The right choice of CMS is key to digitalization - especially for Swiss SMEs. We compared HupSpot CMS and Drupal CMS.
Rethinking websites: from digital business card to lead machine
The decision to launch a new website often marks a momentum of digitalization - an opportunity to rethink existing processes, increase efficiency and enable real growth. It's no longer just about a new website, but about a platform that generates leads, promotes cross-selling and upselling and personalizes customer experiences along the entire customer journey.
Today's modern websites are intelligent, AI-supported systems: they create and manage content automatically, tailored to each phase of the purchasing process - increasing efficiency and engagement.
A key element of this success? Choosing the right CMS.
In our latest blog post, we compare two powerful systems: the future-oriented, intelligent HubSpot CMS - and the tried-and-tested Drupal CMS. With a special focus on the requirements of Swiss SMEs.
1. strategic focus: marketing & sales integration
|
Criterion |
HubSpot CMS |
Drupal CMS |
|
Integrated lead nurturing |
✅ Native integration with CRM, marketing automation, email campaigns, workflows, etc. |
❌ Not native - requires separate tools (e.g. Mautic, Salesforce, Mailchimp) and interfaces |
|
Sales-oriented web design |
✅ Modules such as smart content, CTAs, conversion tracking can be integrated directly |
Must be individually supplemented and configured with modules |
|
All-in-one platform |
✅ Website, CRM, email, forms, chat, analytics - all in one system |
❌ Website is isolated, other processes must be connected via API |
With HubSpot CMS, CRM, email campaigns, marketing automation and workflows are natively integrated into the system. You benefit from an end-to-end customer journey - from the first website interaction to the conclusion in sales. All without interface confusion!
2. technical implementation & further development
|
Criterion |
HubSpot CMS |
Drupal CMS |
|
Time to go-live |
Short - due to templates, modules, simple configuration |
Longer - due to individual development, configuration and testing |
|
Flexibility in design |
✅ Drag-and-drop, themes, custom coding possible |
✅ Very flexible - full code control |
|
Updates & maintenance |
Fully automated by HubSpot |
Manually by own dev team or agency (high costs) |
|
Security |
Enterprise-grade security with HubSpot Standard (GDPR-certified) |
Dependent on hosting, setup and regular patches |
Templates, modules and simple drag-and-drop in HupSpot enable a quick go-live. HubSpot takes care of updates, maintenance and security automatically - saving you development time and running costs.
3. scaling & future viability
|
Criterion |
HubSpot CMS |
Drupal CMS |
|
Scalability |
✅ Ideal for growing companies with a growing lead database |
Technically scalable, but with increasing maintenance effort |
|
Artificial intelligence (AI) |
✅ Integrated (e.g. AI-supported content, chatbots, campaign suggestions) |
❌ Only possible via external tools and complex integration |
|
Omni-channel integration |
✅ Natively connected with email, social, ads, sales |
Only via third-party connections or custom development |
AI functions such as intelligent chatbots, Breeze Customer AI Agent, content recommendations and campaign suggestions are already integrated in HupSpot Your marketing and sales processes run reliably across channels - ideal if you want to develop leads efficiently and scale processes.
4. user-friendliness & operation
|
Criterion |
HubSpot CMS |
Drupal CMS |
|
Editor-friendly |
✅ Very easy to use, even without IT knowledge |
❌ Rather technical |
|
Roles & rights management |
✅ Inclusive, easy to administer |
✅ Very flexible, but complex to configure |
|
Support & community |
Professional support, German-speaking, chat + telephone |
Large developer community, but self-service-based |
Marketing teams can create, adapt and test content in HupSpot even without IT knowledge. User guidance is intuitive and permissions can be clearly managed.
5. costs & operation
|
Criterion |
HubSpot CMS |
Drupal CMS |
|
License costs |
Monthly license (depending on scope, e.g. CMS Hub Starter to Enterprise) |
Open source - no license costs, but high implementation costs |
|
Total costs over 3 years |
Plannable, as hosting + maintenance included |
Variable depending on setup - maintenance, updates, external hosting |
|
Total cost of ownership (TCO) |
Plannable & often cheaper in the SME context |
Often underestimated and higher in total due to maintenance & further development |
In the SME environment, HubSpot CMS is often the more economical choice: hosting, maintenance and support are included. There are no surprising additional costs as with open source solutions (e.g. Drupal).
For whom is HubSpot CMS particularly worthwhile?
- SMEs that want to systematically generate new contacts and inquiries via their website - without technical hurdles
- Marketing teams who want to create, change and test content themselves - without any IT dependency
- Companies that want to automate their marketing and develop leads in a targeted manner - e.g. with email workflows and lead scoring
- Companies that want to benefit immediately from integrated AI, clear analyses and conversion optimization - without additional tools
SMEs that systematically acquire new contacts and inquiries via their website and marketing teams that want to work independently will benefit the most. The automation of processes, clear analyses and immediately available AI tools bring tangible benefits to day-to-day business.
When does Drupal CMS make sense?
- Organizations with complex, individual technical requirements
- Projects with a strong IT department or agency in the background, where design requirements are more important than lead generation
- Institutions with high individualization and data sovereignty requirements
Drupal shows its strengths where highly specialized solutions with extensive IT resources are required and individuality is more important than marketing automation.
Our conclusion & recommendation for SMEs with a focus on digitalization & lead nurturing:
With a focus on efficiency, customer loyalty and growth, HubSpot CMS is the optimal solution for SMEs that want to take off digitally. We are happy to support you.
Do you have any questions? Please get in touch and we will be happy to support you: