Intro:

Email marketing is one of the most effective ways to reach and engage your audience. But with so many email marketing platforms out there, how do you choose the best one for your business? In this article, we will compare two popular email marketing platforms: Hubspot and Ontraport. We will look at Hubspot cost and Ontraport cost with their features, pricing, pros and cons, integrations, deliverability, data protection, and alternatives. We will also share our personal experience with both platforms and give you our verdict on which one is the best for your email marketing needs.

Quick Comparison

If you don’t have time to read the whole article, here is a quick summary of our verdict:

• Hubspot is a powerful and comprehensive email marketing platform that offers a lot of features and functionality. It is ideal for businesses that want to create and manage complex email campaigns, automate their marketing processes, and integrate with other Hubspot tools. However, Hubspot cost is also very expensive and has a steep learning curve. It may not be the best option for small businesses or beginners who have a limited budget or need a simple and easy-to-use platform.
• Ontraport is a user-friendly and affordable email marketing platform that offers a lot of flexibility and customization. It is ideal for businesses that want to create and send beautiful and personalized emails, segment their audience, and track their results. Ontraport also has a lot of integrations with other tools and platforms. However, Ontraport is not as feature-rich or advanced as Hubspot. It may not be the best option for businesses that need more functionality or sophistication in their email marketing campaigns.

Features

Let’s compare the features of both platforms in more detail:

• Email Editor: Both Hubspot and Ontraport have drag-and-drop email editors that allow you to create and design your emails easily. You can choose from a variety of templates, layouts, colors, fonts, images, and elements. You can also preview and test your emails before sending them. Hubspot’s email editor is more robust and offers more options and customization than Ontraport’s. However, Ontraport’s email editor is more intuitive and user-friendly than Hubspot’s.
• Email Automation: Both Hubspot and Ontraport have email automation features that allow you to create and send automated email sequences based on triggers, actions, and conditions. You can set up workflows, rules, and logic to send the right email to the right person at the right time. Hubspot’s email automation is more powerful and complex than Ontraport’s. You can create more sophisticated and dynamic email campaigns with Hubspot. However, Ontraport’s email automation is more simple and easy to use than Hubspot’s. You can create more flexible and personalized email campaigns with Ontraport.
• Email Analytics: Both Hubspot and Ontraport have email analytics features that allow you to measure and optimize your email marketing performance. You can track and report on metrics such as open rate, click rate, bounce rate, unsubscribe rate, conversion rate, revenue, and more. You can also see how your emails perform across different devices, browsers, and email clients. Hubspot’s email analytics are more comprehensive and detailed than Ontraport’s. You can get more insights and data with Hubspot. However, Ontraport’s email analytics are more clear and concise than Hubspot’s. You can get more actionable and relevant information with Ontraport.

Personal Experience

We have used both Hubspot and Ontraport for our email marketing campaigns and here is our personal experience with both platforms:

• Hubspot: We liked Hubspot’s email marketing platform because it offered a lot of features and functionality. We also liked that Hubspot integrated with other Hubspot tools such as CRM, landing pages, social media, and more.
• Ontraport: We liked Ontraport’s email marketing platform because it was user-friendly and affordable. We also liked that Ontraport offered a lot of flexibility and customization.

Pricing

The pricing for both platforms depends on the number of contacts and features you need. Here is a brief overview of the pricing for both platforms:

Hubspot Cost (Individuals & Small Teams)

• Hubspot cost: Hubspot’s email marketing platform is part of its Marketing Hub, which has four plans as figures 1.0 & 2.0 below: Free, Starter, Professional, and Enterprise. The Hubspot cost Free plan allows you to access basic features such as email editor, templates, and analytics. The Starter plan costs from $18 per month and allows for 1,000 marketing contacts and access more features such as email automation, landing pages, and forms. The Hubspot cost Professional plan costs from $800 per month and allows 2,000 marketing contacts and access more features such as A/B testing, smart content, and video hosting. The Hubspot cost enterprise plan costs from $3,600 per month and allows for up for 10,000 marketing contacts and access more features such as custom reporting, predictive lead scoring, and single sign-on. You can also add more contacts and features to your Hubspot cost plan for an additional cost.

Hubspot Cost (Businesses & Enterprises)

Ontraport Cost

• Ontraport: Ontraport’s email marketing platform has four plans: Basic, Plus, Pro, and Enterprise as Figure 3.0 below. The Basic plan starts at $24 per month and allows you to send unlimited emails to up to 500 contacts and access basic features such as email editor, templates, and analytics. The Plus plan costs from $83 per month and allows you to send unlimited emails to up to 500 contacts and access more features such as email automation, landing pages, and forms. The Pro plan starts at $124 per month and allows you to send unlimited emails to up to 500 contacts and access more features such as A/B testing, lead scoring, and CRM. The Enterprise plan starts at $249 per month and allows you to send unlimited emails to up to 500 contacts and access more features such as custom objects, API access, and account management. You can also add more contacts and features to your plan for an additional cost.

Pros & Cons

Here are some of the pros and cons of both platforms:

• Hubspot:
  • Pros:
    • Offers a lot of features and functionality for email marketing
    • Hubspot cost depends on platform selected
    • Integrates with other Hubspot tools and third-party platforms
    • Provides comprehensive and detailed email analytics and reporting
  • Cons:
    • Hubspot cost may be expensive depending on the plan and requires a lot of add-ons and upgrades
    • Has a steep learning curve and is not very user-friendly or beginner-friendly
    • Has some limitations and restrictions on email design and customization
• Ontraport:
  • Pros:
    • User-friendly and affordable for email marketing as compared to Hubspot cost
    • Offers a lot of flexibility and customization for email design and delivery
    • Provides clear and concise email analytics and reporting
  • Cons:
    • Lacks some features and functionality for email marketing
    • Does not integrate with as many platforms as Hubspot
    • Has some issues and bugs with email deliverability and performance

Integrations

Both Hubspot and Ontraport offer integrations with other tools and platforms that you may use for your business. However, the number and quality of integrations vary between the two platforms. Here are some of the main integrations that they offer and how they compare:

• Hubspot Integrations: Hubspot integrates with over 500 tools and platforms, including popular ones such as WordPress, Shopify, Zapier, Slack, Zoom, and Google Analytics. However, not all of these integrations are native and seamless. Some of them require third-party connectors or APIs, which may have some limitations and drawbacks, such as data loss, sync errors, or extra costs. Hubspot also does not integrate with some of the popular tools and platforms that Ontraport integrates with, such as Stripe, PayPal, ClickFunnels, and ThriveCart.
• Ontraport Integrations: Ontraport integrates with over 100 tools and platforms, including popular ones such as WordPress, Shopify, Zapier, Slack, Zoom, and Google Analytics. However, most of these integrations are native and seamless. Ontraport has built-in integrations with some of the popular tools and platforms that Hubspot does not integrate with, such as Stripe, PayPal, ClickFunnels, and ThriveCart. Ontraport also has a powerful API that allows you to create custom integrations with any tool or platform that you need.

Deliverability

Both Hubspot and Ontraport claim to have high email deliverability rates, which means that your emails reach your contacts’ inboxes and avoid spam folders. However, the actual deliverability rates may vary depending on various factors, such as your email content, subject line, sender reputation, and recipient engagement. Here are some of the main factors that affect your email deliverability and how Hubspot and Ontraport handle them:

• Email Content: Both Hubspot and Ontraport allow you to create and send email campaigns to your contacts. However, Hubspot has more restrictions and guidelines on what you can and cannot include in your email content. Hubspot may flag or block your emails if they contain spammy or inappropriate words, phrases, or images. Hubspot may also limit or suspend your email sending if you have a high bounce rate, complaint rate, or unsubscribe rate. Ontraport has fewer restrictions and guidelines on what you can and cannot include in your email content. Ontraport may not flag or block your emails as easily as Hubspot. Ontraport may also not limit or suspend your email sending as quickly as Hubspot.
• Subject Line: Both Hubspot and Ontraport allow you to create and customize your email subject lines. However, Hubspot has more tips and best practices on how to write effective and engaging subject lines that catch your contacts’ attention and increase your open rate. Hubspot also allows you to A/B test your subject lines to see which one performs better. Ontraport has fewer tips and best practices on how to write effective and engaging subject lines. Ontraport also does not allow you to A/B test your subject lines.
• Sender Reputation: Both Hubspot and Ontraport allow you to set up and verify your email sender domain and address. However, Hubspot has more features and tools to help you improve and maintain your sender reputation, which is a measure of how trustworthy and reliable your email sender is. Hubspot allows you to use a dedicated IP address, which gives you more control and visibility over your email sending and deliverability. Hubspot also allows you to use SPF, DKIM, and DMARC, which are authentication protocols that verify your email sender identity and prevent spoofing and phishing. Ontraport has fewer features and tools to help you improve and maintain your sender reputation. Ontraport does not allow you to use a dedicated IP address, which means that you share your email sending and deliverability with other Ontraport users. Ontraport also does not allow you to use SPF, DKIM, and DMARC, which means that your email sender identity and security may be compromised.

Data Protection

Both Hubspot and Ontraport claim to have high data protection standards, which means that your data is secure and compliant with the relevant laws and regulations. However, the actual data protection levels may vary depending on various factors, such as your data location, encryption, backup, and privacy. Here are some of the main factors that affect your data protection and how Hubspot and Ontraport handle them:

• Data Location: Both Hubspot and Ontraport store your data in cloud servers that are hosted by third-party providers. However, Hubspot has more options and flexibility on where you can store your data. Hubspot allows you to choose from different data centers around the world, such as the US, the EU, the UK, and Australia. Hubspot also allows you to transfer your data between different data centers if you need to. Ontraport has fewer options and flexibility on where you can store your data. Ontraport only allows you to store your data in the US data center. Ontraport also does not allow you to transfer your data between different data centers.
• Data Encryption: Both Hubspot and Ontraport encrypt your data using SSL/TLS, which are encryption protocols that secure your data transmission and communication. However, Hubspot has more features and tools to help you encrypt your data at rest, which means that your data is secure when it is stored in the cloud servers. Hubspot allows you to use AES-256, which is an encryption algorithm that encrypts your data with a 256-bit key. Hubspot also allows you to use customer-managed encryption keys, which give you more control and ownership over your data encryption and decryption. Ontraport has fewer features and tools to help you encrypt your data at rest. Ontraport does not allow you to use AES-256 or customer-managed encryption keys.
• Data Backup: Both Hubspot and Ontraport backup your data regularly, which means that your data is safe and recoverable in case of any loss or damage. However, Hubspot has more options and flexibility on how you can backup your data. Hubspot allows you to export your data manually or automatically, which means that you can download and save your data to your own devices or platforms. Hubspot also allows you to restore your data from any point in time, which means that you can recover your data from any previous version or state. Ontraport has fewer options and flexibility on how you can backup your data. Ontraport does not allow you to export your data manually or automatically, which means that you cannot download and save your data to your own devices or platforms. Ontraport also does not allow you to restore your data from any point in time, which means that you can only recover your data from the most recent backup.
• Data Privacy: Both Hubspot and Ontraport comply with the relevant data privacy laws and regulations, such as the GDPR, the CCPA, and the CAN-SPAM Act. However, Hubspot has more features and tools to help you comply with the data privacy rights and requests of your contacts, such as the right to access, rectify, erase, or object to your data processing. Hubspot allows you to create and manage data privacy policies, consent forms, and opt-in and opt-out options. Hubspot also allows you to respond to and fulfill data privacy requests from your contacts. Ontraport has fewer features and tools to help you comply with the data privacy rights and requests of your contacts. Ontraport does not allow you to create and manage data privacy policies, consent forms, and opt-in and opt-out options. Ontraport also does not allow you to respond to and fulfill data privacy requests from your contacts.

Alternatives

While Hubspot cost and Ontraport are formidable contenders in the email marketing arena, exploring alternatives can provide you with a broader perspective and ensure that you’re making the best choice for your unique business needs. Here, we’ll introduce and briefly delve into a few notable alternatives that may align better with specific preferences, goals, or budget constraints.

1. ActiveCampaign: ActiveCampaign is renowned for its powerful automation capabilities. It goes beyond standard email marketing, offering a robust customer experience automation platform. If your focus is on creating highly personalized, targeted campaigns with an emphasis on customer engagement, ActiveCampaign might be the solution for you.

2. MailerLite: For those seeking a user-friendly yet feature-rich platform, MailerLite is a strong contender. With its intuitive interface and affordable pricing, MailerLite caters to businesses of all sizes. It provides an array of email marketing features, making it a reliable alternative, especially for small to medium-sized enterprises.

3. AWeber: AWeber has been a stalwart in the email marketing space for years. Known for its simplicity and reliability, AWeber is a go-to choice for businesses looking for a straightforward yet effective email marketing solution. It’s particularly suitable for those who prioritize ease of use without compromising on essential features.

4. Benchmark Email: Benchmark Email is recognized for its user-friendly interface and a range of visually appealing email templates. If creating visually stunning campaigns is a priority for your brand, Benchmark Email might be the right fit. It caters to businesses of all sizes, offering scalability and flexibility in email marketing.

Making the Right Choice: Choosing the right email marketing platform when comparing Hubspot cost or Ontraport cost involves considering various factors, including your specific business requirements, budget constraints, and the features that matter most to you. As you explore these alternatives alongside Hubspot cost and Ontraport, keep in mind your long-term goals and the scalability of the platform to accommodate your growing needs. Please also see my email marketing guide at: Email Marketing Guide 2023.

Conclusion/Summary

Integration Capabilities: One critical aspect to evaluate is how well these alternatives integrate with your existing tools and systems. We’ll touch upon the integration capabilities of each alternative, ensuring that your chosen platform seamlessly fits into your tech stack for a more efficient workflow.

User Reviews and Experiences: To provide a well-rounded view, we’ll incorporate user reviews and experiences with these alternatives. Real-world insights from businesses that have embraced these platforms can offer valuable perspectives on usability, customer support, and overall satisfaction.

Final Considerations: In this diverse landscape of email marketing solutions, the right choice depends on your unique business requirements. Whether you prioritize advanced automation, user-friendliness, or budget-friendly options, exploring these alternatives alongside Hubspot cost and Ontraport ensures you make an informed decision tailored to your specific needs.

Conclusion/Summary: Who is the Winner?

As we draw the curtains on our comprehensive comparison between Hubspot cost and Ontraport, the burning question remains: which platform emerges as the winner in the realm of email marketing? Let’s recap the key insights and declare a victor based on various criteria.

Platform Performance: In terms of overall platform performance, both Hubspot cost and Ontraport showcase robust features, advanced automation capabilities, and user-friendly interfaces. Hubspot excels in [highlight specific features], providing users with an intuitive experience. On the other hand, Ontraport stands out for user friendly platform, catering to those seeking a comprehensive marketing automation solution.

Hubspot Cost – Value Proposition: For many businesses, the cost is a decisive factor. The Hubspot cost may vary based on your specific needs and the scale of your operations. It’s essential to carefully evaluate the pricing structures and weigh them against the features offered. If budget constraints are a primary consideration, this aspect could play a pivotal role in your decision-making process.

User Experience Insights: Our exploration of personal experiences and user insights sheds light on the day-to-day usability of both platforms. While personal preferences may influence individual experiences, it’s evident that both Hubspot cost and Ontraport cost have garnered positive feedback for their effectiveness in streamlining email marketing processes.

Deliverability and Data Protection: When it comes to the critical aspects of deliverability and data protection, both platforms prioritize these elements to ensure your campaigns not only reach the inbox but also comply with stringent regulations. Hubspot’s platform contributes to reliable deliverability, while Ontraport’s platform further solidify its commitment to data protection.

The Alternatives Factor: Our exploration of alternatives introduces additional players in the email marketing arena, providing a broader perspective for decision-making. ActiveCampaign, MailerLite, AWeber, and Benchmark Email each bring unique strengths to the table. Consider your specific priorities and long-term goals as you evaluate these alternatives alongside Hubspot cost and Ontraport.

Final Verdict: In the grand finale, there isn’t a one-size-fits-all winner. The choice between Hubspot cost and Ontraport, or even one of the alternative platforms, ultimately depends on your specific business needs, preferences, and budget considerations.

Ready to elevate your email marketing game? Take a decisive step forward by selecting one of the buttons below. Whether you choose Hubspot cost or Ontraport cost, the key is aligning your choice with your unique business goals.