Best HubSpot Alternatives 2026
HubSpot's Marketing Hub Professional starts at $800/month — a steep price for most small businesses. We compare the best HubSpot alternatives including Mailchimp, ActiveCampaign, Brevo, and Klaviyo, so you can find the right marketing platform for your budget and goals.
Wondering which marketing platform your competitors use?
Web Reveal detects HubSpot, Mailchimp, ActiveCampaign, Klaviyo, and 960+ other tools on any website — free, no sign-up required.
Why People Leave HubSpot
The Dealbreaker: Price Cliff After Free Tier
HubSpot's free CRM is genuinely useful, but the moment you need marketing automation, email sequences, custom reporting, or A/B testing, you hit a pricing wall. The Marketing Hub Professional plan starts at $800/month (billed annually), making it one of the most expensive marketing platforms for small businesses. The contacts-based model also means costs scale sharply as your audience grows. Many teams use HubSpot's free CRM but rely on cheaper alternatives for email marketing and automation.
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Feature | Mailchimp | ActiveCampaign | Brevo | Klaviyo |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Free Plan | 500 contacts | No free plan | 300 emails/day | 250 contacts |
| Starting Price | $13/mo | ~$15/mo | $25/mo | $20/mo (251+ contacts) |
| Automation | Basic | Excellent | Good | Excellent (e-comm) |
| Best For | Beginners | B2B automation | Budget-conscious | E-commerce brands |
Individual Reviews
Mailchimp
Mailchimp is the most recognised email marketing brand in the world. It's beginner-friendly with a free plan for up to 500 contacts and 1,000 monthly emails. Its drag-and-drop editor, pre-built templates, and audience management tools make it a solid HubSpot alternative for smaller lists.
Pros
- Generous free plan (500 contacts)
- Very easy to use for beginners
- Extensive integrations ecosystem
Cons
- Basic automation compared to HubSpot
- Pricing gets expensive with larger lists
ActiveCampaign
ActiveCampaign is arguably the best HubSpot alternative for marketing automation. Its visual automation builder, CRM features, lead scoring, and conditional logic are extremely powerful. It's built for B2B and SaaS companies that need sophisticated multi-step email workflows at a fraction of HubSpot's price.
Pros
- Best-in-class marketing automation
- CRM + email combined from ~$15/mo
- Lead scoring & site tracking
Cons
- Steeper learning curve than Mailchimp
- No free plan (only 14-day trial)
Brevo (Sendinblue)
Brevo (formerly Sendinblue) is a comprehensive marketing platform offering email, SMS, chat, CRM, landing pages, and automation. Its contact-unlimited pricing model (you pay based on emails sent rather than contacts stored) makes it uniquely affordable for teams with large lists. Free plan includes 300 emails/day.
Pros
- Unlimited contacts on free & paid plans
- Email + SMS + CRM all-in-one
- Affordable from $25/mo
Cons
- Less polished than HubSpot
- Automation less powerful than ActiveCampaign
Klaviyo
Klaviyo is the gold standard for e-commerce email and SMS marketing. It integrates deeply with Shopify and other platforms, enabling revenue tracking, product recommendation emails, browse abandonment flows, and advanced purchase-based segmentation. For e-commerce brands, Klaviyo often outperforms HubSpot at a lower cost.
Pros
- Best e-commerce automation & segmentation
- Deep Shopify & WooCommerce integration
- Revenue attribution built-in
Cons
- Pricing grows steeply with list size
- Not ideal for B2B or service businesses
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the best free HubSpot alternative?
Brevo offers the best free plan among HubSpot alternatives — 300 emails/day and unlimited contacts at no cost. Mailchimp is also free up to 500 contacts. HubSpot itself has a free CRM, but marketing automation features require expensive paid upgrades.
Why are people leaving HubSpot?
HubSpot's Marketing Hub Professional starts at $800/month, a significant expense for small and medium businesses. Its contacts-based pricing means costs scale quickly as your list grows. Many teams only use a fraction of HubSpot's features and switch to more focused, affordable alternatives.
Is ActiveCampaign a good HubSpot alternative?
Yes — ActiveCampaign is one of the best HubSpot alternatives for marketing automation and email campaigns. It offers advanced automation workflows and CRM integration starting from around $15/month — significantly more affordable than HubSpot's paid tiers.
Is Klaviyo a better choice than HubSpot for e-commerce?
For e-commerce specifically, Klaviyo is often a better choice. It's purpose-built for e-commerce with deep Shopify integration, revenue tracking, and advanced segmentation based on purchase behaviour. HubSpot is a more general-purpose CRM and marketing platform.
What is Brevo and how does it compare to HubSpot?
Brevo (formerly Sendinblue) is an all-in-one marketing platform offering email, SMS, CRM, and automation. Compared to HubSpot, Brevo is significantly more affordable — paid plans start from $25/month — with a generous free tier of 300 emails/day. Its unique contact-unlimited pricing makes it especially attractive for teams with large audiences.
Explore More Alternatives
See Which Marketing Platform Your Competitors Use
Web Reveal instantly detects HubSpot, Mailchimp, ActiveCampaign, Klaviyo, and 960+ other technologies on any website — free, no sign-up required.
Try Web Reveal Free