The WordPress community, once the gold standard of open-source web development, has been rocked by internal squabbles and some pretty questionable decisions from its CEO, Matt Mullenweg. Most notably, the legal battle between WordPress (Automattic) and WP Engine has escalated to the point where WP Engine customers are being blocked from receiving updates and resources from WordPress.org. Understandably, many WordPress users are now left wondering about the stability of a platform that powers 40% of the web.

In the midst of all this chaos, many businesses, developers, and marketers are looking for alternatives—platforms that offer stability and modern tools to manage their digital presence. One such alternative is HubSpot’s CMS, which has gotten a lot of love lately, especially with the launch of Content Hub and its suite of AI-powered tools.

Here, we will unpack the age-old debate of HubSpot vs. WordPress and, of course, share our take.

A Quick Summary of the WP Engine Debacle

If you run your business or marketing site on WordPress, you’ve probably found recent events a bit unsettling. The dispute between Automattic and WP Engine, a major WordPress hosting provider, has gotten so bad that WP Engine customers are no longer getting automated updates and plugin functionality on WordPress.org. This feud, while rooted in legal and competitive issues, has rippled across the WordPress community. Many users are now forced to manually update plugins or move their entire digital infrastructure to another CMS platform.

This is not just an inconvenience but a risk for businesses that need uptime, security patches, and seamless integration with third-party plugins. So users are looking elsewhere and HubSpot’s CMS is becoming an attractive alternative for those who value reliability and innovation.

HubSpot Vs. WordPress: Which is Right for You?

Ease of Use and Customization

When it comes to ease of use and customization, both HubSpot CMS and WordPress have their strengths. HubSpot CMS is known for its user-friendly interface and drag-and-drop editor, so non-technical users can create and manage content with ease. This is perfect for businesses that want to focus on content creation without getting bogged down in the technical details.

On the other hand, WordPress has unparalleled customization options. With thousands of free and premium themes, plugins, and widgets, you can customize your site to your heart’s content. However, this level of customization comes with a steeper learning curve and often requires more technical expertise to fully use it.

Ultimately it comes down to your needs. If you want ease of use and a seamless content management experience, HubSpot CMS is the way to go. If you need advanced customization options and are willing to invest time in learning the platform, WordPress might be the better choice.

HubSpot's drag and drop editor

Themes and Templates

Both HubSpot CMS and WordPress have themes and templates to help you create a beautiful website. HubSpot CMS has a curated selection of pre-designed themes optimized for conversion and user experience. These themes are designed to be pretty and functional so your website looks good and performs well.

WordPress has an enormous library of tens of thousands of free and premium themes. From basic WordPress themes to more advanced ones, the sheer number of options gives you a lot of customization. You can easily switch between themes to change the look and feel of your website and adapt as your needs change.

In addition to themes, both platforms have page templates and layout options to help you create custom pages. HubSpot CMS has pre-designed page templates so you can build professional-looking pages quickly. WordPress gives you more flexibility with its block editor, allowing for a more detailed approach and result.

SEO and Performance

Search engine optimization (SEO) is important for any website and both HubSpot CMS and WordPress have robust SEO tools to help you optimize your content. HubSpot CMS has a suite of SEO tools including keyword research, on-page optimization, and technical SEO audits all built into the platform. So you can ensure your content is SEO’d without needing additional plugins.

WordPress also has great SEO thanks to powerful plugins like Yoast SEO and All in One SEO Pack. These plugins have advanced features and lots of options to fine-tune your SEO strategy. As an open-source platform, you can extend its SEO capabilities even further with third-party plugins and themes.

When it comes to performance, both platforms offer fast page load times. However, HubSpot CMS has an advantage with its built-in infrastructure and content delivery network (CDN), which helps pages load faster and, generally, perform better than WordPress.

Yoast SEO in WordPress

Pricing and Cost

The cost of using HubSpot CMS and WordPress can be very different depending on your needs. HubSpot CMS has a range of pricing plans starting with a free plan and going up to paid plans that start at $23 per month. All of these plans are all-inclusive so hosting, security, and support are included which makes budgeting and management easier.

WordPress is free to use but you’ll need to pay for hosting, themes, plugins, and other services to create a fully functional website. Hosting can cost from $3 to $70 per month depending on the provider and plan you choose. Premium themes, plugins, and security services can also add up, so it's important to budget for those extras.

Website Speed and Blogging

Website speed is crucial for both user experience and search engine rankings, and both HubSpot CMS and WordPress perform well. However, HubSpot CMS’s built-in infrastructure and CDN help pages load faster, offering a smoother experience and potentially boosting search rankings.

When comparing HubSpot vs. WordPress, both platforms stand out as strong choices for blogging. HubSpot CMS offers robust features like a drag-and-drop editor and built-in SEO, making it easy to create and manage your blog content. WordPress, well-known for its blogging capabilities, gives you more flexibility with its block editor and a wide variety of plugins and themes, allowing for unique blog layouts and designs.

Lake One’s Take on HubSpot Vs. WordPress

All in all, the choice between HubSpot CMS and WordPress depends on your needs and preferences. If you want ease of use and a streamlined content management experience then HubSpot CMS is a good choice. But if you need advanced customization options and are willing to invest time learning the platform then WordPress is still a great option.

That said, we’re strong advocates for HubSpot. If you’re thinking about making the switch and want to learn more about the advantages of its unified platform, keep reading.

HubSpot CMS: A Stable, Feature-Rich Alternative

HubSpot’s CMS has always been known for being user-friendly and integrating well with marketing and sales tools, but the recent updates have taken it to a whole new level. The new Content Hub is an all-in-one platform for creating, managing, and optimizing content. While WordPress can use plugins to offer similar features, HubSpot’s tools are built right in, saving you time and reducing the need for third-party solutions. 

Whether you’re managing a blog, landing pages, or more complex content, HubSpot offers an intuitive interface that simplifies collaboration among teams with varying technical skills. While WordPress can face compatibility issues and requires manual updates, HubSpot’s Content Hub provides everything you need in one seamless ecosystem. With integrated features for accessing customer data, reporting, and automation, HubSpot CMS is an excellent choice for marketers and developers looking to simplify web management without sacrificing power or flexibility.

HubSpot Naming Conventions and Advanced Features 

Another helpful tidbit to note is that HubSpot’s Content Hub offers a structured approach to naming and organizing content, with built-in naming conventions that make it easy to manage pages, templates, and assets. This organized system improves team collaboration and efficiency, while WordPress lacks standardized naming and often requires manual processes or plugins for similar results.

HubSpot’s AI-Powered Tools

Another major difference is HubSpot’s focus on artificial intelligence. The AI tools in HubSpot’s CMS help businesses automate and optimize content creation, marketing, and analytics. These features enhance the CMS with advanced marketing capabilities, providing a complete solution for your business. Some of the coolest AI features (in our humble opinion) include:

• Content Optimization Recommendations: HubSpot’s AI analyzes your existing content and gives you actionable advice on how to improve performance. This is great for SEO and conversion rate optimization.
• Automated Content Generation: With AI-powered blog drafting and content generation you can create high-quality content that’s tailored to your audience’s preferences.
• Personalized Customer Experiences: HubSpot’s AI can analyze customer behavior and deliver personalized content experiences to improve engagement and conversions.

These AI tools offer a big advantage over WordPress, which depends on third-party plugins for similar functionality—plugins that, as we've seen recently, may not always be reliable or available. By integrating AI tools into its CMS, HubSpot offers automation, analytics, and marketing features that are hard to match on other platforms.

Example of using HubSpot's new AI tool, Copilot

HubSpot Vs. WordPress: The Choice is Clear

If you’re a WordPress user feeling the effects of recent instability, HubSpot offers a safer, more future-proof solution. You can avoid third-party plugins and manual updates while benefiting from advanced AI tools, along with strong customer support, security, and regular updates.

While WordPress has been a popular choice for years, recent challenges have exposed its limitations. For those looking to reduce risk and streamline content management, HubSpot’s CMS is a solid alternative. 

Whether you're weighing the pros and cons of HubSpot vs. WordPress, or are ready to make the switch, we're here to guide you every step of the way. Let’s get in touch.