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It's a split decision.
Choose Act-On if your team needs standalone automation across the customer lifecycle and can budget $900 per month at 2,500 active contacts, with an annual contract. Choose HubSpot Marketing Hub for a free starting point, CRM-connected campaigns, and seat-based plans. Its Starter price is listed as 7 per seat monthly, but the published pricing notes conflict on currency and do not break out monthly versus annual rates. Neither price is a like-for-like comparison.
01Side by side
| Act-On | HubSpot Marketing Hub | |
|---|---|---|
| Starting price | $900/month; 2,500 contacts; annual contract | Free, or 7/seat/month for Starter |
| Free plan | No free plan listed | Free plan available |
| Best for | Midsize and enterprise lifecycle marketing teams | Teams tying marketing to HubSpot CRM |
| Core strength | Cross-channel customer lifecycle orchestration | CRM-linked campaigns, content, and funnel reporting |
| Learning curve | Not stated on the vendor's site | Not stated on the vendor's site |
| Integrations/data | CRM, ERP, and financial-platform connections | CRM records and two-way sync with dozens of apps |
| Team/seat costs | Contact-volume pricing; annual commitment | Per-seat pricing; extra seats and credits cost more |
| Support | Standard email; premium support recommended for Enterprise | Email and in-app chat support on Starter |
Act-On Choose Act-On if
- Choose Act-On if you need lifecycle automation beyond lead generation.
- Choose Act-On if you want email, SMS, social, web, and events.
- Choose Act-On if a standalone platform fits your existing stack.
HubSpot Marketing Hub Choose HubSpot Marketing Hub if
- Choose HubSpot Marketing Hub if you want a free starting plan.
- Choose HubSpot Marketing Hub if marketing should connect to HubSpot CRM.
- Choose HubSpot Marketing Hub if you want per-seat plan pricing.
02Pricing compared
Act-On starts at $900 per month for Professional, based on 2,500 active contacts. The pricing information says the price requires an annual contract and can vary with contact volume and add-ons. Enterprise is custom-quoted; CRM integration, Data Studio, SMS and other capabilities may add cost.
HubSpot has a free plan. Starter, Professional and Enterprise are listed at 7, 90 and 175 per seat per month, respectively, but the published pricing notes conflict: the table identifies USD, while its billing note gives euro prices and says annual versus monthly rates aren’t broken out. Confirm the currency and billing terms with HubSpot before comparing. Extra seats and HubSpot Credits can also increase the bill. These aren’t like-for-like prices: Act-On’s figure is tied to contacts, while HubSpot’s listed rates are per seat.
03Features and depth
Act-On is aimed at teams that want to automate the customer lifecycle across channels, not only lead generation. Its listed capabilities include journey orchestration, email, social, web, direct mail and events; SMS is available as an add-on. AI tools include predictive lead scoring, Adaptive Send, AI Create and the InSite web agent. Act-On also describes natural-language analysis of engagement data, plus reporting on attribution, funnel velocity and lead sources tied to CRM data.
HubSpot’s main distinction is that Marketing Hub sits on its CRM, connecting campaign activity with contact and deal records. The published feature list covers email, social, ads, forms, SEO/AEO tools, analytics and AI agents for content, nurture and campaign planning. Advanced marketing reporting includes multi-touch attribution and customer journey analytics. HubSpot’s social management can publish, monitor and respond from one inbox. In short, Act-On stresses standalone, cross-channel orchestration and integrations; HubSpot stresses marketing tools connected to its CRM.
04Ease of use and learning curve
The published material doesn’t publish setup times or comparable usability tests, so we wouldn’t call either product easier based on this information alone. The main practical difference is where your data and tools live. HubSpot Marketing Hub is built on HubSpot’s CRM, which may suit teams already working there. Act-On is positioned as a standalone platform and connects with CRM, ERP and other systems through Data Bridge and iPaaS tools.
That openness gives teams integration choices, but it also means checking which connections and add-ons their setup needs. Act-On’s Professional plan includes standard email support; Enterprise lists premium support as recommended. HubSpot’s Starter plan lists email and in-app chat support. Compare those support options against your team’s requirements before switching.
Questions people ask
Is Act-On cheaper than HubSpot Marketing Hub?
Not on the listed entry prices, but they measure different things. Act-On Professional is $900 per month at 2,500 active contacts and requires an annual contract. HubSpot has a free plan and seat-based prices, though the published pricing notes conflict on currency and billing terms.
Which platform is better if we already use a CRM?
HubSpot Marketing Hub is built on HubSpot’s CRM, so it connects marketing campaigns with HubSpot contact and deal records. Act-On is positioned as a standalone platform and lists CRM integrations, including Salesforce, SugarCRM, NetSuite and Dynamics on Enterprise. Check the integration and plan requirements for your CRM.
Does Act-On include SMS marketing?
Act-On lists SMS as one of its marketing channels, but automated SMS marketing appears among its add-ons. The published pricing information doesn’t give a separate SMS price. Confirm availability and cost for your plan before treating it as included.
Which platform has more AI features?
Both list AI capabilities, but the published material doesn’t support a simple count or quality comparison. Act-On lists predictive lead scoring, Adaptive Send, AI Create and an InSite web agent. HubSpot lists AI agents for content, nurture and campaign planning, with HubSpot Credits sold separately or pay-as-you-go.