ConvertKit vs. HubSpot Marketing Hub

Overview
ProductRatingMost Used ByProduct SummaryStarting Price
ConvertKit
Score 8.5 out of 10
N/A
ConvertKit, from the company of the same name headquartered in Boise, is presented as email marketing software for online creators - the authors, makers, podcasters, photographers, YouTubers, teachers, and artists. The vendor boasts 19,500 paying customers, sending 500 million emails per month, and rapid growth.
$29
per month
HubSpot Marketing Hub
Score 8.8 out of 10
N/A
HubSpot's Marketing Hub is an all-in-one inbound marketing engine that includes tools for email marketing, landing page creation, social media marketing, content management, reporting & analytics, search engine optimization (SEO), and more.
$15
per month per seat
Pricing
ConvertKitHubSpot Marketing Hub
Editions & Modules
Creator
$29.00
per month
Creator Pro
$59.00
per month
Marketing Hub Starter
$15
per month per seat
Marketing Hub Professional
$890
per month Includes 3 Core Seats (Additional Core Seats start at $50)
Marketing Hub Enterprise
Starts at $3,600
per month Includes 5 Core Seats (Additional Core Seats start at $75)
Offerings
Pricing Offerings
ConvertKitHubSpot Marketing Hub
Free Trial
NoYes
Free/Freemium Version
NoYes
Premium Consulting/Integration Services
NoNo
Entry-level Setup FeeNo setup feeRequired
Additional Details
More Pricing Information
Community Pulse
ConvertKitHubSpot Marketing Hub
Considered Both Products
ConvertKit
Chose ConvertKit
We just compared it with Mailchimp initially and later realised both the tools works well for email marketing campaigns, ConvertKit helped us managing lot of things with single tool rather than using 2 - 3 different tools. Pricing wise also it was almost coming around similar …
Chose ConvertKit
I've tried other email marketing platforms, but they were either too complicated or more expensive than ConvertKit. The way that ConvertKit linked with my CRM and Zapier allowed me to use it for what I needed. The other options would probably work as well, but ConvertKit met …
Chose ConvertKit
MailChimp had too many delivery related problems (this is few years ago). This problems include but not limited to bounce, mails landing in spam and more. Mailerlite was advertised as alternative for chimp but they were starting up and I took only because they charged for …
Chose ConvertKit
Mailchimp worked for awhile, but the intuitive automation functions of Convertkit are what really sold me on the product.
Chose ConvertKit
MailerLite, Mailchimp and Mad Mimi
Chose ConvertKit
The other products I have used are not available on TrustRadius. I used ConvertKit before I used these other products because I need an all in one platform.
HubSpot Marketing Hub
Chose HubSpot Marketing Hub
I think HubSpot Marketing Hub is more intuitive - with workflows, with reporting, with creation of landing pages and emails. It felt like everything was more complicated and required more steps with Pardot, leaving more room for error. And while Pardot is natively integrated …
Chose HubSpot Marketing Hub
While they are good in their own ways, I've always found them incomplete for implementing an all-round marketing strategy. This is the tool that integrates marketing and sales services making it easier for teams to collaborate and bring in good results. Additionally, I really …
Chose HubSpot Marketing Hub
The HubSpot Marketing Hub is much easier to use, previews are more accurate, allows for easy preview text. Virtuous is clunky for building out emails and automations.
Chose HubSpot Marketing Hub
I have used and evaluated Marketo, Pardot, and Mailchimp alongside HubSpot Marketing Hub.
Marketo offers a deeper automation but it's tougher to use.
Pardot integrates well with Salesforce but not much useful for B2C. Mailchimp is great for simple email marketing but lacks …
Chose HubSpot Marketing Hub
We and our clients have used all of these platforms and where they fall short is ...
- Usability: they are generally built for operation and not the typical marketer. HubSpot is by far the best experience for the user.
- All in one: other platforms are bolt-ons whereas HubSpot is …
Chose HubSpot Marketing Hub
It is an all in one solution that makes it possible to just work with one system for CRM, marketing, sales, etc. Better reports this way and this supports the customer journey. The contact/customer data is at the center of everything so no sales calls, emails, etc. will be sent …
Chose HubSpot Marketing Hub
HubSpot Marketing Hub is preferred because it is all in one, and you are able to view all your marketing data in one place. You can see all the interactions your contacts make with your marketing efforts versus diving into various point solutions and 'guessing.'
Chose HubSpot Marketing Hub
I was not responsible for evaluating the tools.
Chose HubSpot Marketing Hub
I've used and evaluated several other marketing automation tools in addition to HubSpot Marketing Hub. Some of the notable ones include Marketo, Pardot, and Eloqua.

Each of these platforms has its own unique strengths and weaknesses, and I've found that they can be better …
Chose HubSpot Marketing Hub
In my opinion, it does not stack up at all.
Chose HubSpot Marketing Hub
HubSpot Marketing Hub stacks up well against competitive platforms. If you have used something else it's not that hard to transition but make sure you read the documentation and the help files and try to go through some of the free trainings to ramp up. As the product suite …
Chose HubSpot Marketing Hub
HubSpot Marketing Hub stacks up against Salesforce Ad Studio when online training is involved HubSpot Marketing Hub provides excellent online training and support resources are available for getting new team members up to speed and for diving deeper into learning discrete …
Chose HubSpot Marketing Hub
Other competing software such as Zoho and BoomTown may have more bells and whistles, but it is too cumbersome and has many parts that only advanced users can operate. With HubSpot, each function is within reach of the average agent. It doesn't overpromise and then makes you …
Chose HubSpot Marketing Hub
we found that SharpSpring was really well suited for a small agency like ourselves. It had many (not all) of the functionalities that HubSpot has at a way better price. The problem was that we would be locked into a contract. Also, it wasn’t as streamlined and high tech as …
Chose HubSpot Marketing Hub
I used Marketo as a power user for two years. In my experience, I found Marketo to be better suited to companies that have a dedicated Marketing Ops professional due to the complexity of their platform. In general, I find HubSpot more intuitive and easier to use than Marketo. I …
Chose HubSpot Marketing Hub
Initially we were just started with Free version of hubspot and we were offered many features with the free version with support!! After exploring we thought that would help if we have a professional version to improve our business and opted to it. And Yes! it helped us in …
Chose HubSpot Marketing Hub
I love the simple workflow on Keap, it's very streamlined and can easily connect different aspects on the marketing. However, HubSpot Marketing Hub has so much more with the ads, social media, campaigns, & SEO. I started off with HubSpot over 10 years ago but tried Keap for a …
Chose HubSpot Marketing Hub
Hubspot quickly became the preferred tool for our Marketing Manager across to our resident in-house Hubspot guru. Integrating the sales and marketing tools in one place in Hubspot rather than third parties just made total sense to us.
Chose HubSpot Marketing Hub
HubSpot is an intuitive tool that is easy to implement if a business has a straightforward sales and contact segmentation approach. For businesses with more complicated setups, HubSpot's free CRM offering might not provide the advanced features required to meet all of their …
Chose HubSpot Marketing Hub
Better support.
User experience.
Friendly UI.
Chose HubSpot Marketing Hub
HubSpot Marketing Hub has a communication flow thanks to the different and complete tools it includes.
Chose HubSpot Marketing Hub
HubSpot [Marketing Hub] hands down! From the user interface all the way down to programmatic details, HubSpot [Marketing Hub] is leaps ahead over Pardot. I mean, what kind of system can't handle prospect time-zone sending? Pardot, that's who. HubSpot [Marketing Hub] is …
Chose HubSpot Marketing Hub
Haven't really used many other alternatives to Hubspot Marketing Hub though we use a similar tool that does not provide much of the marketing & abm campaign capabilities
Chose HubSpot Marketing Hub
I've worked with web developers and data engineers in previous roles, so this is really the first time I've had to work as both a content provider and deal with the interface and CRM.
Features
ConvertKitHubSpot Marketing Hub
Email & Online Marketing
Comparison of Email & Online Marketing features of Product A and Product B
ConvertKit
8.8
Ratings
10% above category average
HubSpot Marketing Hub
8.4
Ratings
10% above category average
WYSIWYG email editor9.00 Ratings9.20 Ratings
Dynamic content8.70 Ratings8.40 Ratings
Ability to test dynamic content8.70 Ratings7.50 Ratings
Landing pages8.30 Ratings8.50 Ratings
A/B testing8.40 Ratings5.90 Ratings
Mobile optimization9.70 Ratings7.80 Ratings
Email deliverability reporting9.70 Ratings8.60 Ratings
List management8.00 Ratings10.00 Ratings
Triggered drip sequences8.40 Ratings10.00 Ratings
Reporting & Analytics
Comparison of Reporting & Analytics features of Product A and Product B
ConvertKit
8.2
Ratings
7% above category average
HubSpot Marketing Hub
9.2
Ratings
23% above category average
Dashboards8.30 Ratings9.20 Ratings
Standard reports9.70 Ratings9.20 Ratings
Custom reports6.70 Ratings9.20 Ratings
Pre-Send Testing
Comparison of Pre-Send Testing features of Product A and Product B
ConvertKit
9.4
Ratings
16% above category average
HubSpot Marketing Hub
-
Ratings
URL Validation10.00 Ratings00 Ratings
Link Tracking10.00 Ratings00 Ratings
Image Validation9.30 Ratings00 Ratings
Inbox Display9.70 Ratings00 Ratings
Email Accessibility Tools9.30 Ratings00 Ratings
Spelling and Grammar Check9.00 Ratings00 Ratings
Spam Testing8.00 Ratings00 Ratings
Email Previews10.00 Ratings00 Ratings
Lead Management
Comparison of Lead Management features of Product A and Product B
ConvertKit
-
Ratings
HubSpot Marketing Hub
9.5
Ratings
20% above category average
Lead nurturing automation00 Ratings9.30 Ratings
Lead scoring and grading00 Ratings9.60 Ratings
Data quality management00 Ratings9.20 Ratings
Automated sales alerts and tasks00 Ratings10.00 Ratings
Campaign Management
Comparison of Campaign Management features of Product A and Product B
ConvertKit
-
Ratings
HubSpot Marketing Hub
7.1
Ratings
4% below category average
Calendaring00 Ratings7.30 Ratings
Event/webinar marketing00 Ratings6.90 Ratings
Social Media Marketing
Comparison of Social Media Marketing features of Product A and Product B
ConvertKit
-
Ratings
HubSpot Marketing Hub
9.4
Ratings
22% above category average
Social sharing and campaigns00 Ratings8.80 Ratings
Social profile integration00 Ratings10.00 Ratings
Platform & Infrastructure
Comparison of Platform & Infrastructure features of Product A and Product B
ConvertKit
-
Ratings
HubSpot Marketing Hub
9.0
Ratings
19% above category average
API00 Ratings9.00 Ratings
Role-based workflow & approvals00 Ratings8.90 Ratings
Customizability00 Ratings8.30 Ratings
Integration with Salesforce.com00 Ratings10.00 Ratings
Integration with Microsoft Dynamics CRM00 Ratings10.00 Ratings
Integration with SugarCRM00 Ratings7.70 Ratings
Best Alternatives
ConvertKitHubSpot Marketing Hub
Small Businesses
Mad Mimi
Mad Mimi
Score 10.0 out of 10
Vbout
Vbout
Score 9.9 out of 10
Medium-sized Companies
VerticalResponse
VerticalResponse
Score 10.0 out of 10
PFL Direct Mail Platform
PFL Direct Mail Platform
Score 9.0 out of 10
Enterprises
Emma by Marigold
Emma by Marigold
Score 9.4 out of 10
PFL Direct Mail Platform
PFL Direct Mail Platform
Score 9.0 out of 10
All AlternativesView all alternativesView all alternatives
User Ratings
ConvertKitHubSpot Marketing Hub
Likelihood to Recommend
8.0
(0 ratings)
8.4
(0 ratings)
Likelihood to Renew
-
(0 ratings)
9.0
(0 ratings)
Usability
9.0
(0 ratings)
8.6
(0 ratings)
Availability
-
(0 ratings)
9.1
(0 ratings)
Performance
-
(0 ratings)
8.9
(0 ratings)
Support Rating
-
(0 ratings)
8.4
(0 ratings)
In-Person Training
-
(0 ratings)
9.1
(0 ratings)
Online Training
-
(0 ratings)
9.1
(0 ratings)
Implementation Rating
-
(0 ratings)
7.3
(0 ratings)
Configurability
-
(0 ratings)
7.3
(0 ratings)
Ease of integration
-
(0 ratings)
8.9
(0 ratings)
Product Scalability
-
(0 ratings)
7.3
(0 ratings)
Vendor post-sale
-
(0 ratings)
9.1
(0 ratings)
Vendor pre-sale
-
(0 ratings)
9.1
(0 ratings)
User Testimonials
ConvertKitHubSpot Marketing Hub
Likelihood to Recommend
For us, it started with a smaller use case of captured leads, nurture them overtime to convert for services. Later we expanded our use case and started using integrations and automations to improve the conversions and automate some tasks as well. Based on that I totally feel someone who is creator and trying to diversify the income across building audience, community, paid Newsletter etc will suits the best. If you are just using it for email campaigns then it might not justify the price tag considering there are other cheaper alternatives that's available in the market.
Read full review
As I said previously, I was not a fan at the beginning because, like everyone, I don't take change so well. Once I started following leads through HubSpot Marketing Hub, I integrated it with my email and created templates for what I needed, I started to see the positives immediately. My time working was better spent as I eliminated time put in routine tasks. I was able to track all communication in HubSpot Marketing Hub, we created systems in the office assigning tasks to one another and, through HubSpot Marketing Hub, our leads were able to book meetings in my calendar automatically. To be honest, if you are in sales and marketing, I cannot think of scenarios where HubSpot Marketing Hub cannot help. All I would like to say is, when using templates, pay attention to where you send them - you may need some personalization. I would encourage the management of HubSpot Marketing Hub to create short tutorials for beginners like me who need to configure and start using various features: setting up deals, templates, and dashboards.
Read full review
Pros
  • Emails landing in subscribers inbox.
  • Free mailing address that customers can use.
  • Robust tagging system for managing funnels and targeting users with optimized emails.
  • Broad integrations available for other platforms and optin form plugins.
Read full review
  • A/B testing has been really effective for our landing pages and emails.
  • Adding our website to Hubspot has made it easier to make fast changes and get quality data and insights.
  • Emails are easy to create and share between teams to get feedback and collaborate on.
Read full review
Cons
  • When I first started using ConvertKit, I found it hard to create a landing page. I am pretty technical but when I had to customize my page using HTML, I got lost. I thought I could get up and running within an hour (build the page, create the list, and set up automation), but I soon realized I had to upgrade to use automation and setting up took me more than 3 hours. The learning curve had me stuck. I got frustrated and reached out to support.
  • ConvertKit is not for a non-tech person. There are not enough templates to get up and running within an hour.
  • ConvertKit is simply email marketing and landing pages for list building. It could offer a little more.
  • The analytics can be a bit more in depth.
Read full review
  • It is less about HubSpot as a platform and more about the app, but I wish they were able to bring a bit more functionality to the app such as being able to schedule posts. It would make trade shows much easier.
  • I wish the template designs were easier to make changes to because without CSS knowledge they can be complex to adjust. Many other sites have more user-friendly designs and this one is very rigid and sometimes hard to adjust.
  • While I love HubSpot Academy, I wish it listed out your current courses versus having to search for them. It would help remind me which ones I need to finish.
Read full review
Likelihood to Renew
No answers on this topic
I've been using Hubspot for about 6 years off and on but I highly recommend it as a CMS, especially with co workers all over the United States who need a one stop shop to find customer information and teamwork activities on Deals and Tasks.
Read full review
Usability
Can be summed up in three words that 'It just Works'. Crafted for creators and artists in mind, it offers all they need for start building up list. Free tier is really a good move to test out stuff. I am staying with them considering their good email delivery and simple interface and easy integration with our website software. WYSIYG Editor, Standard reporting but not deep level analytics gives all the basic tools needed to support the business.
Read full review
While there are some frustrating things that pop up unexpectedly ("wait... I can't do X?"), I have found HubSpot to be easy to use and extremely helpful to my daily work. The documentation is really good, and when it's not helpful, the support staff have been amazing.
Read full review
Reliability and Availability
No answers on this topic
They have had issues with system availability over the course of days. Sometimes the system is unusable, other times updates simply take a long time to show up. It's better now but, from a reliaibility standpoint, HubSpot is not Salesforce.com yet. Still great software though.
Read full review
Performance
No answers on this topic
With all the new features in HubSpot, the system can get a tad slow sometimes... That said, most of the time it is lightning fast and I have no problems. Because most of the integrations are API, they silently work in the background. I have not had trouble with lag due to HubSpot integration
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Support Rating
No answers on this topic
During the few times I've needed it, HS support has been accessible, helpful and efficient. Often rolling up their sleeves to make changes for you as opposed to leaving you with a list of instructions to decipher on your own.
Read full review
In-Person Training
No answers on this topic
I did the 2-day classroom at HubSpot's corporate office in Cambridge. First off, it was amazing to see their corporate office in general. They have such a cool office environment. But it was also great to have the ability to learn in a workshop format with other HubSpot users and meet my Account Manager/ Inbound Marketing Consultant in person.
Read full review
Online Training
No answers on this topic
I went through Inbound Marketing University in 2006. Great training and helped my transition from traditional (outbound) marketing to inbound marketing that I've been able to apply to a number of businesses from wastewater and water reuse, to professional services and SaaS. Share information of value to build awareness and trust. Answer customers' questions in a transparent way to generate more qualified leads. Understand the difference between a marketing qualified lead and a sales qualified lead and put together a lead nurturing program. Your sales and marketing efforts will see significant ROI.
Read full review
Implementation Rating
No answers on this topic
My biggest piece of advice for those who are implementing Hubspot is that you need to devote the time up front and learn how to use the product. Once you learn how to use Hubspot, it will be much more effective as well as much easier to use in the long run
Read full review
Alternatives Considered
The other products I have used are not available on TrustRadius. I used ConvertKit before I used these other products because I need an all in one platform.
Read full review
Other competing software such as Zoho and Boomtown may have more bells and whistles, but it is too cumbersome and has many parts that only advanced users can operate. With HubSpot, each function is within reach of the average agent. It doesn't overpromise and then makes you feel incompetent when you can't use it all...
Read full review
Scalability
No answers on this topic
HubSpot is addressing this more and more. Currently you can assign tasks to designated sales teams, which grow as you grow. They've added free baseline products for those just getting started. These and more contribute to the scalability of HubSpot - so I gave it an 8 and am hoping for more in the future!
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Return on Investment
  • Greatly limits the number of client questions we receive
  • Improves our customer service
  • Tracks the number of leads we get over a period of time
Read full review
  • Ads - built-in ROI measurement in HubSpot's Ads to help improve ad optimization.
  • Workflows - opened the door to automate some processes at scale.
  • Campaigns - some room for improvement here. It could be a knowledge gap, but we've found that having email opens as a default engagement that's part of campaign performance muddies the waters on what actually is working in campaigns.
Read full review
ScreenShots

HubSpot Marketing Hub Screenshots

Screenshot of Marketing Automation with HubSpot. Here, marketers can define workflows for highly targeted and personalized nurturing campaigns that send leads and prospects the right targeted content at the right point in their decision-making process.Screenshot of HubSpot Analytics. These help track engagement with the entire funnel through real-time reporting on website performance, traffic and marketing effectiveness.Screenshot of HubSpot Social Media. HubSpot’s social media publishing helps improve scheduling and publishing social media content.Screenshot of HubSpot Blogging and SEO. HubSpot provides an integrated set of tools for Search Engine Optimization (SEO) which makes getting found online a natural part of the inbound marketing mix. More than a simple CMS, HubSpot provides an integrated authoring view with SEO-oriented suggestions as blog posts are written.Screenshot of Marketing Automation with HubSpot. Here, marketers can define workflows for highly targeted and personalized nurturing campaigns that send leads and prospects the right targeted content at the right point in their decision-making process.Screenshot of HubSpot Contacts. Integrating with most common CRMs, HubSpot provides a view of view contacts, and allows for customized and personalized email communications.