HubSpot Vs Mailchimp: Which Email Marketing Platform to Use in 2025

Email marketing continues to be an effective tool for B2B businesses looking to nurture leads and drive conversions.

In fact, 59 percent of B2B marketers cite email as their top channel for revenue generation, 31% of B2B marketers say email newsletters are the best way to nurture leads and 40% of B2B marketers say email marketing is a tactic that is critical to their success. Meanwhile, 77% of B2B buyers say they prefer to be contacted through email more than double any other channel. 

With the rise of automation, AI-driven personalization, and the need for seamless integrations, choosing the right platform has never been more critical.

Whether you're a business owner or marketing manager looking to up your email marketing strategy, you're likely weighing the pros and cons of two big players: HubSpot and Mailchimp.

While HubSpot and Mailchimp cater to different needs, they both have helped enhance email marketing strategies over the past several years. HubSpot offers a robust all-in-one CRM and marketing solution designed to help businesses scale, while Mailchimp continues to shine as a user-friendly platform tailored to help small businesses and startups get into email marketing.

So, which platform delivers the most value for your business? This guide breaks down their features and functionality - one section at a time - so you can decide which is better suited to your goals. Let’s get started!

What is HubSpot?

HubSpot is a comprehensive CRM and marketing platform designed for businesses that want to integrate marketing, sales, and customer service into one unified system. With tools for email marketing, automation, landing pages, lead tracking, and analytics, HubSpot offers a complete ecosystem for businesses looking to scale efficiently.

What sets HubSpot apart is its scalability. While it has a steeper learning curve than some simpler platforms, its capabilities can grow with your business, offering advanced tools to refine your marketing campaigns and improve your overall ROI.

What is Mailchimp?

Mailchimp is an intuitive email marketing platform known for its user-friendly interface and affordability. Originally designed for small businesses, it has expanded to include basic CRM functionality, automation tools, and even social media integration.

Mailchimp’s simplicity makes it a go-to for startups and businesses with straightforward email marketing needs. While it doesn’t offer the depth of HubSpot, it excels at helping small teams launch professional campaigns quickly and efficiently.

HubSpot Vs. Mailchimp: A Summary

HubSpot Vs. Mailchimp: A Deep Comparison

Ease of Use

HubSpot and Mailchimp both strive for user-friendliness, but their approaches are tailored to different audiences.

Mailchimp’s clean interface and drag-and-drop editor make it ideal for beginners. Small teams can design and launch campaigns quickly. The platform is intuitive, with a learning curve that’s nearly non-existent for basic functionality.

HubSpot is more complex due to its expansive feature set. It’s designed for businesses managing multiple marketing channels, which can feel overwhelming at first. However, once users become familiar with the system, they unlock powerful tools that make managing campaigns and analyzing data a breeze. For teams willing to invest time upfront, HubSpot’s long-term benefits often outweigh the initial complexity.

Winner: Mailchimp for simplicity, HubSpot for long-term growth.

Score: HubSpot 1, Mailchimp 1

Contact and Email Limits

Mailchimp’s free plan allows up to 500 contacts and 1,000 email sends per month, making it an attractive option for businesses with smaller lists. However, costs increase sharply as your contacts grow, which can become a concern for scaling businesses.

HubSpot’s free plan is more restrictive in terms of contact limits but offers generous email sends (up to 2,000 per month). Paid plans scale well for businesses with larger lists, and the unified CRM ensures seamless contact management across all campaigns.

Winner: Depends on your business size. Mailchimp wins for smaller lists; HubSpot wins for scalability.

Score: HubSpot 2, Mailchimp 2

Marketing Automation

This is where HubSpot shines. Its marketing automation tools enable businesses to create highly personalized workflows that adapt to user behaviour, lifecycle stages, and segmentation. From lead nurturing to internal sales notifications, HubSpot’s automation capabilities are industry-leading.

Mailchimp offers basic automation like welcome emails, abandoned cart reminders, and date-based triggers. While these are great for small-scale campaigns, they lack the depth and customization that HubSpot provides.

Winner: HubSpot.

Score: HubSpot 3, Mailchimp 2

Landing Pages

HubSpot’s landing page builder is packed with features like A/B testing, personalization, and detailed analytics. These tools empower marketers to create pages optimized for conversions and track their impact on the sales funnel.

Mailchimp includes a basic landing page builder, suitable for simple campaigns. However, the lack of advanced options like A/B testing or detailed analytics limits its effectiveness for larger campaigns.

Winner: HubSpot.

Score: HubSpot 4, Mailchimp 2

Email Templates, Design and Flexibility

Mailchimp excels in offering pre-designed templates that are easy to use, but customization is limited. For businesses needing a quick, professional solution, Mailchimp gets the job done.

HubSpot, however, provides advanced customization with its drag-and-drop email builder. For businesses prioritizing creative control, HubSpot’s flexibility is unmatched.

Winner: HubSpot.

Score: HubSpot 5, Mailchimp 2

Integrations

HubSpot integrates seamlessly with hundreds of tools, including Salesforce, Google Analytics, and Slack. Its ability to connect with other HubSpot tools ensures a unified marketing and sales process.

Mailchimp offers decent integrations with popular tools like Shopify and WordPress. While suitable for small businesses, it lacks the extensive ecosystem that HubSpot provides.

Winner: HubSpot.

Score: HubSpot 6, Mailchimp 2

Cost

Mailchimp’s free plan and affordable paid tiers make it the go-to for budget-conscious businesses. However, costs can escalate quickly as your needs - and number of contacts - grow.

HubSpot’s pricing is higher, but it reflects the platform’s value. For businesses requiring advanced features and scalability, HubSpot’s cost often delivers a higher ROI.

Winner: Mailchimp for affordability, HubSpot for value.

Score: HubSpot 6, Mailchimp 3

HubSpot Vs MailChimp: Which is Better For You?

The decision comes down to your business goals, budget, and level of sophistication needed:

• Choose HubSpot if: You’re managing a growing business and need a robust, scalable platform with advanced features like automation, CRM integration, and in-depth analytics. HubSpot is ideal for businesses that require a unified system to manage marketing, sales, and customer relationships seamlessly.
• Choose Mailchimp if: You’re a small business or startup looking for an affordable, user-friendly tool to launch effective email campaigns quickly. If you don’t need complex automation or advanced integrations, Mailchimp provides great value.

Ultimately, it’s not just about the features - it’s about what fits your needs and resources.

Consider your goals for 2025 and the role email marketing will play in your strategy.

Final Score: HubSpot 6, Mailchimp 3.

If you’re still unsure, the SummitBound team can help guide you toward the platform that’s right for your business. Let’s start the conversation! We'd love to help you implement an effective Inbound Marketing, and email marketing, strategy.