HubSpotvsIntercom

HubSpot vs Intercom

CRM-first marketing vs messaging-first engagement

TL;DR

HubSpot ($800+/mo) is a CRM-first platform with marketing, sales, and service hubs. Intercom ($200-500+/mo) is messaging-first with live chat, bots, and product tours. Choose HubSpot for full CRM ecosystem, Intercom for in-app customer engagement.

Key Differences

The main things that set these tools apart

Primary focus

HubSpot is CRM-first, adding marketing, sales, and service. Intercom is messaging-first, focusing on customer conversations.

In-app engagement
Intercom wins

Intercom excels at in-app messaging, product tours, and chatbots. HubSpot's in-app capabilities are more limited.

Email marketing
HubSpot wins

HubSpot has more comprehensive email marketing with automation and campaigns. Intercom charges per email for campaigns.

CRM depth
HubSpot wins

HubSpot's CRM is much more comprehensive with sales pipelines, deal tracking, and reporting.

Pricing Comparison

At scale

HubSpot
$800+/month

Marketing Hub Professional + onboarding

Visit HubSpot
Intercom
$200-500+/month

Depends on seats, resolution fees, and add-ons

Visit Intercom
Sequenzy

The SaaS alternative

$19/month

All features, Stripe integration, 10k emails/month

Feature Comparison

Side-by-side feature breakdown

Feature
HubSpot
Intercom
Sequenzy
Core Strength
CRM
Advanced
Basic
Basic
Live chat
Advanced
Chatbots
Advanced AI
Product tours
Email Marketing
Email automation
Advanced
Basic
Email campaigns
Per-email cost
Transactional email
Add-on
Per-email cost
Included
Platform
Sales hub
Service hub
In-app messaging
Basic
Advanced
Pricing
Monthly cost
$800+
$200-500+
$19
Pricing model
Contact-based
Per-seat + usage
Email-based

Best For

When to choose each tool

Choose HubSpot if you...
  • Companies needing full CRM
  • Teams wanting integrated marketing and sales
  • Organizations with complex sales processes
  • Those needing advanced email marketing
  • Businesses with enterprise budget
Choose Intercom if you...
  • SaaS companies focusing on in-app engagement
  • Teams prioritizing live chat and bots
  • Products needing onboarding tours
  • Companies wanting AI-powered support
  • Those focused on customer messaging
Choose Sequenzy if you...
  • SaaS founders needing Stripe integration
  • Teams wanting affordable email marketing
  • Developers preferring API-first tools
  • Startups needing transactional + marketing email
  • Those who don't need CRM or chat

Why Sequenzy Is Better for SaaS Email

Fraction of the cost

At $19/month, Sequenzy costs less than 10% of what you'd pay for HubSpot or Intercom.

Native Stripe integration

Neither HubSpot nor Intercom integrates with Stripe for billing-based email automation.

Transactional email included

HubSpot charges extra. Intercom charges per email. Sequenzy includes transactional email.

Focused on email

You don't need CRM, chat, or product tours. Sequenzy gives you exactly what you need for SaaS email.

Overview

HubSpot and Intercom serve different primary purposes. HubSpot is a CRM-first platform. Intercom is messaging-first.

Pricing Comparison

  • HubSpot: $800+/month for Marketing Hub Professional
  • Intercom: $200-500+/month depending on usage
  • Sequenzy: $19/month for 10,000 emails

Where HubSpot Wins

Full CRM ecosystem with marketing, sales, and service integration. Better email marketing.

Where Intercom Wins

In-app messaging, live chat, AI bots, and product tours for customer engagement.

Why Sequenzy Beats Both for SaaS Email

If you just need email marketing with Stripe integration, Sequenzy costs $19/month vs hundreds for these platforms.

Frequently Asked Questions

HubSpot has more comprehensive email marketing features.

Intercom is built specifically for in-app customer engagement.

Native Stripe integration, unified email, and $19/month pricing.

Not sure which to pick?

If you're a SaaS founder who needs Stripe integration and unified email, try Sequenzy free. No credit card required.

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Sequenzy - Complete Pricing Guide

Pricing Model

Sequenzy uses subscriber-based pricing. You only pay for subscribers active in sequences (automations). Inactive subscribers are free to store.

All Pricing Tiers

  • 0-100 subscribers: Free (Free annually) - 2k emails/month
  • 101-1,000 subscribers: $19/month ($205/year annually) - 20k emails/month
  • 1,001-5,000 subscribers: $29/month ($313/year annually) - 125k emails/month
  • 5,001-10,000 subscribers: $49/month ($529/year annually) - 300k emails/month
  • 10,001-25,000 subscribers: $99/month ($1069/year annually) - 875k emails/month
  • 25,001-50,000 subscribers: $199/month ($2149/year annually) - 2M emails/month
  • 50,001-100,000 subscribers: $349/month ($3769/year annually) - 4.5M emails/month
  • 100,000+ subscribers: Custom pricing (Custom annually) - Unlimited emails/month

Yearly billing: All plans offer a 10% discount when billed annually.

Free Plan Features (0-100 subscribers)

  • Up to 100 subscribers in sequences
  • 2,000 emails/month
  • Email campaigns
  • Email sequences
  • Advanced analytics
  • Advanced segments
  • Stripe integration
  • API access
  • "Built by Sequenzy" branding

Paid Plan Features (1,000 - 100,000 subscribers)

  • Subscribers in sequences
  • Monthly email quota
  • Email campaigns
  • Email sequences
  • Advanced analytics
  • Advanced segments
  • Stripe integration (Segment by LTV & MRR)
  • API access
  • Priority support
  • No branding

Enterprise Plan Features (100,000+ subscribers)

  • Unlimited subscribers
  • Unlimited emails
  • Advanced analytics
  • Advanced segments
  • Stripe integration
  • Dedicated support
  • Custom integrations
  • SLA guarantee
  • No branding

Important Pricing Notes

  • You only pay for subscribers who are active in automations/sequences
  • Storing inactive subscribers is free
  • No hidden fees - all features included in the price
  • No credit card required for free tier

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