Customer Relationship Management (CRM) platforms are no longer just for enterprise sales teams. Today, they serve as the nervous system of any small business’s marketing and growth strategy. Yet, for many founders, marketing leads, or operations managers, the path to selecting the right CRM is murky. Add in persuasive sales teams and shiny automation promises, and it’s easy to commit to the wrong system.
Let’s imagine two real-world scenarios. One business owner, Megan, runs a boutique skincare brand and signed up for HubSpot based on its reputation and promises of a seamless all-in-one marketing platform. Yet within months, she’s facing ballooning costs and unclear automation paths. Another, Luis, leads a five-person consulting firm and picked ActiveCampaign on the advice of a freelancer—only to find the platform confusing and difficult to connect with his website and scheduling tool. Both are left questioning their CRM choices and the return on their investment.
This guide aims to help business owners like Megan and Luis make informed decisions—not based on sales hype, but on real performance, usability, and support.
Feature Comparison
ActiveCampaign:
Powerful automation builder
Strong email marketing features
Integrated site tracking
Sales pipeline management
Predictive content and win probability (on higher plans)
HubSpot:
Full suite of marketing, sales, service, and CMS tools
Native landing page and blog builder
Deep reporting and dashboards
Scalable as teams grow
Integrates tightly with Salesforce, Gmail, and Outlook
Comprehensive Feature Comparison
| Feature | ActiveCampaign | HubSpot |
|---|---|---|
| Email Marketing | Advanced features: split testing, autoresponders, dynamic content | Basic in free plan; advanced with Marketing Hub (e.g., conditional workflows) |
| CRM Functionality | Pipeline management, task tracking, lead scoring | Full CRM included, plus integrations with Sales, Marketing, and Service Hubs |
| Marketing Automation | Highly customizable automations with visual builder | Strong automation; easier to use but less granular without Professional plan |
| Reporting | Custom reporting available on higher tiers | Robust analytics with customizable dashboards |
| AI Features | Predictive sending, content suggestions, split automation testing | AI content creation, segmentation, chat summaries |
| Landing Pages & Forms | Basic landing pages via integrations or templates | Built-in landing page and form builders |
| CMS & Blog | Requires external tools | Built-in CMS and blogging tools (paid tiers) |
| Ease of Use | Steeper learning curve | More intuitive for beginners |
| API & Developer Tools | Extensive event tracking and webhooks | Rich ecosystem with built-in app marketplace |
See the full list of ActiveCampaign features. See HubSpot’s pricing and product tiers.
Pricing for Small Businesses
ActiveCampaign offers one of the most affordable entry points, with plans starting at $29/month for its Marketing platform and $19/month for CRM + Sales. These include core marketing automation, email marketing, and basic CRM features. Pricing scales based on contacts.
HubSpot provides a robust free CRM and then scales significantly as features are added. The Starter Growth Suite starts around $20/month per user, but Marketing Hub Professional jumps to $800/month. Pricing escalates quickly with features like automation, reporting, and advanced integrations.
For many small businesses, ActiveCampaign offers more bang for the buck early on, while HubSpot becomes more appealing at scale—if budget allows.
Full Pricing Plans for Small Businesses
| Plan Tier | ActiveCampaign Monthly (starting) | HubSpot Monthly (starting) |
|---|---|---|
| Entry/Starter Plan | $19 (Sales) / $29 (Marketing) | Free / $20 per user (Starter) |
| Professional Plan | ~$149 | $800+ |
| Email Automation + CRM Combo | Included in base plans | Requires Marketing + Sales Hub |
| Free Tier Features | Basic CRM, email marketing | CRM, email, forms, landing pages |
ActiveCampaign offers better value out of the gate, particularly for businesses centered on email automation. HubSpot’s free tools are useful for very small businesses or startups, but costs escalate quickly with growth or feature needs.
Setup and Onboarding Experience
ActiveCampaign offers guided setup via onboarding specialists on paid plans and a helpful knowledge base. However, because it lacks a native landing page or form builder, users often need to connect multiple tools.
HubSpot’s onboarding can be smooth—especially if you’re using their all-in-one tools. But it can also get complicated fast, particularly when layering in advanced workflows or multiple Hubs. Some users complain about being forced into paid onboarding tiers.
Learn how Verge helps businesses with CRM onboarding
Usability
For novice users, HubSpot is generally easier to navigate out of the box. The interface is polished and modern, with drag-and-drop tools and structured workflows. However, as needs grow, the layers and permission controls can become dense.
ActiveCampaign, while more utilitarian, offers more flexibility in automation customization—but the interface can feel dated and less intuitive for first-time users.
Integrations and Flexibility
Both platforms integrate with hundreds of third-party tools. HubSpot has the edge in native integrations and ease of use—especially for things like meeting schedulers and chat widgets. ActiveCampaign is more open-ended for developers and marketers willing to get under the hood.
Explore Verge’s blog on AI and marketing automation
Support and Customer Experience
Support is a common pain point across platforms. Based on reviews from TrustRadius, G2, and Capterra, the results are mixed:
HubSpot:
Praised for its content library and academy
Criticized for pushing expensive support tiers
Common complaints include poor email deliverability, confusing associations between contacts and companies, and holding data hostage when downgrading or trying to leave
ActiveCampaign:
Users appreciate email/chat support on higher plans
Some complaints about ticket delays and unclear documentation
Better reviews for small businesses focused on email workflows
User Sentiment: What Are Customers Saying?
While both platforms have enthusiastic user bases, sentiment reveals a split (via G2Crow, TrustPilot and Reddit)::
HubSpot Users Say:
“Not really a CRM—more like a marketing email tool dressed up.”
“Overcomplicated, expensive, and still missing basic functionality.”
“The UI is smooth and I love the dashboard, but I didn’t realize how fast the cost would rise. I feel like I need to pay more just to access basic features I assumed were included.” — Verified G2 Reviewer
“The customer support is hit or miss. When I really needed help during onboarding, I was told I had to upgrade to get chat support.” — Capterra Review
“Billing is confusing. I tried to downgrade my plan and ended up being charged for features I wasn’t using. It took three weeks to resolve.” — TrustPilot User
“Locked into contracts with zero ROI.”
ActiveCampaign Users Say:
“Great for email campaigns, less great as a full CRM.”
“Learning curve is real, but powerful once you get it.”
“I love the automation builder—nothing else gives me this much control. But it took me weeks to understand how to set everything up properly.” — G2 Review
“Email campaigns work great, but the interface feels dated. And it’s hard to onboard new team members without walking them through everything manually.” — Capterra Reviewer
“There are occasional bugs. I had an issue with contact syncing that took multiple support tickets to resolve.” — TrustPilot User
Read HubSpot Reviews on G2
Read ActiveCampaign Reviews on G2
Read HubSpot Reviews on Capterra
Read ActiveCampaign Reviews on Capterra
Check TrustPilot: ActiveCampaign
Future-Proofing and AI Features
HubSpot is investing heavily in AI—rolling out content assistants, smart CRM recommendations, and predictive scoring.
ActiveCampaign is catching up with predictive content and AI-powered email send optimization.
Learn more in Verge’s blog on how AI is transforming digital marketing in 2025.
The Bottom Line for Small Businesses
If you're a small team with a lean budget, ActiveCampaign is often a smarter starting point—especially if email automation is central to your growth strategy. But if you’re planning to scale quickly and prefer an all-in-one interface, HubSpot might justify its higher cost—though many users are caught off guard by what’s not included in lower tiers.
Be cautious about sales promises. Many businesses sign on after demos that over-simplify the setup and downplay the long-term investment.
Final Recommendation for Small Businesses
Choose ActiveCampaign if: You want advanced automation, lower costs, and are comfortable setting things up yourself or with a consultant.
Choose HubSpot if: You want an easy UI, broader CRM functionality, and can afford a higher budget to support onboarding and scaling.
Ultimately, the best CRM isn’t the one with the most features. It’s the one that best fits your workflows, budget, and marketing goals.
Implement Your CRM Without the Hassle
Verge Marketing has over 10 years of experience working with HubSpot (and we’re a HubSpot Partner), and more than 3 years working with ActiveCampaign. Our team has over 15 years of experience managing CRM systems on both the agency and client sides—including Salesforce, Marketo, and Eloqua. We were even awarded the Marketo Revvie Award in 2014.
If you're evaluating CRM platforms or struggling to get your current system to perform, we can help. From setup to automation to performance marketing, Verge delivers CRM strategy that scales.