When listmonk replaces HubSpot Marketing Hub, and when it does not
If your team pays for HubSpot Marketing Hub mainly to send newsletters and lifecycle mail to a contact list, listmonk can replace it for that job. It handles list management, SQL-based segments, campaign templates, campaign analytics and a transactional mail API for pre-defined templates. It does not replace the rest of the suite: listmonk has no forms builder, no landing pages, no lead scoring and no CRM, so any HubSpot feature that depends on those has to be rebuilt, moved or dropped before you cancel anything.
Start by listing which Marketing Hub features your team actually uses. Check the forms and landing pages that feed your lists, any lead scores that trigger sales follow-up, and whether workflows depend on CRM properties or deal stages. If the answer is mostly list uploads, campaign sends and a few transactional templates, listmonk is a credible replacement for that portion. If lead capture and scoring run through HubSpot forms, you will need a separate form tool and a scoring process before the move. Also confirm how contact tiers are counted today, since only marketing contacts drive the subscription cost according to HubSpot's knowledge base, and that affects which records you export.
Two decisions remain. First, decide whether you need Mautic next to listmonk. Mautic covers forms, landing pages, scoring and multi-step campaigns, so teams with those needs often pair it with listmonk for newsletters. Second, decide who owns sending infrastructure. listmonk sends through SMTP servers you configure, and deliverability depends on your domain authentication, bounce handling and sending provider, so name an internal owner and confirm that owner's responsibilities before go-live.
Which option fits which scenario
This table matches common reasons teams reach for HubSpot Marketing Hub against listmonk, with the condition that decides each fit. Read each row by asking which capability your team needs most, then check the condition that applies to your setup. Where a need falls outside listmonk, the table names the tool that covers it.
| Scenario | Better fit | Deciding condition |
|---|---|---|
| Newsletter-only sending to a large list | listmonk | Your work centers on lists, campaigns and analytics, and forms and landing pages live on your own website or a separate tool |
| Sending plus forms and landing pages | HubSpot Marketing Hub, or listmonk with other tools | listmonk does not provide forms or landing pages, so you need a separate form and page builder or Mautic for those features |
| Lead scoring with a sales team | HubSpot Marketing Hub or Mautic with a CRM | listmonk has no lead scoring or CRM, so scoring and handoff to sales must come from another platform |
| Transactional mail from a product | listmonk | You need a transactional mail API for pre-defined templates sent through SMTP and HTTP-based messengers |
| Event-driven journeys across channels | Dittofeed or Mautic, not listmonk alone | Journeys triggered by user behavior need automated flows, which listmonk's campaign model does not cover |
| Regulated team needing data on its own servers | listmonk or Mautic, self-hosted | You can run PostgreSQL and the application in infrastructure you control, and confirm the email sending provider meets your data rules |
| Team already paying HubSpot for the CRM | HubSpot CRM stays, with listmonk for newsletters | Sales relies on HubSpot records, and you accept syncing contacts between two systems |
What listmonk leaves out and what covers those gaps
listmonk handles newsletter sign-up and opt-in flows for its lists, but it is not a general form builder or landing page tool. Marketing Hub forms and landing pages usually serve campaigns, gated content and event registrations, and they feed contacts into workflows. Those pages need a home before you cancel HubSpot.
- Newsletter sign-up: Keep listmonk's list subscription and double opt-in pages for newsletter sign-ups. Confirm the subscription form fields and embedding options in the release you deploy.
- Campaign and event pages: Move these to Mautic landing pages and forms if your version covers the fields, conditional logic and hosting you need. Mautic is licensed under GPL v3, so you can host it on your own infrastructure.
- Submission routing: Map each HubSpot form to a list, tag or segment, since listmonk and Mautic structure contact data differently.
- Tracking and hosting: Rebuild the tracking script on every site and confirm where the pages are served and what logs they generate.
Before switching, export form definitions and page URLs from HubSpot, then test each page and redirect in a staging environment. Confirm the exact form and page features of the Mautic release you choose.
listmonk tracks campaign opens, clicks and bounces, and it segments subscribers with SQL expressions. It does not score leads or keep a per-contact timeline of marketing and sales activity. Teams that rely on HubSpot scoring to route prospects to sales need to decide where that logic lives after the move.
- Scoring rules: Scores that depend on page views, form fills and email engagement need a source of events. Mautic is the more likely home for this logic, but confirm which point and trigger features your version offers before you commit.
- Contact history: Keep the HubSpot timeline as an archive export, and check whether Mautic's contact timeline records the events you need for sales conversations.
- Engagement signals: Define which SQL segments in listmonk replace HubSpot lists, and document the rules so the logic does not depend on one person.
- Event pipeline: If scoring depends on product or web events, plan an event collector separately. Dittofeed handles journeys across channels, but confirm whether it fits your scoring model.
- Data quality: Remove duplicates and normalize fields before import, because scores attached to bad records will mislead sales.
Before switching, write down every scoring rule, its inputs and its consumers, then test each rule against a sample of real contacts in a non-production instance. Confirm each feature against the documentation for your chosen release.
listmonk has no CRM, so deals, pipelines, owners, tasks and sales sequences stay outside it. Many teams keep HubSpot CRM after moving newsletters, which means the marketing tool and the CRM must exchange contacts reliably. The decision is about where sales records live and how contacts move between systems.
- Keep HubSpot CRM: If sales stays on HubSpot, keep the CRM license and sync only the contacts that need newsletter status to listmonk through the API. Confirm HubSpot's current API limits and batch sizes for your sync volume.
- Move to an open-source CRM: If sales moves too, evaluate a self-hosted CRM such as Twenty, EspoCRM or SuiteCRM. Each has its own automation, so budget for extra tooling where workflows depend on HubSpot features.
- Salesforce option: Mautic documents a Salesforce plugin for teams already on Salesforce CRM. Confirm its configuration steps and supported objects in the Mautic knowledge base before you plan around it.
- Ownership and consent: Define which system holds consent records, because opt-in status must stay accurate across both tools.
- Sync direction: Decide which system is the source of truth for each field and document the conflict rules.
Before switching, map every sales workflow that touches marketing data, test syncs with a small contact set, and confirm consent and suppression rules end to end.
Where subscriber data lives and who controls the sending path
listmonk runs as a standalone binary with PostgreSQL as its only dependency, so subscriber records, lists, campaign history and bounce data sit in a database your team hosts. HubSpot Marketing Hub is a hosted SaaS service, and your marketing contacts live in HubSpot's infrastructure under its terms. With listmonk, the data location is whatever you choose: your cloud account, a data center or an air-gapped network. The project is licensed under AGPL-3.0, which governs how you may distribute and modify the software, not where your data goes. Confirm with your legal team whether the AGPL obligations affect any modifications you plan to make or any hosted service you offer to third parties.
Operating the database makes backups and access control your responsibility. Plan scheduled PostgreSQL backups, test restores on a separate environment, and decide where backup copies are retained and how long. Access to the admin interface can be federated through OIDC single sign-on, and listmonk provides granular roles, permissions and API tokens. Review which roles can export subscriber data, which API tokens exist and who owns them, and remove tokens tied to former staff or retired integrations. Ask your identity team to confirm how the OIDC provider handles MFA and session lifetime, because listmonk inherits those controls only as far as your identity provider enforces them.
The sending path is a separate decision. listmonk sends through SMTP servers and HTTP messengers that you configure, so you choose the email provider, its region, its data processing terms and its bounce and complaint handling. Your choice affects deliverability and where recipient addresses are processed, so treat it as a vendor review with its own contract. Compliance outcomes, such as those tied to GDPR, SOC 2 or ISO/IEC 27001, depend on your full environment and must be assessed by an independent auditor or certification body. DeployOpen can prepare controls, configuration baselines and evidence for that assessment, but it does not issue audit reports, attestations or certifications.
What AGPL-3.0 and a single binary mean for your team
listmonk is licensed differently from HubSpot Marketing Hub, and it is deployed differently too. The cards below cover the license duties that follow if you change the code, the cost model you inherit when no per-contact tier exists in the software, and the deployment and release checks your team owns before a cutover.
Network use can trigger source obligations
The AGPL v3 license requires that if you modify listmonk and let users interact with the modified version over a network, you must offer those users the corresponding source code of your changes. Running an unmodified instance for your own staff creates no such duty. Before you add custom segmentation, a bespoke messenger or an internal integration, have counsel confirm how the obligation applies to your internal and external users.
No contact tier in the software
HubSpot Marketing Hub bills by marketing contact tier, and only marketing contacts count toward it. listmonk is a standalone program with no contact-based license fee in its code. Your recurring costs move to the server, the PostgreSQL database, the SMTP or sending provider and the staff who run them. Ask your sending provider how it prices volume, since that becomes the largest variable line.
Docker image and sample compose file
listmonk publishes a Docker image on Docker Hub and ships a sample docker-compose.yml, which gives your platform team a starting point for the application and its PostgreSQL service. Treat the sample as a baseline, not a production design. Confirm how you will handle database backups, TLS termination, secrets for SMTP credentials and the image tag you pin.
Single binary with PostgreSQL only
listmonk runs as a standalone binary and needs PostgreSQL as its only dependency, so there is no separate queue, cache or search service to operate. That lowers the number of moving parts, but it means PostgreSQL carries subscriber data, campaign state and analytics. Plan database sizing, replication and point-in-time recovery as core operational work.
No commercial edition to confirm
The public project materials describe one open-source distribution under AGPL v3, and we did not find a separate paid edition to compare against. Ask the maintainers or your own licensing counsel to confirm that no additional commercial terms apply to the features you plan to use, and record that answer in your procurement file.
Check the current release before planning
Confirm the release you intend to deploy against the project's release page before you write an upgrade plan. The most recent release we checked is v6.2.0, published June 26, 2026. Read its release notes for database migration steps, breaking configuration changes and messenger updates, and schedule a staging upgrade rehearsal before each production change.
How a newsletter move from HubSpot to listmonk works
The sequence moves subscriber lists, consent evidence and suppression data out of HubSpot Marketing Hub and into listmonk, so newsletters keep sending from infrastructure you control with a verified audit trail of what was moved. It ends with HubSpot sending stopped and the old workflows retired.
Inventory lists, consent and suppressions
Marketing ops lists every HubSpot marketing list, the subscription types each contact opted into, and the unsubscribed, bounced and suppressed contacts that must never receive mail again. Record where each consent came from, such as a form, an import or a double opt-in confirmation, because listmonk's single and double opt-in lists need that history to be carried forward. Done when every list has an owner, a purpose and a documented consent basis, and a suppression file exists separately from the send list.
Export contacts and properties from HubSpot
Export marketing contacts from HubSpot as CSV or XLSX through the record export tool. HubSpot limits exports to 300 per rolling 24 hours and sends the files by email link, so plan exports across days for a large list and keep the file hashes. Record exports do not cover everything, so use the CRM Contacts API for fields and list membership the export omits. The API batch endpoints accept 100 records per request, which shapes how long a bulk pull or sync takes. Done when row counts match HubSpot's contact totals for each list and the export files are stored in your own systems.
Import subscribers into listmonk
Create the lists in listmonk with the single or double opt-in setting that matches each consent basis, then load the subscribers into PostgreSQL through listmonk's import flow. Map each CSV column to a subscriber attribute and keep consent timestamps and source fields as attributes so they remain visible later. Run a small test file first, then the full import, and check counts per list. Done when imported subscriber counts match the reconciled export and every suppressed address is marked blocklisted before any campaign can reach it.
Define SQL segments for audiences
Rebuild the audiences that HubSpot smart lists and active lists supported as SQL expressions in listmonk, which administrators can query against subscriber data. Write each segment as an illustrative expression, for example one that selects subscribers in a given list who have an attribute value set, then test it against a sample and compare the counts with the HubSpot list it replaces. Document each segment's logic in version control. Done when every production audience has a tested query and a recorded count that marketing signs off.
Rebuild templates and sending configuration
Recreate newsletter templates in listmonk using its builders or raw HTML, and convert HubSpot personalization tokens to listmonk's Go template syntax. Configure one or more SMTP servers, set sending rate limits, and set the sending domain with SPF, DKIM and DMARC records owned by your team. Configure bounce handling so hard and soft bounces feed back into subscriber status. Done when a test campaign renders correctly in the major mail clients you support, authentication records pass, and bounce events change subscriber status in a test list.
Validate sending before cutover
Send staged test campaigns to internal seed addresses and a small internal list, then review delivery, bounce, link and open analytics in listmonk's built-in reporting. Confirm that unsubscribe links work in every template, that suppressed contacts are excluded from every segment, and that any transactional messages sent through listmonk's transactional API use approved templates. Done when a signed-off test report shows correct delivery, unsubscribes and suppression behavior, and the operations owner accepts the results.
Cut over and freeze HubSpot sends
Pause new campaigns in HubSpot, take a final export of changed contacts and unsubscribes, and load the delta into listmonk so no opt-out is lost during the switch. Send the first live campaign from listmonk and watch bounce and complaint signals closely for the first sends. Keep the HubSpot account readable for reference until the team confirms nothing depends on it. Done when the first production campaign has been delivered, the delta reconciliation matches, and the sending owner confirms HubSpot is no longer the sending path.
Retire old workflows and keep evidence
Turn off HubSpot workflows, forms that feed marketing lists, and marketing contact subscriptions that no longer need billing, then confirm with HubSpot's marketing contact documentation how the tier changes. Archive exports, the consent inventory, segment definitions and the validation report in a location your compliance team controls. Note that listmonk does not provide forms, landing pages, lead scoring or CRM, so those needs stay in another tool or must be rebuilt. Done when the workflow list is empty, the archive is complete, and the remaining gaps have an owner.
Questions buyers ask before switching newsletters to listmonk
What does it cost in effort to move newsletters from HubSpot to listmonk?
The main effort is the work your team and any implementation partner put in, not a license fee, because listmonk is licensed under AGPL v3 and its code is free to run. The effort is driven by how many lists you maintain, how many segments depend on HubSpot properties, how many templates you rebuild, and whether you need to rebuild automation. Costs recur for the server, PostgreSQL operation, backups and the transactional email provider you choose to send through. Ask any quote to separate one-time migration work from ongoing hosting, upkeep and sending costs, and to list each segment and template it covers.
How long does a newsletter migration to listmonk take?
The duration depends on the size and condition of your subscriber data, the number of lists and segments, and how many templates need rebuilding. listmonk runs as a single binary with PostgreSQL as its only dependency, so the technical installation is usually the smaller part of the schedule. Plan time for export and cleaning of contacts, consent checks for each list, sender domain and DNS setup, and a test send to confirm deliverability. No duration is guaranteed here. Ask for a timeline in the written scope that ties each phase to a deliverable.
What does our team need to provide for the switch?
You need to supply the following:
- An export of subscriber records, list memberships and consent records from HubSpot, using the export and API methods HubSpot documents
- Decisions on which lists, segments and templates should survive the move
- A PostgreSQL-capable server or cloud account where listmonk will run
- An SMTP or transactional email provider with a verified sending domain and DNS access
- A named owner who can approve consent handling and test sends
Confirm with the vendor and your own environment which export formats and limits apply to your HubSpot edition before you start.
Can our own team migrate to listmonk without outside help?
Yes, a team with Linux, Docker and PostgreSQL experience can install listmonk, which is distributed as a standalone binary and publishes a Docker image and a sample docker-compose.yml. The harder parts are consent-aware list import, SQL segmentation, sender reputation, bounce handling and a clean cutover. Ask whether your staff have time for that work alongside their regular duties. If not, a fixed-scope engagement from DeployOpen can plan, implement, document and hand over the platform inside your own infrastructure, with scope and deliverables agreed in writing before work starts.
Can listmonk replace HubSpot forms, landing pages and lead scoring?
No, listmonk covers lists, SQL segmentation, templates, campaign analytics and transactional mail, but it does not provide forms, landing pages, lead scoring or a CRM. If your newsletter sign-up pages depend on HubSpot forms, you will need another tool or a separate build for those pages. Lead scoring and deal tracking need a CRM or a marketing automation platform. Map each HubSpot feature you use to its replacement before committing, and confirm the gaps with the listmonk documentation and your own requirements.
Do we still need Mautic if we use listmonk?
Not for newsletters alone, but you may want Mautic if you also run lead capture, progressive profiling, scoring or multi-step campaigns. listmonk handles one-way mailing lists and newsletters well, while Mautic is an open-source marketing automation project licensed under GPL v3 or later with its own contact model. Many teams run listmonk for broadcasts and Mautic for automation, which adds a second system to operate. Decide based on which HubSpot workflows you must keep, and confirm the division of responsibilities in writing.
What does the switch depend on that is outside our control?
Deliverability depends on your sending provider, sender domain authentication and the reputation your contacts have built with inbox providers. Consent records determine which subscribers you may legally email after the move, so they must come across accurately. Compliance programs may require documented controls, and DeployOpen prepares systems, controls and evidence for compliance assessments, but independent auditors issue any audit reports or certifications. Ask your legal and compliance leads to confirm requirements before cutover.
When keeping HubSpot Marketing Hub still makes sense
Keep HubSpot Marketing Hub if your marketing runs on its hosted front end. listmonk covers lists, SQL segments, templates, campaign analytics and transactional mail, but it does not build forms, landing pages or lead scoring. If your sign-up forms, progressive profiling, landing pages and page tracking are tied to HubSpot, moving only the newsletter sends means rebuilding those pieces somewhere else before you can drop the subscription. Inventory every HubSpot form, landing page and tracking script on your sites and count how many depend on Marketing Hub's hosting. If the number is large and your web team has no capacity to rebuild them, HubSpot remains the lower-risk choice for now.
A second case is a sales process that depends on marketing signals. Lead scoring, lifecycle stages and workflows that hand a contact to a sales owner are not part of listmonk, and they are only partly covered by a separate automation tool. If your reps work deals inside HubSpot CRM and expect marketing activity on the contact record, a split leaves you with a data sync to build and maintain. Ask your sales lead which fields and triggers they would miss on day one, and confirm how your current contact tier counts marketing contacts before you compare costs, since only marketing contacts drive the subscription under HubSpot's marketing contacts guidance.
The third case is operations capacity. Self-hosting listmonk means you run a PostgreSQL database, a binary or container, TLS, SMTP and bounce handling, backups and upgrades, and someone must own that work after go-live. A team without that capacity should price in an operator or a support retainer before it moves. Splitting from HubSpot into a self-hosted stack is a separate project with its own scope, covered in the sibling pages on migration and on keeping HubSpot CRM, so treat this section as a go or no-go test rather than a plan.
How DeployOpen works on this
DeployOpen is a Chainscore Labs company that plans, implements, integrates, hardens, backs up, documents and supports self-hosted open-source platforms inside your own infrastructure. For a listmonk move, we start by mapping which newsletter, transactional and HubSpot workloads actually move, and which stay on HubSpot. Engagements are fixed-scope, with the written scope agreed before work starts.
How we scope
- We inventory the lists, opt-in status, templates and transactional emails you send from HubSpot today.
- We record which forms, landing pages, lead scoring and CRM workflows stay on HubSpot and which need another tool.
- We agree the sending provider, SMTP setup, hosting location and data residency requirements in writing before any build starts.
How we build
- We deploy listmonk from its Docker image or binary with PostgreSQL in your cloud account, data center or air-gapped network.
- We configure SQL segments, single and double opt-in lists, bounce handling and rate limits against your sending volumes.
- We rebuild templates, set up the transactional mail API for pre-defined messages, and test deliverability and SSO roles before cutover.
How we hand over
- We deliver runbooks covering backups, upgrades, SMTP credentials, API tokens and role assignments.
- We document the migration record, subscriber import checks, consent evidence and the list of features that remain on HubSpot.
- We walk your marketing and platform staff through campaign analytics, bounce review and day-to-day list management.
How we support
- Ongoing support, upgrades and continuous testing are available as a retainer after handover.
- We can test the listmonk deployment and its public endpoints as part of security testing before go-live.
- Where you also evaluate Mautic for forms, landing pages or lead scoring, we scope that work as a separate written engagement.
