In today’s rapidly evolving digital world, businesses need more than just a basic HTML website—that means they also need a robust content management system (CMS).
As a B2B business owner or marketing manager, choosing the right CMS can significantly impact your ability to attract, engage, and convert your target audience.
HubSpot offers a range of solutions tailored to different business needs, but selecting the right tier—whether it's HubSpot Content Hub Starter, Professional, or Enterprise—can be daunting.
In this guide, we will explore the differences between these three tiers, helping you make an informed decision that aligns with your business goals.
Understanding the HubSpot Content Hub
HubSpot is renowned for its all-in-one platform that combines marketing, sales, customer service, and CMS tools into a single ecosystem. The HubSpot Content Hub is a vital component of this ecosystem, designed to help businesses create, manage, and optimise their digital content.
Whether you’re building a simple website or managing a complex digital experience, the HubSpot Content Hub offers a solution tailored to your needs.
HubSpot’s CMS is divided into three tiers:
Each tier provides a different level of functionality, flexibility, and support, making it important to choose the right one based on your business requirements and growth ambitions.
HubSpot Content Hub Starter
Overview
HubSpot Content Hub Starter is the entry-level offering in HubSpot’s CMS suite, designed for small businesses or startups that need a simple, user-friendly platform to get their website up and running quickly. This tier is ideal for businesses that are in the early stages of their digital journey and do not require advanced features.
Key Features
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Drag-and-Drop Editor: HubSpot Content Hub Starter comes with a user-friendly drag-and-drop editor that allows you to create and manage web pages without needing any coding knowledge. This feature is particularly beneficial for small businesses that may not have in-house technical expertise.
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Built-In SEO Tools: SEO is crucial for driving organic traffic to your website. The Starter tier includes basic SEO tools to help you optimise your content for search engines. These tools provide suggestions for improving on-page SEO elements such as meta descriptions, titles, and headings.
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Mobile-Optimised Design: With the increasing use of mobile devices, having a mobile-optimised website is essential. HubSpot’s Content Hub Starter ensures that your website is responsive, providing a seamless experience across all devices.
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Basic Reporting: Understanding your website’s performance is key to making data-driven decisions. The Starter tier includes basic analytics and reporting tools, allowing you to track metrics such as page views, bounce rates, and conversions.
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Secure and Reliable Hosting: The Starter plan includes secure and reliable hosting, ensuring your website is always up and running. HubSpot also provides an SSL certificate, enhancing the security of your site and building trust with your visitors.
Pricing
As of the latest update, HubSpot Content Hub Starter is priced at $25 per month when billed annually. This pricing makes it an attractive option for small businesses looking for a cost-effective CMS solution.
Ideal For
- Small businesses and startups with limited budgets.
- Companies that need a straightforward, easy-to-use CMS.
- Businesses that do not require advanced customisation or integration features.
HubSpot Content Hub Professional
Overview
HubSpot Content Hub Professional is a big step up from the Starter tier, offering a more comprehensive set of features designed for growing businesses. This tier is ideal for companies that are ready to scale their digital presence and require more advanced tools to manage their content and website.
Key Features
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Advanced SEO Tools: the Professional plan offers more advanced SEO tools, including topic clustering, keyword tracking, and SEO recommendations. These tools enable you to create a more sophisticated SEO strategy, helping you rank higher in search engine results.
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Smart Content and Personalisation: The Professional tier allows you to create personalised content experiences for your website visitors. Using HubSpot’s smart content features, you can display different content to different users based on their behaviour, location, device, and more. This level of personalisation can significantly enhance user engagement and conversion rates.
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A/B Testing: A/B testing is a powerful tool for optimising your website’s performance. The Professional tier includes A/B testing capabilities, allowing you to test different versions of your web pages to see which performs better. This can help you make informed decisions that improve conversion rates.
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Enhanced Reporting and Analytics: The Professional plan offers more detailed reporting and analytics compared to the Starter tier. You can track more advanced metrics and gain deeper insights into your website’s performance, helping you refine your content strategy and marketing performance.
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Memberships and gated content: One of the standout features of the Professional tier is the ability to create memberships and gated content. This functionality is invaluable for businesses looking to create an online group of their customers, or provide paid-only access to content or services.
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Multilingual Content Creation: For businesses operating in multiple regions or targeting a global audience, the Professional plan supports multilingual content creation. This feature allows you to create and manage content in different languages, ensuring a consistent brand experience across regions.
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Content Staging and Preview: The Professional tier includes content staging, which allows you to prepare and preview changes to your website before they go live. This feature is essential for maintaining the quality and consistency of your website, especially when making significant updates or launching new campaigns.
Pricing
HubSpot Content Hub Professional is priced at $450 per month when billed annually. While this is a significant increase compared to the Starter plan, the additional features and capabilities justify the cost for businesses looking to scale.
Ideal For
- Growing businesses with more complex content management needs.
- Companies looking to improve their SEO strategy and personalise user experiences.
- Organisations which require membership website functionality, e.g. to access paid-for content.
- Businesses that require advanced reporting and analytics to drive growth.
HubSpot Content Hub Enterprise
Overview
HubSpot Content Hub Enterprise is the most advanced offering in HubSpot’s CMS suite, designed for large businesses and enterprises with complex content management needs. This tier provides a comprehensive set of features, tools, and integrations that allow you to manage large-scale websites and deliver personalised experiences at scale.
Key Features
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Advanced Customisation and Flexibility: The Enterprise tier offers the highest level of customisation and flexibility. You can create custom objects and design complex websites tailored to your unique business. This level of customisation is ideal for enterprises with specific requirements that go beyond the capabilities of the Professional tier.
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Advanced Personalisation with Adaptive Testing: In addition to the smart content features available in the Professional plan, the Enterprise tier includes adaptive testing. This advanced feature allows you to test multiple variations of a page and automatically serve the best-performing version to your visitors. This level of personalisation can significantly enhance user engagement and conversion rates.
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Partitioning and Team Management: The Enterprise plan includes advanced team management features, such as content partitioning. This allows you to control access to different parts of your CMS, making it easier to manage large teams and maintain security. You can also create custom user roles and permissions, ensuring that team members have the appropriate level of access.
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Multi-Domain Support: For businesses managing multiple brands or websites, the Enterprise tier offers multi-domain support. This feature allows you to manage and optimise several domains from a single HubSpot account, streamlining your content management processes.
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Advanced Reporting and Custom Dashboards: The Enterprise plan provides the most advanced reporting and analytics tools, allowing you to create custom dashboards and reports that track the metrics most important to your business. This level of insight is crucial for large enterprises that need to monitor performance across multiple teams, regions, or brands.
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Web Application Firewall (WAF) and Security: Security is a top priority for large businesses, and the Enterprise tier includes advanced security features such as a Web Application Firewall (WAF) and custom SSL certificates. These features help protect your website from potential threats and ensure compliance with industry regulations.
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24/7 Support and Dedicated Account Management: The Enterprise plan includes 24/7 support, ensuring that any issues are resolved quickly. Additionally, you’ll have access to a dedicated account manager who can provide strategic guidance and help you get the most out of the platform.
Pricing
HubSpot Content Hub Enterprise is priced at $1,500 per month when billed annually. While this represents a significant investment, the extensive features and capabilities offered at this tier make it a valuable option for large businesses looking to optimise their content management at scale.
Ideal For
- Large enterprises with complex content management and personalisation needs.
- Businesses managing multiple brands or domains.
- Companies that require advanced security, customisation, and support.
Key Considerations When Choosing a HubSpot Content Hub Plan
When deciding between HubSpot Content Hub Starter, Professional, and Enterprise, consider the following factors:
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Business Size and Growth Stage: Small businesses and startups may find the Starter plan sufficient for their needs, while growing businesses may benefit from the advanced features of the Professional plan. Large enterprises with complex requirements should consider the Enterprise plan.
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Budget: The cost of each tier varies significantly, so it’s important to choose a plan that fits within your budget while still providing the features you need to achieve your business goals.
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Feature Requirements: Consider the specific features and tools your business needs. If you require advanced SEO tools, personalisation, or reporting, the Professional or Enterprise plans may be more suitable. For basic content management, the Starter plan may be sufficient.
