HubSpot alternatives for more automation without Professional

What you gain and give up by leaving HubSpot

HubSpot is easy to start on, with free tools and a Starter plan that costs little while the new-customer offer runs. The wall comes when you want more from automation: unlimited actions, SMS and cart emails all wait on Professional, which includes 3 seats and 2,000 marketing contacts but is priced for a team, not a one-person business.

When to stay. If 1,000 marketing contacts and Starter's simple automation still cover what you send, stay put. Starter is cheap while the offer lasts, and even its regular price of $20/user per month billed monthly is far from Professional. Move when a workflow you need no longer fits, not before.

The tools side by side

Each row names the plan behind the price for a list near a thousand contacts and a single user, picked for the automation a HubSpot Starter user leaves to get.

ActiveCampaign: I priced Plus. Starter allows 5 actions per automation, so I priced Plus, where the cap goes away.

Brevo: I priced Starter. Priced by emails sent; this is the Starter band that stores this list, since the free plan sends 300 emails a day.

GetResponse: I priced Marketer. Starter allows a single automation workflow, so I priced Marketer, where workflows are unlimited.

Systeme.io: I priced Startup. Free covers this list but runs 1 workflow, so I priced Startup.

a small business list near a thousand contacts: plan priced, monthly and annual cost, Automation on this plan, Users included, Free start

Tool and plan	Cost per month	Automation on this plan	Users included	Free start
ActiveCampaignPlus	$49annual $59 monthly	Unlimited automation actions	1	14-day trial
BrevoStarter	$15.25annual $17 monthly	Limited to 2,000 contacts	1	Free plan
GetResponseMarketer	$48.38annual $59 monthly	Yes	5	Free account and a 14-day trial
Systeme.ioStartup	$14.17annual $17 monthly	Yes	unlimited	Free plan
KeapPro	Not sold annually $299 monthly	Yes	2	14-day trial
MailerLiteComfort	$17.10annual $19 monthly	50	3	Free plan and a 14-day trial

Six picks, in the order I'd consider them

Each one says who it is for, what it costs for a small business list near a thousand contacts, and what you give up.

1

ActiveCampaign

Best step past HubSpot Starter's automation

Desk research

Choose it if

The workflows you want to build no longer fit HubSpot Starter, and you don't need HubSpot's CRM to stay at the center of the business.

Consider GetResponse instead if

Several people share the work. Marketer includes 5 users, where ActiveCampaign Plus includes 1.

Why it fits a small business list near a thousand contacts

HubSpot keeps unlimited automation and SMS for Professional. ActiveCampaign puts both on Plus: the action cap goes away, an SMS add-on billed in credits becomes available, and abandoned-cart automation is already there. You can also pay Plus month to month, which HubSpot Professional doesn't allow.

The plan I priced

Plus: $59/month billed monthly, or $49/month billed annually, for about a thousand contacts.

Closest alternative

GetResponse becomes the better choice when you want unlimited workflows and a small team on one bill, and can live without SMS.

See ActiveCampaign plans

A small business list near a thousand contacts: Plus

Billed annually

$49/mo

Billed monthly

$59/mo

The trade-off

The cheaper Starter plan is not the answer here, since it allows 5 actions per automation. SMS credit prices aren't published, and the pipeline CRM is a separate add-on rather than the base of the product.

What my review says

Best for: A HubSpot Starter user whose automation has outgrown it and who can work with a lighter CRM.

Skip it if your team lives in HubSpot's deal pipeline and email is a side task.

Strengths

• No cap on automation actions from Plus, the step HubSpot saves for Professional.
• SMS and abandoned-cart flows on a plan you can pay monthly.

Limits

• The pipeline CRM is an add-on, not the core it is in HubSpot.
• SMS is billed in credits whose price isn't on the pricing page.

See ActiveCampaign plansMy ActiveCampaign reviewActiveCampaign pricingActiveCampaign alternativesAffiliate link

HubSpot alternatives for more automation without Professional

2

Brevo

Cheapest way to add SMS to your email

Hands-on

Choose it if

Texting customers is the Professional feature you really wanted, and you send to your list only a few times a month.

Consider Keap instead if

You text clients in the U.S. and want a block of texts bundled into the plan instead of buying credits.

Why it fits a small business list near a thousand contacts

Brevo lists SMS on every plan, with credits priced by volume and destination, and abandoned-cart flows and a sales CRM come with the account. Starter's automation is capped by contact count (Limited to 2,000 contacts), which leaves room for a list this size.

The plan I priced

Starter: priced by emails sent, and this card shows the band that stores about a thousand contacts. The free plan stores 100,000 contacts but sends 300 emails a day.

Closest alternative

ActiveCampaign becomes the better choice when branching automation matters more to you than texting.

See Brevo plans

A small business list near a thousand contacts: Starter

Billed annually

$15.25/mo

Billed monthly

$17/mo

The trade-off

Paying by emails sent is harder to forecast than HubSpot's contact tiers, SMS credits are a second bill, and the free plan's 300-email daily cap means a campaign to the whole list takes days to go out.

What my review says

Best for: A HubSpot user who wanted SMS beside email without paying for Professional.

Skip it if you mail a large list several times a week, where sending volume gets expensive.

Strengths

• SMS campaigns on every plan, Free included.
• Abandoned-cart flows and a sales CRM without a tier jump.

Limits

• SMS credits are billed on top of the plan.
• Sending volume, not list size, sets the bill, which takes more forecasting.

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HubSpot alternatives for more automation without Professional

3

GetResponse

Unlimited workflows with seats for a small team

Desk research

Choose it if

More than one person builds your campaigns and you want unlimited workflows without paying HubSpot per seat.

Consider Brevo instead if

SMS is on your list. GetResponse keeps SMS for its Enterprise plan.

Why it fits a small business list near a thousand contacts

Marketer removes Starter's single-workflow limit, adds abandoned-cart recovery and includes 5 users, more than the 3 seats in HubSpot Professional's price. GetResponse publishes a price for every list size, so you can see what growth costs before you commit.

The plan I priced

Marketer: $59/month billed monthly, or $48.38/month billed annually, for about a thousand contacts.

Closest alternative

MailerLite becomes the better choice when you would rather pay less and can work within a set number of automations.

See GetResponse plans

A small business list near a thousand contacts: Marketer

Billed annually

$48.38/mo

Billed monthly

$59/mo

The trade-off

It closes the automation gap but not the SMS one, since SMS is Enterprise-only, and contacts are a marketing list with no deal pipeline.

What my review says

Best for: A small team leaving HubSpot Starter for unlimited workflows, with no need for SMS.

Skip it if SMS is the reason you looked at HubSpot Professional.

Strengths

• Unlimited automation and abandoned-cart recovery on Marketer.
• 5 users included, where HubSpot Starter bills per seat.

Limits

• SMS only on Enterprise.
• Contacts sit in a marketing list with no deals.

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HubSpot alternatives for more automation without Professional

4

Systeme.io

Funnels and follow-up automation at a flat price

Hands-on

Choose it if

You sell online and the automation you need is follow-ups after a sign-up or purchase, not lead scoring.

Consider ActiveCampaign instead if

You need automation that branches on behavior across many steps.

Why it fits a small business list near a thousand contacts

HubSpot charges by marketing contacts and seats; Systeme.io charges a flat fee per contact ceiling. Startup holds 5,000 contacts with 10 automation rules, 5 workflows and 10 sales funnels, and assistant accounts cost nothing extra.

The plan I priced

Startup: $17/month billed monthly, or $14.17/month billed annually, paid as one yearly charge of $170/year.

Closest alternative

MailerLite becomes the better choice when email is the main job and funnels are a side need.

See Systeme.io plans

A small business list near a thousand contacts: Startup

Billed annually

$14.17/mo

Billed monthly

$17/mo

The trade-off

Workflows are capped below the Unlimited plan, so it doesn't match Professional's open-ended automation, and contacts carry tags rather than deal stages.

What my review says

Best for: A HubSpot Starter user selling online who needs funnels and follow-up automation for a flat fee.

Skip it if you rely on HubSpot's CRM to manage sales conversations.

Strengths

• Unlimited email sends, so the bill follows contacts only.
• Unlimited assistant accounts, where HubSpot charges per seat.

Limits

• Workflows are capped on every plan below Unlimited.
• Contacts carry tags, not deal stages.

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HubSpot alternatives for more automation without Professional

5

Keap

Texting and full automation in one plan, for service businesses

Desk research

Choose it if

You run a service business, text clients in the U.S., and want CRM depth close to HubSpot's without its Professional tier.

Consider Brevo instead if

You want SMS on a small budget and are happy to buy credits as you go.

Why it fits a small business list near a thousand contacts

Of the six, Keap comes closest to what HubSpot Professional adds: automation, CRM, payments and text marketing sit in one plan, without feature tiers, and the base price covers 1,500 contacts with 2 users. A first tier of texts and voice minutes comes with the subscription.

The plan I priced

Pro: $299/month billed monthly for 1,500 contacts, plus the required one-time implementation package. Keap shows monthly prices only.

Closest alternative

ActiveCampaign becomes the better choice when you don't need payments or appointment booking and want a much smaller bill.

See Keap plans

A small business list near a thousand contacts: Pro

Billed monthly

$299/mo

Above 49,900 subscribers: no bigger plan is published.

The trade-off

It is the priciest pick by a wide margin, signup requires a paid implementation package, broadcast texts work in the U.S. only, and annual contracts carry an early termination fee.

What my review says

Best for: A service business that wanted HubSpot Professional's automation and texting but not its contract.

Skip it if your budget sits closer to HubSpot Starter than to Professional.

Strengths

• Automation, CRM, payments and texting in one plan, with no tiers.
• A first tier of U.S. texts included with the subscription.

Limits

• A required paid implementation package at signup.
• Broadcast and automated texts work in the U.S. only.

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HubSpot alternatives for more automation without Professional

6

MailerLite

Most automations for a small email bill

Desk research

Choose it if

Email is the job, you barely used HubSpot's CRM, and you want more automation for less.

Consider Brevo instead if

You want SMS alongside your email.

Why it fits a small business list near a thousand contacts

Comfort runs 50 automations with ecommerce triggers, abandoned cart included, plus 10 landing pages, for $17.10/month billed annually. That is well under ActiveCampaign Plus or GetResponse Marketer for the same list.

The plan I priced

Comfort: $19/month billed monthly, or $17.10/month billed annually, for about a thousand subscribers.

Closest alternative

GetResponse becomes the better choice when you want unlimited workflows and several users.

See MailerLite plans

A small business list near a thousand contacts: Comfort

Billed annually

$17.10/mo

Billed monthly

$19/mo

Above 200,000 subscribers: no bigger plan is published.

The trade-off

There is no sales CRM or deal stage, refunds are at MailerLite's discretion, and unlimited automations need Power.

What my review says

Best for: A HubSpot user who mostly sent email and wants more automations for a small bill.

Skip it if you use HubSpot's CRM to run sales, not just email.

Strengths

• 50 automations on Comfort.
• Abandoned-cart triggers on every plan, Free included.

Limits

• No deal pipeline.
• Refunds are at MailerLite's discretion.

See MailerLite plansMy MailerLite reviewMailerLite pricingMailerLite alternativesAffiliate link

HubSpot alternatives for more automation without Professional

What a small business list near a thousand contacts really costs

The same workload on every plan, so the prices are comparable. The bar is the annual-billing price per month.

ActiveCampaign: priced on Plus. Starter allows 5 actions per automation, so I priced Plus, where the cap goes away.

Brevo: priced on Starter. Priced by emails sent; this is the Starter band that stores this list, since the free plan sends 300 emails a day.

GetResponse: priced on Marketer. Starter allows a single automation workflow, so I priced Marketer, where workflows are unlimited.

Systeme.io: priced on Startup. Free covers this list but runs 1 workflow, so I priced Startup.

Other options, and why they missed the list

I kept the list to platforms that pair email automation with landing pages or a contact database and publish prices for a small list. Sales-only CRMs answer a different question from what replaces HubSpot's marketing side.

• 

  Omnisend

  Good for stores, since its email and SMS react to orders and carts, but outside ecommerce it has no CRM to stand in for HubSpot's.

• 

  Zoho Campaigns

  Low-cost email that ties into Zoho CRM. It makes most sense if your business already runs on other Zoho apps.

How I chose, and how I earn from this page

Questions people ask