Last Updated: March 19, 2026 | Quick Answer: Constant Contact is best for Small businesses, nonprofits, and local organizations new to email marketing, while HubSpot excels for Small businesses and startups that want a free CRM today with room to scale into marketing and sales automation. Both are strong email marketing options — your choice depends on your specific needs and budget.
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At a Glance
| Constant Contact | HubSpot | |
|---|---|---|
| Best For | Small businesses, nonprofits, and local organizations new to email marketing | Small businesses and startups that want a free CRM today with room to scale into marketing and sales automation |
| Starting Price | $12/mo (Lite, 500 contacts) / $35/mo (Standard) / $80/mo (Premium) | Free CRM; Starter from $20/mo |
| Free Plan | Check website | Check website |
| Our Rating | 7/10 | 8.5/10 |
| Key Strength | Easiest onboarding experience in email marketing — genuinely beginner-friendly with live coaching | Genuinely powerful free CRM that serves as the foundation for an all-in-one business platform |
Constant Contact Overview
Constant Contact is an email marketing and digital marketing platform founded in 1995. It’s one of the oldest email marketing companies in the industry, serving over 600,000 customers — primarily small businesses, nonprofits, and local organizations.
Top Features:
- Email Editor
- Contact Management
- Automation
- Event Management
Read our full Constant Contact review
HubSpot Overview
HubSpot is an all-in-one CRM platform that combines marketing, sales, customer service, and content management into a single system. Founded in 2006 by Brian Halligan and Dharmesh Shah at MIT, HubSpot pioneered the concept of “inbound marketing” — attracting customers through valuable content rather
Top Features:
- Free CRM
- Email Marketing and Marketing Automation
- Sales Pipeline and Deal Tracking
- Landing Pages and Forms
Feature Comparison
| Feature | Constant Contact | HubSpot |
|---|---|---|
| Email Editor | Yes | Similar |
| Contact Management | Yes | Similar |
| Automation | Yes | Similar |
| Event Management | Yes | Similar |
| Social Media and Ads | Yes | Similar |
| Pros | Yes | Similar |
| Free CRM | Similar | Yes |
| Email Marketing and Marketing Automation | Similar | Yes |
Pricing Comparison
| Constant Contact | HubSpot | |
|---|---|---|
| Starting Price | $12/mo (Lite, 500 contacts) / $35/mo (Standard) / $80/mo (Premium) | Free CRM; Starter from $20/mo |
| Free Plan/Trial | Check website | Check website |
Pros and Cons
Constant Contact
Pros:
- Easiest email marketing platform to learn — true beginner-friendly UX
- Live phone support (rare in this category) plus chat and email
- Built-in event management with registration, ticketing, and payments
- 200+ email templates that look professional on mobile
Cons:
- Expensive for the feature set — ActiveCampaign and Mailchimp offer more for less
- Automation is basic — no conditional branching, lead scoring, or complex workflows
- Contact pricing scales steeply — gets very expensive above 10,000 contacts
HubSpot
Pros:
- The free CRM is the best in the industry — functional enough to run a small business without paying a dollar
- All-in-one platform eliminates the need to stitch together separate tools for CRM, email, landing pages, and support
- Clean, modern interface with a relatively gentle learning curve for a platform this powerful
- Extensive integration marketplace (1,500+ integrations) connects HubSpot to nearly every tool you already use
Cons:
- You want a lightweight, sales-focused CRM without the marketing overhead (consider Pipedrive)
When to Choose Constant Contact
- You need easiest onboarding experience in email marketing — genuinely beginner-friendly with live coaching
- Your primary focus is small businesses, nonprofits, and local organizations new to email marketing
- You want a platform rated 7/10 by our team
When to Choose HubSpot
- You need genuinely powerful free crm that serves as the foundation for an all-in-one business platform
- Your primary focus is small businesses and startups that want a free crm today with room to scale into marketing and sales automation
- You want a platform rated 8.5/10 by our team
FAQ
Is Constant Contact better than HubSpot?
It depends on your needs. Constant Contact is better for small businesses, nonprofits, and local organizations new to email marketing, while HubSpot is stronger for small businesses and startups that want a free crm today with room to scale into marketing and sales automation. We rated Constant Contact 7/10 and HubSpot 8.5/10.
Can I use both Constant Contact and HubSpot?
Yes, many teams use both tools together. Constant Contact and HubSpot can complement each other depending on your workflow requirements.
Which is cheaper, Constant Contact or HubSpot?
Constant Contact starts at $12/mo (Lite, 500 contacts) / $35/mo (Standard) / $80/mo (Premium), while HubSpot starts at Free CRM; Starter from $20/mo. Both offer different tiers, so compare plans based on the features you actually need.
Our Verdict
Both Constant Contact and HubSpot are solid choices in their respective categories. Choose Constant Contact if you prioritize easiest onboarding experience in email marketing — genuinely beginner-friendly with live coaching. Choose HubSpot if genuinely powerful free crm that serves as the foundation for an all-in-one business platform matters more to your workflow. Either way, both tools offer free trials or plans so you can test before committing.
Read our full Constant Contact review | Read our full HubSpot review
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