HubSpot vs. Marketo: 2026 Review & Side-by-Side Comparison

Choosing between HubSpot and Marketo in 2026 isn’t just about features. It’s about how your team works. Both tools lead the marketing automation space, but they serve very different needs.

HubSpot is the all-in-one growth engine focused on speed and simplicity. Marketo caters to enterprises that need power, customization, and control.

If you’re a RevOps or growth leader comparing the two, here’s the quick answer: HubSpot wins on usability, Marketo on flexibility. But there’s a third option worth your attention — Default.

Default isn’t another marketing platform. It’s the RevOps engine that powers them. Built for teams that care about clean data, automation, and scale, Default keeps your CRM accurate, enriched, and fully automated.

In this guide, you’ll see how HubSpot and Marketo compare across pricing, usability, integrations, and support, and where Default fits as the modern alternative for teams that want efficiency without enterprise complexity.

See our detailed breakdown of HubSpot, Marketo, and Pardot for enterprise teams.

Who HubSpot is best for

HubSpot is designed for marketing and RevOps teams that want simplicity, speed, and integration in one platform. It’s especially suited to small and mid-market businesses that need a plug-and-play solution without heavy IT involvement. Teams focused on inbound marketing, lead nurturing, and sales enablement can get value quickly with minimal setup.

Who Marketo is best for

Marketo is built for enterprise-level organizations and advanced marketing teams managing complex lead lifecycles. It fits companies that already have a mature CRM infrastructure and dedicated operations resources. If you need granular control over automation, segmentation, and campaign performance—and have the team to manage it—Marketo delivers the depth HubSpot can’t match.

Learn how to optimize your Marketo CRM integration for complex enterprise data workflows

Default: an alternative

Default is designed for RevOps, SalesOps, and MarketingOps teams that want their CRM to stay clean and accurate without adding extra tools or manual work. It fits companies running HubSpot or Salesforce that need to enrich leads automatically, route them intelligently, and remove duplicates in the background. For teams tired of middleware and data silos, Default becomes the single source of truth that keeps every workflow running smoothly.

Try Default today — automate your RevOps stack in one place.

Price

Pricing is often the first major fork in the road when choosing between HubSpot and Marketo. HubSpot follows a transparent, tiered model that’s easy to understand but quick to climb as your contact list and feature needs grow. Marketo takes the opposite route with custom enterprise pricing. It’s flexible, but that flexibility comes with a higher price tag — and far less visibility upfront.

Before you commit to either, make sure you understand how each platform scales. HubSpot’s cost predictability appeals to smaller teams, while Marketo’s quote-based structure makes more sense for enterprises with big budgets and complex requirements.

HubSpot

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• Free plan: Basic CRM, forms, and limited marketing tools.
• Professional ($1,000/month): 3 core seats included, $50/month per extra seat. Offers advanced automation, reporting, and marketing tools.
• Enterprise ($3,800/month): 5 core seats included, $75/month per extra seat. Built for large teams needing deeper analytics, permissions, and scalability.

HubSpot’s pricing remains transparent but can scale quickly as your team and contact list grow.

Marketo

• Growth: Core marketing automation with email campaigns, segmentation, and measurement.
• Select: Adds enhanced automation, lead scoring, and analytics tools.
• Prime: Includes account-based marketing, AI personalization, and deeper integrations.
• Ultimate: Full enterprise suite with advanced automation and premium features.

Marketo follows a custom pricing model, so costs depend on your package, contact volume, and feature mix. You’ll need to contact sales for a quote, making it flexible, but less predictable for smaller teams.

Verdict

Choose HubSpot if you want predictable pricing and a faster start. Marketo makes sense only if your budget can handle enterprise complexity — it’s powerful, but never cheap.

Ease of use

Ease of use decides how fast your team can actually get results. HubSpot stands out for its built-in CRM and intuitive interface, letting most teams launch campaigns within days, not weeks. It’s built for momentum. Marketo takes more effort to get off the ground. You’ll get deeper control once it’s running, but expect a steeper learning curve and the need for solid ops support to make it sing.

HubSpot

• Intuitive interface: Drag-and-drop campaign builder and clear navigation.
• Quick setup: Most users can launch their first campaign within days.
• Unified ecosystem: CRM, marketing, and sales tools all share the same layout and data model.
• Learning curve: Minimal, supported by extensive tutorials and certification programs.

HubSpot’s design philosophy prioritizes accessibility — you can scale marketing and sales operations without relying heavily on technical staff.

Marketo

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• Advanced customization: Gives granular control over automation and scoring.
• Steeper learning curve: Requires training and ongoing maintenance.
• Interface: Functional but dated, with less visual cohesion than HubSpot.
• Technical dependency: Often needs admin or IT involvement to configure workflows.

Marketo delivers depth for experienced teams but demands significant ramp-up time and dedicated resources.

Verdict

HubSpot is built for speed — anyone can launch and learn fast. Marketo rewards experience, not experimentation, so make sure you’ve got ops firepower before you dive in.

Customer support

Strong customer support can make or break your experience with a complex platform. HubSpot sets the bar high with its investment in education, live chat, and extensive resources that help teams get up to speed fast. Marketo’s support is solid but built for enterprise clients. It’s thorough once you’re in, but less accessible if you’re a smaller team without a dedicated account manager.

HubSpot

• 24/7 support: Available via chat, email, and phone (depending on plan).
• Extensive knowledge base: Includes HubSpot Academy courses, tutorials, and certifications.
• Community forums: Active peer-to-peer support network.
• Priority support: Reserved for Enterprise plans with faster response times.

HubSpot’s customer success model is built around accessibility and education, making it easy for new teams to get up to speed quickly.

Marketo

• Support tiers: Vary by contract level — business-hours for standard, premium for enterprise.
• Dedicated account managers: Included for top-tier clients only.
• Community and documentation: Useful but dated and less intuitive than HubSpot’s.
• Implementation support: Often handled by certified partners rather than Marketo directly.

Marketo’s enterprise-first model ensures strong support for large customers but can feel distant or fragmented for mid-sized teams.

Verdict

HubSpot feels like having a coach on call — responsive and educational. Marketo delivers solid enterprise support, but only if you’re a top-tier customer with time to wait.

Integrations

Integrations are where marketing, sales, and RevOps finally come together. HubSpot takes the user-friendly route with its massive app marketplace, making it easy to plug in popular tools and get running fast. Marketo focuses on flexibility and depth instead, giving enterprise teams full API control to customize data flows exactly how they want them.

The difference really comes down to scale. HubSpot keeps integrations simple and accessible for most teams, while Marketo gives advanced operators the power to build anything — as long as they have the resources to maintain it.

HubSpot

• App ecosystem: Over 1,000 integrations across CRM, marketing, and analytics.
• Native CRM sync: Seamlessly connects with Salesforce, Google Workspace, and Slack.
• No-code setup: Most integrations can be added in minutes.
• Limitations: Deep customization can require Operations Hub or API use.

HubSpot makes integrations approachable and fast to implement, particularly for smaller RevOps and marketing teams without developers.

Marketo

• API flexibility: Enables complex, large-scale integrations with enterprise CRMs.
• Deep Salesforce connection: Supports advanced two-way data sync and custom objects.
• LaunchPoint marketplace: Hundreds of certified technology partners.
• Setup complexity: Most integrations require technical configuration or partner support.

Marketo excels when integration depth is essential, but demands more technical oversight.

Optimize your enterprise workflows using a dedicated Marketo Slack integration.

Verdict

HubSpot nails plug-and-play simplicity. Marketo wins when you need deep control and have the technical muscle to build around it.

Automation and workflow depth

Automation is where you find out how scalable a platform really is. HubSpot focuses on visual simplicity, letting teams build and launch workflows quickly without technical help. It’s great for getting results fast. Marketo goes deeper, giving experienced ops teams logic-based control over every step of a lead’s journey. It’s powerful, but it demands time, structure, and a clear strategy to unlock its full potential.

HubSpot

• Visual automation builder: Drag-and-drop interface for email sequences, lead scoring, and task triggers.
• Pre-built templates: Great for common workflows like lead nurturing or deal follow-up.
• Cross-department workflows: Syncs marketing, sales, and service triggers in one place.
• Limitations: Conditional logic and branching are less flexible than Marketo’s.

HubSpot’s automation tools are accessible to non-technical users, letting teams launch campaigns quickly without backend configuration.

Marketo

• Advanced logic builder: Supports multi-step, nested workflows with conditional rules.
• Lead lifecycle automation: Ideal for complex B2B buyer journeys and scoring models.
• Triggered campaigns: Enables real-time personalization and ABM targeting.
• Limitations: More difficult to visualize and test for non-technical users.

Marketo’s automation power is unmatched for enterprise teams that rely on granular control, but it comes with a steeper learning curve.

Explore advanced automation strategies with our Marketo lead nurturing deep dive

Verdict

Go with HubSpot if you want quick wins and visual simplicity. Choose Marketo when precision logic and enterprise-scale workflows matter more than ease of setup.

How to choose the best lead management and evaluation software

Choosing the right platform really depends on your team’s size, goals, and operational maturity. The best tools don’t just automate tasks; they make your entire process easier to manage. Look for solutions that improve lead visibility, cut down repetitive work, and connect smoothly with your CRM.

Here are three key areas to focus on. Each one plays a major role in building a scalable, data-driven RevOps stack that actually delivers results.

Data accuracy and enrichment

Every decision starts with good data. Your platform should make sure every lead record is complete, deduplicated, and enriched automatically. When data is missing or inconsistent, routing breaks and follow-ups slow down — especially in high-volume environments.

Default handles this natively through waterfall enrichment and scheduled workflows, ensuring your CRM always reflects the latest, most accurate data.

Automation flexibility

Great lead management runs on automation. The right platform connects marketing, sales, and success triggers so nothing slips through the cracks. The key is balance — simple enough to use, but flexible enough to adapt to your sales motion as it evolves.

Default allows you to orchestrate enrichment, routing, and intent workflows from one interface — no middleware or code required.

Reporting and scalability

As your pipeline grows, visibility becomes everything. A strong platform gives you clear analytics, real-time sync, and reporting your teams can actually use. That transparency helps you scale with confidence instead of reacting to gaps.

Default adds an extra layer. Its AI-driven account research gives RevOps leaders visibility into account gaps and buying signals, helping you prioritize enrichment and outreach where it matters most.

Turn clean CRM data into smarter strategy — uncover account insights automatically with Default.

Alternative to HubSpot and Marketo: Default

Default isn’t a marketing automation platform — it’s the RevOps engine that keeps those platforms running clean. While HubSpot and Marketo focus on building and delivering campaigns, Default handles everything beneath the surface: data accuracy, enrichment, routing, and workflow intelligence.

It’s built for teams already using HubSpot or Salesforce that need their CRM to stay clean and automated without relying on middleware or constant admin oversight. With Default, enrichment runs on autopilot, duplicates disappear quietly, and every record stays complete and reliable.

In other words, HubSpot and Marketo drive engagement. Default keeps the engine underneath them running smoothly.

Key features

Waterfall enrichment

Default enriches every record in sequence using multiple vendors like Clearbit, Apollo, or ZoomInfo. Instead of wasting API calls or leaving gaps, it keeps enriching until every key field is filled. The result: complete, reliable data without the manual clean-up.

Automated deduplication

Duplicates are more than messy — they break routing, inflate metrics, and confuse your reps. Default continuously identifies and merges duplicate records across your CRM, keeping data integrity intact while maintaining accurate reporting.

AI account research

Default goes a step further by analyzing enriched data and intent signals to surface quick, actionable insights on each account. You’ll see missing firmographics, potential buying intent, and engagement patterns — all in one place, without digging through tools or spreadsheets.

Pricing

Where Default shines

• Vendor independence: Default works with any enrichment provider — Clearbit, Apollo, ZoomInfo, or whoever you prefer. You’re never locked into a single vendor, which gives your team full control over data sources and spend.
  
  
• No middleware required: Everything runs natively. You don’t need Zapier, Workato, or custom scripts to move data between systems. Default connects directly to your CRM and vendors, reducing points of failure and keeping operations simple.
  
  
• Purpose-built for RevOps: Default isn’t a marketing tool wearing an ops badge. It’s designed specifically for RevOps, SalesOps, and MarketingOps workflows — the teams responsible for keeping CRM data accurate and revenue processes running efficiently.

Where Default falls short

• Not a marketing automation tool: Default doesn’t send emails or build campaigns. It’s the layer that powers those tools, not a replacement for them.
  
  
• Best for existing CRM users: Default integrates with systems like HubSpot and Salesforce, so it’s not meant for teams starting from scratch without a CRM in place.
  
  

Customer reviews

“It takes the headache out of inbound scheduling and qualification. We're able to set qualification parameters so if someone signs up and meets our ICP, they can instantly book a meeting with a sales rep, eliminating the back and forth and saving us hours. Plus, the way it integrates with our existing tools like Hubspot and Slack makes the whole process feel seamless. Our inbound conversion rate went up significantly thanks to Default!” - Brandon P., verified G2 reviewer

“The intuitive interface and seamless CRM integrations set it apart, while the responsive support team ensures a smooth experience.” - Tahreem R., verified G2 reviewer

Who Default is best for

• RevOps teams: Automating data hygiene, routing, and enrichment.
• SalesOps leaders: Maintaining CRM accuracy for faster lead distribution.
• MarketingOps professionals: Syncing vendor data without added middleware.

Unify data, scheduling, and AI workflows with Default

HubSpot and Marketo handle the front end of marketing automation — campaigns, emails, and engagement. But neither is built to manage what happens behind the scenes. 

That’s where Default steps in.

Default automates the operational layer that keeps everything running: clean data, accurate routing, and reliable workflows. It connects directly to your CRM, enriches records automatically, and eliminates duplicates before they cause friction. The result is a RevOps foundation that scales without adding complexity.

If you’re already using HubSpot or Marketo, Default becomes the missing link that keeps your systems clean and your workflows fully automated. No middleware, no manual clean-up — just data that’s always ready to move.

Book a demo with Default and see how clean, automated data can power faster, smarter growth.

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