HubSpot vs. Mailchimp: which email marketing tool is right for your business?

With global email marketing revenue projected to reach USD 12.33 billion in 2024, selecting the right platform is vital to increase sales and brand visibility. When comparing HubSpot and Mailchimp, many businesses struggle to choose based on features, pricing, automation, and CRM integration. In this article, we’ll take a closer look at how these two tools differ across these dimensions to help you decide which platform aligns best with your business needs and long-term marketing goals.

HubSpot vs MailChimp: main email marketing features

Email editor

HubSpot’s email editor is designed with user-friendliness in mind, making it accessible for both beginners and experienced marketers. It includes an intuitive drag-and-drop interface that allows users to create visually appealing emails without needing any coding skills.  It also includes a wide range of pre-built templates.  

On the other hand, Mailchimp's email editor is known for its ease of use, making it particularly appealing to beginners. The drag-and-drop interface allows users to create and customize emails quickly, with no coding needed. Layouts and composition are narrow, but it offers a variety of templates and design options, though they are somewhat limited compared to other email marketing tools.

Automation

HubSpot's automation capabilities are highly advanced, offering comprehensive tools for creating complex and simple workflows. You can automate tasks like lead nurturing, email sequences, and segmentation based on user behavior. The platform’s visual workflow builder makes it easy to map out and manage automation processes. However, these automation features are only available on the paid versions

Mailchimp offers basic automation features that are ideal for small businesses or those new to email marketing. It allows you to set up automated email sequences, such as welcome emails or cart abandonment reminders, with a straightforward setup process, even on the free version. However, its automation capabilities are less robust compared to HubSpot, with limited options for complex workflows and advanced segmentation. Mailchimp's automation is easy to use and sufficient for simple marketing tasks but may fall short as your business grows and requires more sophisticated strategies.

Report and data analysis  

HubSpot offers powerful reporting and data analysis features, providing in-depth insights into your email campaigns and overall marketing performance. You can create custom dashboards and track metrics like open rates, click-through rates, and conversions in real time. The platform also features A/B testing for optimizing performance, personalization options for messaging, and CRM integration to segment audiences. Advanced tools like cohort analysis and predictive analytics help you make data-driven decisions, ensuring continuous improvement and maximizing ROI.

Mailchimp’s reporting and data analysis features are straightforward and user-friendly, making them ideal for smaller businesses. The platform provides essential metrics like open rates, click rates, and subscriber growth, along with basic audience segmentation insights. While Mailchimp does offer comparative reports and some automation-related analytics, its capabilities are more limited compared to HubSpot. The platform is effective for tracking the basics of email performance but lacks the advanced data analysis tools and CRM integration that more sophisticated marketing strategies might require.

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