Dynamics vs Hubspot for Marketers: Which Should You Choose?

When organizations compare the merits of different marketing automation platforms (MAP) it’s important to consider a number of factors, and frankly, factors that are not specifically related to the software itself. For instance, it is important to understand what the ultimate goal for the organization actually is by acquiring a new MAP. The size, complexity, and sophistication (maturity) of the organization is equally important. A third consideration is the organization’s existing infrastructure such CMS, CRM and social platforms. To a degree all of these factors are at least or possibly more important than the features and functions of the software itself.

For many years, marketing and sales have operated in silos as marketing’s role in many cases was nothing more than generating leads to “toss over the wall” to sales. However, in today’s data-driven world it’s more critical than ever for marketing and sales to work hand in hand to ensure the most efficient and effective delivery of not only new but also returning or repeat customers.

Determining whether lead generation, lead nurture and conversion, revenue growth, customer satisfaction, loyalty or something else is the main priority for the organization is a key input to guiding your decision. As organizations grow, so do the demands on their marketers – dealing with multiple lines of business, multiple geographies, or complex buying patterns. Given these new requirements it’s important to evaluate any marketing automation solution in this context.

TL;DR – Dynamics 365 vs. HubSpot

Here’s a quick comparison to help you see the main differences:

Making the right choice between these platforms depends on your specific business needs, current technology stack, and growth plans.

Coffee + Dunn’s Microsoft-certified experts specialize in helping organizations implement Dynamics 365 Customer Insights – Journeys to create meaningful customer experiences that drive growth.

If Dynamics 365 sounds like the right fit for your enterprise needs, we can help you build the strategy and technology foundation needed for successful customer engagement.

Let’s talk about your goals and challenges.

HubSpot

HubSpot is praised for its easy setup, ease of use, and general simplicity. It is also lauded for a robust feature set including CMS, social media posting, and CRM (some additional costs required). Surprisingly, our research indicates that while the marketing capabilities are in fact strong and user friendly, many if not most HubSpot customers do not actually use the Hubspot CMS or the social posting features and find them to be underpowered or redundant relative to their needs. Many find the Hubspot CRM to be ineffective for complex (eg. Hierarchical) account management or complex audiences and buyer journey scenarios.

Where HubSpot offers strong marketing and lead generation capabilities, it is less effective for full customer life cycle management or complex lead management that requires frequent back-n-forth between marketers and sellers. Most buyer journeys today involve many touch points from web to social to e-mail to in-person to good old fashioned phone calls. It’s important that all of these interactions are managed concurrently and visible within a single database.

Dynamics 365 Customer Insights

Dynamics 365 Customer Insights is praised for its robust flexible and configurable functionality serving organizations of many shapes and sizes. Dynamics is able to adjust process flows, attributes, and dynamic communications to meet the needs of many different industries. This robustness does come with some complexity for setup and training, but often returns these initial investments through stronger strategic alignment and overall effectiveness in impacting enterprise revenue.

Dynamics 365 Customer Insights is part of the larger Dynamics 365 Customer Engagement platform, offering sales and customer service functionality, all within a single common database. For organizations with broad product or service offerings, global consent/compliance requirements, or highly segmented target audiences, Dynamics 365 Customer Insights offers robust and flexible capabilities.

Let’s get into the key features, strengths and weaknesses of each solution.

Core Features of Dynamics 365 Customer Insights – Journeys

Dynamics 365 Customer Insights – Journeys brings enterprise-level marketing automation for complex customer engagement scenarios:

• • AI-Powered Customer Journey Orchestration: Create personalized customer experiences that change based on how people interact with your brand. You can modify email content, layouts, and dynamic elements in live customer journeys without interrupting the customer experience. Most other platforms can’t do this. There are two types of journey you can create:
    • Trigger-Based Journeys: Start campaigns automatically when customers do specific things. Someone downloads a guide? Boom, they get a follow-up email series. No manual work needed.
    • Segment-Based Journeys: Target specific customer groups with different campaigns. Send one message to new customers and another to loyal buyers. The system handles the sorting for you.
  • Copilot Integration: Copilot for Dynamics 365 makes campaign building faster. You can tell it “find customers who bought shoes but not socks” in plain English. The AI builds the right customer group for you.
  • Native Event Management: Comprehensive registration, tracking, and follow-up automation for virtual and in-person events. The platform handles everything from initial event promotion to post-event nurturing campaigns with built-in analytics and engagement scoring. Event Check-In solution available for in-person events.
  • Real-Time Analytics and Heatmaps: Detailed engagement insights across all customer interactions. The unified dashboard shows how customers move through journeys, where they drop off, and which touchpoints drive the highest conversion rates.
  • Enterprise Scalability: Built for large-scale operations with email throughput up to 500,000 messages per hour for qualifying customers. Standard customers get 10x monthly interactions per licensed person (e.g., 10,000 people = 100,000 monthly interactions). This makes it suitable for organizations running complex, high-volume, multiple-channel marketing operations.

Essential Features of HubSpot

HubSpot bundles marketing, sales, and customer service into one system that’s easy to use.
Here’s what you get:

• • Marketing Tools: Email campaigns, social media posting, and website optimization all in one place. The email builder works with drag-and-drop, though coding is needed for personalization beyond ‘First Name’.
  • Built-in CRM: Keeps all customer info in one spot. When marketing finds a lead, sales can see everything about that person immediately. No more lost leads between departments.
  • Content Strategy Help: Gives you SEO tips and suggests blog topics automatically. It guides people from reading your content to buying your product with clear next steps.
  • Lead Scoring: Tracks what prospects do and assigns points for actions like downloading files or visiting pricing pages. You’ll know who’s ready to buy before they even call.
  • AI Assistant (Breeze): Writes email copy and predicts which leads will close. It works across marketing, sales, and service without switching between tools.
  • App Store Connections: Links to 1,700+ other apps (like Calendly, Asana, Vimeo, ClickUp, etc.) you might already use. Need advanced analytics or social media management? There’s probably an app that connects seamlessly.
  • Inbound Marketing Framework: Provides a proven system for content-driven lead generation. Instead of interrupting people, you attract them with helpful content they actually want.

Core Focus & Capabilities

Here’s where each platform really shines and what they’re designed to do best:

HubSpot

Primarily focuses on inbound marketing and sales. It offers a comprehensive suite of tools, including:

• • Marketing Automation: Email marketing, landing pages, social media management, content creation, SEO, and advertising.
  • Sales CRM: Contact management, lead nurturing, deal tracking, sales forecasting, and customer service.
  • Customer Service: Live chat, email support, help desk ticketing, and customer feedback collection.
  • CMS Hub: Website building and management, blogging, and content hosting.

Dynamics 365 Customer Insights – Journeys

Focuses on orchestrating personalized customer journeys. It leverages AI and machine learning to:

• • Unify Customer Data: Integrate data from various sources (CRM, ERP, marketing automation, social media, etc.) into a single customer view.
  • Customer Segmentation: Create detailed customer segments based on demographics, behavior, and preferences.
  • Journey Orchestration: Design and automate personalized customer journeys across multiple channels (email, SMS, push notifications, etc.).
  • Predictive Analytics: Forecast customer behavior, identify high-value segments, and optimize journeys for maximum impact.

Key Similarities

Both platforms handle the marketing automation basics well. Here’s what they share:

• • Email Marketing: Both send good marketing emails with templates and automation. You can test different versions and personalize content for different people without technical skills. However, personalization is stronger in Dynamics 365.
  • Lead Tracking: Watch what prospects do and assign points for actions like downloading files or visiting pricing pages. Both systems trigger automatic responses based on engagement levels.
  • Integration Options: Both connect to other tools, just differently. HubSpot links to more third-party apps. Dynamics 365 works better with Microsoft products you might already use because it shares the same Dataverse database across all Microsoft apps.
  • Mobile Management: Handle campaigns from your phone with both platforms. Check performance, respond to leads, and make quick changes when you’re away from your desk.
  • Performance Analytics: See campaign results and customer behavior in real-time. Both create custom reports and send them automatically so you always know what’s working.
  • A/B Testing: Try different email subject lines, content, or send times to see what works best. Both platforms make testing simple with clear winner declarations. Dynamics also offers channel-based A/B testing.

Key Differences

The platforms take opposite approaches to solving marketing automation challenges – one prioritizes simplicity, the other focuses on power and customization.

Core Functionality

HubSpot: Emphasizes inbound marketing and sales with a broader range of tools, including website building, social media management, and content creation.

Dynamics 365 Customer Insights – Journeys: Specializes in customer journey orchestration, leveraging advanced analytics and AI for personalized experiences.

Data Focus

HubSpot: Primarily focuses on marketing and sales data within its own ecosystem.

Dynamics 365 Customer Insights – Journeys: Unifies data from diverse sources, providing a 360-degree view of customers for more comprehensive journey mapping.

Journey Orchestration

HubSpot: Offers basic journey mapping capabilities, primarily focused on email marketing workflows.

Dynamics 365 Customer Insights – Journeys: Provides advanced journey orchestration capabilities, allowing for complex, multi-channel journeys with AI-powered personalization.

AI & Predictive Analytics

HubSpot: Offers basic AI capabilities, such as lead scoring and predictive contact scoring.

Dynamics 365 Customer Insights – Journeys: Leverages powerful AI and machine learning for advanced predictive analytics, customer segmentation, and journey optimization.

Integration

HubSpot: Integrates with a wide range of third-party applications, but primarily within the marketing and sales ecosystem.

Dynamics 365 Customer Insights – Journeys: Seamlessly integrates with other Microsoft products, such as Power BI, Azure, and Teams, offering a more cohesive experience within the Microsoft ecosystem.

User Interface

HubSpot: Generally considered more user-friendly and intuitive, with a clean and modern interface.

Dynamics 365 Customer Insights – Journeys: Can have a steeper learning curve, with more complex features and a more technical interface.

Dynamics 365 Customer Insights – Journeys vs. HubSpot Pricing and Features Comparison

HubSpot typically delivers faster time-to-value with lower implementation costs. Dynamics 365 requires a higher upfront investment but often provides better long-term economics for enterprise-scale operations.

These platforms approach market positioning and customer value very differently:

Dynamics 365 Tenant-Based Pricing Model

Dynamics 365 Customer Insights pricing structure follows a tenant-based model with two main options.

The standard license costs $1,700 per month when paid yearly.

Organizations with 10+ qualifying Dynamics 365 licenses (like Sales, Service, or Field Service) can get attach pricing at $1,000 monthly.

Here’s what you get with the base license:

• • 100,000 Unified People: Customer profiles you can unify and analyze
  • 10,000 Interacted People: Contacts you actively engage through campaigns
  • Unlimited Users: Your whole team can access the platform without per-seat charges

Need more capacity? Additional packs scale with your business:

• • Unified People Packs: Start at $2,000/month for 100K additional profiles, dropping to $1,000/month for high-volume tiers
  • Interacted People Packs: Begin at $250/month for 5K additional contacts, with better rates for larger volumes

HubSpot Per-Seat and Contact-Based Pricing

HubSpot’s tiered approach starts with a free plan for five users and 1 million contacts, but with limited functionality and HubSpot branding.

Real marketing features begin with:

• • Starter: $9 per seat monthly with 1,000 marketing contacts
    • Professional: $890 monthly base (3 seats included) with 2,000 contacts + $3,000 onboarding fee
    • Enterprise: $3,600 monthly base (5 seats included) with 10,000 contacts + $7,000 onboarding fee

Additional marketing contacts are sold in blocks – typically $225-$250 per month per 5,000-contact block for the Professional tier. Professional and Enterprise plans require annual commitments.

Real Cost Comparison Example

A company with 50 users and 25,000 marketing contacts faces these scenarios:

Dynamics 365 Customer Insights: $1,700/month base + capacity add-ons ($750/month for 15,000 additional contacts) = roughly $88,200 over three years

HubSpot Professional: $890 base + $50/seat for 47 additional users + contact blocks for 23,000 additional contacts ($1,225/month in contact fees) = $4,465/month or $163,740 approximately over three years

HubSpot gets expensive fast as you add users and contacts. Dynamics 365 costs more upfront but doesn’t charge per user, making it more economical for larger teams once you hit the minimum threshold.

Use Cases

Here are specific scenarios where each platform excels, helping you match your business situation to the right solution.

HubSpot

Ideal for:

• Small and medium-sized businesses (SMBs) looking for a comprehensive marketing and sales platform.
• Companies focused on inbound marketing and lead generation.
• Businesses seeking a user-friendly and affordable solution.

Dynamics 365 Customer Insights – Journeys

Ideal for:

• Large enterprises with complex data needs.
• Companies seeking advanced customer journey orchestration capabilities.
• Organizations that heavily rely on the Microsoft ecosystem.
• Businesses focused on personalized experiences, AI-powered insights, and predictive analytics.

Detailed Comparison

Both platforms handle marketing automation differently across the key factors that matter most for your decision.

How to Decide Between Dynamics 365 Customer Insights – Journeys and HubSpot

Here’s how to pick the right one for your situation:

• • Check Your Current Tech First: Already using Microsoft Office, Teams, and SharePoint? Dynamics 365 makes sense. Using lots of different tools? HubSpot’s broader connections work better.
  • Be Honest About Your Tech Skills: Dynamics 365 needs IT experts or Microsoft partners like Coffee + Dunn. AI and natural language input assistance have made it much easier than before, but it still has a learning curve. HubSpot works for small teams without technical help.
  • Think About Campaign Complexity: Simple email campaigns and moderate contact lists? HubSpot works. Complex, multi-step journeys with a large audience of variable contacts? Dynamics 365 handles it better.
  • Budget for Everything: Not just monthly fees. HubSpot costs less upfront but gets expensive as you grow. Dynamics 365 costs more initially but might be cheaper long-term for enterprises.

Coffee + Dunn’s 100% Microsoft-certified consultants don’t just implement technology – we anticipate problems before they happen.

As a two-time Microsoft Partner of the Year finalist, our proven Plan-Build-Run methodology helps organizations create meaningful experiences at every stage of the customer journey.

Talk to our experts about building your connected experience strategy.

What About Salesforce?

Salesforce Marketing Cloud is the third major option, but it’s fundamentally different from both HubSpot and Dynamics 365.

Salesforce focuses on huge enterprises that need maximum customization. But it’s complex and expensive—76% of users express concerns about its value for money on GetApp. Most companies find it harder to use than the other two options.

Feature-wise, Salesforce offers the most advanced automation and AI-powered tools. Dynamics 365 integrates seamlessly with Microsoft ecosystems. HubSpot remains the easiest to deploy and use for day-to-day operations.

Salesforce targets giant companies with big budgets. Dynamics 365 serves Microsoft-focused businesses. HubSpot helps small and medium companies that want simple solutions.

For most companies, comparing these three, Salesforce is overkill. It’s mainly worth considering if you’re a large enterprise with specific needs that HubSpot and Dynamics 365 can’t meet.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

Here are the most common questions about these platforms:

Is Dynamics 365 Customer Insights – Journeys More Suitable for Large Enterprises Than HubSpot?

Yes. Dynamics 365 works better for medium and large organizations for several reasons.

The unlimited user model means costs don’t grow with team size. Big marketing teams don’t pay per person. Enterprise security features meet strict requirements for healthcare, finance, and government companies.

HubSpot’s contact-based pricing gets expensive at enterprise scale. A company with millions of contacts faces huge monthly bills. The customization limits also frustrate large companies with complex needs.

What Are the Implementation Timeframes for Dynamics 365 Customer Insights – Journeys vs. HubSpot?

HubSpot may take 2-12 weeks for full setup, with basic features working within days. However, linking a mature CRM system to HubSpot can take months. But if an organization is already using Dynamics 365 Sales, then it can integrate Dynamics 365 Customer Insights and implement within a few weeks, and expand robust functionality over months.

Which Platform Provides Better Customization Options?

Dynamics 365 wins on customization. It connects to Microsoft’s development tools, so you can modify almost everything. Custom workflows, specialized features, and deep integrations are all possible.

HubSpot’s customization is simpler but limited. You get drag-and-drop builders and custom fields that don’t need technical knowledge. This works fine for most small and some medium businesses, but it isn’t enough for complex enterprise requirements.

Is Dynamics 365 Customer Insights – Journeys or HubSpot Better for Small Businesses?

HubSpot typically fits better for most small businesses due to its freemium model and minimal technical requirements.

However, small businesses already using Microsoft 365, Teams, and other Microsoft tools might find Dynamics 365 more valuable despite the higher cost.

If your small business has complex customer journeys or plans to scale rapidly, Dynamics 365’s unlimited user model becomes cost-effective faster than HubSpot’s per-seat pricing. The platform also provides enterprise-grade features that prevent costly migrations later as you grow.

Conclusion

Both HubSpot and Dynamics 365 Customer Insights – Journeys offer valuable tools for businesses to improve customer relationships and drive growth. The decision about which marketing automation solution is right for your organization comes down to several key factors: 1) the nature of your organization and steps needed to acquire customers, 2) the type and nature of customers your organization serves such as consumers, accounts, complex accounts or combinations of each of these and, 3) the size and complexity of your organization and team structure related to geographies, lines of business, and service or product complexity.