When it comes to building a website, two platforms often come up in conversations: Google Sites and HubSpot Website Builder (CMS Hub). Both serve very different purposes. Google Sites is free, simple, and perfect for beginners, while HubSpot is a professional marketing platform designed to help businesses grow online.
In this post, we’ll explore the limitations of Google Sites compared to HubSpot Website Builder, so you can decide which one fits your needs best.
🔹 Limitations of Google Sites
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Design & Customization
Google Sites comes with very limited templates and themes. You can’t add custom CSS or JavaScript, and there’s no plugin ecosystem. This means you’re stuck with basic drag-and-drop elements without much room for creative flexibility. -
Functionality
If you’re looking for advanced features like e-commerce, live chat, lead capture forms, or dynamic content, Google Sites won’t be enough. It mainly integrates with Google Workspace (Docs, Sheets, Drive), but doesn’t extend to external business tools. -
Scalability
Google Sites works best for small projects — personal portfolios, school websites, internal company wikis, or nonprofit information hubs. For larger projects, it quickly becomes limiting since it doesn’t support team collaboration features beyond basic editing. -
Analytics & Marketing
The only analytics option is through manual integration with Google Analytics. You won’t find built-in tools for SEO, marketing automation, or customer engagement. -
Domain & Branding
While you can connect a custom domain for free, branding options are minimal. There’s no email hosting, no advanced branding controls, and certainly no white-labeling.
🔹 Strengths of HubSpot Website Builder
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Marketing Power
HubSpot CMS Hub is built with businesses in mind. It comes integrated with HubSpot CRM, meaning you can capture and manage leads seamlessly. Features like forms, pop-ups, live chat, and chatbots are built-in, along with marketing automation workflows. -
Design & Customization
Unlike Google Sites, HubSpot offers a flexible drag-and-drop editor, custom HTML/CSS/JS support, and access to a theme and module marketplace. You can create highly tailored websites that reflect your brand identity. -
SEO & Analytics
HubSpot provides SEO recommendations, advanced analytics dashboards, and A/B testing (on higher plans). This makes it a serious tool for businesses looking to optimize traffic and conversions. -
Business & Growth
HubSpot scales with your business. From startups to enterprises, you can deliver personalized experiences to different audiences, integrate payment solutions, and connect with third-party apps. -
Domain & Hosting
HubSpot includes enterprise-grade hosting with free SSL, CDN, and security built-in. You can also connect professional email services like Google Workspace or Microsoft 365 to your domain.
⚖️ Which One Should You Choose?
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Choose Google Sites if…
You need a free, simple solution for a personal site, school project, or internal wiki. It’s straightforward and integrates well with Google’s ecosystem. -
Choose HubSpot Website Builder if…
You’re building a business website and want integrated tools for marketing, CRM, SEO, and growth. While it comes at a cost (starting at around $20/month), it gives you everything you need to attract, engage, and convert customers.
Final Thoughts
Think of Google Sites as a free online poster board — perfect for small, simple projects. On the other hand, HubSpot Website Builder is a powerful marketing platform designed to help businesses grow and compete online.
The right choice depends on your goals: simplicity and zero cost vs. scalability and business growth.