerce setup. |
What stands out
- HubSpot’s distinctive strength is its CRM connection. Email automation can draw on contact and customer data held in the wider HubSpot platform, making it a natural fit for teams that want marketing, sales, and service activity connected.
- Mailchimp’s distinctive strength is its campaign- and journey-building focus. Its Customer Journey Builder is designed to help marketers map and automate subscriber paths; integrations can also support ecommerce-related marketing workflows.
Feature availability can vary by product tier and connected apps. See HubSpot’s products and Mailchimp’s features for current details.
HubSpot vs Mailchimp Pricing Comparison
| Brand and tier | Monthly price | Annual subscription price | Main differences |
|---|---|---|---|
| HubSpot Marketing Hub — Free | $0 | $0 | CRM, forms, landing pages, basic email marketing and reporting. Free tools have feature and usage limits and include HubSpot branding. |
| HubSpot Marketing Hub — Starter | From $20/month | From $240/year at the listed monthly equivalent | Adds paid-plan features such as removing HubSpot branding, simple automation and support. Price can depend on seats and marketing-contact volume. |
| HubSpot Marketing Hub — Professional | From $890/month | From $10,680/year, plus a $3,000 onboarding fee | More advanced marketing automation, campaign and attribution reporting, and testing tools. The listed starting price is generally tied to an annual commitment; confirm billing frequency and contact allowance with HubSpot. |
| HubSpot Marketing Hub — Enterprise | From $3,600/month | From $43,200/year, plus a $6,000 onboarding fee | Adds enterprise-level controls and reporting, including advanced permissions and custom objects. Contact allowances and final pricing depend on the package. |
| Mailchimp — Free | $0 | $0 | Entry-level email marketing with limited contacts, sends and features. Suitable for trying the service or running a small list; it is a free plan rather than a time-limited trial. |
| Mailchimp — Essentials | From $13/month | Annual billing may reduce the rate; see note below | Adds more templates and email support, plus basic testing and automation features. The price depends on contact count. |
| Mailchimp — Standard | From $20/month | Annual billing may reduce the rate; see note below | Adds more advanced automation, audience segmentation and optimization features. A common step-up for businesses running ongoing campaigns. |
| Mailchimp — Premium | From $350/month | Annual billing may reduce the rate; see note below | Designed for larger teams and audiences, with advanced segmentation and testing, expanded user access and priority support. |
Pricing and billing notes
- HubSpot’s prices above are starting prices, not like-for-like flat rates: seats, marketing-contact volume, add-ons and billing terms can change the total. Professional and Enterprise also have one-time onboarding fees shown above.
- Mailchimp’s starting prices are based on a limited contact allowance; the price rises as the audience grows. Its annual-plan savings and available billing options can vary by plan and account. Any annual total should be checked against the contact level selected at checkout.
- Both brands have free plans. Neither free plan is the same as a time-limited free trial.
- Prices are in US dollars and may change. Confirm the current total and billing terms on the HubSpot pricing page and Mailchimp pricing page.
Support Options Comparison: HubSpot vs Mailchimp
| Support option | HubSpot | Mailchimp |
|---|---|---|
| Live chat | Available to eligible customers; access depends on the HubSpot subscription and account. Free users can use self-service resources and the community. | Available on eligible paid plans. Access depends on the plan and may require signing in to a Mailchimp account. |
| Phone support | Available to eligible paid customers, with access determined by subscription. | Primarily offered to Premium customers; it is not generally included with every plan. |
| Documentation | The Help Center provides searchable product guides and troubleshooting articles. | The Help Center offers product guides, setup instructions, and troubleshooting articles. |
| Additional resources | HubSpot Academy offers courses and tutorials; the HubSpot community and other learning resources provide further help. | Mailchimp provides guides, tutorials, and other learning materials, including webinars and marketing resources. |
| Overall | Support options vary by subscription, with documentation and community resources available alongside direct support. | Direct support is more tightly tied to the plan; the Help Center and learning materials offer self-service help. |
Support-channel availability can change and may depend on plan, account status, or location. Sources: HubSpot Help Center and Mailchimp Support.
Unique Features of HubSpot Vs Mailchimp
| Brand | Uncommon feature in email automation software | Added value | Why it may decide the choice |
|---|---|---|---|
| HubSpot | A shared CRM across marketing, sales, service, content, operations, and commerce products. | Email automation can use customer and deal context from other teams, rather than relying only on email engagement data. It also supports handoffs—for example, passing a qualified lead from marketing to sales. | A strong fit for businesses that want marketing automation connected to a wider customer-management system, especially when multiple teams need the same customer record. |
| HubSpot | Marketing automation linked to website and content tools. | HubSpot’s product suite brings marketing workflows together with content and web tools, so teams can connect campaigns to the pages and content used to attract and convert customers. | Relevant when a business wants to manage its website, content, CRM, and marketing automation in one connected platform rather than assemble separate tools. |
| HubSpot | Reporting across a broader customer lifecycle. | Connecting marketing with sales and service data can help teams assess how campaigns relate to outcomes beyond opens and clicks, such as leads, deals, and customer interactions. | Useful for organizations that need to understand campaign contribution across the funnel, not just email performance. |
| Mailchimp | A visual Customer Journey Builder for multi-step, behavior-based journeys. | Teams can build automated sequences that respond to customer actions and move beyond a simple scheduled email series. | A deciding factor for teams that want to create more tailored journeys without adopting a larger CRM-centered platform. |
| Mailchimp | E-commerce-focused marketing features, including purchase-based targeting and automations. | Store and purchase activity can inform audience segments and follow-up messages, making it easier to tailor marketing around customer behavior. | Particularly useful for online stores that want email automation closely tied to shopping activity. |
| Mailchimp | Built-in campaign creation tools, including AI-assisted content features. | These tools can help teams draft or produce campaign content and reduce the effort involved in creating emails. | May matter to small teams that value fast campaign production and prefer not to rely on separate content tools. |
| Mailchimp | A broader set of small-business marketing tools alongside email, such as forms and landing pages. | Teams can collect sign-ups and direct visitors to campaign-specific pages within the same marketing environment. | Attractive to businesses looking for a relatively simple, consolidated toolkit rather than email automation alone. |
These are not necessarily exclusive features; the distinction is how each brand presents its broader platform around email automation. HubSpot emphasizes connected customer data and cross-team workflows, while Mailchimp emphasizes accessible campaign creation and customer journeys.
Sources: HubSpot products · Mailchimp features
Most frequently asked questions about HubSpot vs Mailchimp
Which is easier to use for email automation, Mailchimp or HubSpot?
Reviewers commonly describe Mailchimp as easier to get started with for straightforward email campaigns and basic automations. HubSpot’s interface can feel more involved because email workflows sit alongside its CRM and other marketing tools. That extra complexity can pay off for teams that want their automation connected to a broader customer-management system.
Which platform has more powerful email automation?
Review feedback tends to favor HubSpot when teams need multi-step workflows tied to customer behavior, CRM records, or sales activity. Mailchimp is often praised for making common tasks—such as welcome emails, abandoned-cart messages, and audience follow-ups—accessible without much setup. The better fit depends on whether you need sophisticated cross-team workflows or simpler email automation.
Which is more affordable for email automation?
Reviewers often see Mailchimp as a practical starting point for smaller email programs, while HubSpot can become more expensive as a business adopts additional features or grows its contact database. However, the actual cost depends on contact volume, plan limits, and which automation capabilities are included. Compare current plan details using your expected contact count and required features rather than entry-level prices alone.
Which has better CRM integration?
HubSpot is frequently favored in reviews by teams that want email automation built directly around a CRM. Users value having contact details, sales activity, and marketing interactions in one system. Mailchimp can connect with CRMs and other tools, but reviewers may find that a connected setup takes more integration work and is less unified than using HubSpot’s own CRM.
Which offers better audience segmentation and personalization?
Reviewers tend to appreciate HubSpot’s ability to use CRM properties and customer activity to shape targeting and follow-up workflows. Mailchimp is often considered capable for standard audience segments and campaign personalization, particularly for smaller or ecommerce-focused email programs. More advanced targeting needs may depend on the plan and data available in either product.
Which is better for ecommerce email automation?
Mailchimp is often a natural choice for smaller ecommerce businesses looking for familiar campaign tools and common store-related automations, such as cart reminders. HubSpot may suit businesses that want ecommerce marketing connected to sales pipelines, broader customer journeys, or other CRM activity. Reviewers’ experiences can vary depending on the store platform and integration setup.
Which has better email templates and campaign design tools?
Mailchimp reviews commonly highlight its approachable campaign-building tools and ready-made templates, which can help teams produce emails without a lot of design work. HubSpot also provides email design tools, but its strongest appeal is often the connection between campaigns, contact data, and workflows. Teams should test their own branding and editing needs in both products.
Which provides better analytics and reporting?
HubSpot is often preferred when teams want email performance viewed alongside CRM and sales activity. Mailchimp is commonly considered sufficient for monitoring standard campaign metrics, such as opens, clicks, and engagement trends. Reviewers’ preferences usually reflect whether they need a focused email report or a broader view of how marketing interactions relate to customers and deals.
Which platform is better for a small business or a beginner?
Paraphrased review themes suggest Mailchimp is a comfortable starting point for small businesses that mainly need newsletters and a few automated messages. HubSpot may be a better starting foundation if the business also wants to organize leads and connect marketing with sales from the outset. Beginners should weigh Mailchimp’s simpler initial setup against HubSpot’s broader capabilities and learning curve.
Should I choose Mailchimp or HubSpot for my business?
Choose Mailchimp if your priority is accessible email campaigns and common automations, especially when you want to start with a focused email-marketing tool. Choose HubSpot if you want automation closely tied to CRM records, sales processes, and a wider marketing platform. Across user feedback, the recurring trade-off is simpler email-first use with Mailchimp versus a more connected but potentially more complex system with HubSpot.
