Klaviyo vs HubSpot- Which Is Right for Your Business?

When it comes to choosing between Klaviyo and Hubspot for email marketing and CRM, the decision largely depends on your business model, goals, and the complexity of your marketing needs. Both platforms offer robust features, but they cater to different types of businesses. Let’s break down the key differences and help you determine which tool is better suited for your company’s needs.

What Is Klaviyo?

Klaviyo is an email marketing platform designed specifically for e-commerce businesses. It excels at delivering highly targeted and personalised email campaigns based on customer data, such as browsing behaviour, purchase history, and engagement with previous campaigns. Klaviyo’s strength lies in its ability to use data to segment audiences effectively, allowing businesses to tailor their marketing messages for maximum impact.

Key Features of Klaviyo-

  • Advanced Segmentation- Automatically segment customers based on behaviour, preferences, and interactions.
  • Email Automation- Set up workflows that trigger emails based on user actions like cart abandonment, post-purchase follow-ups, and more.
  • E-Commerce Integrations- Seamlessly integrates with platforms like Shopify, BigCommerce, and WooCommerce.
  • Personalisation- Use data-driven insights to deliver personalised product recommendations, offers, and content.
  • Analytics and Reporting- Track and optimise campaigns with in-depth performance reports and A/B testing features.

What Is HubSpot?

Hubspot is an all-in-one marketing, sales, and customer service platform. Unlike Klaviyo, which focuses primarily on email marketing, Hubspot offers a comprehensive set of tools for lead generation, CRM, email marketing, social media management, and analytics. It’s ideal for businesses that want to integrate their marketing efforts into one central platform. HubSpot is often used by businesses of all sizes, including those in B2B, services, and e-commerce sectors.

Key Features of HubSpot-

  • CRM and Sales Automation- HubSpot provides a fully integrated CRM, sales pipeline management, and tools to automate the sales process.
  • Lead Generation and Nurturing- Capture leads using forms, pop-ups, and landing pages, and then nurture them with automated workflows.
  • Email Marketing- While HubSpot does offer email marketing, it’s not as tailored for e-commerce as Klaviyo. However, it allows for list segmentation, personalised emails, and automated workflows.
  • Content Management System (CMS)- HubSpot offers a built-in CMS for businesses that want to create and optimise their website and blogs alongside their marketing efforts.
  • Analytics and Reporting- Provides comprehensive reporting across marketing, sales, and customer service activities, making it an all-in-one solution for businesses looking to measure and optimise their entire customer journey.

Key Differences Between Klaviyo and HubSpot

1. Target Audience

  • Klaviyo- Best for e-commerce businesses looking to leverage customer data for email marketing. It excels in personalised marketing and automated workflows based on customer behaviour.
  • HubSpot- Ideal for businesses in B2B, services, and e-commerce that need an all-in-one solution for marketing, sales, and customer service. It’s perfect for businesses that need a CRM to manage customer relationships, along with lead generation and nurturing tools.

2. Email Marketing Focus

  • Klaviyo- Designed specifically for e-commerce businesses, with a deep focus on personalisation, segmentation, and automation. It offers advanced features like product recommendations, cart abandonment emails, and post-purchase sequences.
  • HubSpot- While HubSpot offers email marketing, it’s more of a general-purpose solution. It lacks the e-commerce-specific features that Klaviyo provides but is a great option if you want to integrate email with your broader marketing and sales efforts.

3. CRM and Sales Tools

  • Klaviyo- Does not have a built-in CRM. It focuses purely on email marketing and customer segmentation based on e-commerce data.
  • HubSpot- Offers a powerful CRM system with sales tools, pipeline management, and lead tracking, which is perfect for B2B businesses and service providers. It allows you to manage leads, track interactions, and align sales and marketing efforts in one platform.

4. Integration with E-Commerce Platforms

  • Klaviyo- Best for ecommerce stores using platforms like Shopify, BigCommerce, or WooCommerce. Klaviyo’s integration with these platforms allows it to capture detailed customer data, which can be used to create personalised email campaigns.
  • HubSpot- Integrates with most e-commerce platforms but isn’t as tailored for e-commerce as Klaviyo. While it offers email marketing and automation, it lacks the same deep integration and automation features for e-commerce businesses.

5. Automation Capabilities

  • Klaviyo- Known for its advanced email automation workflows, especially for e-commerce businesses. You can set up highly targeted email flows based on customer behaviour, such as abandoned cart reminders, win-back campaigns, and post-purchase follow-ups.
  • HubSpot- HubSpot offers marketing automation but it’s more focused on lead nurturing and sales workflows. It can be used for a variety of industries, not just e-commerce, making it suitable for B2B and service-based businesses.

Which Should You Choose?

Choose Klaviyo if:

  • You are an e-commerce business looking to optimise your email marketing strategy.
  • You want to take advantage of advanced customer segmentation and data-driven insights to deliver personalised and targeted campaigns.
  • You need e-commerce integrations with platforms like Shopify or WooCommerce.
  • Your primary focus is on email automation to drive sales and engagement.

Choose HubSpot if:

  • You need a comprehensive solution that combines email marketing, CRM, sales pipeline management, and customer service in one platform.
  • You’re in a B2B or services business and need a tool to manage leads, track customer interactions, and automate sales processes.
  • You want a unified platform to manage your marketing, sales, and customer support efforts under one roof.
  • You have a business that isn’t purely e-commerce-focused but needs a full-fledged marketing and sales solution.

How Emarkable Can Help

At emarkable, we are partners with both Klaviyo and HubSpot, which means we can help you navigate the decision-making process and get the most out of either platform based on your specific needs.

  • For E-Commerce Businesses- If Klaviyo sounds like the right fit for your business, we can help you set up advanced segmentation, create automated workflows, and optimise your campaigns to drive more revenue through email marketing.
  • For B2B and Service-Based Businesses- If HubSpot is more aligned with your needs, we can assist you in setting up CRM integration, lead generation, sales automation, and email marketing campaigns that nurture leads through the sales funnel.

Whatever your business model, emarkable will work with you to implement and optimise the right platform for your goals.

Contact us today to discuss which solution is best for your business and how we can help you leverage it for growth.

Richard Coen

With over 21 years of experience in Digital Marketing, 31 years in sales and 25 years in business development, Richard assists companies to develop key growth strategies on a local or international basis. He can assist marketers to achieve balance in their approach to key areas affected by the growth in digital marketing.