HubSpot vs. MailerLite: Which Is Right for You?

For every dollar spent on email marketing, you can expect a return of $36. This means if you invest $200 monthly for six months, you could see a return of over $43,000! But achieving these kinds of results depends on having the right tools. 

Enter HubSpot and MailerLite: two popular platforms designed to take your email marketing to the next level.

HubSpot combines its sophisticated CRM with advanced automation and analytics, making it a favorite for businesses of all sizes. MailerLite, on the other hand, is a lightweight, cost-effective solution that focuses on simplicity and ease of use.

You're in the right place if you're wondering which platform is best for your goals. This article compares HubSpot vs. MailerLite across key features like automation, CRM functionality, email marketing tools, pricing, and more to help you decide.

Feature Overview: Automation, CRM, and Email Marketing

Leveraging the right tools is how you create email campaigns that don’t just reach inboxes but truly connect with your audience. When deciding between HubSpot vs MailerLite, understanding how automation and CRM features enhance email marketing helps you make the best choice.

Why Automation and CRM Matter 

Automation simplifies your email marketing by allowing you to create workflows that respond to customer actions automatically. 

For example, if someone signs up for your newsletter, you can instantly send a welcome email, recommend products, or follow up days later without lifting a finger. This process is a time-saver and ensures every opportunity runs smoothly.

On the other hand, CRM (Customer Relationship Management) organizes all your customer data in one place—purchasing history, interactions, preferences—so you can deliver highly personalized and relevant messages. Instead of generic emails, your marketing feels tailored to each individual, making it more effective.

Combining CRM and email automation creates a winning formula. You manage customer data, analyze behavior, and automate responses—all in one place. If you’ve been struggling to achieve this balance, you need to identify and fix gaps in your email marketing approach.

HubSpot vs MailerLite: Key Features Comparison

Let’s take a closer look at how HubSpot automation features and CRM stack up against MailerLite’s offerings.

Why These Features Matter for You

• Automation to Save Time: Both platforms provide tools to simplify your workflow, but HubSpot’s advanced triggers make it more powerful for complex marketing needs. For straightforward campaigns, MailerLite is a cost-effective and easy-to-use option.
• CRM for Better Relationships: If customer data is at the heart of your strategy, HubSpot is unmatched in how it manages and uses this data to inform your campaigns. MailerLite focuses more on email delivery than on full customer lifecycle management.
• Personalization to Stand Out: Personalization is critical for engaging your audience. While MailerLite offers basic personalization, HubSpot’s CRM-driven insights allow you to send deeply relevant emails.

Automation Capabilities: HubSpot vs. MailerLite

In this MailerLite automation comparison with Hubspot, we'll explore how automation is the backbone of modern email marketing, helping you save time, improve efficiency, and enhance customer engagement. Both HubSpot and MailerLite provide automation tools, but their approaches cater to different needs. 

MailerLite Automation

If you’re looking for a straightforward and user-friendly solution, MailerLite offers excellent automation features for smaller businesses. You can create simple yet effective workflows to nurture leads, onboard customers, or re-engage subscribers.

Trigger-Based Automation

MailerLite's automation is built around triggers—specific events or actions that initiate an automated process. For example, you can automate tasks like:

• Sending a welcome email when a subscriber joins a group.
• Following up after someone completes a form.
• Sending reminders or updates on exact dates, like birthdays or anniversaries.

For users on the Advanced Plan, MailerLite allows you to set up to three triggers per workflow, which means you can create more refined processes. For example, you could design an automation to:

1. Notify a subscriber about abandoned cart items.
2. Move them to the "Buyers" group if they make a purchase.
3. Send a post-purchase follow-up.

Here's an example of what this might look like:

"You forgot things in your cart!" automation workflow includes steps like moving users to a buyer group after clicking a link.

Workflow Steps

MailerLite simplifies workflow creation with five different steps you can use:

1. Email – Send personalized emails at different stages of your workflow.
2. Delay – Add time gaps between actions to create a natural flow.
3. Condition – Set rules based on subscriber behavior, like opening an email or clicking a link.
4. Action – Move subscribers between groups or update their data.
5. A/B Split Testing – Test different approaches to see which one performs better.
   
   

The process is intuitive. You can start from scratch or use one of MailerLite’s automation templates for common tasks like customer onboarding or product promotions:

MailerLite offers various templates to help you get started quickly.

MailerLite’s automation features are perfect for small businesses that need simple workflows without overwhelming complexity.

HubSpot Automation

For businesses that need more advanced automation tools, HubSpot is the clear winner. Its advanced workflows and integrations go far beyond email marketing, offering powerful solutions for managing leads, sales, and customer data.

Trigger-Based Actions and Customization

HubSpot workflows start with trigger-based actions—just like MailerLite—but with significantly more customization options. You can enroll contacts into workflows based on detailed conditions, such as:

• A combination of behaviors like filling out forms or reaching a specific lead score. 
• Interactions with your website, like viewing a pricing page. 
• Data updates, such as changes in a contact’s lifecycle stage. 

For example, you can set up a workflow that:

1. Enrolls contacts who fill out a specific form and reach a lead score above a certain threshold. 
2. Rotates the contact among your sales team to ensure prompt follow-up. 
3. Automatically creates a lead record and assigns it to the appropriate contact owner.

Here’s a sample screenshot of HubSpot’s contact enrollment setup:

Example: Enroll contacts when their score is above 5 and they’ve filled out a form.

This level of customization makes HubSpot ideal for businesses that want to manage their data in bulk while automating complex processes.

Versatile Workflow Actions

Once contacts are enrolled in a workflow, HubSpot offers an array of actions to manage and nurture them effectively. These include:

• Delays: Add time intervals between actions to pace communication. 
• Branches: Create conditional paths based on user actions, like email opens or clicks. 
• Communications: Automate emails, SMS, and internal notifications for your team.
• Task Assignments: Automatically create tasks for your sales team to follow up on leads.

These advanced features make HubSpot ideal for businesses with complex sales funnels and larger teams.

For example, if a lead opens a marketing email, HubSpot can trigger a sequence to send them a follow-up email, notify your sales team, and assign a task to the lead’s owner—all within a single workflow.

Pre-Built Templates and Flexibility

Like MailerLite, HubSpot also provides pre-built templates to help you get started. These templates cover a range of scenarios, such as lead nurturing, customer retention, and upselling campaigns.

HubSpot supports actions like creating leads, assigning owners, and more.

HubSpot’s comprehensive automation features make it a perfect choice for businesses that need to scale. From automating follow-ups for a small sales team or creating complex workflows that integrate marketing and CRM, HubSpot provides the tools to handle it all.

CRM Functionality: HubSpot vs. MailerLite

In our HubSpot CRM vs. MailerLite comparison, we'll explore how these platforms offer vastly different experiences when managing customer relationships. 

MailerLite CRM

MailerLite isn’t a dedicated CRM, but it provides some basic features that can mimic CRM functionality, especially for email marketers who don’t need a full-fledged system. These features include subscriber management and segmentation, making it easier for you to organize and connect with your audience.

With MailerLite, you can create subscriber groups and segment them based on criteria like:

• Demographics (e.x., age, location). 
• Behavior (e.x., email opens or link clicks). 
• Signup sources (e.g., website forms or social media). 

For instance, you could set up a group for leads who downloaded an eBook from your website and another for customers who recently made a purchase. This segmentation helps you target your campaigns more effectively, ensuring your messages resonate with specific audiences.

Automation for CRM-Like Tasks

MailerLite also supports CRM-like automation through integrations with tools like Zapier. So, you can trigger actions based on subscriber interactions. For example, if a subscriber clicks a link in your campaign, you can use this interaction to update their contact information or even log the data in another tool, like Google Sheets.

Example showing Subscriber Clicked Campaign Link in MailerLite → Create Spreadsheet Row in Google Sheets.

If MailerLite’s basic CRM features aren’t enough for your needs, it integrates with up to 23 CRM platforms, including popular options like Zoho, Salesforce, and even HubSpot. These integrations let you bridge the gap between email marketing and more advanced CRM functionality. We’ll cover integrations in detail soon.

HubSpot CRM

HubSpot takes CRM functionality to the next level. Regarding HubSpot vs. MailerLite CRM features, the former offers a comprehensive suite of tools for managing your customer relationships, sales pipeline, and marketing efforts. Even better, HubSpot’s CRM is free to use, making it accessible for businesses of all sizes.

In-Depth Contact Management

HubSpot allows you to store and manage unlimited contacts with detailed records of their interactions, including emails, website visits, and social media activity. You can track individual customer journeys to better understand where they are in the sales funnel and tailor your communication accordingly.

Pipeline Management

One standout feature of HubSpot CRM is its pipeline tracking. You can visually manage your entire sales pipeline on a customizable dashboard, making it easy to track deals, monitor progress, and identify opportunities.


Example of a custom deal report showing a visual dashboard

This real-time view helps you stay organized and ensures no deal slips through the cracks.

Advanced Features 

HubSpot CRM also includes advanced functionalities like:

• Contact scoring to prioritize high-value leads. 
• Task automation to streamline repetitive tasks. 
• Team notifications to alert your team about important actions, such as when a lead fills out a form or engages with your website.

For example, you can set up a workflow that triggers when a lead’s "Company Score" exceeds a certain threshold. This workflow could rotate the lead to a specific team member, create a follow-up task, or send a notification to your sales team.

Contact enrollment trigger example

HubSpot CRM offers incredible flexibility, allowing you to build workflows that include delays, branching logic, and communication tasks. You can also customize your CRM with third-party integrations, APIs, and even AI-powered tools.

Email Marketing Features: HubSpot vs. MailerLite

Exploring MailerLite and HubSpot email marketing features reveals how email marketing can make or break your digital communication strategy. Below is the best email marketing platform comparison for you:

MailerLite Email Marketing 

MailerLite focuses on simplicity and ease of use here too. Especially if you’re just getting started with email marketing, MailerLite makes it easy to create, send, and manage your campaigns.

• Easy Campaign Creation 
  You can choose from over 50 pre-designed email templates or create your own from scratch. The drag-and-drop email builder is beginner-friendly, so you don’t need any design skills to make professional-looking emails.

Examples of MailerLite's pre-designed templates 

• Segmentation for Targeted Campaigns 
  MailerLite lets you segment your audience to deliver more relevant messages. You can group subscribers by demographics, behavior, or how they interacted with past campaigns.

• Performance Metrics 
  MailerLite’s email deliverability rate is impressive. A recent report showed that 75.32% of 437,416 emails sent using MailerLite landed in the recipient's main mailbox. This is great for ensuring your emails reach your audience.

• Transactional Emails 
  If you’re in eCommerce, MailerLite’s transactional emails are a big plus. These automated emails are triggered by actions like purchases or password resets. They claim their system can handle millions of requests, even during peak times.

Examples of transactional email templates 

• Campaign Reporting
  MailerLite offers effective tools to track how well your campaigns are doing. You can see metrics like total views, unique visitors, subscribers, and conversion rates. If you want deeper insights, you can connect to Google Analytics.

• Advanced Tools
  For more detailed data, MailerLite includes:
  • Heatmaps to show where recipients clicked.
  • Reading environment to see whether your audience reads emails on mobile or desktop.
  • Top email clients (like Gmail or Outlook).
  • Opens by location for geographic insights.

These features make MailerLite a great option if you want straightforward email marketing with solid performance metrics and easy-to-use tools.

HubSpot Email Marketing

HubSpot, on the other hand, offers a more advanced email marketing experience. Its tools are designed to help you create highly personalized campaigns and optimize performance over time.

• Drag-and-Drop Email Builder 
  HubSpot makes designing emails simple with its drag-and-drop editor. You can build professional emails that match your brand without needing any technical skills. 
  
  
• Personalization at Scale 
  HubSpot takes personalization to the next level. You can use data from your CRM to personalize subject lines, email content, and even the timing of your sends.
  
  
• A/B Testing
  Optimize your campaigns with A/B testing. You can test subject lines, email layouts, or call-to-action buttons to see what works best. 
  
  
• Performance Metrics
  HubSpot’s deliverability rate is slightly higher than MailerLite’s, with 78.64% of 438,861 emails landing in the main mailbox. You can track performance metrics directly in HubSpot or through its mobile app. 
  
  
• AI-Powered Features
  HubSpot includes AI tools to help you generate email content quickly. With a simple prompt, you can create personalized messaging tailored to your audience.
  
  

Email dashboard with filters for AI-generated content 

• Comprehensive Reporting
  HubSpot provides detailed reporting on how your email marketing drives business growth. Some of the key features include: 
  • Attribution to track how different emails contributed to a sale.*
  • Sources report showing visits, contacts, and customers generated from your email campaigns. 
  • Revenue-focused insights, like top-performing blogs and top sources of revenue.**

Attribution example*

HubSpot’s revenue-driven email report**

Pricing Comparison 

MailerLite vs. HubSpot pricing caters to businesses of different sizes, but they approach their features in unique ways.

MailerLite Pricing

MailerLite is known for its affordability, especially for smaller businesses. Its pricing structure is based on the number of active subscribers—those marked as “active” rather than unsubscribed or bounced. 

The free plan is a standout feature, allowing you to send up to 12,000 emails monthly to 1,000 subscribers at no cost. If you’re just starting out, this makes MailerLite a budget-friendly choice with essential tools like email automation, website creation, and landing pages.

For businesses needing more flexibility, MailerLite offers paid plans starting at $9 per month. These plans unlock unlimited email sends, multivariate testing, advanced automation, and even an AI writing assistant. Larger organizations can benefit from enterprise-level features like dedicated account support, custom HTML editors, and promotional pop-ups, making MailerLite a scalable solution as your business grows.

Despite its lower price points, MailerLite integrates with 153 apps, including popular tools like Shopify, WordPress, and Zapier. If you rely on a specific platform not directly supported, tools like Make or LeadsBridge can help you connect your MailerLite account seamlessly.

MailerLite integrates with 153 tools

HubSpot Pricing

HubSpot, on the other hand, offers a more extensive ecosystem aimed at growing and enterprise-level businesses. The free tier provides basic marketing tools for up to 2 users and includes email marketing, live chat, CRM capabilities, and up to 2,000 email sends per month. These foundational tools are ideal if you want to explore HubSpot’s capabilities without a financial commitment.

For advanced features, HubSpot’s paid “Starter Custom Platform” begins at $12 per month and includes 5x the email send limit per marketing contact tier. Paid plans scale up to $3,600 per month for enterprise-level capabilities. What you’re paying for here isn’t just email marketing—it’s a comprehensive marketing automation suite. You’ll gain access to features like AI-powered personalization, social media tools, customer journey analytics, and multi-touch revenue attribution.

With marketing automation tools comparison, While HubSpot’s pricing is considerably higher than MailerLite’s, it delivers unmatched depth including in sales and service. With over 1,700 integrations spanning accounting, field management, and ATS systems, HubSpot seamlessly fits into your existing workflows. 

Hubspot has over 1,700 integrations

Its ability to integrate deeply with other platforms—even through custom development—makes it an extensive choice for larger organizations.

Here’s a side-by-side comparison of MailerLite and HubSpot to highlight the differences:

Which Platform Is Best for Your Business?

Choosing the right marketing platform depends on various factors like your business size, goals, and the complexity of your marketing efforts. Both HubSpot and MailerLite have unique strengths, so consider what fits best with your needs. 

Here’s a breakdown to help you evaluate which platform is right for your business.

HubSpot: Best for Businesses with Complex Needs and Growth Potential

HubSpot is an all-in-one marketing platform that integrates CRM, email marketing, sales tools, and automation in a single package. This makes it particularly well-suited for businesses that require a comprehensive solution. If you're a business that needs advanced tools and scalability, HubSpot might be a better choice.

• Business Size: HubSpot works well for small to large businesses, but it really shines as companies scale. As your business grows, HubSpot's advanced features can keep pace, helping you manage more complex marketing, sales, and customer relationship tasks. 
• Marketing Complexity: If your marketing efforts go beyond just email and include multi-channel campaigns, HubSpot’s marketing automation features are powerful. You can run detailed workflows, segment audiences, and generate in-depth reports. If you're looking to integrate email marketing with other parts of your business, HubSpot offers an excellent CRM, making it easy to manage leads and customer relationships.
• Automation and Customization: HubSpot’s automation features are comprehensive, allowing you to set up detailed email workflows, trigger-based communications, and follow-ups based on customer actions. If you want to personalize your emails and customer journeys at scale, HubSpot provides all the tools you need. However, keep in mind that these advanced features can come at a higher cost, and it might take time to master.
• Reporting and Analytics: HubSpot provides detailed reporting and analytics, helping you track performance across multiple marketing channels. If measuring ROI and fine-tuning your campaigns based on data is important to you, HubSpot delivers in-depth insights that can guide your marketing strategy.

Ideal for: 

• Businesses looking for an all-in-one solution that includes CRM, marketing, sales, and service tools.
• Companies that need complex marketing automation with detailed workflows.
• Businesses focused on growing their customer relationships over time and need comprehensive data tracking. 

MailerLite: Best for more basic Marketing

MailerLite focuses on simplicity and ease of use. It’s great for businesses that want to streamline their email campaigns without needing a full-featured CRM system.

• Business Size: MailerLite is best suited for small to medium-sized businesses. If you're just starting to grow your business and don't have the resources for a complex marketing automation system, MailerLite’s straightforward tools might be all you need. 
• Marketing Complexity: If your primary goal is to run effective email marketing campaigns with some automation, MailerLite is designed for simplicity. The platform includes email templates, automation triggers, and segmentation options. It’s a great choice if you want to focus solely on email marketing and don’t need advanced CRM or reporting features. 
• Ease of Use: MailerLite is known for its user-friendly interface. The platform allows you to create campaigns and automations quickly without a steep learning curve. This makes it ideal for smaller teams or entrepreneurs who may not have time for a more complicated tool.
• Pricing: If budget is a concern, MailerLite offers affordable pricing plans, including a free plan for businesses with smaller email lists. You can scale as needed, making it a flexible and cost-effective option for growing businesses.

Ideal for:

• Small businesses or startups with limited resources.
• Businesses that focus primarily on email marketing with a need for basic automation.
• Companies on a budget that still want an effective email marketing solution.

To help you decide which platform is better for your business, consider the following:

And remember, no matter which platform you choose, getting your email subject lines right is critical for success. If you're unsure about how to improve them, this guide on why subject lines may be the reason your emails aren’t being opened can help you optimize your email campaigns.

Conclusion

The HubSpot vs MailerLite debate boils down to what level of marketing support you need. 

Before deciding, signing up for free trials is a good idea to see which platform fits your needs. But even with the perfect tool, you could still miss out on key opportunities to connect with your audience without the right email marketing strategies.

Don’t risk falling behind—check out our free email marketing best practices guide that could be the difference between the success or death of your email campaigns.