7 Best HubSpot Alternatives for Every Budget (2026)

HubSpot is an excellent platform, but it is not the right fit for everyone. From a strategic perspective, the most common reasons businesses look for HubSpot alternatives boil down to three issues: pricing that escalates sharply as you scale, features locked behind expensive tiers, and complexity that exceeds what many teams actually need.

The key differentiator here is that HubSpot's Marketing Hub Professional starts at $800/month, and by the time you add sales, service, and operations hubs, you are easily spending $2,000-4,000/month. For growing businesses, that budget can be better allocated.

We tested all seven alternatives below against HubSpot on core automation capabilities, ease of use, integration ecosystem, and total cost of ownership. Here is what we found.

1. ActiveCampaign — Best Overall HubSpot Alternative

Best for: Businesses that need powerful automation without the enterprise price tag Starting price: $15/month (1,000 contacts) HubSpot equivalent cost: $800/month for comparable features

From a strategic perspective, ActiveCampaign is the closest competitor to HubSpot in terms of automation depth, but at roughly 80% less cost. Its visual automation builder is arguably more intuitive than HubSpot's, with drag-and-drop branching logic, conditional content, and multi-channel sequences that rival HubSpot's Professional tier.

Why switch from HubSpot:

• Automation builder is more flexible with deeper branching and conditional logic
• CRM included at all plan levels (HubSpot locks CRM features behind paid tiers)
• Predictive sending, lead scoring, and site tracking available on mid-tier plans
• No per-contact pricing surprises — pricing scales more predictably

Where HubSpot wins: HubSpot's content management (CMS), social media tools, and all-in-one ecosystem are stronger. If you need a full marketing + sales + service + CMS suite, HubSpot's integration advantage is real.

Verdict: ActiveCampaign delivers 90% of HubSpot's automation power at 20% of the cost. For a detailed comparison, see our ActiveCampaign vs HubSpot breakdown.

2. Mailchimp — Best for Beginners and Small Teams

Best for: Small businesses and solopreneurs who want simple marketing automation Starting price: Free plan available; paid from $13/month HubSpot equivalent cost: $20/month (Starter) for basic features

Mailchimp has evolved far beyond its email marketing roots. In 2026, it offers a legitimate all-in-one marketing platform with email, landing pages, social posting, ads management, and basic automation — all at a fraction of HubSpot's cost.

Why switch from HubSpot:

• Free plan supports up to 500 contacts with basic automation (HubSpot's free plan has no automation)
• Significantly simpler learning curve — your team is productive in hours, not weeks
• Built-in creative tools for emails, landing pages, and social posts
• Affordable paid plans that do not punish growth

Where HubSpot wins: Advanced automation logic, CRM depth, reporting granularity, and B2B pipeline management are all stronger in HubSpot. Mailchimp's CRM is basic at best.

Verdict: Ideal for businesses spending under $200/month on marketing tools who do not need complex B2B workflows.

3. Brevo (formerly Sendinblue) — Best Budget Alternative

Best for: Cost-conscious teams that need email, SMS, and WhatsApp automation Starting price: Free plan available; paid from $9/month HubSpot equivalent cost: $800/month for comparable automation

Brevo is the most cost-effective HubSpot alternative on this list. The key differentiator here is its pricing model: Brevo charges by email volume, not contact count. You can store unlimited contacts on every plan, including the free tier.

Why switch from HubSpot:

• Unlimited contacts on all plans (HubSpot charges per contact tier)
• Native SMS and WhatsApp messaging included (HubSpot requires add-ons)
• Built-in transactional email (order confirmations, receipts) at no extra cost
• Simple automation builder that covers 80% of use cases

Where HubSpot wins: Automation sophistication, CRM features, reporting, and ecosystem breadth. Brevo is simpler, which is either a pro or con depending on your needs.

Verdict: If you need email + SMS automation and your budget is under $50/month, Brevo is the strongest option. See our Brevo vs Mailchimp comparison for more context.

4. GetResponse — Best for Marketing Automation + Webinars

Best for: Businesses that rely on webinars and email marketing as primary lead generation channels Starting price: Free plan available; paid from $19/month HubSpot equivalent cost: $800/month + webinar add-on costs

GetResponse is unique among HubSpot alternatives because it bundles webinar hosting directly into its marketing automation platform. From a strategic perspective, this eliminates the need for a separate webinar tool and the integration headaches that come with it.

Why switch from HubSpot:

• Built-in webinar platform with up to 1,000 attendees (HubSpot has no native webinar feature)
• Conversion funnel builder that connects landing pages, webinars, and email sequences
• AI-powered email generator and website builder included
• Significantly lower total cost when you factor in webinar platform savings

Where HubSpot wins: CRM functionality, advanced automation branching, sales pipeline management, and integration ecosystem. GetResponse's CRM is basic.

Verdict: If webinars are a core part of your marketing strategy, GetResponse eliminates a tool from your stack while providing solid automation at a lower price point.

5. Drip — Best for E-Commerce Brands

Best for: E-commerce businesses on Shopify, WooCommerce, or BigCommerce Starting price: $39/month (2,500 contacts) HubSpot equivalent cost: $800/month + e-commerce integrations

Drip is purpose-built for e-commerce, which means every feature is designed around the online shopping experience. The key differentiator here is that while HubSpot can serve e-commerce businesses, it requires significant configuration and third-party integrations to match what Drip does natively.

Why switch from HubSpot:

• Pre-built e-commerce workflows (abandoned cart, browse abandonment, post-purchase) ready out of the box
• Deep Shopify, WooCommerce, and BigCommerce integrations with real-time data sync
• Revenue attribution per email, per campaign, and per automation
• Visual workflow builder specifically designed for e-commerce journeys

Where HubSpot wins: If you sell B2B and B2C, or need a full CRM + marketing suite. Drip is laser-focused on e-commerce and does not try to be a CRM.

Verdict: For e-commerce brands doing $500K+ in annual revenue, Drip's specialization delivers better ROI than HubSpot's generalist approach.

6. Klaviyo — Best for Data-Driven E-Commerce

Best for: E-commerce businesses that want deep customer data segmentation and predictive analytics Starting price: Free up to 250 contacts; paid from $20/month HubSpot equivalent cost: $800/month + analytics tools

Klaviyo competes with Drip for e-commerce dominance but takes a more data-centric approach. From a strategic perspective, Klaviyo's strength is its customer data platform (CDP) capabilities — it collects, unifies, and activates customer data in ways that HubSpot cannot match without significant enterprise-tier investment.

Why switch from HubSpot:

• Predictive analytics including expected next order date, lifetime value forecasting, and churn risk scoring
• Segment granularity that goes beyond what HubSpot offers (e.g., "customers who bought product X but not Y in the last 90 days and have opened 3+ emails")
• Native SMS + email in one platform with unified customer profiles
• Shopify integration that is considered the gold standard in e-commerce

Where HubSpot wins: B2B capabilities, CRM, content management, and breadth of marketing channels beyond email and SMS.

Verdict: For Shopify stores focused on retention and repeat purchases, Klaviyo's data capabilities justify the switch even if HubSpot's headline price is comparable. See our Klaviyo vs Mailchimp comparison for additional context.

7. Customer.io — Best for SaaS and Product-Led Growth

Best for: SaaS companies with product-led growth motions that need event-based automation Starting price: $100/month (5,000 profiles) HubSpot equivalent cost: $800/month + behavioral tracking add-ons

Customer.io is the HubSpot alternative that SaaS companies wish they had found earlier. The key differentiator here is its event-driven architecture: instead of triggering automations based on email opens and form fills, Customer.io triggers based on in-product behavior — feature usage, onboarding milestones, API calls, and custom events.

Why switch from HubSpot:

• Event-based automation triggered by real product usage, not just marketing interactions
• Flexible data model that supports custom objects and relationships (HubSpot charges extra for custom objects)
• Developer-friendly API and webhook system for deep product integration
• Multi-channel messaging (email, push, SMS, in-app) from a single event stream

Where HubSpot wins: Sales CRM, content marketing tools, and ease of use for non-technical marketers. Customer.io requires more technical setup and is not ideal for teams without developer resources.

Verdict: If your growth model depends on product usage data driving marketing actions, Customer.io is the specialized tool HubSpot cannot replicate at any price tier.

How to Choose the Right HubSpot Alternative

From a strategic perspective, the right alternative depends on three factors:

1. Your primary use case

• General marketing automation: ActiveCampaign
• Simple email marketing: Mailchimp or Brevo
• E-commerce: Klaviyo or Drip
• SaaS/product-led: Customer.io
• Webinar-driven marketing: GetResponse

2. Your budget

• Under $50/month: Brevo or Mailchimp
• $50-200/month: ActiveCampaign or GetResponse
• $200-500/month: Klaviyo, Drip, or Customer.io

3. Your team's technical capability

• Non-technical: Mailchimp, Brevo, or GetResponse
• Marketing-savvy: ActiveCampaign or Klaviyo
• Developer resources available: Customer.io or Drip

Migration Tips: Switching From HubSpot

If you decide to switch, plan for a 2-4 week migration window:

1. Export your data first: Download all contacts, companies, deals, and email history from HubSpot before cancelling
2. Recreate active workflows: Map your current HubSpot workflows and rebuild the critical ones in your new platform before switching
3. Run platforms in parallel: Keep HubSpot active for 30 days while you validate the new platform's performance
4. Redirect integrations: Update all third-party tools (CRM, analytics, ad platforms) to connect with your new automation platform
5. Train your team: Budget 1-2 weeks for team training on the new platform's workflow builder and reporting

Browse all options in our best marketing automation platforms roundup for the full comparison with scores and detailed reviews.