Struggling with expensive email automation inside your CRM makes the Encharge HubSpot integration a smart alternative to explore. Encharge acts as a behavior-based marketing automation tool that connects directly to your existing HubSpot data. You get powerful visual flow builders and unlimited email sends without paying for HubSpot’s highest pricing tiers.
The core advantage is the bi-directional sync between both platforms. You can push contact properties, lead scores, and lifecycle stages from HubSpot into Encharge, while sending email engagement data right back. This keeps your sales and marketing teams aligned without relying on manual data entry or fragile third-party connectors.
Is this setup actually worth the switch for your business? We will look at real pricing, feature limits, and honest alternatives so you can decide confidently.
Quick Verdict
If you already use HubSpot as your CRM but find their native marketing automation too expensive or rigid, this integration is worth testing. Encharge gives you advanced behavior-based email flows and unlimited sends at a fraction of the cost of upgrading your HubSpot tier. The bi-directional sync means your sales team never loses visibility into marketing engagement.
However, if you are a solo founder with zero technical setup experience, the initial configuration might feel slightly overwhelming. It is built for teams that already have a defined customer journey and want to automate it based on actual user behavior. This is a highly efficient way to scale your outreach without blowing up your software budget.
Why This Setup Makes Sense
HubSpot is an incredible CRM, but its marketing automation pricing scales aggressively as your contact list grows. Many growing B2B and SaaS companies hit a wall when they need advanced behavioral triggers but cannot justify the $800+ monthly cost of HubSpot Marketing Pro. Encharge solves this by acting as a dedicated, affordable automation layer that sits on top of your existing CRM data.
Instead of rebuilding your entire tech stack, you keep HubSpot for sales pipeline management and customer records. You then route your complex, behavior-driven email sequences through Encharge. The two systems talk to each other constantly, ensuring that a lead’s actions in your app or website instantly update their status in both platforms.
Keeping your CRM and email automation separate is a smart move for growing teams. You avoid the heavy all-in-one software tax while maintaining a single source of truth for your sales reps. It is a practical workaround that delivers advanced automation capabilities on a realistic budget.
Who Should Read This Review
This breakdown is specifically for marketing operators, growth leads, and SaaS founders who already use HubSpot. You are likely evaluating this because your current email setup feels limited, or your HubSpot renewal quote just came in much higher than expected. You need a solution that handles complex, event-driven workflows without requiring a massive budget increase.
If you are still using basic email broadcasts or manually exporting CSV files from your CRM, this review will show you what a proper automated setup looks like. We will cover the exact features you get, the real limitations you might face, and how it stacks up against other popular alternatives. By the end, you will know exactly whether to start the trial or stick with your current stack.
What You Actually Get in the Free Trial
Encharge does not offer a forever-free plan, but it does give you a full 14-day free trial to test the platform. During this trial, you get access to the exact same features as the paid tiers, including unlimited broadcasts, flows, emails, segments, and team members. This means you can build out your entire HubSpot-connected automation sequence and see exactly how the bi-directional sync behaves before spending a dime.
The trial provides more than enough time to import a segment of your HubSpot contacts, set up a behavioral trigger, and watch the data flow back into your CRM. You do not have to worry about hitting artificial caps or watermarked emails during this testing phase. If the setup feels right and the data syncs cleanly, upgrading is a logical next step.
Pricing and How It Compares to Alternatives
Encharge keeps its pricing straightforward with two main tiers for most growing teams: Growth and Premium. The Growth plan starts at $99 per month (or $79 billed annually) for up to 2,000 subscribers. However, if you want the robust, native two-way sync with HubSpot, you will need the Premium plan, which starts at $159 per month (or $129 billed annually) for the same contact limit.
While ActiveCampaign and Brevo are popular alternatives, they come with clear trade-offs. ActiveCampaign is cheaper upfront but bundles its own CRM, which you might not need if you are already committed to HubSpot. Brevo is incredibly affordable, but its advanced automation and HubSpot connectivity often require piecing together third-party tools.
Encharge positions itself specifically as a companion to your existing CRM, not a replacement. You pay a premium for the Premium plan because you are getting a dedicated, high-fidelity bridge between your product data, your email flows, and your HubSpot records. For teams that rely on accurate lead scoring and timely sales handoffs, that reliability is worth the investment.
My Honest Take: Is It Worth It?
The Encharge HubSpot integration is a highly effective solution for B2B and SaaS teams hitting a wall with basic email tools. It delivers advanced behavioral triggers and unlimited sends at a fraction of the cost of upgrading your HubSpot tier. The bi-directional sync ensures your sales team never flies blind when a lead engages with your content.
It is not designed for complete beginners who have never mapped out a customer journey. You need a clear understanding of your user behavior to build flows that actually convert.
If you are just starting out with a tiny list, a simpler tool might suffice for now.
However, if you already have a product, an established HubSpot CRM, and a growing contact list, this setup will save you significant time and money. Waiting too long usually means you keep delaying the actual automation build while manually managing leads. At some point, keeping everything manual costs you more than the software does.
