HubSpot CRM
Mailchimp
| Feature | HubSpot CRM | Mailchimp |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing | Free / from $20/mo | Free / from $13/mo |
| Free Plan | ✓ Yes | ✓ Yes |
| Rating | 4.5 / 5 | 4.3 / 5 |
| Best For | startups, small-businesses, marketing-teams, sales-teams | small-businesses, startups, solopreneurs, e-commerce |
| Founded | 2006 | 2001 |
| Contact Management | ✓ | ✗ |
| Email Tracking | ✓ | ✗ |
| Pipeline Management | ✓ | ✗ |
| Live Chat | ✓ | ✗ |
| Forms | ✓ | ✗ |
| Reporting | ✓ | ✗ |
| Email Campaigns | ✗ | ✓ |
| Automation | ✗ | ✓ |
| Landing Pages | ✗ | ✓ |
| Audience Segments | ✗ | ✓ |
| Analytics | ✗ | ✓ |
| Templates | ✗ | ✓ |
| A B Testing | ✗ | ✓ |
✓ HubSpot CRM Pros
- Generous free tier
- All-in-one platform
- Great documentation
- Easy to use
✗ HubSpot CRM Cons
- Gets expensive quickly
- Limited customization on free plan
- Contract lock-in
✓ Mailchimp Pros
- Free tier for up to 500 contacts
- Easy drag-and-drop email builder
- Built-in automation workflows
- Good reporting and analytics
✗ Mailchimp Cons
- Gets expensive as list grows
- Automation less powerful than competitors
- Limited A/B testing on lower plans
The Verdict
HubSpot CRM is built for startups and small businesses, with a focus on contact-management and email-tracking. Mailchimp targets small businesses and startups and leads with email-campaigns and automation.
On pricing, Mailchimp is the clear winner for budget-conscious users — starting at $13/mo compared to $20/mo for HubSpot CRM. That $7/mo difference adds up quickly for growing teams.
Both offer free plans, so you can test each with your real workflow before committing to a subscription.
Feature-wise, Mailchimp offers broader built-in capabilities (7 features vs 6), while HubSpot CRM takes a more focused approach — which can mean a simpler, faster onboarding experience.
Both tools are a solid fit for startups, small businesses — in those cases, the decision often comes down to workflow style and how your team prefers to organize work.
This is a genuinely close comparison. If you can, sign up for both free trials (where available) and run a one-week test with your actual team tasks before deciding.
