ActiveCampaign

6.4

Overall Score / 10

vsDifferent jobs — depends on your workflow

HubSpot CRM

HubSpot Inc.

6.3

Overall Score / 10

Our Verdict

Different jobs — depends on your workflow

Choose ActiveCampaign if:

—You want the most powerful email automation builder available
—You prefer gradual per-contact pricing without pricing cliffs
—You need CRM + email tightly integrated at an SMB budget

Choose HubSpot CRM if:

—You want a free CRM to start with zero cost
—You need an all-in-one platform (CRM + marketing + sales + service)
—You want the broadest integration ecosystem and app marketplace

The biggest difference: ActiveCampaign offers best-in-class email automation at affordable per-contact pricing; HubSpot is a broader platform with a dramatic pricing jump from free to $890/mo for automation

Side-by-Side Comparison

Criteria	ActiveCampaign	HubSpot CRM
Cheapest Paid Plan	$15/mo (Starter)Source: ActiveCampaign pricing page →	$20/mo (Starter)Source: HubSpot Inc. pricing page →
Free Tier	No	Yes Unlimited contacts, basic CRM features, 2,000 email sends/mo, HubSpot branding
Value for Money	7	6
Ease of Use	5	8
Feature Power	9	9
Setup Ease	5	7
Migration Ease	4	3
Transparency	6	4
Deployment	cloud	cloud
API Available	Yes	Yes
Platforms	Web, iOS, Android	Web, iOS, Android
Compliance	GDPR tools, HIPAA (Enterprise plan), SOC 2	SOC 2 Type II, GDPR, ISO 27001

Data independently verifiedLast verified: March 2026Scoring methodology →Source policy →

Feature Comparison

Feature Comparison Matrix

22 features compared · 21 differences

Hide identical

Feature	ActiveCampaign	HubSpot CRM
Core
Contact management	None	Full
CRM with pipeline management	Full	None
Deal pipeline	None	Full
Forms	None	Full
Lead scoring	Full	None
Live chat	None	Full
Meeting scheduling	None	Full
Predictive sending	Full	None
Site tracking	Full	None
SMS marketing	Full	None
Win probability	Full	None
Advanced
Advanced automation builder	Full	None
Conditional content	Full	None
Custom objects	Full	None
Custom objects (Enterprise)	None	Full
Custom properties	None	Full
Email marketing	None	Full
Email tracking	None	Full
Machine learning recommendations	Full	None
Reporting dashboards	None	Full
Workflow automation (paid)	None	Full
Integrations
API Access	Full	Full

Pricing Comparison

ActiveCampaign Pricing

Starter$15/mo

1,000 contacts, email marketing, basic automations

PlusPopular$49/mo

1,000 contacts, CRM, landing pages, lead scoring

Pro$79/mo

1,000 contacts, predictive sending, split automations, site messaging

Enterprise$145/mo

1,000 contacts, custom objects, HIPAA support, dedicated account rep

HubSpot CRM Pricing

Free ToolsFree

Unlimited contacts, basic CRM, email marketing (2,000/mo), forms, live chat

StarterPopular$20/mo

1,000 marketing contacts, remove branding, email health reporting

Professional$890/mo

2,000 marketing contacts, automation, custom reporting, ABM

Enterprise$3600/mo

10,000 marketing contacts, revenue attribution, custom objects, hierarchical teams

Who Should Choose Which?

Who should choose ActiveCampaign

Best for

Businesses needing complex automation sequences
Sales teams wanting CRM + email in one tool
E-commerce brands with lifecycle marketing needs

Avoid if

You want a simple tool to send newsletters
You have a very small list and tight budget
You don't need advanced automation

Who should choose HubSpot CRM

Best for

Startups wanting a free CRM to start
Growing companies that want marketing + sales + CRM in one platform
Teams that value excellent UX and onboarding

Avoid if

You have a limited budget and plan to scale (Professional tier is $890/mo)
You want simple, focused tools (HubSpot is a platform)
You need deep customization without enterprise pricing

Switching Guidance

Switching from ActiveCampaign

Common triggers to leave:

•Price increases as contacts grow
•Complexity for simple use cases

Potential blockers:

•Deep automation trees
•CRM pipeline data
•Site tracking history

Switching from HubSpot CRM