HubSpot vs Salesforce is the CRM decision most growing companies face at some point. Both now start with a free plan for two users and a paid entry tier around $20 to $25 per user. The real difference shows up one or two tiers higher: HubSpot is built to be usable on day one with marketing, sales and service in one place, while Salesforce is built to be shaped around complex sales processes, with the admin work that comes with it.
Verdict: pick HubSpot if you want one platform your team can run without a dedicated admin, especially if marketing drives your pipeline. Pick Salesforce if you have multiple sales teams, territories, approval steps or heavy integration needs, and the budget to configure it properly. If price is the deciding factor, look at Zoho CRM (covered briefly below).
All prices are vendor-published, checked September 2026, in US dollars per user (or seat) per month.
HubSpot vs Salesforce at a glance
| HubSpot (Sales Hub) | Salesforce (Sales Cloud) | |
|---|---|---|
| Free plan | Yes: 2 users, 1,000 contacts, no expiry | Yes: Free Suite, 2 users, no expiry if you log in every 60 days |
| Entry paid tier | Starter: $20/seat list price (limited-time $7 offer for new customers when checked) | Starter Suite: $25/user, monthly or annual billing |
| Mid tier | Professional: $90/seat, annual commitment, plus $1,500 onboarding | Pro Suite: $100/user, annual contract |
| Upper tiers | Enterprise: from $150/seat, plus $3,500 onboarding | Core $195, Advanced $395, Max $550 per user, billed annually |
| Free trial | Free plan instead of a trial | 30-day trial of all Sales Cloud editions |
| AI | Breeze, with 500 / 3,000 / 5,000 HubSpot Credits on Starter / Pro / Enterprise | Agentforce: add-on on Core and Advanced, included in Max with 2.75M Flex Credits per org per year |
| Best for | SMB and mid-market teams that want sales and marketing in one system | Complex, multi-team B2B sales with admin resources |
HubSpot vs Salesforce pricing in 2026
HubSpot Sales Hub pricing
- Free: $0 for up to two users and 1,000 contacts, including 2,000 email sends a month with HubSpot branding.
- Starter: $20 per seat per month list price. HubSpot was showing a $7 per seat Starter offer for new customers “for a limited time” when we checked. Includes 500 calling minutes and 500 HubSpot Credits.
- Professional: $90 per seat per month on an annual commitment, plus a required one-time $1,500 onboarding fee. This is the first tier with sequences, and it includes 3,000 calling minutes.
- Enterprise: from $150 per seat per month on an annual commitment, plus a required $3,500 onboarding fee.
Salesforce Sales Cloud pricing
- Free Suite: $0 for up to two users.
- Starter Suite: $25 per user per month, billed monthly or annually. Salesforce positions it as an all-in-one CRM for small businesses that brings together sales, service, marketing and commerce tools, and it includes Slack.
- Pro Suite: $100 per user per month, annual contract.
- Core: $195 per user per month, billed annually. Core and above include Slack Business+ and Tableau Next.
- Advanced: $395 per user per month, billed annually.
- Max: $550 per user per month, billed annually, including Agentforce and 2.75 million Flex Credits per org per year.
Extra costs to plan for: API access (Web Services API) is an extra $25 per user per month on Pro Suite, and the Premier Success Plan costs 30% of net license fees.
What 10 users cost in year one
Using list prices only (before discounts, add-ons or implementation help):
| Setup | Year-one license cost |
|---|---|
| HubSpot Starter, 10 seats at $20 | $2,400 |
| Salesforce Starter Suite, 10 users at $25 | $3,000 |
| HubSpot Professional, 10 seats at $90 + $1,500 onboarding | $12,300 |
| Salesforce Pro Suite, 10 users at $100 | $12,000 |
| Salesforce Core, 10 users at $195 | $23,400 |
At the mid tier the two are close on license cost. The gap opens above that, and in the time and outside help Salesforce usually needs to configure. Our CRM pricing guide covers the hidden costs in more detail.
Ease of use and setup
HubSpot is the easier of the two. A small team can import contacts, set up a pipeline and start logging email on the free plan in a day, and most configuration is point-and-click. Salesforce can model almost any process through custom objects, fields, page layouts and Flow automation, but that flexibility is exactly why most mid-sized deployments rely on a Salesforce admin or an implementation partner. If nobody on your team will own the CRM, that alone points to HubSpot.
Sales features
Both handle pipelines, deals, tasks, email logging and forecasting well at their mid tiers. The practical differences:
- Calling: HubSpot includes calling minutes on every paid tier (500 on Starter, 3,000 on Professional, 12,000 on Enterprise) and HubSpot-provided phone numbers.
- Sequences: in HubSpot they start on Professional.
- Complex processes: territories, multi-step approvals, custom quoting and multi-team structures are where Salesforce’s configurability pays off.
If sales is your only use case and you are a small team, a pipeline-first tool may beat both. See our guide to the best sales CRM software.
Marketing, ecosystem and integrations
HubSpot’s biggest advantage is that marketing, sales and service share one contact record: a rep sees the form fills, email opens and page visits behind a lead without an integration. HubSpot Marketing Hub plugs straight in, and the Starter Customer Platform bundles Marketing, Sales, Service, Content and Data Hub Starter.
Salesforce’s advantage is its ecosystem. From Pro Suite you get access to its app marketplace (AppExchange, which Salesforce now also brands AgentExchange), and the platform connects to most enterprise systems.
Many companies run both. HubSpot’s own Salesforce connector offers an automatic, bi-directional sync, lists about 19,000 installs in the HubSpot marketplace, and requires a Salesforce Professional or Enterprise subscription. A common setup is marketing in HubSpot and sales in Salesforce.
AI: Breeze vs Agentforce
HubSpot’s AI is branded Breeze and is metered through HubSpot Credits included with each tier (500 on Starter, 3,000 on Professional, 5,000 on Enterprise). Salesforce’s is Agentforce: an add-on on Core and Advanced, and included in Max along with 2.75 million Flex Credits per org per year. For a small team HubSpot’s included AI is simpler to budget; for a large one Salesforce’s is broader but priced separately below Max.
Is HubSpot replacing Salesforce?
Not across the board. HubSpot has moved up-market with Enterprise tiers and wins many mid-sized companies that would once have defaulted to Salesforce. But the existence of HubSpot’s own Salesforce connector shows how often the two run side by side. Companies usually switch from Salesforce to HubSpot when they find they are paying for complexity they do not use, and switch the other way when their process outgrows HubSpot’s structure.
Who is Salesforce’s biggest competitor?
In the small and mid-sized market, HubSpot is the competitor Salesforce meets most often. In large enterprises the usual alternatives are Microsoft Dynamics 365 and Oracle. On price, Zoho CRM is the most common alternative. See our full list of Salesforce alternatives.
Is there a better CRM than HubSpot?
For some teams, yes. Pipedrive is cheaper and more focused for pure pipeline management (from $14 per seat per month billed annually), Zoho CRM gives more features per dollar, and Salesforce handles more complex processes. Our list of HubSpot alternatives and the Pipedrive vs HubSpot comparison go deeper.
What is the #1 CRM in the world?
Salesforce markets itself as “the world’s #1 AI CRM”, and it is the usual reference point for enterprise CRM. Being the largest does not make it the right choice for a 10-person team, where HubSpot or a lighter tool is usually a better fit.
Where Zoho CRM fits
If you are comparing HubSpot and Salesforce mainly on price, Zoho CRM deserves a look. It is free for three users, then Standard at $14 per user per month billed annually ($20 monthly), Professional $23 ($35), Enterprise $40 ($50) and Ultimate $52 ($65), with a 15-day trial and no long-term contract. That is well under HubSpot Professional or Salesforce Pro Suite. The trade-off is more setup work and a less polished experience across Zoho’s apps. Teams that want Zoho’s wider suite can buy Zoho One, at $37 per employee per month billed annually when licensed for all employees. More options in our Zoho CRM alternatives guide.
HubSpot or Salesforce: which should you choose?
- Under 20 people, no CRM admin: HubSpot, starting on the free plan or Starter.
- Marketing drives most of your pipeline: HubSpot, because marketing and sales share the same records.
- Multiple sales teams, territories or approval workflows: Salesforce, with budget for configuration.
- Already on other Salesforce products: Salesforce, to keep data in one platform.
- Price is the main constraint: Zoho CRM, or HubSpot Starter if you want the simpler tool.
Still weighing it up? Browse and compare every option in CRM software on Spotsaas, or see our guide to the best CRM for small business.
Related reading: HubSpot Pricing 2026: Every Hub, Seat Type and Onboarding Fee Explained, Salesforce Pricing 2026: Sales Cloud Editions, Add-Ons and Real Costs, Zoho CRM vs HubSpot 2026: Pricing, Features and Which to Choose, Best ERP Software in 2026: 15 ERP Systems Compared by Size and Industry
Frequently Asked Questions
Is HubSpot cheaper than Salesforce?
At the entry tier, slightly: HubSpot Starter lists at $20 per seat and Salesforce Starter Suite at $25 per user. At the mid tier they are close ($90 per seat plus onboarding vs $100 per user). Above that, Salesforce costs more per user, from $195 on Core.
Can you use HubSpot and Salesforce together?
Yes. HubSpot’s connector keeps the two in a bi-directional sync and needs a Salesforce Professional or Enterprise subscription.
Does Salesforce have a free plan like HubSpot?
It does now. Both free plans cover two users:
- HubSpot Free: 2 users, 1,000 contacts, no expiry.
- Salesforce Free Suite: 2 users, no expiry as long as you log in at least once every 60 days.
Which is easier to use, HubSpot or Salesforce?
HubSpot. Most teams can configure it themselves, while Salesforce usually needs an admin or partner once you go beyond the Starter Suite.
Is Salesforce worth it for a small business?
Only if you expect to need its depth soon. Starter Suite at $25 per user is affordable, but the value of Salesforce is in the higher editions, which cost $100 to $550 per user per month.
Is Zoho CRM better than HubSpot and Salesforce?
It is cheaper at every paid tier and has a free plan for three users. HubSpot is easier to use and stronger for marketing; Salesforce is stronger for complex enterprise processes.
