ActiveCampaign vs HubSpot: Which CRM is Best for Your Small Business?

For small businesses, choosing the right Customer Relationship Management (CRM) platform is essential for managing customer relationships, driving sales, and running marketing campaigns efficiently. Two popular options—ActiveCampaign and HubSpot—offer powerful tools, but their strengths differ. ActiveCampaign focuses on email marketing automation and customer journeys, while HubSpot provides an all-in-one platform that integrates sales, marketing, and customer service tools.

In this blog, we’ll compare ActiveCampaign and HubSpot to help you decide which platform best fits your small business. While HubSpot offers a broader suite of tools, ActiveCampaign is a strong option for businesses focused primarily on marketing automation. Let’s dive into the comparison.

Overview: ActiveCampaign vs HubSpot

ActiveCampaign specialises in email marketing automation, with features to create customer journeys, lead nurturing sequences, and personalised emails. It’s ideal for businesses that rely heavily on email marketing and need to engage with customers through targeted campaigns.

HubSpot offers a comprehensive CRM platform that integrates tools for sales, marketing, customer service, and operations. It provides free CRM tools that are perfect for small businesses starting out, with the ability to scale as the business grows. HubSpot’s strength lies in its all-in-one approach, helping businesses align sales and marketing efforts seamlessly.

Key Comparison: ActiveCampaign vs HubSpot

1. Ease of Use

• ActiveCampaign:
  ActiveCampaign is designed for marketers, with an intuitive drag-and-drop editor for building customer journeys. It offers email templates and visual automation workflows, which are easy to set up. However, some users may find the platform overwhelming when managing more complex workflows.

• HubSpot:
  HubSpot is known for its user-friendly design and accessible interface. Its platform is built to be intuitive, even for businesses new to CRM systems, and it offers in-app guides, tutorials, and extensive help documentation to help users get started.

Verdict:
Both platforms are relatively easy to use, but HubSpot provides a more seamless experience for businesses managing multiple areas like sales, marketing, and customer service.

2. Features and Functionality

• ActiveCampaign:
  ActiveCampaign excels at email marketing and automation, offering advanced tools for building customer journeys and nurturing leads. It provides SMS marketing, segmentation, and A/B testing for optimising campaigns. However, it lacks the built-in sales and customer service tools that HubSpot offers.

• HubSpot:
  HubSpot offers a broader range of features, including tools for lead tracking, marketing automation, customer service, and advanced reporting. While HubSpot also provides email marketing, it goes beyond automation by integrating tools for sales pipelines and service tickets, giving businesses an all-in-one solution.

Verdict:
If your focus is purely on email marketing automation, ActiveCampaign may be a better fit. However, HubSpot’s integrated platform makes it the stronger choice for businesses that need sales, marketing, and service tools in one place.

3. Pricing and Value for Money

• ActiveCampaign:
  ActiveCampaign’s pricing starts at around £25 per month, depending on the number of contacts. While the platform offers powerful email marketing tools, businesses may need to add other software for CRM or customer service, which can increase overall costs.

• HubSpot:
  HubSpot offers a free CRM that includes contact management, email templates, and lead tracking. Paid plans unlock more advanced features for marketing automation, analytics, and sales. While HubSpot’s paid plans can become more expensive, its free tools offer significant value for small businesses starting out.

Verdict:
ActiveCampaign provides affordable email marketing tools, but HubSpot’s free CRM and scalable pricing make it a better long-term investment for businesses seeking an all-in-one solution.

4. Integrations and Customisation

• ActiveCampaign:
  ActiveCampaign integrates with a wide range of apps, including Shopify, WooCommerce, and Zapier. It offers good automation customisation, but its focus remains primarily on marketing-related tasks.

• HubSpot:
  HubSpot integrates with hundreds of apps, including popular platforms like Gmail, Slack, Shopify, and Zoom. It also offers custom workflows and automation that allow businesses to manage multiple areas of their operations in one place.

Verdict:
Both platforms offer strong integration options, but HubSpot’s ability to manage multiple business functions gives it the edge for businesses that want a unified platform.

5. Customer Support and Training

• ActiveCampaign:
  ActiveCampaign offers 24/7 chat and email support, along with a knowledge base to assist users. While the support is responsive, its training resources are more limited compared to HubSpot.

• HubSpot:
  HubSpot provides extensive support, along with free courses and certifications through the HubSpot Academy. These resources cover a range of topics, including CRM usage, inbound marketing strategies, and sales optimisation.

Verdict:
Both platforms provide solid support, but HubSpot’s free training resources offer more value for businesses looking to upskill their teams.

6. Scalability

• ActiveCampaign:
  ActiveCampaign works well for small to mid-sized businesses focused on email marketing. However, as businesses grow, they may need to invest in additional tools for sales and customer management.

• HubSpot:
  HubSpot is built to scale with your business. You can start with the free CRM and gradually upgrade to unlock advanced features for sales, marketing, and service. HubSpot’s modular system ensures that businesses don’t outgrow the platform as they expand.

Verdict:
HubSpot’s scalability makes it the better choice for businesses planning for long-term growth.

Which Platform is Right for Your Small Business?

Both ActiveCampaign and HubSpot offer valuable tools, but they serve slightly different needs.

• Choose ActiveCampaign if:

  • Your primary focus is on email marketing and automation.
  • You need a cost-effective platform for customer journeys and engagement campaigns.
  • You are comfortable using other software for CRM and customer management.

• Choose HubSpot if:

  • You need an all-in-one platform that integrates sales, marketing, and customer service tools.
  • You want a free CRM to get started, with the ability to scale as your business grows.
  • You value training resources and tools that help your business optimise sales and marketing efforts.

While ActiveCampaign is an excellent option for businesses focused on email marketing and automation, HubSpot’s comprehensive platform makes it the better choice for most small businesses. The ability to manage sales, marketing, and customer service within one system gives HubSpot the edge, especially for businesses planning to scale over time.

Ultimately, if your business relies heavily on email marketing, ActiveCampaign is a strong contender. However, for businesses seeking an integrated CRM solution with more versatility, HubSpot is the better long-term investment.