HubSpot and Mailchimp both send marketing email, so they often end up on the same shortlist. They start from different places. HubSpot is built around a CRM, with deals and sales activity at the core. Mailchimp is built around email campaigns and audiences. Here is how they compare as of October 2026, using each vendor's own pages.
The short verdict
Pick Mailchimp if your main job is sending newsletters, promotions or shop emails to a list, and sales deals are a small part of your work.
Pick HubSpot if you need to track deals and one-to-one sales conversations, and you also want to send some marketing email from the same place.
Free plans compared
Mailchimp Free (pricing page):
- 250 contacts
- Up to 500 emails a month, with a maximum of 250 a day
- One user and one audience
- Mailchimp branding cannot be removed
- Email support for the first 30 days
HubSpot free CRM (HubSpot CRM, email page):
- Up to two users and 1,000 contacts
- Up to 2,000 emails a month
- HubSpot branding on emails, forms, live chat and meeting links
- Contact and deal management, email tracking, templates, meeting scheduling, live chat and quotes
On the free plans, HubSpot allows more contacts and more emails. Mailchimp's free plan is aimed at trying email marketing on a small list.
Paid plans, as of October 2026
Mailchimp prices depend on how many contacts you have. These are the regular starting prices, for up to 500 contacts. At the time of writing, Mailchimp offered 50% off them for the first 12 months.
- Essentials: starts at $13 a month. Up to 10 times your contact count in emails each month. Three users.
- Standard: starts at $20 a month. Up to 12 times your contact count in emails each month. Five users. Includes one personal onboarding session.
- Premium: starts at $350 a month. Up to 15 times your contact count in emails each month. Unlimited users.
Paid plans remove Mailchimp branding. If you go past your contact or send limit, Mailchimp bills you for the extra.
HubSpot is priced per seat, plus marketing contacts.
- Starter: normally $20 per seat per month, with a limited-time discount for new customers (Starter page). Removes HubSpot branding.
- Your email send limit on Starter depends on the marketing contacts you buy. HubSpot's product catalog sets it at up to five sends per marketing contact per month on Starter.
- Email workflows, meaning automated email series, are on Marketing Hub Professional and Enterprise, according to HubSpot's email page.
Both tools tie price to your list. With Mailchimp, more contacts means a higher tier. With HubSpot, more marketing contacts means a higher contact tier, on top of seats.
Setup effort
Mailchimp is quick to start if you only need to send campaigns: import a list, pick a template, write, send.
HubSpot asks a little more at the start, because you set up contacts, deal stages and email together. If you only need newsletters, that is extra work you may not use.
What grows with you
Mailchimp grows by contact count and plan level. Higher plans add more users, more audiences, more sends per contact and features such as custom reports and dynamic content.
HubSpot grows by seats and editions. Professional and Enterprise add more automation, reporting and permissions across sales and marketing.
How to decide
- Mostly newsletters and promotions to a list: Mailchimp.
- Mostly sales deals and one-to-one follow-ups: HubSpot.
- Both, with a small team: HubSpot's free plan covers more contacts and emails to start.
- Selling online and sending shop emails: try Mailchimp first.
- Not sure: build one real newsletter in each free plan and see which you prefer.
Comparing more tools? See HubSpot free CRM limitations and HubSpot vs GoHighLevel.
Your list and your words
Whichever you pick, you need a list of people who asked to hear from you, and emails worth opening. Start with how to build an email list, then read how to write a newsletter people actually read.