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Marketing Automation

HubSpot vs Mailchimp: Which Marketing Platform Fits Your Business in 2026?

HubSpot is a full CRM-and-marketing platform priced per seat; Mailchimp is an email-first tool priced by contact-list size, with a smaller marketing-automation footprint. Here is what each actually costs and includes.

By Bill Belcamino · Last updated September 23, 2026 · Our methodologyResearched and fact-checked by the HelpCompare team
HubSpot logoStarter — $20/seat/mo standing price ($7/seat/mo new-customer promo, limited time)

HubSpot

VS
Mailchimp logoEssentials — From $13/mo (500 contacts, 3 seats)

Mailchimp

Run the cost calculator Compare pricing tiers
HubSpot vs MailchimpVerified Sep 23, 2026
Bottom line Editorial assessment

Which is better, HubSpot or Mailchimp?

Choose Mailchimp if you mainly design and send email campaigns and want the lowest cost; choose HubSpot if you want a shared CRM across marketing, sales and service. Mailchimp Essentials is $13/mo flat for up to 500 contacts, versus HubSpot Starter's $20/seat/mo standing price (HubSpot is currently running a $7/seat new-customer promo, time-limited).

Heads up: HubSpot is currently running a limited-time, new-customers-only promo pricing Marketing Hub Starter at $7/seat/mo instead of its $20/seat/mo standing price. The figures on this page use the $20 standing price, since promotions expire; check hubspot.com/pricing for the current offer.

Quick verdict: At standing prices, Mailchimp is cheaper to start on — $13/mo flat for up to 500 contacts against HubSpot Starter’s $20/seat/mo (HubSpot is currently running a $7/seat promo for new customers, but that is time-limited). The bigger difference is scope: HubSpot Starter bundles CRM, sales and service tools around its marketing features, with every contact sharing one record across the whole platform. Mailchimp is built around email sending and templates, with a shallower automation and CRM story. Pick HubSpot if you want one system of record; pick Mailchimp if you mainly need to design and send campaigns.
Verified data

HubSpot vs Mailchimp: quick facts

At a glanceHubSpotMailchimp
CategoryMarketing Automation
Entry priceStarter — $20/seat/mo standing price ($7/seat/mo new-customer promo, limited time)Essentials — From $13/mo (500 contacts, 3 seats)
Free planFree — 2 users, 2,000 branded email sends/mo, landing pages, forms, live chatFree — 250 contacts, 500 sends/mo (250/day), 1 seat

Is HubSpot cheaper than Mailchimp?

Mailchimp, at standing prices: $13/mo flat (up to 500 contacts, 3 seats) against HubSpot Starter’s $20/seat/mo. A 1-seat HubSpot Starter account costs more than Mailchimp Essentials even before adding more seats. HubSpot’s current $7/seat promo (new customers only, limited time) would undercut Mailchimp at 1-2 seats, but check hubspot.com/pricing to see if that offer is still live before budgeting around it.

Verified data

HubSpot vs Mailchimp at a glance

CategoryHubSpotMailchimp
Entry price (standing)Starter $20/seat/moEssentials $13/mo flat (500 contacts, 3 seats)
Free plan2 users, 2,000 branded sends/mo250 contacts, 500 sends/mo
Pricing basisPer seatPer contact-list tier, account-wide
CRM includedYes, full CRM shared across HubsBasic contact records, not a full CRM
Automation depthWorkflow builder across marketing, sales, serviceUp to 4 automation steps on Essentials
AI featuresBreeze AI agents, credit-basedGenerative AI on Standard and Premium, not Essentials
Higher tierProfessional $800/mo (3 core seats)Standard $20/mo (500 contacts, 5 seats)

Verified September 23, 2026Prices recorded from each vendor’s own pricing page. See sources

Prices in USD from hubspot.com/pricing/marketing and mailchimp.com/pricing, both checked September 23, 2026.

Editorial assessment

How they actually differ

Both send email campaigns and automate follow-ups, but they start from different premises: HubSpot is a CRM with marketing tools attached, Mailchimp is an email platform with light CRM features attached.

One system of record vs. an email specialist

Every contact in HubSpot lives in one CRM record shared across Marketing, Sales and Service Hubs, so a sales rep sees the same activity timeline a marketer does. Mailchimp’s contact records are lighter — built around segmentation and send history rather than deal stages or support tickets — which keeps it simpler but means it is not a CRM replacement.

How the price scales

HubSpot bills per seat, so cost rises with headcount, not list size. Mailchimp bills by contact-tier, account-wide, so cost rises with your list size regardless of how many people log in (3 seats are included free on Essentials). A small team with a large list pays more on Mailchimp; a large team with a small list pays more on HubSpot.

Moving between them

Neither vendor’s pricing page surfaces a dedicated importer for the other; contact lists move by CSV export and import, and automation workflows are rebuilt by hand in the new tool.

Editorial assessment

Pros & cons

HubSpot

Pros

  • Full CRM shared across marketing, sales and service
  • Deeper workflow automation, not limited to email
  • Free plan covers more (2,000 branded sends/mo)
  • One system of record for every customer touchpoint

Cons

  • $20/seat standing price is higher than Mailchimp’s flat entry
  • Price rises with headcount, not campaign volume
  • AI features are credit/outcome-based, adding cost at scale
  • Professional tier jumps sharply to $800/mo

Mailchimp

Pros

  • $13/mo flat covers up to 500 contacts and 3 seats
  • Simple, template-driven campaign building
  • Free plan for very small lists (250 contacts)
  • Pricing scales with list size, not team size

Cons

  • Not a full CRM — lighter contact and deal records
  • Automation capped at 4 steps on Essentials
  • Generative AI withheld from the entry tier
  • Cost rises with list size even if only 1 person sends campaigns
Verified data

Cost calculator: what does your team actually pay?

HubSpot

 
$0/mo

Mailchimp

 
$0/mo
 

HubSpot’s price scales with the seat count you enter; Mailchimp’s $13/mo is a flat rate for its lowest contact tier (up to 500 contacts) and does not change with the number above. The price shown is each vendor’s entry-tier flat rate at its lowest contact tier; all three vendors raise the price as your contact or profile count grows past that tier — check each vendor’s own pricing page for your list size. Checked September 23, 2026.

Choose HubSpot if…

You want one CRM shared across marketing, sales and service, or your automation needs go beyond simple email sequences.

Choose Mailchimp if…

You mainly need to design and send email campaigns to a modest list, and do not need a full CRM underneath it.

Total cost over time

Uses your selections above. Estimate excludes add-ons, overages, and negotiated discounts.

Ready to pick your marketing platform?

Both publish a free plan. Build one real campaign in each before you commit a team and a contact list to one.

See HubSpot pricing See Mailchimp pricing

Frequently Asked Questions

Is HubSpot or Mailchimp cheaper?

At standing prices, Mailchimp is cheaper to start: $13/mo flat for up to 500 contacts against HubSpot Starter’s $20/seat/mo. HubSpot is currently running a $7/seat new-customer promo that undercuts Mailchimp at 1-2 seats — check if it is still live before budgeting around it.

Is HubSpot a full CRM?

Yes. Every Hub (Marketing, Sales, Service) shares one contact record and activity timeline, unlike Mailchimp’s lighter contact-and-segment model.

Does Mailchimp include a CRM?

Not a full one. It tracks contacts, tags and send history, but not deal stages or support tickets the way HubSpot does.

Why does HubSpot show two prices for Starter?

HubSpot’s pricing page shows a struck-through $20/seat/mo standing price next to a promotional $7/seat/mo rate marked “new customers only” and time-limited — the $20 figure is what a returning or existing customer would actually pay.

Migration Guides

Already decided? Here’s how to actually switch.

Step-by-step migration guides covering what transfers automatically, what doesn’t, and how to handle the gap — in both directions.

Switching from HubSpot to Mailchimp Switching from Mailchimp to HubSpot
Editorial assessment

When to Buy — and When to Walk Away

Every “best marketing platform” listicle tells you why to buy. Here’s the other half: the specific conditions under which HubSpot or Mailchimp is the wrong purchase for your team.

HubSpot

Buy HubSpot if:

  • You want one CRM shared across marketing, sales and service
  • Your automation needs go beyond email sequences
  • You plan to grow into sales and service tools on the same platform

Do NOT buy HubSpot if:

  • You mainly send email campaigns to a modest list
  • Your team is larger than your contact list
  • You want the lowest possible entry price

Mailchimp

Buy Mailchimp if:

  • You mainly design and send email campaigns
  • Your list is small and your team is not
  • You do not need a full CRM underneath your email tool

Do NOT buy Mailchimp if:

  • You need a shared CRM across marketing, sales and service
  • Your automation needs exceed a handful of steps
  • You want generative AI at the entry tier

Canonical data for the tools on this page

Every pricing fact, rating, AI billing model and switching guide we hold on each tool, on one page, with the date each figure was last verified.

HubSpotPricing, free plan, AI cost & every comparison›MailchimpPricing, free plan, AI cost & every comparison›
ActiveCampaign vs MailchimpHead-to-head comparisonHubSpot vs KeapHead-to-head comparisonHubSpot vs KlaviyoHead-to-head comparisonKeap vs MailchimpHead-to-head comparisonMailchimp vs Constant ContactHead-to-head comparisonHubSpot vs Zoho CRMHead-to-head comparison

Sources

Prices on this page were recorded from each vendor’s own pricing page on the date shown at the top of the page. Vendors change pricing often — check the live source before you buy.

Every figure is also in our open dataset (JSON and CSV, CC BY 4.0), with its source page and verification date. See how we research pricing.

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01 · CompareWhich tool fits your team, side by side.113 comparisons 02 · Price & approveSourced, dated pricing and a one-page brief for sign-off.Decision brief 03 · SwitchWhat moves, what you rebuild, what it costs.226 guides 04 · ShareDownload and cite the data. CC BY 4.0.Open data
Bill Belcamino, founder of HelpCompare
About the author

Bill Belcamino

Founder and author, HelpCompare

Engineer by training, operator by experience, marketer by choice. Bill spent nine years as an engineer at HP, was COO of Auctiva (the number one third-party selling platform on eBay, past 200,000 users) and ran Google’s $70M/year search syndication partnership at Alot.com. Then he spent 13 years building his own web properties with his own money at stake. He has bought, trialled, integrated and cancelled more SaaS tools than he can count, and started HelpCompare because the real cost of switching tools is the part nobody covers.

“I’ve sat on both sides of the table: the agency recommending the tool and the client paying for it.”

Researched and fact-checked by the HelpCompare team. Pricing on this page was last verified on September 23, 2026. No paid sponsorships, no affiliate commissions.

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