Price jump from Starter to Professional
HubSpot Starter is $20/month. HubSpot Professional jumps to $890/month. There's very little in between - and Pigeon covers most email needs at a fraction of the cost.
Comparison
Pigeon vs HubSpot: The Honest Comparison
HubSpot is a powerful CRM and marketing suite. But if you just need email marketing, you're paying for a lot more than you need.
Why marketers switch
Built for enterprise, not small business
HubSpot is designed for large teams with complex workflows. If you just want to send newsletters, the setup complexity isn't worth it.
Monthly send limits even on Starter
HubSpot Starter limits sends to 5x your contact tier per month. Pigeon has no send limits on any plan.
Pricing & Value
Pigeon
Pigeon prices by subscriber count and includes unlimited sends on every plan. That keeps monthly costs predictable as your audience grows.
HubSpot
HubSpot can be excellent value if you need the full CRM suite, but email-only users often pay for capabilities outside their workflow.
Verdict: Pigeon is strongest when you want clear pricing and frequent sending without surprise overages.
Email Builder & Ease of Use
Pigeon
Pigeon keeps the builder focused on newsletter creation with reusable content blocks and fewer distractions.
HubSpot
HubSpot email tools are strong, but they sit inside a broader CRM environment with more setup and navigation.
Verdict: Pigeon is easier for teams that want to create and send quickly.
Deliverability
Pigeon
Pigeon sends from your own verified domain with DKIM, SPF, and DMARC guidance, plus automatic bounce and complaint handling.
HubSpot
HubSpot provides mature deliverability and compliance tools for teams running sales and marketing together.
Verdict: Pigeon gives small teams a practical, domain-first deliverability setup.
Automation
Pigeon
Pigeon currently focuses on welcome flows and simple lifecycle sending rather than complex multi-branch automation.
HubSpot
HubSpot is much stronger for advanced automation, scoring, CRM triggers, and complex workflows.
Verdict: Pigeon covers simple automation well, while advanced workflow needs may favor larger suites.
Analytics & Reporting
Pigeon
Pigeon includes opens, clicks, bounces, complaints, top links, and delivery health signals without locking reports behind higher tiers.
HubSpot
HubSpot reporting is deep for teams connecting campaigns, contacts, pipeline, and revenue.
Verdict: Pigeon covers the core campaign analytics most SMBs need.
Support
Pigeon
Pigeon offers direct email support across plans, including the free plan, with a product built for small business workflows.
HubSpot
HubSpot has a broad support ecosystem, though advanced onboarding and support often align with higher-tier use cases.
Verdict: Pigeon keeps support access simple instead of tying help to enterprise tiers.
Feature comparison
| Feature | Pigeon | HubSpot |
|---|---|---|
| Free plan | ✅ 500 subscribers | ⚠️ Free CRM, limited email |
| Price for 1K contacts | ✅ €12/month | ❌ $20/month+ |
| Price for 5K contacts | ✅ €24/month | ❌ ~$890/month (Professional) |
| Monthly send limit | ✅ Unlimited | ❌ 5x contact tier |
| Email-only focus | ✅ Yes | ❌ Full CRM suite |
| Setup complexity | ✅ Simple | ❌ Complex |
| EU data hosting | ✅ AWS Frankfurt | ⚠️ US-based |
| Automation | ⚠️ Welcome flow | ✅ Advanced workflows |
| CRM features | ❌ Email only | ✅ Full CRM |
| Link in Bio | ✅ Free with every plan | ❌ Not available |
| GDPR compliance | ✅ Built-in | ✅ Available |
Pricing comparison
| Subscribers | Pigeon | HubSpot |
|---|---|---|
| 500 | Free | Free (limited) |
| 1,000 | €12/mo | $20/mo (Starter) |
| 3,000 | €17/mo | $45/mo (Starter) |
| 5,000 | €24/mo | $890/mo (Professional) |
| 10,000 | €44/mo | $890/mo+ (Professional) |
HubSpot Professional adds advanced automation and reporting but starts at $890/month. Pigeon covers core email marketing needs at a fraction of the cost.
Switch to Pigeon today
No contracts. No hidden fees. Cancel anytime.