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Remote Work · head to head

HubSpot CRM vs Mailchimp

HubSpot CRM logo

HubSpot CRM

Remote Work

Free CRM for sales and marketing

From
Free
Rated
-
Mailchimp logo

Mailchimp

E-Commerce

Turn emails into revenue

From
Free
Rated
-

The short version

  • Each has a real cost: HubSpot CRM starter plan discount for new customers only, subject to discontinuation at any time without notice; Mailchimp the free plan allows 250 contacts and 500 sends a month, with a 250 daily cap
  • They diverge on capability: HubSpot CRM covers Contact management, Mailchimp covers Email campaigns.
  • Prices and features above were last checked on 30 August 2026.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which HubSpot CRM and Mailchimp actually diverge.

Attributes where HubSpot CRM and Mailchimp differ
AttributeHubSpot CRMMailchimp
Pricing modelsubscriptionUnknown
PlatformsWeb, Mobile iOS, Mobile AndroidWeb, iOS, Android
CategoryRemote WorkE-Commerce
Founded20062001

Identical on both: starting price (Free), free tier (Yes), user rating (Not yet rated).

What each one covers

Drawn from each product's published feature list. An absence here means we hold no record of it - not that the product lacks it.

Only in HubSpot CRM

  • Contact management
  • Deal tracking
  • Email
  • Reporting
  • Automation
  • Slack
  • GitHub
  • Zapier

Only in Mailchimp

  • Email campaigns
  • Marketing automation
  • Landing pages
  • Forms & popups
  • Audience management
  • Content studio
  • Analytics
  • Social media

Both cover

  • Salesforce

What people use each for

The jobs each tool is most often brought in to do.

HubSpot CRM

  • Contact and deal management for sales teamsnot Mailchimp
  • Customer data organization and reportingnot Mailchimp
  • Team collaboration with permission controlsnot Mailchimp

Mailchimp

  • Email newslettersnot HubSpot CRM
  • E-commerce marketingnot HubSpot CRM
  • Lead generationnot HubSpot CRM
  • Customer engagementnot HubSpot CRM
  • Marketing automationnot HubSpot CRM

Where each one falls short

Documented limitations, not opinions. Every one is a constraint you would hit in normal use.

HubSpot CRM

  • Starter plan discount for new customers only, subject to discontinuation at any time without notice
  • Free plan limited to 2 users and 1,000 contacts, requiring upgrade for larger teams
  • Per-seat pricing model on all paid tiers, making team expansion costly

Mailchimp

  • The free plan allows 250 contacts and 500 sends a month, with a 250 daily cap
  • Price is driven by contact count, so the list growing raises the bill regardless of how much you send
  • Send allowances are a multiple of contacts, 10x on Essentials and 12x on Standard, so a large list with heavy sending forces a tier change
  • Essentials allows 3 seats and Standard 5; unlimited seats need Premium at $350 a month
  • The headline $13 and $20 prices are for 500 contacts, not a flat rate

Pricing, plan by plan

HubSpot CRM

Free
  • Free CRMFree
    • Up to 2 users
    • 1,000 contacts
    • Unlimited customer data
  • Starter$15/month
    • Required fields
    • Permission sets
    • Multiple currencies
  • Professional$50/month
    • AI customer agent
    • Duplicate management
    • Standard contact scoring
  • Enterprise$75/month
    • Custom objects
    • Organize teams
    • Single sign-on

Mailchimp

Free
  • FreeFree
    • 250 contacts
    • 500 sends per month
    • Basic email campaigns
  • Essentials$13/month
    • 500+ contacts
    • Email campaigns
    • Basic automation
  • Standard$20/month
    • Advanced automation
    • Segmentation
    • Landing pages

Which should you pick?

Choose HubSpot CRM if

  • You need contact management.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You work on Web, Mobile iOS, Mobile Android.
  • You also want deal tracking.

Choose Mailchimp if

  • You need email campaigns.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You work on Web, iOS, Android.
  • You also want marketing automation.

Questions people ask

Is HubSpot CRM or Mailchimp better?
Neither clearly leads. HubSpot CRM starts at Free and Mailchimp at Free, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, HubSpot CRM or Mailchimp?
HubSpot CRM starts at Free and Mailchimp at Free.
Does HubSpot CRM or Mailchimp run on more platforms?
HubSpot CRM runs on Web, Mobile iOS, Mobile Android. Mailchimp runs on Web, iOS, Android.
Can I use HubSpot CRM for free?
Both have a free tier, so you can try either at no cost before committing.
What is HubSpot CRM best used for?
HubSpot CRM is most often used for contact and deal management for sales teams, customer data organization and reporting, team collaboration with permission controls. Of those, contact and deal management for sales teams and customer data organization and reporting are not what Mailchimp is typically brought in for.
What can HubSpot CRM do that Mailchimp cannot?
HubSpot CRM covers Contact management, Deal tracking, Email, Reporting. Mailchimp covers Email campaigns, Marketing automation, Landing pages, Forms & popups. Both handle Salesforce.

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

HubSpot CRM: What is the cost of HubSpot CRM for different company sizes?

Free CRM for up to 2 users at $0/month. Starter at $15/month per seat (new customers only), Professional at $50/month per seat, Enterprise at $75/month per seat.

Source
Mailchimp: Does Mailchimp offer a free plan?

Yes, Mailchimp's free plan supports up to 250 contacts and 500 sends per month with a 250-per-day cap.

Source
HubSpot CRM: What are the user and contact limits on the free HubSpot CRM plan?

Free plan supports up to 2 users, 1,000 contacts, and unlimited customer data with no expiration date or credit card required.

Source
Mailchimp: What email features does Mailchimp include?

Mailchimp provides email campaign builder, automation sequences, segmentation, contact management, and A/B testing for email marketing.

Source
HubSpot CRM: Can data migrate from free to paid HubSpot CRM plans without loss?

Users can upgrade from free to premium tiers without data migration required, meaning all contacts and information transfer to the new plan.

Source
Mailchimp: Can Mailchimp integrate with e-commerce platforms?

Yes, Mailchimp integrates with Shopify, WooCommerce, Squarespace, and other e-commerce platforms for customer sync and abandoned cart automation.

Source
HubSpot CRM: Is there a discount for HubSpot CRM new customer pricing?

Starter plan offers a new customer discount with no set end date, but HubSpot reserves the right to discontinue this offer at any time.

Source
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