HubSpot vs. Mailchimp – What’s the best CRM system for my business?

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A good CRM system can help you centralise, optimise and manage your customer communication. Throw in some good automation features and a CRM system can save you a few hours out of your own or your sales and marketing team member’s days.

But finding the right fit for your business can be tough. There are a lot of CRMs out there and it can be hard to pick the right one for your needs.

One of the common questions we are asked about CRMs is how does HubSpot compares with MailChimp.

While there is some friendly competition between HubSpot and Mailchimp… HubSpot offers a range of what we believe are superior tools in comparison to Mailchimp, but we’ll get into this more in a minute.

Firstly, what is a CRM system?

There’s a chance you’ve gotten to this paragraph and have been asking yourself, what’s a CRM? And that’s OK! The marketing acronyms seem never ending (believe us, we know!), but we’re happy to let you in on what they mean.

CRM stands for Customer Relationship Management, which refers to integrated, data-driven software solutions that improve how you interact and do business with your customers. A CRM system (or software) helps you manage and maintain customer relationships, track sales leads, marketing, and sales pipeline, and delivers the data you need to make informed decisions.

So why the buzz about HubSpot?

HubSpot defines itself as ‘a growth platform that combines marketing automation, email, and a suite of other flexible marketing tools with the power of a CRM to give you insight into how your marketing efforts are affecting your customer’s experience across their entire buyer’s journey’.

Phew! That’s a pretty impressive definition.

However, we like to say HubSpot is an all-in-one inbound marketing, sales and service software which includes a CRM system.

Yes, includes!

HubSpot is so much more than just a CRM system, but if we listed all its features, we’d be here all day! Here’s a handy list of all HubSpot’s features in the one place

Meanwhile, Mailchimp is a solid email marketing tool, with some CRM capabilities.

Don’t get us wrong – we once loved Mailchimp too! But if you’re serious about business growth, it’s worth the upgrade from the handy screwdriver in the drawer to the whole toolbox in the shed

Discover all the differences between HubSpot and Mailchimp in this comparison list.

This all sounds great, but how much will it cost?

We’re not surprised you’re curious about the cost, and may have some concerns that HubSpot will blow your budget. However, HubSpot understands the value of a great CRM to businesses of all sizes and budgets, and therefore sign up is free! This gives you access to all the standard CRM features, as well as some marketing and sales tools – giving you the opportunity to get a feel for how it works without having to fork out for a subscription.

Additional features in the Marketing, Sales and Service Hubs are available across the three-tiered payment levels: Starter, Professional and Enterprise. This means that there’s sure to be an option to suit your needs.

I’m a small business – is HubSpot or Mailchimp better for me?

While we’re lovers of HubSpot, Mailchimp does still have its place for some smaller businesses. Mailchimp is an easy-to-use system which makes managing your emails easy. It has the ability to integrate with some great small business tools like Squarespace, Stripe and Big Cartel. If you’re nervous about finding the right tool for your business, Mailchimp is the perfect place to start.  

But if you’re looking for something sophisticated which is going to give you back more hours and automate sales and marketing processes for you, HubSpot is going to be a better fit.

I want to learn more but might need some help!

If you’re excited to start using a new CRM system, but you’re not sure where to start, we’re here to help.

We have worked across platforms and whilst we love and recommend HubSpot, our team has expertise across all CRM systems. This means we can help your business continue to deliver with your current system, but also provide support if you are looking to take your business to the next step.

We are a Gold Certified HubSpot Partner, which means we have the skills and knowledge required to expertly guide you through the onboarding process. From how to set up your CRM to suit your business, to best practice management of data and segmentation. We’ll also take you through the way to creating an inbound marketing approach which is tailored to your business and customers.

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Claire Raymond
Claire Raymond
Claire Raymond
Claire Raymond
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