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Alternatives · Email

Best HubSpot Email alternatives

The email tools we would weigh against HubSpot when the jump to Professional pricing, the seat fees, or paying for a whole platform start to bite.

HubSpot's email lives inside Marketing Hub, which pairs a polished editor and automation with a real CRM under one login. That breadth is the draw, and also the catch. Buyers most often look elsewhere for one of three reasons: the steep cliff from Starter at $20 per seat to Professional at $890 a month plus a one time $3,000 onboarding fee, pricing tied to marketing contacts that climbs as your list grows, and the sense of paying for a full platform when you mainly need email and automation. The four below cover the usual exits, from a deep automation tool with a built in CRM to a cheap send based all in one. Each carries our editorial score and a verified entry price so you can match the tradeoff to your team.

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Reviewed by ·Updated JUNE 2026·How we vet
The shortlist

Four email tools we would weigh first

Email 85 Mailchimp The familiar all in one marketing brand with a wide app ecosystem. Read verdict → Email 89 Brevo A CRM, email and SMS in one, billed by emails sent not contacts. Read verdict → Email 90 MailerLite A clean editor, low prices and a genuine free plan to start. Read verdict → Email 92 ActiveCampaign HubSpot grade automation and a built in CRM, far cheaper to run. Read verdict →
At a glance

How they compare

Scores are editorial assessments against our email marketing rubric. Price from as of June 2026; check the vendor for current pricing.

Tool Best for Price from Score
ActiveCampaign Deep automation and CRM $19 92
MailerLite Value with a free plan Free / $10 90
Brevo CRM, email and SMS in one Free / $9 89
Mailchimp Familiar all in one marketing Free / $13 85
Decision framework

Which one fits you

ActiveCampaign you came to HubSpot for the automation and CRM, and want that same depth, conditional logic, lead scoring and a sales pipeline, without the Professional tier's price and onboarding fee.
Brevo you want HubSpot's all in one feel on a tighter budget, with a free CRM, email and SMS together and pricing by emails sent rather than by the size of your contact list.
MailerLite you mostly need a clean email tool with solid automation and forms, and would rather start free and pay a low flat rate than fund a whole marketing platform.
Mailchimp you want a familiar all in one with a broad app ecosystem and basic CRM, and value brand recognition and integrations over HubSpot's deeper sales tooling.
Common questions

HubSpot Email alternatives FAQ

What is the best HubSpot email alternative?

It depends on the gap. ActiveCampaign matches HubSpot on automation and a built in CRM at a fraction of the price, Brevo bundles CRM, email and SMS on a cheap send based plan, MailerLite wins on value with a free plan, and Mailchimp is the familiar all in one. Scores are editorial against our email rubric. Pricing as of June 2026; check the vendor for current pricing.

Is there a cheaper alternative to HubSpot for email?

Yes. HubSpot's Professional plan starts at $890 a month plus a one time $3,000 onboarding fee, while ActiveCampaign starts at $19 a month, Brevo at $9 a month, and both MailerLite and Mailchimp offer free plans. The savings are largest for teams that mostly need email and automation rather than the full platform. Verified June 2026; check the vendor for current pricing.

Does HubSpot have a free email plan?

HubSpot includes free email tools inside its free CRM, capped at a low daily send limit and carrying HubSpot branding, which is fine for testing. For a lasting free tier with more room, MailerLite, Brevo and Mailchimp each offer one. Verified June 2026; check the vendor for current pricing.

Can I get HubSpot's CRM in an alternative?

Yes. ActiveCampaign and Brevo both include a built in CRM alongside email and automation, which covers the main reason teams reach for HubSpot without paying for the Professional tier.

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