HubSpot vs ActiveCampaign: Marketing Automation Compared

Introduction

HubSpot and ActiveCampaign are two of the most popular marketing automation platforms, but they serve very different segments of the market. HubSpot is a comprehensive all-in-one business platform combining CRM, marketing, sales, service, and content management. ActiveCampaign is a focused marketing and sales automation tool that delivers enterprise-grade email automation at small business pricing.

The pricing gap between them is dramatic. ActiveCampaign gives you full automation features starting at $15/month, while HubSpot locks meaningful automation behind its $890/month Professional plan. But price is not the only factor. HubSpot's ecosystem depth and native CRM integration offer real advantages for teams that can afford it.

This comparison breaks down the key differences to help you choose the right marketing automation platform for your business in 2026.

Quick Comparison

Pricing Breakdown

Pricing is where HubSpot and ActiveCampaign differ most dramatically, and it is the primary reason businesses choose one over the other.

ActiveCampaign pricing (for 1,000 contacts):

• Starter: $15/month -- email marketing, multi-step automation, forms, segmentation
• Plus: $49/month -- landing pages, contact scoring, SMS marketing, CRM add-on available
• Professional: $79/month -- predictive sending, split automations, website personalization
• Enterprise: Custom pricing -- HIPAA support, unlimited users, custom domain

HubSpot Marketing Hub pricing:

• Free: Basic CRM, 2,000 email sends/month, forms, live chat
• Starter: $20/month -- removes branding, basic automation, email support
• Professional: $890/month for 2,000 contacts -- full automation, A/B testing, SEO tools, phone support, plus mandatory $3,000 onboarding fee
• Enterprise: $3,600/month for 10,000 contacts -- predictive lead scoring, custom reporting, plus mandatory $7,000 onboarding fee

The cost difference at scale is staggering. For 10,000 contacts with full automation:

• ActiveCampaign: approximately $149/month (Plus plan)
• HubSpot: approximately $2,281/month (Professional plan with contact overage)

That is a 15x price difference for comparable automation capabilities. And HubSpot requires additional one-time onboarding fees that ActiveCampaign waives entirely.

Email Builder and Deliverability

Both platforms offer drag-and-drop email builders with templates, personalization tokens, and dynamic content.

ActiveCampaign edges ahead on email deliverability. Independent testing by EmailToolTester found ActiveCampaign achieves a 94.2% deliverability rate compared to HubSpot's 77.7%. In practical terms, for every 10,000 emails sent, approximately 1,650 more reach the inbox with ActiveCampaign.

ActiveCampaign also includes features like FBL (Feedback Loop) data and third-party list cleaning integration. HubSpot counters with a built-in deliverability dashboard and sender reputation score monitoring.

For email-first businesses where inbox placement directly impacts revenue, the deliverability gap is significant.

Marketing Automation

This is where both platforms shine, though the value proposition differs sharply.

ActiveCampaign automation features (available from $15/month):

• Visual automation builder with unlimited triggers and actions
• Advanced segmentation and conditional logic
• Site tracking and behavioral triggers
• Lead scoring and contact scoring
• Split automations for A/B testing workflows
• Predictive sending optimization (Pro plan)
• 900+ pre-built automation templates

HubSpot automation features (most require $890/month Professional):

• Omnichannel automation workflows spanning email, social, ads, website, and chat
• Behavioral and event-based triggers
• Smart content with dynamic personalization
• Advanced segmentation with smart lists
• Multi-step lead nurturing journeys
• Account-based marketing (ABM) features
• Custom attribution reporting

ActiveCampaign gives you sophisticated automation on every plan. HubSpot's Starter plan includes only basic automation. The real marketing automation power requires the Professional tier at $890/month.

For pure email and marketing automation depth, ActiveCampaign matches or exceeds HubSpot at a fraction of the cost. Where HubSpot justifies its premium is in omnichannel orchestration, tying together email, social, ads, web, and chat into unified workflows.

CRM Integration

HubSpot Marketing Hub has a clear advantage here. Its CRM is built directly into the platform, meaning marketing, sales, and service data live in one unified system. There is no sync delay, no data mapping, and no third-party connector required. Every interaction a contact has with your marketing, website, sales team, and support team is tracked in a single timeline.

ActiveCampaign offers a CRM as a paid add-on starting at $50/month. It covers core pipeline management, deal tracking, and sales automation, but it is not as deep or customizable as HubSpot's CRM. For teams that need marketing and sales tightly integrated with advanced reporting and attribution, HubSpot's native CRM is a genuine differentiator.

If you already use a separate CRM like Salesforce or Pipedrive, ActiveCampaign integrates well with external systems, which may make HubSpot's built-in CRM less relevant.

Scalability

HubSpot is built for enterprise scale. Its reporting, attribution modeling, team management, and custom object support handle complex organizations with multiple teams, regions, and product lines. If you are a 50+ person marketing organization managing millions in ad spend, HubSpot provides the infrastructure you need.

ActiveCampaign serves small to mid-sized businesses exceptionally well. Most teams under 50 people find it more than sufficient. However, some users report that at very large scale, ActiveCampaign can feel limiting in areas like custom reporting, advanced attribution, and enterprise governance.

Who Should Choose HubSpot

HubSpot is the right choice if you:

• Need an all-in-one platform covering CRM, marketing, sales, and service
• Have the budget for $890+/month plus onboarding fees
• Want native omnichannel automation across email, social, ads, and web
• Require advanced attribution reporting and custom analytics
• Have a dedicated marketing operations team to manage the platform
• Plan to scale to enterprise-level operations

Who Should Choose ActiveCampaign

ActiveCampaign is the better fit if you:

• Want advanced automation without paying enterprise prices
• Prioritize email deliverability and inbox placement
• Are a small to mid-sized business with budget constraints
• Need powerful automation on day one, not locked behind higher tiers
• Already use a separate CRM and want a best-of-breed marketing tool
• Value transparent pricing without mandatory onboarding fees

Final Verdict

For small to mid-sized businesses focused on email marketing and automation, ActiveCampaign delivers exceptional value. You get enterprise-grade automation features at a fraction of HubSpot's cost, with better email deliverability to boot. The 900+ pre-built automation templates mean you can get sophisticated workflows running quickly.

For larger organizations that need a unified business platform, HubSpot's all-in-one approach is hard to beat. The native CRM, omnichannel orchestration, and deep reporting justify the premium when your entire go-to-market operation lives in one system.

The key question is whether you need a marketing automation tool or a complete business platform. If it is the former, ActiveCampaign wins on value. If it is the latter, HubSpot is worth the investment.

Explore more marketing automation platforms to compare additional options.