Customer.io vs HubSpot: Behavioral Automation vs Marketing Suite
Comparing Customer.io and HubSpot for SaaS email. Specialized automation vs full marketing platform.
Overview
Customer.io and HubSpot represent different philosophies. Customer.io specializes in behavioral email automation for product companies. HubSpot is a full marketing suite with email as one of many features. Both are expensive, and Sequenzy offers compelling value for SaaS at a fraction of the cost.
| Feature | Customer.io | HubSpot |
|---|---|---|
| Starting Price | $100/mo | Free-$800+/mo |
| Focus | Email automation | Full marketing suite |
| Email Automation | Best in class | Good (Pro tier) |
| CRM | No | Yes (free) |
| Landing Pages | No | Yes |
| Multi-channel | Email, SMS, Push | Email, Ads |
| Event Tracking | Excellent | Good |
Key Differences
Specialization vs Suite
Customer.io does one thing exceptionally well: behavioral email automation. The event tracking, segmentation, and workflow builder are purpose-built for product-led companies. If email automation is your primary need, Customer.io is best in class.
HubSpot is an entire marketing department in software. Email, CRM, landing pages, forms, analytics, SEO, social media, and more. Email is just one piece, and automation features require the $800/mo Professional tier.
Pricing Structure
Customer.io pricing is straightforward: starts at $100/mo for 5,000 profiles. You know what you pay and what you get.
HubSpot pricing is complex. Free CRM and basic email, but automation features require Marketing Hub Professional at $800/mo. The jump from Free to Professional is steep.
Target Use Case
Customer.io assumes you are a product company with users generating behavioral events. The entire platform is built around triggering messages based on what users do.
HubSpot is industry-agnostic. It works for services, agencies, e-commerce, and SaaS. This flexibility means less optimization for any specific use case.
Consider Sequenzy
Both Customer.io and HubSpot are expensive. For SaaS with billing integration needs, Sequenzy at $19/mo offers:
- Native Stripe, Polar, Creem, Dodo integrations
- Revenue attribution built-in
- Advanced automation for most needs
- 80% cost savings vs Customer.io
Who Should Choose What
Choose Customer.io if:
- Email automation is your primary need
- You want the most powerful workflow builder
- Multi-channel messaging matters
- You have dedicated resources to manage it
Choose HubSpot if:
- You need the full marketing suite
- CRM and email integration is essential
- You have budget for $800+/mo
- You want one platform for everything
Choose Sequenzy if:
- You want billing integrations and revenue attribution
- Budget is a consideration
- You prefer a focused email tool
The Bottom Line
For pure email automation power, Customer.io wins. For a full marketing suite, HubSpot has everything, but at $800/mo for real features.
Most SaaS startups are better served by Sequenzy. Native billing integrations and revenue attribution at $19/mo beats spending $100-800/mo on features you may not fully use.