HubSpot vs Mailchimp
At a glance
| HubSpot | Mailchimp | |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing | Freemium | Freemium |
| Free plan | Yes | Yes |
| Starting price | $20/month | $13/month |
| Category | Marketing | Marketing |
| Best for | Small businesses managing contacts and deals in a free CRM | Small businesses sending newsletters and promotional emails |
Prices come from each official site and can change. Check the official pricing pages before subscribing.
Key features
HubSpot
- Free CRM with marketing, sales, service, content and data tools
- Email marketing and marketing automation
- Live chat, conversational bots and Facebook Messenger integration
- Ad management and retargeting across connected ad accounts
- AI agents such as Customer Agent, powered by HubSpot Credits
- HubSpot AEO tracks brand visibility in ChatGPT, Gemini and Perplexity
- Reporting dashboards and 2,000+ app integrations
Mailchimp
- Drag-and-drop email campaigns with 100+ pre-built templates
- Marketing automation flows, up to 200 steps on Standard and Premium
- Intuit Assist generative AI on Standard and Premium plans
- Campaign testing of subject lines, content and send times
- SMS and MMS marketing as a paid add-on
- Popup forms for growing email and SMS lists
- Audience segmentation and dynamic content personalization
Pros
HubSpot
- Free tools for up to 2 users with no credit card required
- Marketing, sales, service, content and data tools on one CRM
- Large integration marketplace with 2,000+ apps
- Scales from free tools to enterprise-grade features
Mailchimp
- Free plan for audiences of up to 250 contacts
- 14-day free trial of the Standard and Essentials plans
- Generative AI features included at no extra cost on Standard and Premium
- 15% discount for nonprofits and charities
Cons
HubSpot
- Big price jump to Professional ($800/month with 3 seats) plus a $3,000 one-time onboarding fee
- Enterprise starts at $3,600/month plus a $7,000 onboarding fee
- Pricing depends on marketing contact tiers, and AI features consume HubSpot Credits
- Free tools include HubSpot branding and tight limits, such as 2,000 email sends per month
Mailchimp
- Free plan is capped at 250 contacts, 500 sends a month and one seat, with no scheduling
- Prices rise with contact count, and overages apply if limits are exceeded
- Essentials limits automation flows to 4 steps and excludes generative AI
- Premium starts at $350/month
Which one should you choose?
Choose HubSpot if you need
- Small businesses managing contacts and deals in a free CRM
- Marketing teams running email campaigns and automated nurture flows
- Sales teams tracking pipelines and prospecting
- Support teams handling chat and tickets with AI assistance
Choose Mailchimp if you need
- Small businesses sending newsletters and promotional emails
- Ecommerce stores automating welcome, follow-up and re-engagement flows
- Marketers segmenting audiences and personalizing campaigns
- Nonprofits running donor and supporter email programs
HubSpot vs Mailchimp: FAQ
Is HubSpot better than Mailchimp?
Neither is better for everyone. HubSpot: HubSpot’s customer platform includes all the marketing, sales, customer service, and CRM software you need to grow your business. Mailchimp: Utilize real-time user behavior data and artificial intelligence to convert more customers. Easy to use, get started for free. Pick HubSpot for small businesses managing contacts and deals in a free CRM, and Mailchimp for small businesses sending newsletters and promotional emails.
Which is cheaper, HubSpot or Mailchimp?
Mailchimp's paid plans start at $13/month, compared with $20/month for HubSpot, based on each official pricing page at the last update. Limits differ between plans, so compare what each tier includes.
Do HubSpot and Mailchimp have free plans?
Yes, both offer free access with usage limits. Paid plans raise those limits and add features.