WordPress vs HubSpot : Choosing the Right CMS

Choosing the right Content Management System (CMS) can be difficult. There are a variety of factors to consider, and depending on your goals and resources, one may offer more functionally and usability to fit your needs. When talking about CMS platforms, the two that are in the spotlight are WordPress and HubSpot. These two are similar in many ways but have some noticeable differences. In this blog, I’ll discuss what makes each platform unique.

WordPress vs HubSpot

What is WordPress?

WordPress is an open-source platform. It has evolved immensely since its launch in 2003, when it was made specifically for blogging. It now provides users with many functionalities and tools that allow them to create a website and launch it with minimal investments. WordPress is the most popular CMS out there and now accounts for more than 31% of websites on the internet.

Although WordPress is an open source project, it has one of the most active online development communities. Thousands of developers have contributed to WordPress by creating custom plugins, themes, and other tools to help users with designing and launching their websites.

WordPress Features

Ease of Use

WordPress makes it possible to create and publish your website easily and quickly. You do not need to be a developer or have any background in coding because the user interface is very clean and simple, allowing you to easily create and edit contents. If you know how to use a word processor, you know how to use WordPress.

Extensibility & Customizability

The built-in features in WordPress allow you to design and create the layout you desire with ease. There is virtually nothing that you can't build in WordPress. In addition, there are thousands of themes, widgets, and plugins to choose from in order to customize your website and meet your goals.

Affordability

WordPress is free, but the cost will vary if you decided to use premium plugins, themes, and ultimately, the hosting provider.

What is HubSpot?

HubSpot is a platform that puts emphasis on inbound marketing and sales. HubSpot coined the term "COS" (Content Optimization System) for itself to differentiate from CRMs like WordPress. It’s packed with tools that allow users to not only create content but also improve upon their marketing and sales efforts.

In 2014, HubSpot launched HubSpot CRM Free, a product that tracks and manages interactions between a company, its customers, and its prospects. This is a major step toward improving the growth of the business, as it allows for the calculation of revenue and sales.

When talking about HubSpot, most will refer to it as an all-in-one solution for businesses that want to drive traffic and convert leads into customers. It provides tools for social media marketing, content management, web analytics, landing pages, and search engine optimization. When utilizing all the features that HubSpot provides, businesses are able to create and control successful inbound marketing strategies.

HubSpot Features

Security

HubSpot provides a safe and secure repository for data. HubSpot backs up data and teams monitor the software 24/7 by using proprietary and industry-recognized solutions.

Ease of Use

HubSpot helps marketers, meaning you are not required to know any coding knowledge. Their out-of-the-box interface and variety of tools allow for easy editing. In addition, HubSpot also provides a learning academy for you to improve your skills and gain a better understanding of how to use their tools and create content.

Built-in SEO

HubSpot's built in SEO is always up-to-date with the latest changes to Google's algorithm. In addition, you’ll never miss out on ways to optimize your website because HubSpot offers on-page SEO advice where you're creating content.

Inbound Marketing

HubSpot provides a wide range of tools for the creation and management of successful marketing and sales strategies. The software offers marketing automation, web analytics, social media management, email marketing, and many more!

The WordPress vs HubSpot Debate

The debate surrounding WordPress vs HubSpot has long existed in the marketing world because these two platforms offer different tools and environments for building your online business. Weighing the pros and cons of each will allow you to better understand how each platform performs and what they are best used for.

In terms of an out-of-the-box editor, HubSpot has a Drag-and-Drop functionality to quickly build templates for on-site content. It also has a Live editor so you can actively see the changes that you’ve made. With WordPress, you might have to flip back and forth between the editor and preview when trying to see your changes.

One thing that WordPress excels in is extensibility. You are free to customize based on your needs. With HubSpot, when you want to customize, you need to either create your own custom modules or browse the Hubspot Marketplace for Themes and modules. In either case, higher customizations could potentially require an actual developer to come in which could be both time consuming and expensive.

Where HubSpot outshines WordPress most is within it’s built-in marketing and search engine optimization functionalities. Since HubSpot is a marketing company, this area is their specialty and SEO is automatically in sync with the contents. Not to say that WordPress couldn’t provide this functionality, but you would be required to install third-party plugins. These plugins can be a bit of a hassle if they don’t work with your theme or other potential plugins. Sometimes a developer is necessary to help with set up. With HubSpot, everything is integrated into one in the software and is known for its all-in-one solution.

Choosing The Right Platform

Determining the right platform for your business can be difficult because you have to look at the overall picture. Ask yourself: What are my goals? Budget? What kind of resources or audience will interact with this platform?

If a business wants to look for a holistic approach they will look at all the different angles and focus on the consistent growth of traffic, leads, and sales. HubSpot can be a powerful platform and may be a better solution, but if you are looking to only create content, trying to setup an ecommerce store, or you don’t mind getting your hands dirty setting up the necessary tools, WordPress may be a good place to start.

Budget and Overall Business Value

Although HubSpot involves a monthly fee, you have to consider all the services and functionalities you are paying for. WordPress may offer many free tools and themes but if you want to build a professional online business, you need to consider the cost of hosting, additional setup, and maintenance of premium plugins and themes that will be required. The price may be comparable or even greater depending on your needs.

As far as businesses that are looking to have everything all in one place, HubSpot can do that for you. It has all the tools you’d need to help your business perform across multiple levels. If you’re looking to create a simple website and have a tight budget, then WordPress is a good option.

Conclusion

For our agency, we are serious about building a strong foundation for businesses to grow. When focusing on inbound marketing, it’s nice to have everything come shipped in one box and ready to use. This is why HubSpot is our preferred option. With that being said, we don’t want to discredit WordPress. It is a great platform for many businesses to start with and we build on it regularly. At the end of the day, these platforms are meant to serve as stepping stones to help you achieve your business goals.