Marketing Automation Updated Oct 27, 2025

HubSpot vs Marketo: Enterprise Marketing Automation Compared

HubSpot

4.3/5

Marketo

4.1/5

Both are enterprise marketing platforms. HubSpot offers an all-in-one CRM approach while Marketo focuses on advanced marketing automation.

View all comparisons

Overview

HubSpot

HubSpot is an all-in-one inbound marketing, sales, and customer service platform designed to help businesses attract, engage, and delight customers throughout their entire lifecycle. It offers a comprehensive suite of tools including CRM, email marketing, content management, social media management, and analytics in a user-friendly interface. HubSpot is particularly well-suited for small to medium-sized businesses and growing companies that want an integrated solution without the complexity of managing multiple separate tools.

Key strengths

Intuitive, user-friendly interface with minimal learning curve and excellent onboarding experience

Comprehensive all-in-one platform combining CRM, marketing automation, sales tools, and customer service in seamless integration

Strong inbound marketing capabilities with robust content management, SEO tools, and social media management features

Extensive educational resources, certifications, and community support through HubSpot Academy and active user forums

Flexible pricing tiers including a substantial free tier, making it accessible for businesses of various sizes and budgets

Marketo

Marketo is a sophisticated marketing automation platform focused on lead management, email marketing, and revenue attribution for B2B companies. It provides advanced capabilities for complex, multi-touch marketing campaigns, detailed customer journey mapping, and comprehensive analytics to optimize marketing ROI. Marketo is primarily designed for mid-market to enterprise-level organizations with dedicated marketing teams that require powerful automation and detailed campaign orchestration capabilities.

Key strengths

Advanced lead scoring and nurturing capabilities with sophisticated behavioral tracking and predictive analytics

Powerful email marketing tools with advanced personalization, A/B testing, and deliverability optimization features

Comprehensive revenue attribution and ROI tracking with detailed analytics and reporting across the entire customer journey

Robust integration ecosystem with Salesforce and other enterprise-level CRM and business intelligence platforms

Scalable enterprise-grade architecture designed to handle high-volume campaigns and complex marketing operations for large organizations

Feature comparison

Email Marketing & Automation

Drag-and-Drop Email Builder

Automated Email Sequences

Email Deliverability Tools

Email Performance Analytics

Dynamic Content Personalization

Lead Management & Scoring

Lead Scoring Models

Lead Nurturing Workflows

Progressive Profiling

Lead Qualification & Routing

Lead Source Attribution

Lead Database Management

Campaign Management & Analytics

Multi-Channel Campaign Orchestration

A/B Testing & Optimization

Campaign Performance Dashboards

Marketing Attribution Modeling

Campaign ROI Analysis

Real-Time Campaign Monitoring

Landing Pages & Forms

Drag-and-Drop Landing Page Builder

Form Builder & Management

Conversion Optimization Tools

Mobile Responsiveness

Landing Page Analytics

Integration & Data Management

CRM Integration

Third-Party App Integrations

API & Custom Development

Data Import & Export

Data Quality & Hygiene

Compliance & Security

Reporting & Business Intelligence

Custom Report Builder

Revenue Attribution Reports

Executive Dashboards

Automated Report Scheduling

Performance Benchmarking

Pricing comparison

HubSpot

$45 /month

Starter

Limited to 1,000 marketing contacts, basic reporting only

Email marketing
Forms
Ad management
Landing pages
Marketing automation
Contact management up to 1,000

$800 /month

Professional

Additional costs for extra marketing contacts beyond 2,000

Advanced automation
Smart content
A/B testing
Custom reporting
Salesforce integration
Marketing contacts up to 2,000

$3,600 /month

Enterprise

Significant price jump from Professional tier

Advanced reporting
Custom events
Predictive lead scoring
Revenue attribution
Team management
Marketing contacts up to 10,000

Marketo

$1,195 /month

Growth

Limited advanced features, basic reporting capabilities

Email marketing
Landing pages
Lead management
Basic automation
Salesforce sync
Database up to 10,000 contacts

$2,295 /month

Select

Requires technical expertise for full utilization

Advanced segmentation
A/B testing
Revenue cycle analytics
Advanced automation
Social marketing
Database up to 25,000 contacts

$3,995 /month

Prime

Steep learning curve, requires significant implementation time

Predictive audiences
Advanced attribution
Account-based marketing
Advanced personalization
Workspace management
Database up to 75,000 contacts

$5,995 /month

Ultimate

Requires extensive technical resources and training

Advanced AI capabilities
Cross-channel orchestration
Advanced attribution modeling
Enterprise integrations
Premium support
Unlimited database contacts

Pros and cons

HubSpot

Pros

All-in-one platform combining CRM, marketing, sales, and service tools in one interface

Intuitive user interface that requires minimal training for most team members

Strong free tier with useful features for small businesses and startups

Excellent content management system with built-in SEO tools and recommendations

Comprehensive reporting dashboard with easy-to-understand visual analytics

Cons

Advanced marketing automation features are limited compared to specialized platforms

Pricing scales quickly as you add contacts and advanced features

Customization options are restricted, especially for complex enterprise workflows

Marketo

Pros

Sophisticated lead scoring and nurturing capabilities with complex branching logic

Advanced segmentation tools that allow for highly targeted campaign personalization

Robust integration ecosystem with enterprise-level CRM and business systems

Powerful A/B testing framework for emails, landing pages, and campaign optimization

Enterprise-grade security and compliance features for regulated industries

Cons

Steep learning curve requiring dedicated training and potentially specialized staff

Higher total cost of ownership including implementation, training, and ongoing management

User interface feels outdated and can be overwhelming for non-technical users

Our verdict

HubSpot excels as an all-in-one platform with superior ease of use, integrated CRM, and comprehensive free tier, making it ideal for small to mid-market companies seeking simplicity and quick implementation. Marketo (Adobe Marketo Engage) offers more sophisticated automation capabilities, advanced lead scoring, and enterprise-grade customization, positioning it as the preferred choice for large organizations with complex marketing needs. Both platforms provide robust email marketing and analytics, but differ significantly in complexity, pricing structure, and target market focus. The decision ultimately depends on company size, technical resources, budget, and automation complexity requirements.

Choose based on your organization's maturity and resources rather than features alone. HubSpot's integrated approach and user-friendly interface make it excellent for growing businesses, while Marketo's advanced capabilities justify the complexity for enterprises with dedicated marketing operations teams and substantial budgets.

Frequently asked questions

What's the pricing difference between HubSpot and Marketo?

HubSpot offers a freemium model starting at $0 with paid plans from $45/month, while Marketo starts around $895/month with no free tier. Marketo is significantly more expensive but targets enterprise customers, whereas HubSpot serves small to mid-market businesses more affordably.

Which platform has better marketing automation features?

Marketo excels in advanced marketing automation with sophisticated lead scoring, complex nurture campaigns, and enterprise-grade workflows. HubSpot offers solid automation features that are more user-friendly and integrated with CRM, making it better for teams wanting simplicity without sacrificing functionality.

How difficult is it to migrate from Marketo to HubSpot or vice versa?

Migration complexity depends on your setup, but generally moving from Marketo to HubSpot is easier due to HubSpot's migration tools and support. Moving to Marketo requires more technical expertise and planning, especially for complex automation workflows and custom integrations.

What kind of customer support can I expect from each platform?

HubSpot provides extensive free resources, community support, and phone/chat support on paid plans, plus HubSpot Academy for training. Marketo offers dedicated customer success managers for enterprise clients and technical support, but resources are more limited for smaller accounts.

Which platform integrates better with other business tools?

HubSpot offers native integrations with 1,000+ apps and seamless connectivity with popular tools like Salesforce, Slack, and WordPress. Marketo also integrates well with enterprise systems and has strong Salesforce integration, but typically requires more technical setup and may need middleware for complex integrations.

What's the learning curve like for each platform?

HubSpot is known for its intuitive interface and can be learned quickly by most marketing teams, with extensive free training available. Marketo has a steeper learning curve requiring more technical knowledge and training, making it better suited for experienced marketing operations professionals.

Which platform is better for small teams vs large enterprises?

HubSpot is ideal for small to medium teams (1-50 marketers) who need an all-in-one solution that's easy to use and scales gradually. Marketo is designed for larger enterprises (50+ marketers) with complex needs, dedicated marketing ops teams, and substantial budgets.

What are the main use cases where Marketo outperforms HubSpot?

Marketo excels in complex B2B scenarios requiring advanced lead scoring, sophisticated attribution modeling, and multi-touch nurture campaigns across long sales cycles. It's also superior for large enterprises needing extensive customization, complex integrations, and advanced reporting capabilities.

When should I choose HubSpot over Marketo?

Choose HubSpot if you're a growing business wanting an integrated CRM and marketing platform, need quick implementation, or have limited technical resources. It's also better for companies prioritizing ease of use, content marketing tools, and wanting to start with a lower investment.

Do both platforms offer CRM functionality?

HubSpot includes a full CRM system integrated natively with its marketing tools, providing seamless data flow and unified reporting. Marketo focuses purely on marketing automation and requires integration with separate CRM systems like Salesforce, though these integrations are typically very robust.