Honest take: Do you need HubSpot?
HubSpot is genuinely excellent. The CRM is best-in-class, the email marketing automation is powerful, and having marketing + sales + service in one platform is valuable. The ecosystem, training, and community are unmatched. Learn more about email analytics.
But starting at $800+/month for Marketing Hub Professional (plus mandatory onboarding fees), it's a significant investment. Here's when alternatives make sense:
If you need automation + CRM: ActiveCampaign
ActiveCampaign offers the most powerful email automation with CRM included at $79/month for 10k contacts. That's 10x cheaper than HubSpot for comparable automation capabilities. See our ActiveCampaign comparison.
If budget is everything: Brevo
Brevo includes unlimited contacts, basic CRM, and SMS for $25+/month. The CRM isn't as good as HubSpot's, but for teams watching every dollar, it covers the basics. Check our Brevo comparison.
If sales is the priority: Pipedrive
Pipedrive is a sales-focused CRM that's much simpler than HubSpot. If sales pipeline matters more than email marketing automation, Pipedrive is easier to use and more affordable. Read our guide to email tools.
The pricing comparison
At 10,000 contacts:
HubSpot: $800+/month (Professional)
ActiveCampaign: $79/month (Plus)
Brevo: $25+/month (unlimited contacts)
Mailchimp: $110-135/month
Pipedrive: $49/user/month
Sequenzy: $19/month (no CRM)
See our full pricing comparison page.
When HubSpot is still the right choice
Stick with HubSpot if:
You need complete marketing + sales + service integration
The HubSpot CRM is already central to your operations
Budget isn't a primary constraint
You value the ecosystem, training, and community
HubSpot's free CRM is genuinely excellent. Many teams start there and upgrade when they need marketing automation. But for email-focused teams, the Marketing Hub premium is hard to justify. Use our email warmup calculator and email validator to optimize your email operations before committing to a platform.