HubSpot and Mailchimp both started as email marketing platforms, but they’ve evolved in very different directions. Mailchimp remains focused on email marketing for small businesses. HubSpot has grown into a full CRM platform. Here’s how to decide which is right for your team.
HubSpot vs Mailchimp: Quick Comparison
| Factor | HubSpot | Mailchimp |
|---|---|---|
| Best For | SMBs wanting CRM + marketing unified | Small businesses focused on email |
| Free Plan | Yes (500 contacts, 2,000 emails/month) | Yes (500 contacts, 1,000 emails/month) |
| Paid Pricing | From $15/month (Starter) | From $13/month (Essentials) |
| CRM | Built-in, full-featured | Basic audience management |
| Automation | Advanced (multi-step, conditional) | Moderate (customer journeys) |
| Landing Pages | Yes (all paid plans) | Yes (all paid plans) |
| A/B Testing | Yes | Yes |
| E-commerce | Good (native + integrations) | Strong (Shopify-native) |
Pricing Comparison
HubSpot Marketing Hub
- Free: 500 contacts, 2,000 emails/month, basic forms and landing pages
- Starter ($15/month): 1,000 contacts, email send limit 5x contacts, removes HubSpot branding
- Professional ($800/month): 2,000 contacts, omni-channel automation, blog, SEO tools, social media
- Enterprise ($3,600/month): 10,000 contacts, custom events, predictive lead scoring
Mailchimp Pricing
- Free: 500 contacts, 1,000 emails/month, basic templates
- Essentials ($13/month): 500 contacts, 5,000 emails/month, A/B testing, 24/7 support
- Standard ($20/month): 500 contacts, 6,000 emails/month, customer journey builder, send time optimization
- Premium ($350/month): 10,000+ contacts, advanced segmentation, unlimited seats
Note: Both platforms charge more as your contact list grows. At 10,000 contacts, Mailchimp Standard costs ~$100/month vs HubSpot Starter at ~$45/month — making HubSpot more affordable at scale for basic plans.
Email Marketing Features
Email Builder
Mailchimp’s drag-and-drop editor is class-leading and has been refined over 20 years. Template library is extensive and the Creative Assistant can generate on-brand designs automatically. Many consider Mailchimp the easiest email builder in the industry.
HubSpot’s email editor is solid and integrates well with the CRM for personalization. Smart content lets you show different content to different segments in the same email. Not quite as polished as Mailchimp for pure design, but more powerful for personalization.
Segmentation
HubSpot wins on segmentation because it has full CRM data to draw from — segment by deal stage, last activity, lifecycle stage, custom properties, and behavioral data. Very powerful for B2B marketing.
Mailchimp offers solid segmentation based on purchase history, email engagement, demographics, and predicted behavior. Strong for e-commerce and B2C use cases.
Automation
HubSpot workflows are among the most powerful in the industry — multi-branch logic, cross-channel triggers (email, in-app, SMS), CRM updates as actions, and tight integration with sales sequences. Available on Professional+.
Mailchimp Customer Journey Builder (Standard+) is visual and easier to configure for simple automation flows. Better for straightforward welcome sequences, abandoned cart emails, and post-purchase follow-ups.
CRM Capabilities
This is where the platforms diverge most significantly.
HubSpot is a full CRM with contact records, company records, deal pipelines, activity logging, sales sequences, meeting scheduling, and live chat. Marketing and sales data are unified — every email open, website visit, and form submission is tied to a contact record that sales can see.
Mailchimp has audience management but not a true CRM. You can store customer data, track purchase history (via integrations), and segment audiences, but there’s no deal pipeline, no sales activity tracking, and no sales-specific features.
E-commerce Integration
Mailchimp has extremely strong e-commerce integrations — especially with Shopify, WooCommerce, BigCommerce, and Squarespace. Abandoned cart, post-purchase, and product recommendation emails are polished and easy to set up.
HubSpot integrates with major e-commerce platforms and has improved its commerce tools significantly. For B2B companies or subscription businesses, HubSpot is often better. For pure D2C/retail e-commerce, Mailchimp is typically preferred.
Who Should Choose HubSpot?
- B2B companies that need marketing + sales alignment
- Businesses wanting to consolidate CRM and email marketing
- Companies that do content marketing, blogging, and SEO alongside email
- Teams that need advanced lead nurturing and personalization
Who Should Choose Mailchimp?
- Small businesses primarily focused on email newsletters
- E-commerce brands (especially Shopify stores)
- Non-profits and creators that want beautiful emails without complexity
- Companies that only need email marketing, not a full CRM
Our Verdict
If you need email marketing only, Mailchimp wins — better email editor, stronger e-commerce integrations, and lower cost for basic plans. If you need email marketing as part of a broader CRM and marketing platform, HubSpot wins decisively with its unified data model and powerful automation.
See our Best Email Marketing Software Guide 2026 and Best Marketing Automation Software Guide for more options.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I migrate from Mailchimp to HubSpot?
Yes. HubSpot has a direct Mailchimp import tool. You can import your contact lists, segments, and opt-in data. Templates and automation workflows need to be rebuilt in HubSpot, but the contact migration is straightforward.
Is HubSpot’s free plan as good as Mailchimp’s?
Both offer 500 contacts free. HubSpot’s free plan includes more CRM features (deals, tasks, live chat), while Mailchimp’s free plan has a slightly better email builder. For pure email volume, Mailchimp’s free plan sends up to 1,000 emails/month vs HubSpot’s 2,000.
Does Mailchimp have a CRM?
Mailchimp has audience management and contact profiles, but it’s not a true sales CRM. There are no deal pipelines, sales activity tracking, or sales-specific features. Companies needing CRM capabilities should consider HubSpot or a dedicated CRM tool.
