HubSpot Marketing Contacts
Marketing contacts is HubSpot's pricing model for Marketing Hub: you're billed based on the number of contacts you actively market to. Contacts can be set as marketing or non-marketing, so you only pay for those you email and advertise to — keeping costs aligned with usage.
Key takeaways
- HubSpot bills Marketing Hub by the number of marketing contacts.
- Contacts can be marketing (billable, emailable) or non-marketing (free).
- Managing this status well is the main lever on Marketing Hub cost.
Marketing vs non-marketing contacts
Only marketing contacts can receive marketing emails and ads, and only they count toward your billing tier. Non-marketing contacts still live in the CRM — you just can't market to them. You set the status manually or with automation.
How to manage it
- Set unengaged or irrelevant contacts to non-marketing.
- Use workflows to manage the status automatically.
- Review before each billing tier threshold.
Frequently asked questions
What are HubSpot marketing contacts?
The contacts you actively market to, which determine your Marketing Hub bill. Only marketing contacts can be emailed or advertised to.
What's the difference between marketing and non-marketing contacts?
Marketing contacts are billable and can receive marketing emails and ads; non-marketing contacts stay in the CRM for free but can't be marketed to.
How do I avoid extra marketing-contact costs?
Set unengaged or out-of-scope contacts to non-marketing — manually or via workflows — so you only pay for the audience you actually market to.
Related service: Manage marketing contacts in HubSpot