Choosing the right marketing automation system is one of the most difficult tasks you will face when it comes to getting the right software for your business. There is a lot to consider, from the functionality you require, to what you are prepared to pay for it. And when you do find a platform that does do what you want, you are often confronted by hidden costs.
In this series, we will pit some of the leading marketing automation platforms head to head to help you find the best fit for you.
In order to make this a fair test, let’s say you have the following needs when selecting your marketing automation platform:
Features | HubSpot | Constant Contact |
---|---|---|
Annual cost | £32,472 | £4,740 |
On-boarding cost | £4,100 | £1,200 |
Upfront commitment | £36,572 | £1,595 |
Contract terms | Annual | Monthly |
Base monthly license fee | £2,624 | £395 |
Number of additional contacts available before incurring additional cost | 0 | 80,000 |
Rate of additional contacts | £8 per month | £10 per month |
No. of users | Unlimited | Unlimited |
Additional features included (beyond the features listed above) | HubSpot | SharpSpring |
---|---|---|
Forms | √ | √ |
Landing page builder | √ | √ |
Blog post builder | √ | √ |
Personas | √ | √ |
Social media manager | √ | √ |
Meetings scheduler | x | √ |
Live chat | √ | x |
Pop-up forms | √ | x |
Campaign attribution | √ | √ |
HubSpot and Constant Contact* are both very evenly matched when it comes to features, but when it comes to price, the gulf between the two is considerable. This is further compounded by the need to commit to HubSpot on an annual basis, whereas Constant Contact is available with monthly billing, so you are not locked in.
HubSpot strengths come in its huge library of automation options, from the standard has opened an email, to how many emails has contact X opened in the least three months, there’s everything you could need and more.
While Constant Contact can’t compete on the sheer number of automations available, they do offer all of the most common automations you would expect, which would more than cover the requirements for the majority of small to medium-sized businesses.
HubSpot offers a call centre based in Ireland for all of your support queries, while Constant Contact’s primary support base is in America. However, thanks to a unique agency model, you can find a qualified Constant Contact agency in the UK.
Want to create your own marketing automation comparison chart, based entirely on your individual needs? Fill out the form and download our comparison tool of the leading marketing automation platforms.
*Please note that the Constant Contact pricing listed above is only available through an accredited Constant Contact agency partner, such as The Marketing Eye.Click here to find out more.
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