Marketing

[Guide] HubSpot Vs. Alternatives: Compare the Best Digital Marketing Platforms

Is your marketing platform doing everything you need? Compare the features and tools of HubSpot and Hubspot alternatives in this guide.

Blog Post

7 minutes

Aug 31, 2022

Have you noticed your marketing tools (CMS, CRM, social media management tool, email marketing platform, etc.) become obsolete before your very eyes? Maybe it’s missing key features or maybe it’s just that you can’t execute the ideas and strategies you want to. Either way, these are telltale signs that your chosen legacy system has become inadequate and it’s holding you back.

Modern digital marketing platforms, like HubSpot and HubSpot alternatives, have all of these tools and the newest, most innovative features available to marketers today. 

Is it time to make the switch to a more modern solution? Which one is right for me, anyways? In this guide, we’ll find out answers to all your questions and set you on a path toward a more effective digital marketing future.

Legacy vs. Modern Marketing Systems 

When deciding whether or not you need to upgrade from your old, outdated legacy marketing system, you must consider what you really need to do the best marketing that you can do. Does your current system have everything that modern marketers need to compete? What is it keeping you from being able to do? 

When it comes to must-have features, a modern marketing tool has to bring a lot to the table to compete with the best of the best (HubSpot, Salesforce, etc.). Here are some key features found in most modern marketing systems that you should be looking for in a new system (and which are probably absent from your current one): 

Must-Have Features for Modern Marketers 

  • Automation (Workflows, emails, social media, CRM, etc.) 
  • Social media management 
  • Content management system (CMS) 
  • Reporting and analytics 
  • Paid ad tracking and management 
  • Custom dashboards 
  • List segmentation 
  • CRM and contact management 
  • Custom-built website pages 
  • A/B testing 

Compared to legacy counterparts, modern systems bring a plethora of new tools that unlock even more potential in research, automation, data-driven decision making, and audience engagement than ever before. 

When Should you Upgrade from a Legacy System? 

The big question on many business’ minds is: how do I know when I should upgrade from my legacy system? 

This is not an easy question to answer, let alone ask yourself when things are seemingly going along well. Sometimes you don’t even know what you don’t have because some of the newest and most innovative features available on modern systems are things you wouldn’t have even considered in the past.  

For example, automation used to be something you could use to schedule a newsletter or post a blog first thing in the morning, now it has its hands in a little bit of everything and can be used to completely streamline and overhaul your marketing processes from top to bottom. 

Here are some of the things to keep an eye out for as signs that you should consider upgrading from your older legacy system: 

  1. You’re restricted to a single channel or you’re forced to use multiple systems to manage omnichannel campaigns 
  2. Your current CMS, CRM, or other marketing system is too slow 
  3. You can’t integrate new tools or software with your current system 
  4. Repetitive, manual work is necessary and takes up too much time 
  5. Your current system is no longer being supported or updated by the developer 
  6. You’re aware of missing features or tools that you currently don’t have access to 

If you’re noticing any of these signs or can confidently agree with them after reading, then the time to consider a jump to a more modern marketing system is definitely now.  

In the case of HubSpot and its abundance of digital marketing tools, they can be split up into a few subsets of features, including a CRM, a CMS, a marketing automation platform, email marketing tools, and social media management. Below, you’ll find each stacked up against its legacy counterpart, comparing key features and showing what’s missing for businesses that choose to stick with their out-of-date legacy systems. 

Legacy vs. Modern CRM 

Modern businesses need ways to manage the many contacts they acquire through digital marketing efforts. In modern marketing, this is done through a CRM that can automate data entry, help manage contacts, create reports, and more that legacy systems just can’t do. 

CRM Comparison Graphic | Legacy vs Modern CRM

Legacy vs. Modern CMS 

Content is one of the most important aspects of digital marketing. It’s the main way that you can show Google that you are brand is trustworthy, provides value, and deserves to be put in front of prospective customers who are searching for products like yours. To grow on the internet, you must grow your organic traffic and that’s where a modern CMS comes into play. 

CMS Comparison Graphic | Legacy vs Modern CMS

Legacy vs. Modern Email Marketing Tools 

Once you have a contact’s information, it’s time to start engaging with them consistently with thought-out, data-driven email campaigns. A platform with modern email marketing tools has everything you need to automate and stay on top of your email campaigns for maximum results. 

Marketing Automation Platform Comparison Graphic | Marketing Automation Legacy vs Modern

Legacy vs. Modern Marketing Automation Platforms 

Speaking of automation, in modern marketing it can be used in a huge variety of ways to streamline processes, speed up steps, and improve your overall digital marketing. 

Email Marketing Comparison Graphic | Legacy vs Modern Email Marketing

Legacy vs. Modern Social Media Management 

Maintaining a consistent social media presence is difficult. You need engaging content, consistent posting, a presence on multiple platforms, and the ability to analyze results. With a modern platform, the tools are available to do it all under one roof.  

Social Media Management Comparison Graphic | Legacy vs Modern

Comparing HubSpot Alternatives 

A modern digital marketing platform is a must. In the battle between HubSpot and HubSpot alternatives, the comparisons tell the whole story. But, now you have to pick which one is right for you. In a market that’s increasingly being flooded with new tools, it can be difficult to tell which one has the features you need and which ones are just pieces of a puzzle. 

HubSpot’s main selling point and the biggest benefit is its ability to bring all the tools you need in one place. Social media management, automation, content creation, contact management, communication, workflow creation, analytics and reporting, and much more are all available in one place with the combined powers of HubSpot’s CRM, CMS, Marketing Hub, Service Hub, Sales Hub, and Operations Hub. 

HubSpot’s ability to be a one-stop shop is truly unique in a market where, if you’re not careful, you can easily end up right back where you started with multiple different tools and platforms providing one aspect of digital marketing and having to juggle them all. For example, WordPress relies heavily on you using third-party plug-ins to obtain features that are baked into HubSpot or another HubSpot alternative’s CMS.

For comparison’s sake, here’s a helpful graphic to show many of the most necessary features available to marketers today and which platforms are able to provide them: 

Hubspot vs Alternatives Graphic

HubSpot is simply flush with features that, due to them being a part of the same system, can work together, communicate, share, and boost each other up to provide a more holistic marketing experience all around. HubSpot alternatives can’t offer the same.

Managed Marketing with HubSpot and Impact 

But, with so many features available, it can be immensely difficult to ensure you’re making the most of them all, especially if your business has a small or inexperienced internal marketing department (or none at all!). To help, businesses can get marketing automation consulting and implementation services to create, execute, and report on complete marketing strategies. 

Partnering with Impact for managed marketing gives your business access to enterprise-level tools and a fully-stocked team of experts in every discipline of digital marketing. From research to strategy development to creative services to reporting and analytics, we cover every base to deliver real results. 

How to Get Started with Expert-Level Digital Marketing and HubSpot 

Ready to get started? Get in touch with a specialist to learn what the experienced, tech-forward marketing team at Impact can do for you. Reach out to schedule your 30-minute strategy call today!

Tags

MarketingStreamline ProcessesSaaSOperations

Share

Additional Resources

black and white image of an office kitchen at Impact's managed marketing office

What Can Managed Marketing at Impact Do For You?

What can managed marketing services do for a modern SMB in need of guidance? Find out by seeing some results in this infographic.

What Is Marketing Automation?

Marketing automation is the use of software and technology to streamline, automate, and measure repetitive marketing tasks, allowing your marketing team to focus on storytelling and strategy.

Impact Insights

Sign up for The Edge newsletter to receive our latest insights, articles, and videos delivered straight to your inbox.

More From Impact

View all Insights