If you’re diving into marketing automation with HubSpot, you’ve probably encountered two powerful tools: Workflows and Journey Automation.
At first glance, they might seem similar—they both automate tasks, nurture leads, and help you scale marketing efforts. But they serve slightly different purposes and are built for different types of users.So what’s the difference? Let’s break it down.
Best for: Marketing Ops, advanced automation, complex logic, and multi-team use.
Workflows have been the go-to automation tool in HubSpot for years. They’re robust, flexible, and offer a wide range of use cases beyond just marketing—think sales follow-ups, customer onboarding, internal notifications, and even custom property updates.
Key Features of Workflows:
Multi-step automation across marketing, sales, and service.
Advanced branching logic (if/then branches).
Delays based on specific criteria (like wait until a contact does something).
Integration with external tools (e.g., Slack, Zoom, custom APIs).
Enrollment triggers based on contact properties, list membership, form submissions, and more.
Use Workflows when you need to:
Automate lead nurturing across multiple touchpoints.
Trigger complex email sequences.
Notify internal teams of specific actions.
Manage data hygiene or set custom lifecycle stages.
Best for: Campaign-focused marketers, email nurtures, and intuitive visual planning.
Journey Automation is part of the newer Marketing Campaigns experience in HubSpot. It's built with a more visual, drag-and-drop style editor that helps marketers map out the customer journey as part of a single campaign. Think of it as a simpler, more accessible version of workflows—ideal for storytelling and straightforward nurtures.
Key Features of Journey Automation:
Drag-and-drop journey builder.
Designed within the Campaigns tool for better alignment with campaign goals.
Easier setup with fewer options (on purpose).
Focused primarily on email sends, waits, and condition-based actions.
Use Journey Automation when you want to:
Build a linear or lightly branched nurture path.
Keep campaign management simple and centralized.
Launch email sequences tied directly to campaign goals.
Give non-technical marketers more confidence in automation.
| Feature | Workflows | Journey Automation |
|---|---|---|
| Interface | Logic-based builder with branches | Visual drag-and-drop journey map |
| Complexity | Advanced, flexible | Simple, linear or slightly branched |
| Best for | Ops, cross-functional automation | Campaign marketers, email nurtures |
| Use Cases | Nurtures, CRM updates, internal alerts | Email nurtures, campaign storytelling |
| Integration | Full CRM, API, third-party apps | Focused on marketing assets |
| Part of | Automation tools (Workflows tab) | Marketing Campaigns tool |
| Package Needed | Marketing Pro or Enterprise | Marketing Enterprise |
It depends on your goals.
Use Workflows if you need complexity, deep CRM integration, and flexibility.
Use Journey Automation if you're running a campaign, want to map out a simple email flow, or you're collaborating across a marketing team.
And honestly, in many cases, it’s not one or the other—you might find that both tools can complement each other beautifully.
HubSpot continues to evolve its tools to fit different teams and needs. Workflows remain a staple for full-funnel automation, while Journey Automation opens up new possibilities for storytelling and campaign alignment.
Understanding their strengths can help you build smarter, more efficient marketing strategies—and give your leads and customers the best possible experience.
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