Switching from HubSpot to ActiveCampaign
Businesses moving from HubSpot to ActiveCampaign are usually trying to cut marketing costs while keeping strong email automation, accepting a lighter-weight CRM in return.
Why teams switch from HubSpot to ActiveCampaign
Lower cost for email-centric marketing
ActiveCampaign’s plans are typically cheaper than HubSpot’s Marketing Hub Professional/Enterprise tiers for teams whose main need is email automation.
Specialized email deliverability and segmentation
ActiveCampaign is built specifically for email marketing performance, which can outperform HubSpot’s more general marketing tools.
A simpler tool for smaller marketing teams
Teams that don’t need HubSpot’s full CRM/reporting suite may find ActiveCampaign’s more focused feature set easier to manage.
Switching Cost & Friction Estimator
Estimate the real hidden cost of moving from HubSpot to ActiveCampaign — not just the subscription price.
How to migrate your data
ActiveCampaign’s one-click Active Intelligence migration tool doesn’t cover HubSpot yet, so this move runs through CSV import.
| Step | What happens |
|---|---|
| 1. Export from HubSpot | Export contacts (and companies/deals if relevant) from HubSpot as CSV. |
| 2. Clean and remap fields | Match HubSpot properties to ActiveCampaign’s contact fields and tags. |
| 3. Set up your ActiveCampaign account | Configure your ActiveCampaign account and sending domain authentication. |
| 4. Import contacts via CSV | Use ActiveCampaign’s native CSV importer; note its Active Intelligence one-click tool currently only supports Mailchimp, not HubSpot. |
| 5. Rebuild workflows as automations | Recreate HubSpot workflows as ActiveCampaign automations, since workflow logic doesn’t transfer. |
| 6. Warm up sending and test | Test rebuilt automations and gradually warm up your sending domain before full cutover. |
Pricing during the transition
ActiveCampaign generally costs less for pure email marketing, but you leave HubSpot’s free CRM baseline behind.
| Plan | HubSpot | ActiveCampaign |
|---|---|---|
| Free plan | $0 (Free CRM) | No free tier (14-day trial) |
| Entry paid tier | $7/seat/mo billed annually, $20 monthly (Marketing Hub Starter), as of September 2026 | Around $15/mo (Starter, 1,000 contacts, annual billing) |
| Mid tier | Around $800/mo (Marketing Hub Professional, includes 3 seats, plus a one-time onboarding fee) | Around $49-$79/mo (Plus/Pro, 1,000 contacts, annual billing) |
ActiveCampaign’s contact-based pricing is generally lower than HubSpot’s Marketing Hub Professional tier, but you lose HubSpot’s free CRM baseline and its native deal/reporting depth in the trade.
Feature-parity checklist
ActiveCampaign sharpens email execution; HubSpot’s CRM and reporting breadth is what’s left behind.
| Feature | HubSpot | ActiveCampaign equivalent |
|---|---|---|
| Automations/workflows | Robust workflow automation, concentrated in paid tiers | More specialized, precise email automation, a genuine upgrade for pure email marketers |
| CRM/pipeline | Deeply built-out CRM | Lighter sales CRM, a real downgrade for complex deal tracking |
| Funnels/landing pages | Landing pages, fuller with CMS Hub | No native page builder, a downgrade |
| Email/SMS marketing | Solid but general email | Specialized deliverability and segmentation tooling, an upgrade for email-first marketers |
| Reporting | Custom report builder | Strong for email/engagement but lacks HubSpot’s cross-object custom reporting, a downgrade for broader analytics |
Frequently Asked Questions
Does ActiveCampaign have a native HubSpot importer?
No — HubSpot isn’t yet supported by ActiveCampaign’s Active Intelligence tool, so contacts move via CSV.
Will my HubSpot deal pipelines transfer?
Not automatically — you’d need to rebuild pipeline stages manually, and ActiveCampaign’s CRM is lighter-weight than HubSpot’s.
Is this cheaper than staying on HubSpot?
Usually yes for marketing-focused teams, since ActiveCampaign’s plans tend to undercut HubSpot’s Marketing Hub Professional/Enterprise pricing.
What do I lose moving off HubSpot’s free CRM?
You lose HubSpot’s broader free CRM tooling and cross-object reporting; ActiveCampaign has no equivalent free tier.
How long does this migration take?
Contact import is quick; rebuilding workflows and testing deliverability typically takes one to two weeks.
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