Honest take: Do you need HubSpot?
HubSpot is genuinely excellent. The CRM is best-in-class, the marketing automation is powerful, and having marketing + sales + service in one platform is valuable. The ecosystem, training, and community are unmatched.
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.
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.
If sales is the priority: Pipedrive
Pipedrive is a sales-focused CRM that's much simpler than HubSpot. If sales pipeline matters more than marketing automation, Pipedrive is easier to use and more affordable.
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: $49/month (no CRM)
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.