HubSpot vs Constant Contact: All-in-One Platform or Simple Email?
HubSpot is the better choice if you need a CRM alongside email marketing and want sales pipeline tracking, marketing attribution, and room to grow. Constant Contact is the better choice if you only need email marketing, prefer simplicity over features, or run a nonprofit that uses event management tools.
TL;DR
It depends on your needs.
HubSpot wins on capability: it includes a full CRM, sales pipeline, marketing automation, and service tools that Constant Contact can't match. Constant Contact wins on simplicity and niche features: it's easier to set up, has better deliverability numbers, and includes event ticketing that HubSpot doesn't offer. If you need more than email, HubSpot. If email is all you need, Constant Contact (or Mailchimp) at a lower complexity.
HubSpot vs Constant Contact: At a Glance
| Feature | HubSpot | Constant Contact |
|---|---|---|
| Starting price | $20/mo per seat | $12/mo (annual) |
| Free plan | ||
| G2 rating | 4.4/5 (12,000+ reviews) | 4.0/5 (5,900+ reviews) |
| Primary purpose | All-in-one CRM + marketing | Email marketing |
| CRM included | ||
| Sales pipeline | ||
| Marketing automation | Professional+ ($100/seat/mo) | 3 pre-built workflows |
| Event management | ||
| Email deliverability | Good | 88% (independent tests) |
| Best for | Growing teams needing CRM + email | Small businesses wanting simple email |
Which has a better CRM?
HubSpot
HubSpot's CRM is its core product. The free tier supports up to 1M contacts with deal tracking, meeting scheduling, live chat, and task management. Paid tiers add custom reporting, sequences, forecasting, and multiple deal pipelines. For teams that need to track deals alongside marketing campaigns, HubSpot ties everything together: you can see which email led to which deal.
Constant Contact
Constant Contact doesn't have a CRM. It manages contacts with tags, segments, and custom fields, but there are no deal pipelines, no task management, no sales tracking, and no way to connect email campaigns to revenue. If you need CRM capabilities, you'll need a separate tool.
Winner: HubSpot. HubSpot's CRM is its core product.
Which is better for email marketing?
HubSpot
HubSpot includes email marketing across all tiers. The editor is solid, templates are modern, and personalization tokens work well. On the free plan, you can send 2,000 emails/month with HubSpot branding. Starter removes branding and adds more templates. The email tools are good but email is one feature inside a larger platform. If you only need email, you're navigating a bigger interface than necessary.
Constant Contact
Constant Contact was built for email and it shows in the simplicity. The editor is straightforward, the template library has 200+ responsive designs, and you can create a campaign in under 20 minutes. Deliverability is strong at 88% in independent tests. Phone support is available on all plans. For pure email marketing with no CRM needs, Constant Contact is faster to learn and use day-to-day.
Winner: Constant Contact. Constant Contact was built for email and it shows in the simplicity.
Which has better automation?
HubSpot
HubSpot's automation (Workflows) is powerful but gated behind Professional at $100/seat/mo. Starter includes simple automation only. Professional unlocks multi-step workflows across email, CRM, deals, and custom objects with conditional branching and if/then logic. The automation can trigger sales tasks, update deal stages, and send internal notifications alongside marketing emails.
Constant Contact
Constant Contact's automation is basic. Standard includes 3 pre-built workflows: welcome, birthday, and anniversary. Premium ($80/mo) adds a few more. There's no visual flow builder, no conditional branching, and no behavioral triggers beyond email engagement. If you need anything more than a simple welcome sequence, Constant Contact can't do it.
Winner: HubSpot. HubSpot's automation (Workflows) is powerful but gated behind Professional at $100/seat/mo.
Which is cheaper?
HubSpot
HubSpot's free CRM is genuinely useful and includes basic email marketing. Starter is $20/seat/mo ($15 annual). Professional is $100/seat/mo with a mandatory $1,500 onboarding fee. For a solo user on Starter, HubSpot costs $20/mo regardless of contact count. For a 3-person team, that's $60/mo. The per-seat model favors small teams with large lists.
Constant Contact
Constant Contact starts at $12/mo (Lite, annual) for 500 contacts. Standard is $35/mo. Premium is $80/mo. At 10,000 contacts, Standard costs about $120/mo. There's no free plan, but the 60-day trial is the longest in the category. For businesses that only need email, Constant Contact's per-contact pricing is straightforward.
Winner: Tie.
Which is easier to use?
HubSpot
HubSpot has a clean, well-organized interface, but there's more to learn. Navigating between Marketing Hub, Sales Hub, and CRM takes time. Most teams need a week or two to feel comfortable. The upside: once you learn it, everything connects. The downside: if you only need email, you're learning a platform that does ten other things.
Constant Contact
Constant Contact is one of the simplest email marketing tools available. The setup wizard walks you through account creation, and you can send your first campaign the same day. Phone support is available on every plan. For non-technical users, nonprofits, and small teams without dedicated marketing staff, Constant Contact has the lowest barrier to entry.
Winner: Constant Contact. Constant Contact is one of the simplest email marketing tools available.
Which has better reporting?
HubSpot
HubSpot reports across the full customer journey: email performance, website analytics, deal pipeline metrics, marketing attribution, and custom dashboards. On Professional, you can build reports that show which marketing campaign generated which deal and how much revenue it drove. This cross-functional reporting is the main reason teams choose HubSpot over simpler tools.
Constant Contact
Constant Contact reports on email performance: open rates, click rates, bounces, unsubscribes, and campaign comparison over time. The reporting is clear and easy to understand but limited to email metrics. There's no way to connect email activity to sales outcomes, website behavior, or revenue.
Winner: HubSpot. HubSpot reports across the full customer journey: email performance, website analytics, deal pipeline metrics, marketing attribution, and custom dashboards.
Pricing Comparison
HubSpot
Free plan available · 14-day free trial
Free Tools
$0
Starter
$20/mo per seat
$15/mo per seat billed annually
Professional
$100/mo per seat
Enterprise
$150/mo per seat
Constant Contact
Starts at $12/mo · 60-day free trial
Lite
$12/mo
$10/mo billed annually
Standard
$35/mo
$30/mo billed annually
Premium
$80/mo
$68/mo billed annually
Final Verdict
HubSpot is the better choice if you need a CRM alongside email marketing and want sales pipeline tracking, marketing attribution, and room to grow. Constant Contact is the better choice if you only need email marketing, prefer simplicity over features, or run a nonprofit that uses event management tools.
Choose HubSpot if you...
- ✓You need a CRM alongside email marketing
- ✓Your team does both marketing and sales and needs them connected
- ✓You want marketing attribution (which campaign drove which deal)
- ✓You plan to grow into automation, reporting, and multi-channel marketing
- ✓You want to start free and upgrade as needs grow
Choose Constant Contact if you...
- ✓You only need email marketing, not a CRM or sales tools
- ✓Simplicity and fast setup are top priorities
- ✓You run events and need ticketing, registration, and RSVP management
- ✓Email deliverability is your primary concern
- ✓You're a nonprofit that needs discounted pricing and event tools
Frequently Asked Questions
Only for email marketing. Constant Contact can't replace HubSpot's CRM, deal pipeline, marketing automation, or reporting. If you're using HubSpot for email only, Constant Contact covers that at a lower cost. If you use any CRM or sales features, Constant Contact isn't a replacement.
Yes, for different reasons. HubSpot's free plan is permanent and includes CRM for 1M contacts, basic email, live chat, and forms. Constant Contact's 60-day trial gives full access but expires. If you need CRM, HubSpot's free plan is better. If you only need email and want to test thoroughly, Constant Contact's 60-day trial gives more time with the full feature set.
Constant Contact. It offers nonprofit discounts, event ticketing, registration forms, and survey tools that HubSpot doesn't include. HubSpot has a nonprofit program with discounted pricing, but the platform is more complex than most nonprofit teams need.
Both have modern, mobile-responsive templates. Constant Contact has 200+ templates with a simpler editor. HubSpot's templates are more customizable but require more time to learn. For quick, professional emails without design skills, Constant Contact is faster.
When you need to track deals or manage a sales pipeline alongside marketing. If you're following up on leads in spreadsheets, can't tell which emails drive revenue, or your team is split between marketing and sales without shared visibility, it's time for a CRM. Start with HubSpot's free plan to test the fit.