HubSpot is a great platform for inbound marketing automation – but its free version doesn’t come with automation. Here are some of the best HubSpot alternatives ⇣ right now. that offer more/better features and/or at a cheaper price.
So why should you consider using a HubSpot competitor instead?
Because HubSpot is quite expensive, it’s not all that hard to find similar platforms at a much lower cost.
HubSpot’s free version doesn’t include any automation tools, and you can expect to pay at least $800 per month for a premium plan.
If this sounds as expensive to you as it does to me, I’d highly recommend checking out my list of the best HubSpot alternatives below.
Quick summary:
- Best overall of HubSpot alternatives: ActiveCampaign ⇣. This popular marketing automation platform brings it all to the table without charging an arm and a leg, making it my number-one all-around choice.
- Best small business alternative: Brevo (formerly Sendinblue) ⇣. Although it is a little basic, Brevo’s marketing automation tools are an excellent choice for small business owners looking for a beginner-friendly solution.
- Best of freemium HubSpot alternatives: EngageBay ⇣. If you’re looking for a beginner-friendly, affordable site like HubSpot, I’d highly recommend giving EngageBay a go.
Top HubSpot Marketing Automation Alternatives in 2024
There’s no questioning that HubSpot is a great platform for inbound marketing automation. But is it the best value-for-money option? I really don’t think so. Here are the best HubSpot competitors right now.
1. ActiveCampaign (Best overall HubSpot alternative)
- Website: https://www.activecampaign.com
- Industry-leading marketing automation tools
- Extremely affordable prices across the board
- Drag-and-drop automation builder
- Excellent segmentation tools
ActiveCampaign is an industry-leading marketing automation software provider. It’s trusted by businesses across the world and has long been a pioneer in the automation field.
Notable features include a leading smart automation tool that is designed to help you gain and convert new leads.
With the drag-and-drop builder, you can create high-quality automated workflows in next to no time.
Build email workflows, perform actions based on information from a range of sources, and use the platform’s advanced integrations to harness the power of various other third-party apps.
ActiveCampaign Pros:
- Industry-leading automation tools
- Excellent analytics and reporting
- Free account migration
ActiveCampaign Cons:
- Slightly confusing for beginners
- No free plan and limited free trial
ActiveCampaign Plans and Pricing:
ActiveCampaign is extremely competitively priced, with the cheapest Plus plan starting from just $29 per month.
Access more advanced automation and other features by upgrading to a Professional or Enterprise plan.
Note that these are base prices. Expect to pay significantly more if your contact list is larger.
Why ActiveCampaign is a better alternative to HubSpot:
If you’re looking for a powerful, complete automation platform that’s significantly cheaper than HubSpot, then I can’t recommend ActiveCampaign enough.
2. Brevo / Sendinblue (Best small business marketing automation alternative)
- Website: https://www.brevo.com
- A beginner-friendly workflow automation builder
- Backed by a suite of other marketing tools
- Highly competitive prices and a great free plan
- Excellent eCommerce automation tools
Brevo/Sendinblue offers a suite of beginner-friendly marketing automation tools aimed at small to medium-sized businesses.
Take advantage of a range of tutorials, easy-to-use automation tools, and simple yet advanced features to ensure you’re getting the most out of your marketing efforts.
One thing I love here is the excellent complementary tools that Sendinblue offers.
Along with the expected automation features, you will also have access to email and SMS marketing, a powerful landing page builder, excellent segmentation tools, and much, much more.
Brevo/Sendinblue Pros:
- A great range of complementary tools
- A great option for small businesses
- Very competitive prices
Brevo/Sendinblue Cons:
- A small number of third-party integrations
- Somewhat limited advanced automation tools
Brevo/Sendinblue Plans and Pricing:
One thing I love about Brevo is that its marketing automation tools are included with every subscription option – even with the free forever plan.
There are 4 Marketing platform plans, including a Free plan. Paid plans start from $25 per month for a Starter plan, and there are also Business and Brevo Plus subscriptions available.
Note that these are base prices and that you will have to pay more if you have a larger contact list.
Why Brevo/Sendinblue is a better alternative to HubSpot:
I’d highly recommend choosing Sendinblue if you’re looking for a simple yet powerful beginner-friendly automation platform for your small business.
3. EngageBay (Best freemium option)
- Website: https://www.engagebay.com
- A very competitively priced option
- Excellent automation tools to help small businesses grow
- An all-in-one platform for marketing, sales, and support
- A great visual designer
EngageBay offers a suite of excellent marketing automation tools aimed at small business owners.
One thing that stands out to me here is the all-in-one platform. With marketing, sales, and support tools accessible from one central dashboard, the efficiency and ease of use here are excellent.
I also love the EngageBay visual workflow designer, which lets you drag and drop different workflow elements to build advanced automation flows.
EngageBay Pros:
- Free onboarding
- All-in-one automation platform
- Excellent drag-and-drop builder
EngageBay Cons:
- The free plan doesn’t include automation tools
- Some advanced features are absent
EngageBay Plans and Pricing:
Although EngageBay offers a free forever plan, this doesn’t include any marketing automation tools.
To access these, you will need to upgrade to a Basic plan, which costs either $13.79 per month for marketing only, or Growth, and Pro plans for an all-in-one package.
Why EngageBay is better than other Hubspot alternatives:
EngageBay is one of the top HubSpot Competitors, and it offers excellent automation tools for those on a tight budget.
4. GetResponse (Best value for money option)
- Website: https://www.getresponse.com
- An automation builder backed by advanced marketing tools
- Impressive pre-built workflows to save you time
- Advanced automated email marketing tools
- An excellent option for e-commerce
If you’re looking for an all-in-one marketing platform that focuses on automation, GetResponse could be your best option.
I love its email marketing and landing page creation features, and its automation tools stand out as exceptional as well.
The range of pre-built workflows is excellent, there are numerous e-commerce-specific tools, and you can draw on customer data to create highly functional workflows of your own.
GetResponse Pros:
- Excellent prebuilt workflows
- Data-driven workflow creation
- Highly specific workflow filters
GetResponse Cons:
- Customer support could be better
- Integrations are hard to configure
GetResponse Plans and Pricing:
Automation tools are available with the Marketing Automation plan or higher.
A Marketing Automation subscription starts at $59 per month, but this only supports up to five workflows.
Upgrade to an eCommerce Marketing plan to unlock unlimited workflow support.
Why GetResponse is better than other HubSpot alternatives:
GetResponse’s marketing automation tools are right up there with the best I’ve seen, and they rival even HubSpot’s when it comes to power and ease of use.
5. Constant Contact (Best beginner-friendly HubSpot alternative)
- Website: https://www.constantcontact.com
- Backed by a powerful website builder and leading email marketing tools
- A great beginner-friendly automation option
- Very easy to use
- Integrated automation and email marketing tools
I absolutely love Constant Contact’s email marketing and website-building tools, and its automation features really just take things to a whole different level.
Now, Constant Contact’s automation tools are far from the most advanced I’ve seen. But they remain a great option for beginners who don’t need anything too fancy.
For example, you can set up automatic email delivery based on segmented contact lists, create automated drip marketing campaigns, and build rule-based autoresponders that deliver personalized messages.
Constant Contact Pros:
- Best for beginners
- Simple yet powerful
- Excellent automatic email marketing tools
Constant Contact Cons:
- Numerous advanced features missing
- Average value for money
Constant Contact Plans and Pricing:
There are three subscription options available, with prices starting from $12 per month for a basic Lite plan.
This includes basic automation tools, but you will have to upgrade to a Standard or a Premium plan to unlock all features.
There are also custom solutions available for larger businesses.
Why Constant Contact is better than other Hubspot alternatives:
HubSpot is a beginner-friendly option, but it doesn’t even come close to having the same ease of use as Constant Contact’s automation tools.
6. Zoho Campaigns (Best affordable option)
- Website: https://www.zoho.com/campaigns
- Backed by the power of the Zoho ecosystem
- An excellent email automation tool
- One of the cheapest options on the market
- Powerful drag-and-drop email workflow builder
Zoho Campaigns provides complete email marketing solutions that include a suite of automation features.
It’s certainly not the most powerful automation platform around, but it’s a great option for those on a tight budget.
For one, you can create streamlined email workflows with the intuitive drag-and-drop builder.
Take advantage of the built-in CRM system to manage leads and contacts, and set up autoresponders to deliver automated emails when required.
Zoho Campaigns Pros:
- Very competitively priced
- Excellent email automation tools
- Backed by the Zoho ecosystem
Zoho Campaigns Cons:
- Lack of advanced automation tools
- Confusing price structure
Zoho Campaigns Plans and Pricing:
Zoho has 4 plans including a forever-free subscription option, and an Enterprise plan with custom pricing.
However, marketing automation features are only available with a subscriber-based plan, which starts at $49 per month for up to 500 subscribers.
As with most of the platforms on this list, prices increase as the size of your contact list increases.
Why Zoho Campaigns is better than other Hubspot alternatives:
If you’re on a tight budget and only need basic email automation features, I’d definitely recommend Zoho Campaigns over HubSpot.
7. Wishpond (Best agency option)
- Website: https://www.wishpond.com
- Ability to connect with more than 1000 third-party apps
- A very intuitive, easy-to-use automation interface
- Excellent segmentation and personalization tools
- A high-end agency option backed by advanced features
Although it’s not as popular as some of the better-known platforms on this list, Wishpond remains an excellent choice when it comes to the automation of marketing.
Along with advanced automation tools, you will also benefit from a very intuitive, easy-to-use platform, a range of other marketing features, and leading segmentation and personalization tools.
Wishpond Pros:
- Very easy to use
- All-in-one marketing platform
- Designed specifically for marketing professionals
Wishpond Cons:
- Drag-and-drop builder could be better
- Email template customization is limited
Wishpond Plans and Pricing:
Unfortunately, Wishpond doesn’t openly advertise its prices. Rather, it encourages you to book a call and discuss pricing and subscription options with a member of the sales team.
However, reports suggest that prices start at $49 per month with an annual subscription, increasing to $75 with monthly payments.
Why Wishpond is better than other Hubspot alternatives:
If you’re looking for a high-end option that focuses on providing the right tools for marketers, Wishpond could be the right choice.
8. Omnisend (Best eCommerce option)
- Website: https://www.omnisend.com
- An industry leader when it comes to workflow automation
- Backed by a powerful automation editor
- An excellent selection of pre-built automation workflows
- Great optimization tools to help you improve your marketing campaigns
If you’re looking for an e-commerce-centered automation of marketing platform, I can’t recommend Omnisend enough.
Everything it does is focused on helping you optimize the performance of your online store, and there are countless tools available to ensure your automation workflows are performing as well as possible.
Notable features include multi-channel automation, pre-built e-commerce automation workflows, and an intuitive automation editor.
Omnisend Pros:
- Excellent ecommerce automation tools
- Intuitive automation editor
- Great multi-channel automation
Omnisend Cons:
- Social media features are limited
- No automation with the free plan
Omnisend Plans and Pricing:
Marketing automation isn’t available with Omnisend’s free forever plan, which means that you will have to pay at least $16 per month for a Standard subscription.
More advanced features are available with a Pro plan, and custom Enterprise solutions are available on request.
Annual discounts are available with all plans.
Why Omnisend is better than other Hubspot alternatives:
In my opinion, Omnisend is the best HubSpot alternative when it comes to e-commerce marketing and workflow automation.
9. Ontraport (best option for startups and entrepreneurs)
- Website: https://ontraport.com
- An advanced automation platform for large businesses
- Great tools for entrepreneurs
- Excellent data collection and analysis tools
- Automation based on consumer data
Ontraport boasts a powerful automation campaign builder that lets you build extremely advanced automation workflows.
Take advantage of numerous pre-built templates, integrate numerous third-party apps, and harness the power of the platform’s highly advanced lead source tracking tools.
Ontraport Pros:
- Much cheaper than HubSpot
- All-in-one marketing automation
- Great ecommerce automation tools
Ontraport Cons:
- Analytics interface isn’t amazing
- No free forever plan
Ontraport Plans and Pricing:
All Ontraport plans come with a 14-day free trial. Prices range from $24 per month for a Basic subscription to $249 per month for an Enterprise plan, and there are no setup or onboarding fees to speak of.
Why Ontraport is better than other Hubspot alternatives:
If you’re looking for automation of a marketing platform that’s as advanced as HubSpot without the high price tag, Ontraport is a number-one choice.
10. Salesforce Pardot (Best enterprise B2B option)
- Website: https://www.pardot.com
- An excellent option for powerful B2B marketing automation
- Backed by the power of the Salesforce CRM platform
- Great lead generation and management tools
- Impressive analytics and reporting tools to help drive informed marketing decisions
Salesforce Pardot is my number-one choice for B2B marketing automation and for good reason.
It comes with a huge range of powerful automation tools, including an advanced analytics portal to help you maximize your ROI.
One standout feature is the platform’s innovative AI tools, which are designed to help you optimize every aspect of your marketing campaigns.
Salesforce Pardot Pros:
- Extremely powerful B2B marketing tools
- Excellent analytics portal
- Innovative AI-powered automation
Salesforce Pardot Cons:
- Very expensive
- Not a great option for B2C use
Salesforce Pardot Plans and Pricing:
Salesforce Pardot is very expensive compared to most of the options on this list, with prices starting from $1,250 and up.
There are various add-ons available, including a powerful B2B Marketing Analytics Plus portal.
Why Salesforce Pardot is better than other Hubspot alternatives:
If you’re looking for a highly advanced B2B automation of marketing platform, you simply can’t go past Salesforce Pardot.
What is HubSpot?
HubSpot is a popular marketing software provider offering a range of solutions for businesses of all sizes.
HubSpot’s inbound marketing automation stands out as exceptional and is among the most popular in the industry.
One thing that stands out to me is HubSpot’s all-encompassing approach to marketing automation.
It goes beyond just email, providing tools to help you automate numerous other daily tasks as well.
HubSpot features
Although I feel that some other providers offer better value for money, I do like HubSpot’s inbound marketing automation features.
It includes virtually everything you need to build a complete automated marketing strategy, allowing you to save time and optimize the effectiveness of your ongoing marketing campaigns.
HubSpot’s standout features include:
- Excellent email tools. Automate every part of the email marketing process with any of a huge number of triggers based on actions, times, or virtually anything else you can think of.
- Landing page automation. Create personalized landing pages that are populated with different content according to a visitor’s previous behavior.
- Results-oriented analytics. Ensure every workflow is linked to specific goals. This makes it easier than ever to monitor your campaigns and ensures you’re getting the best ROI possible.
- Visual workflow editor. I’m a big fan of HubSpot’s visual workflow editor, which essentially lets you build marketing workflows with a streamlined, easy to understand interface.
- Task automation. Along with automating every aspect of the email marketing process, you can also automate numerous other marketing tasks to ensure your team isn’t wasting time and effort.
Really, I could talk all day about HubSpot’s inbound marketing automation features, but I think you get the idea.
HubSpot pricing
HubSpot offers a great free plan, which includes basic marketing tools, along with a Starter plan that includes somewhat more advanced email marketing and lead generation features.
However, you will need to spend at least $800 per month on a Professional plan if you want access to marketing automation features.
This is quite expensive, but it does include a suite of marketing optimization and custom reporting tools as well.
There’s also an Enterprise plan that offers advanced team management tools, even more, powerful reporting, and more.
On top of this, you will need to pay an onboarding fee when you sign up with HubSpot. This costs a huge $3000 with a professional subscription or $6000 with the Enterprise plan.
HubSpot pros and cons
Personally, I’m a big fan of HubSpot’s advanced tools and features. It’s one of the most popular programs on the market and for good reason.
If you use HubSpot, you really will get access to everything you need, including a powerful CRM platform and advanced email marketing, social media marketing, customer service, and automation tools.
When used right, these can help you streamline daily workflows, gather more high-quality leads, and improve your marketing ROI.
Unfortunately, though, HubSpot is just too expensive for me. If you want to access anything more than the most basic features, you will need to pay a huge $800 (or more) per month.
And, you will need to commit to a long-term contract at signup, which annoys me.
Other cons include the lack of reporting features with the cheaper packages, the poor technical support, and the relatively inflexible email marketing templates.
What is Email Marketing?
Email marketing is a powerful strategy for businesses looking to connect with their audience effectively. To streamline this process, having the right tools and features is essential. An email marketing platform provides the necessary infrastructure to manage and execute successful campaigns.
With an intuitive email editor, creating visually appealing and engaging content becomes effortless. By utilizing email templates, businesses can save time and maintain consistency across their communications.
Automating email marketing campaigns enhances efficiency, enabling targeted messaging based on customer behavior and preferences. Robust email marketing software offers a range of automation features, such as personalized triggers, drip campaigns, and autoresponders.
Whether you’re a small business or a large enterprise, having the right email marketing tool can greatly impact your outreach efforts, helping you build relationships, drive conversions, and achieve your marketing goals.
CRM Features
Marketing and CRM are integral components for businesses seeking to drive growth and nurture customer relationships. A comprehensive marketing hub or suite consolidates various tools and functionalities, empowering marketers to streamline their campaigns and strategies.
However, if you’re exploring alternatives to a specific marketing hub, there are a range of options available. When it comes to CRM, features play a crucial role in managing customer interactions and data effectively.
By leveraging CRM alternatives, businesses can find solutions that best align with their unique needs and objectives. Effective customer engagement is vital for building loyalty and maximizing conversions.
A sales CRM system facilitates efficient management of sales pipelines, enabling teams to track leads, automate processes, and drive conversions. Sales automation simplifies repetitive tasks, empowering sales teams to focus on relationship-building and revenue generation.
Pipeline management ensures visibility and optimization throughout the sales cycle. Robust customer relationship management tools provide a holistic view of customer interactions, aiding in personalized engagement and effective marketing strategies.
With a marketing solution that seamlessly integrates with CRM, businesses can streamline their sales process, track performance, and derive actionable insights. Additionally, contact scoring helps prioritize leads and allocate resources effectively, optimizing marketing efforts and driving revenue growth.
FAQ
Our Verdict
HubSpot is an industry-leading inbound marketing automation platform, but I just don’t feel like it brings enough to the table to justify its exceedingly high prices.
Really, there are plenty of other options on the market that offer the same or very similar features for a fraction of the price.
For me, ActiveCampaign is the best overall alternative and is definitely one worth considering if you’re looking for an advanced all-around automation of marketing platform.
Brevo/Sendinblue is great for beginners, Wishpond is my number-one choice for marketing agencies, and Omnisend offers industry-leading eCommerce automation tools.
Consider Salesforce Pardot if you need high-end B2B marketing automation tools, Ontraport if you’re looking for an entrepreneur-friendly option, or Constant Contact if you need a beginner-friendly, easy-to-use platform.
And finally, I’d highly recommend having a close look at GetResponse, Zoho Campaigns, and EngageBay if you’re on a tight budget.
At the end of the day, there’s nothing wrong with using HubSpot. There are just better options available.
Consider the 10 inbound marketing platforms I’ve outlined above, shortlist the ones best suited to your needs, and spend some time testing them out before committing to a long-term subscription.
