Start with the customer journey, not the newsletter
An email platform rarely manages only bulk campaigns now. It may collect leads, segment audiences, trigger automations, send transactional messages and return data to a CRM or online store. The choice should follow the customer journey rather than the design of the email editor.
Map five events: new lead, first purchase or contract, onboarding, repeat purchase and churn risk. Then decide which system owns the customer profile and which system sends each communication.
The four platforms at a glance
| Platform | Best starting point | Strength | Not the first choice when |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mailchimp | Newsletters, campaigns and foundational automation | Fast setup, templates, audience and campaign analytics | You need the CRM to become the operating core or have complex B2B logic |
| Brevo | Email, transactional messaging and SMS/WhatsApp | Multiple channels, automation and communication in one environment | You need a deep e-commerce data model and product-level personalisation |
| HubSpot | B2B lead generation and the marketing-to-sales handoff | Shared customer data, forms, pipeline and automation | You only need a low-cost newsletter tool without a CRM process |
| Klaviyo | E-commerce and B2C retention | Store events, segmentation and personalised lifecycle flows | You lack enough purchases, product events or an e-commerce use case |
A sensible choice by business model
Small B2B company
Mailchimp can cover a regular newsletter. When marketing must qualify and pass leads to sales, HubSpot is the more logical centre.
Service business with operational messaging
Brevo is practical when marketing, transactional email, SMS or WhatsApp need to work together.
Online store
Klaviyo makes sense when browsing, cart, purchase and customer-value events drive automation. Mailchimp or Brevo can cover the essential flows for a lighter start.
Growing company with one revenue process
HubSpot is strong when CRM, marketing and sales must share contacts, lifecycle stages and attribution.
Build the minimum lifecycle first
Every flow needs a trigger, audience, exclusions, owner, objective and stop condition. Do not launch an automation simply because the platform offers a template.
- A welcome series after signup or enquiry.
- Lead nurture by interest, industry or problem.
- Onboarding after a purchase or signed contract.
- A reminder for an abandoned cart, registration or process.
- Reactivation after a period without activity.
- Feedback and review request after value has been delivered.
Data, consent and measurement
Before migration, clean duplicate contacts, inactive addresses, consent fields and lifecycle definitions. Connect forms, CRM or store around a stable customer ID where possible. Separate marketing communication from transactional messaging and configure the sending domain according to the provider's guidance.
Measure more than open rate. Qualified leads, purchase conversion, flow revenue, repeat purchase, unsubscribe and spam complaints say more about the customer journey.
Choose the lightest platform that can support the next 18–24 months—not the most complex product you may need one day.
Sources and further reading
Product capabilities change. The links below are primary or official sources reviewed when this guide was published.