---
title: "HubSpot vs WordPress vs beehiiv: Which Publishing Platform Is Best in 2026?"
subtitle: "A No-Fluff Guide To Help You Choose the Right Tool for Your Goals"
authors: ["Kawusara Salley"]
published: 2025-09-21
---

# HubSpot vs WordPress vs beehiiv: Which Publishing Platform Is Best in 2026?

Thanks to software like HubSpot, WordPress, and beehiiv, anyone can build a professional website and publish content online without writing a single line of code.

While these platforms share similar features, they each have unique features that make them ideal for different audiences and use cases.

So if you’re trying to figure out which platform is the best fit for your business needs and goals, you’re in the right place. 

I’ve tested all three platforms and dug into dozens of user reviews to put together this comprehensive HubSpot vs WordPress vs beehiiv comparison to help you decide.

## **HubSpot vs WordPress vs beehiiv at a Glance (Comparison Table)**

**Feature**

**beehiiv**

**HubSpot**

**WordPress**

**Best For**

Newsletter growth & monetization

All-in-one CRM, marketing & sales

Full website customization

**Free Plan**

Yes (up to 2,500 subs)

Yes (limited CMS)

Yes ([WordPress.org](https://WordPress.org?utm_source=beehiivblog.beehiiv.com&utm_medium=referral&utm_campaign=hubspot-vs-wordpress-vs-beehiiv-which-publishing-platform-is-best-in-2026) is free)

**Starting Price**

Free / $43/mo (Scale)

$15/mo/seat (Content Hub)

$60–100+/mo (hosting + plugins)

**Newsletter Built-in**

Yes (advanced — core feature)

Basic (Marketing Hub required)

No (requires plugins)

**Monetization**

Built-in: Ad Network, Boosts, paid subs, sponsorships — 0% fees

Commerce Hub (invoicing/payments)

Plugins required (WooCommerce, etc.)

**Growth Tools**

Referral programs, recommendations, Boosts, advanced popups

CRM-powered lead gen & A/B testing

Plugins required

**SEO**

Built-in SEO + web publishing

Built-in recommendations & analytics

Strong (via Yoast/RankMath plugins)

**Customization**

Moderate (newsletter + website templates)

Moderate (drag-and-drop + HubL)

Unlimited (59,000+ plugins)

**Learning Curve**

Easy

Moderate to steep

Steep

**Security**

Fully managed

Fully managed (SSL, CDN, DDoS)

Your responsibility (plugins needed)

**Revenue Share**

0%

N/A

0%

**G2 Rating**

4.5/5

4.4/5

4.4/5

## HubSpot vs. WordPress vs. beehiiv: Key Takeaways

1.  HubSpot works best for medium to large businesses that want to run content, marketing, sales, and customer service from one platform.
    
2.  WordPress (specifically [WordPress.org](https://WordPress.org?utm_source=beehiivblog.beehiiv.com&utm_medium=referral&utm_campaign=hubspot-vs-wordpress-vs-beehiiv-which-publishing-platform-is-best-in-2026)) is a flexible content management system with thousands of themes, templates, and plugins to customize your site’s design and functionality.
    
3.  beehiiv is a user-friendly newsletter and blogging platform, with built-in tools to grow your audience and earn revenue.
    

**Why Trust Me?**

Kawusara has 5+ years of experience managing WordPress sites. She’s also passionate about researching and testing software tools and sharing her unique insights in plain, simple language.

## Table of Contents

-   [HubSpot vs WordPress vs beehiiv at a Glance (Compa …](#hub-spot-vs-word-press-vs-beehiiv-a)
    
-   [HubSpot vs. WordPress vs. beehiiv: Features Comparison](#hub-spot-vs-word-press-vs-beehiiv-f)
    
    -   [Ease of Use](#ease-of-use)
        
    -   [Website Builder](#website-builder)
        
    -   [Content Publishing](#content-publishing)
        
    -   [Newsletter and Email Marketing](#newsletter-and-email-marketing)
        
        -   [beehiiv](#beehiiv)
            
        -   [HubSpot](#hub-spot)
            
        -   [WordPress](#word-press)
            
    -   [Growth Tools and Audience Building](#growth-tools-and-audience-building)
        
    -   [Marketing Automation](#marketing-automation)
        
    -   [Earning Tools](#earning-tools)
        
    -   [Analytics](#analytics)
        
    -   [Site Security](#site-security)
        
-   [SEO and Web Performance](#seo-and-web-performance)
    
    -   [beehiiv](#beehiiv)
        
    -   [HubSpot](#hub-spot)
        
    -   [WordPress](#word-press)
        
-   [Monetization and Revenue](#monetization-and-revenue)
    
    -   [beehiiv](#beehiiv)
        
    -   [WordPress](#word-press)
        
    -   [HubSpot](#hub-spot)
        
-   [When to Choose HubSpot](#when-to-choose-hub-spot)
    
    -   [Pros and Cons of HubSpot](#pros-and-cons-of-hub-spot)
        
    -   [HubSpot Pricing (2026)](#hub-spot-pricing-2026)
        
-   [When to Choose WordPress](#when-to-choose-word-press)
    
    -   [Pros and Cons of WordPress](#pros-and-cons-of-word-press)
        
    -   [WordPress Pricing (2026)](#word-press-pricing-2026)
        
-   [When to Choose beehiiv](#when-to-choose-beehiiv)
    
    -   [Pros and Cons of beehiiv](#pros-and-cons-of-beehiiv)
        
    -   [beehiiv Pricing (2026)](#beehiiv-pricing-2026)
        
-   [HubSpot vs. WordPress vs. beehiiv: Pricing](#hub-spot-vs-word-press-vs-beehiiv-p)
    
-   [How to Migrate to beehiiv](#how-to-migrate-to-beehiiv)
    
    -   [Migrating from WordPress to beehiiv](#migrating-from-word-press-to-beehii)
        
    -   [Migrating from HubSpot to beehiiv](#migrating-from-hub-spot-to-beehiiv)
        
-   [HubSpot vs. WordPress vs. beehiiv: Which Platform Should You Choose?](#hub-spot-vs-word-press-vs-beehiiv-w)
    
-   [HubSpot vs. WordPress vs. beehiiv: Frequently Asked Questions](#hub-spot-vs-word-press-vs-beehiiv-f)
    
    -   [Is HubSpot good for building a website?](#is-hub-spot-good-for-building-a-web)
        
    -   [Can you use HubSpot with WordPress?](#can-you-use-hub-spot-with-word-pres)
        
    -   [Is WordPress or beehiiv better?](#is-word-press-or-beehiiv-better)
        
    -   [Is HubSpot better than WordPress for building a we …](#is-hub-spot-better-than-word-press-)
        
    -   [Can you use HubSpot with WordPress?](#can-you-use-hub-spot-with-word-pres)
        
    -   [What is the best free publishing platform in 2026?](#what-is-the-best-free-publishing-pl)
        
    -   [Which platform is best for monetizing content?](#which-platform-is-best-for-monetizi)
        
    -   [Is WordPress or beehiiv better for blogging?](#is-word-press-or-beehiiv-better-for)
        

## HubSpot vs. WordPress vs. beehiiv: Features Comparison

### Ease of Use

**beehiiv’s** platform is the easiest to use. Since it’s cloud-hosted, you get access to all of its tools when you sign up. 

The interface is simple enough for beginners and non-techies to figure out without much guidance, and you can publish your first post in as little as 10 minutes.

Should you need help, the in-app tours and tutorials walk you through the interface and features, step by step.

![beehiiv dashboard showing newsletter analytics, including subscriber growth, open rate, and engagement metrics. Illustrates how creators track newsletter performance and audience growth within the beehiiv platform.](https://media.beehiiv.com/cdn-cgi/image/fit=scale-down,format=auto,onerror=redirect,quality=80/uploads/asset/file/bd846844-3c4a-43c6-bf5e-4ad7f960e844/HubSpot_vs_WordPress_vs_beehiiv-_Which_Should_You_Use_to_Publish_Content___1_.png?t=1772917488)

**WordPress** is self-hosted, which means you’ll need to handle the setup yourself—purchase hosting, install WordPress, and configure plugins—before you can start using it.

When you get into your WordPress dashboard, it might seem simple, but don’t let that fool you. You’ll need to spend time watching in-depth video tutorials (thankfully, there are many of them) to learn its features.

Even when you’ve grasped the basics, getting your site to look and function the way you want can take days or even weeks.

![WordPress admin dashboard showing the site management interface with navigation for posts, pages, plugins, and settings. Illustrates the WordPress CMS backend where creators manage website content, themes, and plugins.](https://media.beehiiv.com/cdn-cgi/image/fit=scale-down,format=auto,onerror=redirect,quality=80/uploads/asset/file/dc51181b-f09a-4d14-ab36-ff2a96914892/HubSpot_vs_WordPress_vs_beehiiv-_Which_Should_You_Use_to_Publish_Content_.png?t=1772917541)

Like beehiiv, **HubSpot** is a cloud-hosted platform and comes with most of its features right out of the box, reducing your reliance on third-party add-ons. 

The interface feels easy to use at first, but the more you dig in, the steeper the learning curve gets. 

That’s because HubSpot bundles several products—CRM, marketing, sales, service, CMS, operations, and commerce—into one platform. Plus, each of these products packs a bunch of features, which can be overwhelming for beginners. 

For big businesses ready to learn it, having everything in one place pays off in the long run.

![HubSpot dashboard interface displaying CRM, marketing, content, and automation tools in the navigation sidebar. Illustrates the HubSpot platform used by creators and businesses to manage content, marketing, and customer data.](https://media.beehiiv.com/cdn-cgi/image/fit=scale-down,format=auto,onerror=redirect,quality=80/uploads/asset/file/cea071cb-1448-43e5-9952-bb5702bbba81/HubSpot_vs_WordPress_vs_beehiiv-_Which_Should_You_Use_to_Publish_Content_.png?t=1772917612)

### Website Builder

**beehiiv’s** website building experience is pretty smooth and straightforward. 

You start by choosing from professionally-designed [website templates](https://www.beehiiv.com/support/article/29730433807767-getting-started-with-the-website-beta?utm_source=evaboot.com/blog/prospecting-list&srsltid=AfmBOookhKdmWjGoZzTyK22ycs4qWzT6emd_DY4RFIvwNonyj2g1ojJJ). You can customize your template’s color palette and typography to fit your brand, and choose the pages (Home, About, Archive, Pricing, etc.) you want to keep for your website.

When you’re set, you can make further tweaks to the template inside beehiiv’s website builder. The builder features a drag-and-drop interface with pre-made sections for things like testimonials, pricing tables, FAQs, and social proof.

This setup makes it easy to put together a polished site even if you have zero design experience.

![beehiiv website builder interface showing “The Creator’s Toolbox” newsletter homepage with signup form and featured posts. Demonstrates how creators can design and publish newsletter websites using beehiiv’s drag-and-drop editor.](https://media.beehiiv.com/cdn-cgi/image/fit=scale-down,format=auto,onerror=redirect,quality=80/uploads/asset/file/7bb44fc6-b6c0-483c-b34f-309fc0db8d3e/HubSpot_vs_WordPress_vs_beehiiv-_Which_Should_You_Use_to_Publish_Content_.png?t=1772917665)

For starters, **WordPress** has thousands of themes and templates for [building your website](/blog/how-to-build-a-niche-site).

While you can tweak website templates or build new web pages from scratch in the WordPress editor, it doesn’t work really well.

In practice, most creators install a page builder plugin like Elementor, Beaver Builder, or Divi to design pages more flexibly. These tools add drag-and-drop functionality, but they’re typically freemium, meaning advanced features require a paid plan.

WordPress ultimately wins on raw customization thanks to its massive ecosystem of 59,000+ plugins. However, that flexibility comes with trade-offs — more plugins often mean more maintenance, potential security risks, and occasional plugin conflicts that can break parts of your site.

![WordPress Elementor page builder interface showing a landing page signup form with drag-and-drop design elements. Illustrates how creators can build and customize website pages visually in WordPress using the Elementor editor.](https://media.beehiiv.com/cdn-cgi/image/fit=scale-down,format=auto,onerror=redirect,quality=80/uploads/asset/file/d3e8bf2b-4ab4-4aa5-8141-a30e5f657104/HubSpot_vs_WordPress_vs_beehiiv-_Which_Should_You_Use_to_Publish_Content_.png?t=1772917727)

**HubSpot’s** website builder comes with 100+ free and paid themes in its marketplace. 

You can filter these themes by business type, the web pages you need, specific page features (forms, pricing, calendar, and more), and price to find a good fit quickly.

Unlike beehiiv and WordPress, HubSpot’s builder has unique features that save you from purchasing extra tools. 

For instance, you can pull in data (team profiles, upcoming events, etc.) from HubDB, HubSpot’s internal database tool, to display on your website, add a booking calendar for appointments, and [run A/B tests](/blog/a-b-email-testing) on page variations to see what converts best.

The downside is that while HubSpot is powerful, it becomes expensive quickly, especially as you scale.

![HubSpot CMS page editor showing drag-and-drop modules used to design a marketing website landing page. Demonstrates how creators and businesses can build and customize website pages in HubSpot’s CMS platform.](https://media.beehiiv.com/cdn-cgi/image/fit=scale-down,format=auto,onerror=redirect,quality=80/uploads/asset/file/cd9729ab-82cd-4a6e-863f-48e24ea685c6/HubSpot_vs_WordPress_vs_beehiiv-_Which_Should_You_Use_to_Publish_Content_.png?t=1772917772)

### Content Publishing

**WordPress’s** editor doesn’t look as appealing as those in [HubSpot and beehiiv](https://www.beehiiv.com/comparisons/hubspot?utm_source=beehiivblog.beehiiv.com&utm_medium=referral&utm_campaign=hubspot-vs-wordpress-vs-beehiiv-which-publishing-platform-is-best-in-2026), but it’s still easy to use and gets the job done.

It lets you add text, images, audio, and video to your content, apply text formatting, and embed social posts. When you’re done, you can publish your blog post immediately or schedule it for later.

When you’re done writing, you can publish immediately or schedule the post for later.

![WordPress Gutenberg editor displaying a blog post titled “Top 10 Unique Christmas Gift Ideas” with content blocks and publishing settings. Shows how creators write, edit, and format blog content in the WordPress block-based editor.](https://media.beehiiv.com/cdn-cgi/image/fit=scale-down,format=auto,onerror=redirect,quality=80/uploads/asset/file/81583153-a335-4291-892d-6539c7b291a5/HubSpot_vs_WordPress_vs_beehiiv-_Which_Should_You_Use_to_Publish_Content_.png?t=1772917820)

**HubSpot’s** blog post editor works pretty similarly to WordPress. 

However, most users will find HubSpot’s editor more intuitive because the tools you need, like on-page SEO optimization, are included by default, so you don’t have to install plugins as you would in WordPress. 

Another difference is that HubSpot shows you exactly how your post will look once published, while WordPress usually requires you to preview the post to see how your chosen theme renders it when it goes live.

The limitation is that HubSpot separates blogging and email publishing. If you want to send a blog post to subscribers, you’ll typically need to create a separate email campaign referencing the post, which adds another step to the workflow.

![HubSpot blog editor displaying an article titled “How to maximize productivity at work” with drag-and-drop content modules. Shows how creators can write, edit, and publish blog posts using HubSpot’s CMS content editor.](https://media.beehiiv.com/cdn-cgi/image/fit=scale-down,format=auto,onerror=redirect,quality=80/uploads/asset/file/d3462d63-3d65-4e34-b31f-8a2c825346ba/HubSpot_vs_WordPress_vs_beehiiv-_Which_Should_You_Use_to_Publish_Content_.png?t=1772917868)

**beehiiv’s** editor has a clean, minimalist layout that keeps the focus on writing.

When you need to add a media file, embed a social post, or call on beehiiv AI to assist with your writing, you can open the tool menu with a slash (/) command.

For teams, the editor supports comments and @mentions, making it easy to share feedback.

Every time you publish a newsletter, it can simultaneously be sent to subscribers and published as an SEO-friendly blog post on your website. This means a single piece of content can reach readers through email and organic search without requiring additional workflows or tools.

For content creators and publishers, this eliminates the need to write once for email and again for your blog — the same piece of content powers both channels automatically.

![beehiiv newsletter editor showing the block menu with content elements like headings, embeds, lists, and media. Demonstrates how creators compose and format newsletter content in beehiiv using modular content blocks.](https://media.beehiiv.com/cdn-cgi/image/fit=scale-down,format=auto,onerror=redirect,quality=80/uploads/asset/file/54aadd30-5465-4bcf-9265-a17be8914cc1/HubSpot_vs_WordPress_vs_beehiiv-_Which_Should_You_Use_to_Publish_Content_.png?t=1772917946)

### **Newsletter and Email Marketing**

One major factor that most comparisons between blogging platforms overlook is email distribution.

Publishing content is only half the battle — the other half is getting that content in front of readers consistently. This is where the differences between beehiiv, WordPress, and HubSpot become much clearer.

#### beehiiv

beehiiv is a newsletter-first platform, which means email distribution is built directly into the product rather than added through integrations.

Every piece of content you publish can be sent to subscribers as an email and published to your website simultaneously, eliminating the need for separate tools or workflows.

Beyond basic sending, beehiiv includes a range of advanced email tools out of the box, such as:

-   Audience segmentation
    
-   Automated email sequences
    
-   A/B testing for subject lines and content
    
-   Content gating for premium or subscriber-only posts
    
-   Built-in [referral programs](http://beehiiv.com/features/referral-program?utm_source=beehiivblog.beehiiv.com&utm_medium=referral&utm_campaign=hubspot-vs-wordpress-vs-beehiiv-which-publishing-platform-is-best-in-2026) to help grow your newsletter
    

Because these features are native to the platform, creators can run a full newsletter operation without needing additional email marketing software.

#### HubSpot

HubSpot supports email marketing through its Marketing Hub product.

While this gives you access to powerful tools — including advanced automation workflows, personalization, and CRM integrations — it comes at an additional cost.

Email functionality is not included in HubSpot’s CMS alone, and most businesses will need a Marketing Hub plan, which can range from roughly $15/month to $890+ per month depending on features and scale.

For companies running complex marketing funnels this can be extremely powerful, but for newsletter-first creators or publishers, it can quickly become expensive and unnecessarily complex.

#### WordPress

WordPress has no native email marketing functionality.

If you want to send newsletters to subscribers, you’ll need to integrate a third-party email marketing platform using plugins or external tools such as Mailchimp, FluentCRM, or other email services.

While this approach works, it introduces additional cost, setup time, and maintenance, especially as your email list grows.

It also means your content publishing and email distribution live in separate systems, which can complicate workflows compared to platforms where both are built together.

In short:

-   WordPress → No native email marketing; requires third-party plugins or tools
    
-   HubSpot → Powerful email automation through Marketing Hub, but expensive for newsletter-focused use cases
    
-   beehiiv → Purpose-built for newsletters, with email distribution, automation, and growth tools built directly into the platform.
    

### Growth Tools and Audience Building

Growing an audience requires more than just publishing content. The real challenge is turning readers into subscribers and expanding your reach over time. Each platform approaches this differently.

If your main goal is to grow your website traffic via organic search, **WordPress** provides the key ingredient you need—an SEO toolset.

By default, WordPress comes with technical SEO tools to help search engines crawl and index your site. 

You can also install on-page SEO optimization tools like Yoast or RankMath, which guide you through optimizing each blog post before it goes live. While WordPress excels at organic traffic growth, most subscriber acquisition tools — such as popups, referral programs, and email capture systems — require additional plugins or third-party services.

![WordPress Rank Math SEO plugin snippet editor showing search preview, title, permalink, and meta description optimization fields. Illustrates how creators optimize blog posts for search engines inside the WordPress content editor.](https://media.beehiiv.com/cdn-cgi/image/fit=scale-down,format=auto,onerror=redirect,quality=80/uploads/asset/file/e79af6dd-c231-46c1-9183-bf1fcecdb8fb/HubSpot_vs_WordPress_vs_beehiiv-_Which_Should_You_Use_to_Publish_Content_.png?t=1772917998)

Like WordPress, **HubSpot** provides technical and on-page SEO features to grow your website’s traffic via search; however, all of these tools are pre-built into HubSpot. 

This means you can fine-tune elements like image alt text, internal links, and meta descriptions right inside HubSpot’s editor to ensure your blog posts are optimized for search visibility.

Because these tools are native to HubSpot, you don’t need to install plugins to manage SEO.

However, most advanced audience growth features — especially those focused on newsletter expansion — typically require additional marketing tools or higher-tier HubSpot plans, which can increase costs quickly.

![HubSpot blog settings panel showing metadata fields used to edit a post’s meta description and template settings. Illustrates how marketers optimize blog content for search engines within HubSpot’s CMS.](https://media.beehiiv.com/cdn-cgi/image/fit=scale-down,format=auto,onerror=redirect,quality=80/uploads/asset/file/4e449da7-6360-4c46-a385-a40db63a158a/HubSpot_vs_WordPress_vs_beehiiv-_Which_Should_You_Use_to_Publish_Content_.png?t=1772918065)

Meanwhile, **beehiiv** offers diverse tools to support your growth. 

For content published to the web, it provides the essential SEO tools to help them rank in search.

It also has a referral program that lets you reward your email subscribers for bringing in new readers, a recommendations network where you cross-promote newsletters with other beehiiv creators, and a Boosts feature that lets you pay beehiiv publishers to feature your brand in front of their subscribers.

These tools are integrated directly into the platform, meaning creators can grow and monetize their audience without needing additional plugins or marketing tools.

![beehiiv referral program dashboard showing subscriber growth metrics and audience referral tracking tools. Illustrates how creators grow their newsletter through referral campaigns and built-in audience growth features in beehiiv.](https://media.beehiiv.com/cdn-cgi/image/fit=scale-down,format=auto,onerror=redirect,quality=80/uploads/asset/file/b51be8f2-1fdb-4ec7-bbd5-4c87143ce615/HubSpot_vs_WordPress_vs_beehiiv-_Which_Should_You_Use_to_Publish_Content_.png?t=1772918112)

### Marketing Automation

**WordPress** doesn’t have [marketing automation](/blog/marketing-automation) features, but you can add it through plugins from email tools like beehiiv, HubSpot, or ActiveCampaign.

These plugins let you capture email subscribers on your site and send them directly into your automation platform for follow-up campaigns.

**beehiiv**, on the other hand, lets you build targeted campaigns with its segmentation and automation tools.

You can group subscribers based on their demographics or behavior and use a visual automation builder to create automated email sequences targeted at them. These sequences can be triggered by actions like signing up through a form, replying to an email, or completing a survey.

This comes in handy for [promoting upcoming events](/blog/mastering-art-event-marketing-emails) or [product launches](/blog/product-launch-email-sequence-guide).

![beehiiv automation workflow builder showing a subscriber signup trigger, time delay, and email actions. Demonstrates how creators automate newsletter emails and subscriber journeys using beehiiv’s visual workflow editor.](https://media.beehiiv.com/cdn-cgi/image/fit=scale-down,format=auto,onerror=redirect,quality=80/uploads/asset/file/79748b3d-4547-4540-b4c3-f457a88ddd00/HubSpot_vs_WordPress_vs_beehiiv-_Which_Should_You_Use_to_Publish_Content_.png?t=1772918155)

Meanwhile, **HubSpot** has a robust _workflow_ feature for automating your marketing, sales, and customer service processes.

For instance, your marketing team could set up a workflow to automatically [send a welcome email](/blog/welcome-email-template) when someone fills out a form. Your sales team might use it to assign new leads to the right representative, while your service team could route incoming tickets to the right support personnel.

![HubSpot workflow templates library displaying prebuilt automation options for emails, lead nurturing, and customer engagement. Shows how marketers automate campaigns and workflows using HubSpot’s marketing automation tools.](https://media.beehiiv.com/cdn-cgi/image/fit=scale-down,format=auto,onerror=redirect,quality=80/uploads/asset/file/2f879039-1732-46a8-bfb3-bda77761ac90/HubSpot_vs_WordPress_vs_beehiiv-_Which_Should_You_Use_to_Publish_Content_.png?t=1772918219)

### Earning Tools

**HubSpot** doesn’t have earning tools. Its focus is on helping businesses attract and convert leads into sales. 

That said, the Commerce Hub lets businesses manage quotes and invoices, set up one-time payments and subscriptions, and collect payments via Stripe or HubSpot Payments.

![HubSpot payment checkout form showing marketing service purchase summary and credit card payment fields. Illustrates how businesses can collect payments and manage transactions using HubSpot’s built-in commerce tools.](https://media.beehiiv.com/cdn-cgi/image/fit=scale-down,format=auto,onerror=redirect,quality=80/uploads/asset/file/13888dde-4b35-4774-9623-54e13d9185b4/HubSpot_vs_WordPress_vs_beehiiv-_Which_Should_You_Use_to_Publish_Content_.png?t=1772918269)

With **WordPress**, you get a variety of earning options via its plugin library.

For instance, content creators can add plugins to [sell ebooks](/blog/email-marketing-for-authors), courses, or memberships from their WordPress website. 

E-commerce businesses can use plugins like WooCommerce to build full-blown online stores, and nonprofits can also integrate donation plugins to collect contributions directly through their sites.

![WordPress Google Site Kit dashboard showing AdSense integration to monetize website traffic with automated ads. Illustrates how creators connect Google AdSense to a WordPress site to generate revenue from blog content.](https://media.beehiiv.com/cdn-cgi/image/fit=scale-down,format=auto,onerror=redirect,quality=80/uploads/asset/file/6864253c-c7ed-42bd-bc2f-017abf27fee5/HubSpot_vs_WordPress_vs_beehiiv-_Which_Should_You_Use_to_Publish_Content_.png?t=1772918318)

Then there’s **beehiiv**, which is pre-built with earning tools to help content creators, authors, and publishers diversify their income streams. 

This includes making money via placing ads in your newsletters, promoting other beehiiv newsletters, and setting up subscriptions for access to exclusive content.

These tools are easy to set up and have low barriers to entry, and they’ve already helped beehiiv creators generate more than $25 million in revenue.

![beehiiv Ads dashboard showing newsletter monetization through sponsored advertisements and campaign analytics. Displays earnings, ad clicks, and available sponsorship opportunities for creators monetizing their audience.](https://media.beehiiv.com/cdn-cgi/image/fit=scale-down,format=auto,onerror=redirect,quality=80/uploads/asset/file/a5e4084f-4a01-4cfb-88ab-af8634c3c3b5/HubSpot_vs_WordPress_vs_beehiiv-_Which_Should_You_Use_to_Publish_Content_.png?t=1772918372)

### Analytics

[**beehiiv’s**](https://www.beehiiv.com/features/analytics?utm_source=beehiivblog.beehiiv.com&utm_medium=referral&utm_campaign=hubspot-vs-wordpress-vs-beehiiv-which-publishing-platform-is-best-in-2026) [analytics dashboard](https://www.beehiiv.com/features/analytics?utm_source=beehiivblog.beehiiv.com&utm_medium=referral&utm_campaign=hubspot-vs-wordpress-vs-beehiiv-which-publishing-platform-is-best-in-2026) tracks how your content performs across both web and email.

For your emails, you can track the ones with the highest [open rates](/blog/what-is-happening-to-my-open-rates) to see which subject lines perform best and the ones with the highest click rates to measure how engaging your content is for readers.

The dashboard also shows subscriber growth over time, top subscriber locations, and the main channels driving new sign-ups—whether it’s from search, beehiiv’s growth tools, social media, or other channels.

![beehiiv subscribers analytics dashboard showing audience growth, acquisition sources, and email engagement metrics. Provides insights into subscriber activity, open rates, clicks, and performance trends for newsletter creators.](https://media.beehiiv.com/cdn-cgi/image/fit=scale-down,format=auto,onerror=redirect,quality=80/uploads/asset/file/83fd81cd-3456-498b-99a1-53258bcf25f1/HubSpot_vs_WordPress_vs_beehiiv-_Which_Should_You_Use_to_Publish_Content_.png?t=1772918428)

**WordPress** doesn’t have an analytics tool, but you can add one via its plugins. 

The most common option is Site Kit, which connects your site to Google Search Console for tracking the search queries visitors are using to find your website and Google Analytics for tracking user behavior on your website, like page views, bounce rate, and conversions.

![WordPress Google Site Kit dashboard displaying website traffic analytics and audience location data. Shows visitor trends, geographic distribution, and performance insights directly inside the WordPress admin panel.](https://media.beehiiv.com/cdn-cgi/image/fit=scale-down,format=auto,onerror=redirect,quality=80/uploads/asset/file/4b643d87-4707-4192-8572-61b306354c59/HubSpot_vs_WordPress_vs_beehiiv-_Which_Should_You_Use_to_Publish_Content_.png?t=1772918493)

**HubSpot** includes a comprehensive analytics tool that shows your content performance and how your content (along with other marketing efforts) impacts lead generation and sales.

You can also connect HubSpot with third-party analytics platforms like Google Analytics and Google Search Console, bringing all of your key data together in one place.

![HubSpot lead generation dashboard showing marketing analytics, contact growth, and campaign performance metrics. Highlights website engagement, landing page views, and sources driving qualified leads.](https://media.beehiiv.com/cdn-cgi/image/fit=scale-down,format=auto,onerror=redirect,quality=80/uploads/asset/file/25d4b83a-8ee7-4836-9ef6-eb21dc87ddf6/HubSpot_vs_WordPress_vs_beehiiv-_Which_Should_You_Use_to_Publish_Content_.png?t=1772918531)

### Site Security

As cloud-based platforms, **beehiiv** and **HubSpot** handle security for you. They protect your website from external attacks, provide SSL certificates to encrypt data, and ensure secure connections between your site and visitors. Also, you don’t have to worry about ever losing your data.

With **WordPress**, security is your responsibility. You’ll need to purchase and set up an SSL certificate, install security plugins, and create regular backups of your site. 

It’s also important to keep WordPress (along with all installed plugins) updated and compatible to reduce vulnerabilities and keep your site running smoothly.

## **SEO and Web Performance**

Search engine visibility and site performance play a major role in long-term audience growth. All three platforms provide SEO capabilities, but they approach it differently.

### beehiiv

beehiiv is built for content-driven publishing, so its website infrastructure is optimized specifically for blogs and newsletters.

Every newsletter you send can automatically publish as an SEO-friendly blog post, meaning a single piece of content can generate traffic from search engines and email subscribers at the same time.

beehiiv’s website builder also includes essential SEO features such as:

-   Custom domains
    
-   Editable meta titles and descriptions
    
-   Clean, readable URLs
    
-   Automatic sitemap generation
    
-   Fast, optimized hosting
    

Because publishing and distribution happen in the same platform, creators can capture organic search traffic while simultaneously delivering content directly to inboxes.

This dual distribution model is something neither HubSpot nor WordPress provides natively.

### HubSpot

HubSpot provides one of the most comprehensive built-in SEO toolsets among website builders.

The platform includes:

-   On-page SEO recommendations
    
-   Topic clusters and internal linking guidance
    
-   Content performance analytics
    
-   A/B testing
    
-   CRM-powered personalization
    

These tools are integrated directly into the content editor, allowing you to optimize blog posts as you write.

For companies focused on lead generation and inbound marketing, this tight integration between SEO, CRM data, and analytics can be extremely powerful.

### WordPress

WordPress provides strong SEO foundations but relies heavily on plugins for advanced functionality.

Out of the box, WordPress allows search engines to crawl and index your site effectively. However, most creators install plugins like Yoast SEO or RankMath to manage on-page optimization.

These tools help with:

-   Keyword optimization
    
-   Meta descriptions
    
-   XML sitemaps
    
-   Schema markup
    

Because WordPress is highly customizable, it can become one of the most powerful SEO platforms available — but achieving that level of performance typically requires configuring multiple plugins and tools.

## **Monetization and Revenue**

One major difference between these platforms is how easily creators can generate revenue from their content.

### **beehiiv**

beehiiv includes four built-in monetization streams, all with 0% platform fees.

Creators can earn through:

-   Paid newsletter subscriptions
    
-   beehiiv Ad Network
    
-   Boosts marketplace (earn by recommending other newsletters)
    
-   Direct sponsorships
    

Because these tools are native to the platform, there is no need for plugins, payment integrations, or complex setup.

Creators on the platform have collectively generated $25M+ in revenue, making beehiiv one of the fastest-growing monetization ecosystems for newsletter publishers.

### **WordPress**

WordPress can support monetization, but it typically requires a stack of plugins and integrations.

For example, many publishers use:

-   WooCommerce for payments
    
-   MemberPress or similar tools for subscription content
    
-   A separate email marketing platform
    

This setup can easily cost $300+ per year in plugins alone, and it requires ongoing maintenance to ensure everything continues working together.

### **HubSpot**

[HubSpot](https://www.beehiiv.com/comparisons/hubspot?utm_source=beehiivblog.beehiiv.com&utm_medium=referral&utm_campaign=hubspot-vs-wordpress-vs-beehiiv-which-publishing-platform-is-best-in-2026) includes commerce functionality through Commerce Hub, which allows businesses to handle payments, invoices, and subscriptions.

However, it is designed primarily for B2B sales workflows, not content creators.

HubSpot does not offer built-in tools for monetizing newsletters or blogs, such as:

-   Ad network
    
-   Paid newsletter subscriptions
    
-   Creator sponsorship marketplaces
    

As a result, it’s not typically used as a content monetization platform.

## **When to Choose HubSpot**

HubSpot is best suited for companies that want an all-in-one marketing and sales platform rather than just a website builder.

Businesses using inbound marketing, CRM-driven lead generation, and complex sales funnels often benefit most from HubSpot’s ecosystem.

### **Pros and Cons of HubSpot**

**Pros**

**Cons**

All-in-one platform: CRM, marketing, sales, service, and CMS in one ecosystem

Expensive — meaningful features require $500+/mo Professional plans

Built-in analytics, A/B testing, and CRM-powered personalization

Steep learning curve due to platform complexity

Fully managed hosting with enterprise-grade security

Limited customization compared to WordPress

Excellent for lead generation and complex sales funnels

No native newsletter monetization tools (no ad network or paid subscriptions)

Strong SEO tools built directly into the editor

Overkill for creators and small publishers focused primarily on content

### **HubSpot Pricing (2026)**

**Content Hub**

-   Free
    
-   Starter — $15/month per seat
    
-   Professional — $500/month (3 seats included)
    
-   Enterprise — $1,500/month (5 seats)
    

**Marketing Hub**

-   Starter — $15/month per seat
    
-   Professional — $890/month (3 seats included)
    
-   Enterprise — $3,600/month (5 seats)
    

Important: Newsletter creators typically need both Content Hub and Marketing Hub to access full email marketing functionality.

## **When to Choose WordPress**

WordPress is ideal for businesses that want maximum customization and control over their website infrastructure.

Because it is open-source and highly extensible, WordPress can power everything from simple blogs to complex e-commerce stores and enterprise websites.

### **Pros and Cons of WordPress**

**Pros**

**Cons**

Unmatched customization (59,000+ plugins and thousands of themes)

Steep learning curve, especially for beginners

Largest community and support ecosystem

Newsletters require multiple third-party plugins

Full e-commerce capabilities via WooCommerce

Security, maintenance, and backups are your responsibility

Complete SEO control with plugins like Yoast or RankMath

Plugin conflicts and site bloat are common

Self-hosting flexibility and full data ownership

No built-in monetization, growth tools, or analytics

### **WordPress Pricing (2026)**

WordPress.org itself is **free**, but running a production website requires additional costs.

Typical expenses include:

-   **Hosting:** $5–30+/month
    
-   **Premium themes:** $50–200 one-time
    
-   **Essential plugins:** $200–500+ per year
    

For most businesses, the realistic total cost is around $60–100+/month for a properly configured website.

Many companies also pay developers or agencies $500–$2,000 per month for maintenance and updates.

## **When to Choose beehiiv**

beehiiv is best suited for newsletter creators, independent publishers, and media businesses that want to grow and monetize an audience.

Unlike traditional CMS platforms, beehiiv combines newsletter publishing, blogging, audience growth tools, and monetization in a single platform.

### **Pros and Cons of beehiiv**

**Pros**

**Cons**

Purpose-built for newsletter creators with blog publishing included

Not designed for complex websites, e-commerce stores, or CRM pipelines

Free plan supports 2,500 subscribers with unlimited sends

Less website customization than WordPress or HubSpot

Four built-in monetization streams at 0% platform fees

Best features require paid plans

Advanced growth tools: referrals, recommendations, popups, content gating

Dual distribution: every newsletter publishes as an SEO-friendly blog post

Best-in-class email deliverability and advanced analytics

Fast setup — publish your first newsletter in minutes

### **beehiiv Pricing (2026)**

-   **Launch — Free** (up to 2,500 subscribers, unlimited sends)
    
-   **Scale — $43/month**
    
-   **Max — $96/month**
    
-   **Enterprise — Custom pricing**
    

## HubSpot vs. WordPress vs. beehiiv: Pricing

The **WordPress** software itself is free, but you’ll need to purchase a custom domain, hosting, and SSL certificate to run it.

These costs could range anywhere from $60 to over $100 monthly. Plus, this figure could rise significantly based on your needs—like whether you purchase premium themes, templates, and plugins, or hire a developer or design agency to maintain your WordPress site for you.

Meanwhile, **beehiiv** uses a tiered subscription model:

-   **Launch plan (Free):** Create a website, collect emails through signup forms, send unlimited emails, publish blog posts, and grow your email list to 2,500 subscribers.
    
-   **Scale plan ($49/month for 1K subscribers):** Manage up to 3 newsletters in one account, access growth and earning tools, use the analytics dashboard, and add 3 team members. beehiiv doesn’t take a cut of your revenue, so you only pay Stripe’s processing fees.
    
-   **Max plan ($109/month for 1K subscribers):** Removes beehiiv branding, unlocks beehiiv AI, allows up to 10 newsletters per account, and supports unlimited team members.
    

![beehiiv pricing plans page comparing Launch, Scale, Max, and Enterprise tiers for newsletter creators. Shows features, subscriber limits, and monetization tools available at each subscription level.](https://media.beehiiv.com/cdn-cgi/image/fit=scale-down,format=auto,onerror=redirect,quality=80/uploads/asset/file/537c1792-b4a0-4730-be61-e3a13522ad87/HubSpot_vs_WordPress_vs_beehiiv-_Which_Should_You_Use_to_Publish_Content_.png?t=1772918633)

**HubSpot’s** CRM tool is free, but all other tools are spread across six products (or Hubs, as HubSpot calls them), each with tiered pricing:

-   **Content Hub:** The Starter version starts at $15/month/seat, Professional at $500/month (3 seats), and Enterprise at $1,500/month (5 seats).
    
-   **Marketing Hub:** The Starter version starts at $15/month/seat, Professional at $890/month (3 seats), and Enterprise at $3,600/month (5 seats).
    
-   **Sales Hub:** The Starter version starts at $15/month/seat, Professional at $100/month/seat, and Enterprise at $150/month/seat.
    
-   **Service Hub:** The Starter version starts at $15/month/seat, Professional at $100/month/seat, and Enterprise at $150/month/seat.
    
-   **Operations Hub:** The Starter version starts at $15/month/seat, Professional at $800/month, and Enterprise at $2,000/month/seat.
    
-   **Commerce Hub:** Free.
    

![HubSpot Customer Platform pricing page showing Professional and Enterprise plans for businesses. Highlights bundled marketing, sales, service, and operations tools with scalable CRM pricing.](https://media.beehiiv.com/cdn-cgi/image/fit=scale-down,format=auto,onerror=redirect,quality=80/uploads/asset/file/028f7b1f-a06f-48a2-b181-3169a1b186f9/HubSpot_vs_WordPress_vs_beehiiv-_Which_Should_You_Use_to_Publish_Content_.png?t=1772918693)

## **How to Migrate to beehiiv**

Switching platforms might sound complicated, but moving to beehiiv is usually straightforward. Most migrations come down to exporting your subscriber list, importing it into beehiiv, and republishing your content.

beehiiv also offers migration documentation and support to help creators transition smoothly.

### **Migrating from WordPress to beehiiv**

If your current site runs on WordPress, the migration typically involves two main steps: moving your subscribers and your content.

**1\. Export your subscribers**

If you’re using an email plugin or external email service (like Mailchimp or FluentCRM), you can export your list as a CSV file.

beehiiv allows you to import subscribers via CSV, making it easy to bring your audience over.

**2\. Connect your WordPress site**

beehiiv provides a WordPress plugin that helps connect your site with your newsletter workflow. This can be useful if you plan to continue running a WordPress site while publishing newsletters through beehiiv.

**3\. Republish key content**

Many creators choose to republish their most important posts as beehiiv newsletter issues, which automatically become SEO-friendly blog posts on their beehiiv site.

This approach lets you gradually rebuild your content library while also turning past posts into email content for subscribers.

### **Migrating from HubSpot to beehiiv**

Migrating from HubSpot usually involves moving your **contacts and newsletter content**.

**1\. Export your contact list**

HubSpot allows you to export contacts as a CSV file, which can then be imported into beehiiv.

During import, you can also preserve useful fields such as:

-   Email addresses
    
-   Names
    
-   Tags or segmentation fields
    

**2\. Transfer paid subscribers (if applicable)**

If you run a paid newsletter, beehiiv integrates directly with Stripe. Paid subscriber information can typically be transferred so users keep their subscription status.

**3\. Recreate automations and newsletters**

Most creators rebuild essential email sequences and publish past newsletters on their new beehiiv site.

## HubSpot vs. WordPress vs. beehiiv: Which Should You Choose?

The right choice between HubSpot, WordPress, and beehiiv comes down to your business goals.

**HubSpot** works best for businesses with longer sales cycles that need an all-in-one platform to attract, nurture, and convert leads. 

**WordPress** is the go-to option if you want to design a flexible website where you can add new features through plugins.

**beehiiv** is ideal if your goal is to grow an engaged community around your content and generate revenue from it.

The good news is that you can start publishing content on beehiiv without paying a dime. [Sign up for a free beehiiv account!](https://app.beehiiv.com/?utm_source=beehiivblog.beehiiv.com&utm_medium=referral&utm_campaign=hubspot-vs-wordpress-vs-beehiiv-which-publishing-platform-is-best-in-2026)

[![](https://media.beehiiv.com/cdn-cgi/image/fit=scale-down,format=auto,onerror=redirect,quality=80/uploads/asset/file/9d682b69-9566-4d5f-8472-131520b16e33/beehiiv_Free_Trial_Call-to-Action_Banner.png?t=1772917164)](https://app.beehiiv.com/?utm_source=beehiivblog.beehiiv.com&utm_medium=referral&utm_campaign=hubspot-vs-wordpress-vs-beehiiv-which-publishing-platform-is-best-in-2026)

## HubSpot vs. WordPress vs. beehiiv: Frequently Asked Questions

### Is HubSpot good for building a website?

Yes, HubSpot’s Content Hub is good for building websites. It features a drag-and-drop website builder, which makes the design process easy. Unlike WordPress, most tools you’ll need are built into the platform, so you don’t have to rely on plugins.

### Can you use HubSpot with WordPress?

Yes. HubSpot offers a plugin that lets you capture leads through signup forms on your WordPress website and manage them inside HubSpot.

### Is WordPress or beehiiv better?

It depends on your goals. WordPress is ideal if you need to add custom functionality, such as E-commerce, to your website. beehiiv is better if you prefer an easy-to-use newsletter and blogging platform with built-in growth and earning tools.

### **Is HubSpot better than WordPress for building a website?**

HubSpot offers a more streamlined website building experience with built-in hosting, security, and CRM integration, making it ideal for businesses that want everything in one platform. WordPress provides far more customization through its massive plugin and theme ecosystem but requires more technical management. For content creators focused on newsletters and audience growth rather than CRM or e-commerce, beehiiv offers the easiest path to publishing — with a website, newsletter, and monetization tools included from the free plan.

### **Can you use HubSpot with WordPress?**

Yes. HubSpot offers a WordPress plugin that lets you capture leads through forms on your WordPress site and manage them inside HubSpot’s CRM. Many businesses run WordPress for their website and HubSpot for marketing automation. Similarly, beehiiv integrates with both platforms — you can embed beehiiv signup forms on WordPress sites and sync subscriber data with HubSpot CRM.

### **What is the best free publishing platform in 2026?**

[WordPress.org](https://WordPress.org?utm_source=beehiivblog.beehiiv.com&utm_medium=referral&utm_campaign=hubspot-vs-wordpress-vs-beehiiv-which-publishing-platform-is-best-in-2026) is free to download but requires paid hosting, security plugins, and ongoing maintenance. HubSpot’s free CMS tier is limited in features and doesn’t include email marketing. beehiiv’s free Launch plan supports up to 2,500 subscribers with unlimited email sends, a hosted website, and access to growth tools — making it the most complete free option for creators who want to publish content and grow an audience from one platform.

### **Which platform is best for monetizing content?**

beehiiv offers the most diverse monetization options: paid subscriptions with 0% platform fees, a built-in Ad Network connecting you with premium advertisers, a Boosts marketplace where you earn by recommending other newsletters, and direct sponsorship management tools. HubSpot focuses on lead generation and sales rather than content monetization. WordPress requires paid plugins like WooCommerce and MemberPress to enable monetization, with costs that add up quickly.

### **Is WordPress or beehiiv better for blogging?**

WordPress is a powerful blogging platform with extensive customization, but it requires plugins for SEO optimization, email capture, and monetization. beehiiv combines blogging with newsletter publishing — every post can be sent to subscribers via email and published on your website simultaneously. For bloggers who want to build and monetize an email audience alongside their blog, beehiiv is the more efficient choice. For bloggers who need complex site functionality like e-commerce or membership portals, WordPress is the better fit.