Brevo vs Constant Contact vs HubSpot
Brevo, Constant Contact, and HubSpot all offer email marketing, but they sit at very different points on the price-versus-breadth spectrum. Brevo is the most…
Freemium (usage-based on email volume for paid tiers) · From Free (paid plans from $9/month)
Best for: Businesses with large or low-engagement contact lists that want unlimited contacts and to pay based on emails sent, not list size
Subscription (tiered by contact list size) · From $12/month (Lite plan, 500 contacts)
Best for: Small businesses and nonprofits new to digital marketing who want an easy-to-use tool with strong live customer support
Freemium · From Free
Best for: Growing companies that want email marketing unified with a free CRM, sales pipeline, and service tools in one platform
At a Glance
| Brevo | Constant Contact | HubSpot | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Primary category | Email Marketing | Email Marketing | Email Marketing |
| Rating | Not documented | Not documented | Not documented |
| Pricing model | Freemium (usage-based on email volume for paid tiers) | Subscription (tiered by contact list size) | Freemium |
| Starting price | Free (paid plans from $9/month) | $12/month (Lite plan, 500 contacts) | Free |
| Free plan | Yes | Not documented | Yes |
| Free trial | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Platforms | Web | Web, iOS, Android | Web, iOS, Android |
| Team collaboration | Not documented | Not documented | Not documented |
| AI features | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Public API | Yes | Yes | Yes |
Standout Differences
Brevo bills by volume, not list size
Brevo's paid plans include unlimited contacts and charge based on emails sent per month, a structural difference from Constant Contact and HubSpot, which both scale pricing with the number of stored contacts.
Brevo
HubSpot's free CRM is a real starting point
HubSpot's CRM is permanently free for unlimited users and includes contact records, email tracking, and basic reporting, giving it a lower true entry cost than Brevo's paid tiers or Constant Contact's trial-only model.
HubSpot
Constant Contact optimizes for simplicity and support
With a drag-and-drop builder and automation covering common small-business scenarios out of the box, Constant Contact leans on decades of operating history and live support rather than advanced segmentation depth.
Constant Contact
Multi-channel messaging is a Brevo strength
Brevo combines email, SMS, and WhatsApp marketing with a built-in sales CRM in one platform, a broader channel mix at the entry tier than Constant Contact's email-plus-SMS approach.
Brevo
HubSpot's cost jump at scale
HubSpot's Professional tier can run from roughly $100 per seat per month up to $890 per month for a bundled Marketing Hub, a much steeper ceiling than Brevo's roughly $499/month Professional tier or Constant Contact's $80/month Premium plan.
HubSpot
Feature-by-Feature
Email marketing core
| Feature | Brevo | Constant Contact | HubSpot |
|---|---|---|---|
| Drag-and-drop email builder | Available | Available | Available |
| Marketing automation workflows | Available | Available | Available |
| Free permanent tier | Available | Unavailable | Available |
Channels beyond email
| Feature | Brevo | Constant Contact | HubSpot |
|---|---|---|---|
| SMS marketing | Available | Available | Not documented |
| WhatsApp marketing | Available | Not documented | Not documented |
CRM, AI, and platform breadth
| Feature | Brevo | Constant Contact | HubSpot |
|---|---|---|---|
| Built-in sales CRM | Available | Not documented | Available |
| AI-assisted content generation | Available | Available | Available |
| CMS or website building | Not documented | Not documented | Available |
Pricing Compared
Starting price reflects the lowest paid tier, not the full cost for every team size or usage level.
Brevo
Constant Contact
HubSpot
Pros & Cons
Brevo
Pros
- Free plan and low-cost entry tiers make it accessible for small businesses
- Bills by email volume, not contact list size, with unlimited contacts on all paid plans
- Combines email, SMS, WhatsApp, automation, and CRM in one platform
- Available in six interface languages, suited to international teams
Cons
- Free and Starter plans include Brevo branding unless you pay extra to remove it
- Professional tier pricing jumps sharply to around $499/month
- Automation and personalization are less advanced than e-commerce-focused specialists like Klaviyo
- Deliverability and support quality can vary by plan tier per user reviews
Constant Contact
Pros
- Easy-to-use interface aimed at marketing beginners
- Combines email, SMS, and social media scheduling in one platform
- Long operating history (founded 1995) with extensive customer support options
- Automation covers common small-business scenarios out of the box
Cons
- No permanent free plan, only a free trial
- Pricing scales quickly as a contact list grows
- Fewer advanced segmentation and automation options than competitors like ActiveCampaign
- Templates and interface viewed by some reviewers as less modern than newer entrants
HubSpot
Pros
- Free CRM tier is genuinely usable for unlimited users, not just a trial
- Unified data model means marketing, sales, and service teams see the same customer history
- Strong onboarding, documentation, and HubSpot Academy training resources
- Large ecosystem of integrations, templates, and certified agency partners
- Regular feature and AI investment keeps the platform competitive
Cons
- Costs escalate quickly once multiple Hubs and Professional/Enterprise tiers are needed
- Onboarding fees on higher tiers add significant upfront cost
- Contact-based pricing can penalize businesses with large but low-value contact lists
- Advanced customization is less flexible than Salesforce for complex enterprise workflows
- Some advanced automation and reporting features are locked behind expensive tiers
Use Cases
Brevo
- SMB Marketing Consolidation — Small businesses combine email, SMS, and light CRM into one moderately priced platform instead of multiple point tools.
- E-commerce Transactional & Marketing Email — Online stores use Brevo's Shopify/WooCommerce integrations and transactional API for order and marketing emails.
Constant Contact
- Email Newsletters and Promotions — Small business owners send regular newsletters and promotional campaigns to build customer relationships.
- Nonprofit Fundraising and Donor Communication — Nonprofits use automated and segmented campaigns to communicate with donors and supporters.
HubSpot
- Inbound marketing and lead generation — Marketing teams build landing pages, blog content, and automated nurture campaigns to attract and convert website visitors into tracked leads.
- Unified sales pipeline management — Sales reps track deals, automate follow-up sequences, and send quotes without leaving the same record customers interact with in support.
- Customer support and retention — Support teams manage tickets, publish a self-service knowledge base, and track satisfaction, all tied to the same customer history as sales and marketing.
Screenshots
HubSpot
Frequently Asked Questions
Which is cheapest for a business with a large contact list?
Brevo is generally the most cost-efficient for large lists because its paid plans include unlimited contacts and bill based on emails sent, whereas Constant Contact and HubSpot both scale pricing with the number of stored contacts.
Does HubSpot's free plan include email marketing?
HubSpot's permanently free CRM includes email tracking, scheduling, and basic reporting, but full marketing automation and advanced email campaign features are gated to the paid Starter tier and above.
Which tool is easiest for a small business new to email marketing?
Constant Contact is positioned specifically for small businesses and nonprofits new to digital marketing, with a simple drag-and-drop builder and out-of-the-box automation for common scenarios like welcome series and abandoned-cart reminders.
Does Brevo include a CRM like HubSpot does?
Yes, Brevo includes a built-in sales CRM with pipeline management, though HubSpot's CRM is more deeply integrated across separate Marketing, Sales, and Service Hubs.
How much more expensive is HubSpot than Brevo or Constant Contact at higher tiers?
HubSpot's Professional tier can reach roughly $890 per month for a bundled Marketing Hub, well above Brevo's roughly $499/month Professional tier and Constant Contact's $80/month Premium plan.
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Read the full Brevo review · Read the full Constant Contact review · Read the full HubSpot review