ActiveCampaign vs. HubSpot
Compare how ActiveCampaign and HubSpot differ from each other and learn which option is better for your email marketing and automation needs.
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In the ever-evolving world of digital marketing, choosing the right tools can be a game-changer for your business. As for email marketing and automation software, there are plenty of solutions with two giants of the industry being ActiveCampaign and HubSpot. Both platforms are used by hundreds of thousands of companies, but how do they stack up against each other?
We have tested both of them and will provide you a quick summary of our findings to help you choose the best option for your email marketing and automation needs.
If you are more interested in the CRM aspect of these tools, check out this page. If both areas are of equal interest to you, you can stay as we'll also mention this in the buying guide.
ActiveCampaign Overview
ActiveCampaign has carved out a significant niche in the marketing world, primarily known for its robust email marketing and automation tools. Founded in 2003, the platform has consistently evolved, offering solutions that cater to a wide range of businesses, from small startups to large enterprises. In terms of marketing automation, it offers by far the most versatile options on the market today.
Highlights
- Advanced Automation: ActiveCampaign's automation workflows are as customizable and sophisticated as it can get, making it ideal for complex marketing strategies.
- Segmentation and Personalization: Offers dynamic content and behaviour tracking options for highly targeted and personalized email campaigns.
- Integrations: Offers a wide range of integrations, allowing for seamless connectivity with numerous third-party applications and services.
HubSpot Overview
HubSpot, founded in 2006, has grown into a one-stop-shop for inbound marketing, sales, and service software. While it offers a comprehensive suite of tools, its email marketing and automation capabilities are particularly noteworthy, making it a strong competitor in the market. HubSpot's great strength lies in its diversity, because anyone who uses the platform in other ways can optimally combine the tools without having to change the provider.
Highlights
- All-in-One Platform: HubSpot provides a unified platform for all your marketing and sales needs, making it easier to manage campaigns, track data and use it across toolsets.
- Analytics and Reporting: Offers extensive analytics and reporting features, providing valuable insights into campaign performance and customer behavior.
- Integrations: Similar to ActiveCampaign, there is a wide range of integrations with third-party applications available.
Buying Guide
When deciding between ActiveCampaign and HubSpot for your email marketing and automation, we can sum it up as follows.
Choose ActiveCampaign if...
- your primary focus is on email marketing and automation
- you don't need a CRM or have rather basic requirements for it
- you're planning to create very complex automation workflows
- you're looking for the more affordable solution
Choose HubSpot if...
- your focus is equally spread between CRM and email marketing
- you're selling high-ticket B2B products or services from $5,000+
- you are already using other HubSpot services
Final Remarks
In conclusion, both ActiveCampaign and HubSpot offer powerful email marketing and automation capabilities. Your choice should depend on the specific needs of your business.
ActiveCampaign focuses most of its powers on advanced marketing automation and segmentation, while HubSpot stands out for its all-in-one marketing solution that offers a large set of different services. If email marketing and automation are your primary focus, then ActiveCampaign is generally the better and cheaper solution, while HubSpot is better at providing an entire "Hub" for your business to manage multiple aspects.
Still not sure what suits you best?
Don't worry, in no case can you make a bad decision, as both providers have put together a great product. If you find it difficult to decide because the advantages of both are important to you, then simply try out both ActiveCampaign and HubSpot for free to see firsthand which software you prefer to use. This is often the decisive point that lets you quickly recognize which software you like better or is not sufficient for your requirements.
FAQ
Which platform is cheaper?
ActiveCampaign is cheaper than HubSpot, especially the more a company grows. However, for B2B products and services where margins and revenue per sale are usually very high, the extra cost can be worth it if the additional CRM features and reporting capabilities from HubSpot are valuable to you.
Can I integrate these platforms with other tools?
Yes, both ActiveCampaign and HubSpot offer extensive integration options with various third-party tools and services.
Are these platforms suitable for beginners?
With both tools, the learning curve is steeper than with other software. This is because they offer many advanced features for companies that want to get the most out email marketing and automation sequences. Due to the many options and settings, it can feel overwhelming at first and requires time to familiarize. However, both providers also offer many resources and guides so that beginners can also find their way around.