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HubSpot vs Salesforce

By Cathy Riddell · Facts checked 4 Nov 2026

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Quick answer HubSpot is the easier starting point for small teams thanks to its free CRM and low-cost Starter seats; Salesforce suits larger sales orgs that need deep customisation and can budget per-user pricing. If you're an agency or service business that wants SMS, funnels and automation in one flat-priced tool, I'd look at HighLevel instead.

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Pricing side by side

	HubSpot	Salesforce
Free plan	Yes: 2 users, 1,000 contacts	Free Suite at US$0
Entry paid plan	Starter from US$15/seat/mo*	Starter Suite US$25/user/mo
Mid tier	Professional from US$50/seat/mo	Pro Suite US$100/user/mo (annual)
Top tiers	Enterprise from US$75/seat/mo	Core US$195, Advanced US$395, Max US$550 per user/mo (annual)
Trial	Free plan, no expiry	30-day free trial

*HubSpot says the Starter price is a new-customer discount that can end anytime. Sources: hubspot.com/products/crm, salesforce.com/sales/pricing, checked 4 Nov 2026.

Who each suits

HubSpot: small and mid-sized teams that want a free start and add paid hubs later.
Salesforce: sales organisations with admins or partners to customise it, and budgets for per-user pricing and add-ons.
Neither: agencies managing many client accounts, where per-seat pricing grows with every client team.

Where HighLevel fits

I use HighLevel daily for agency client work. It's flat-priced per agency rather than per seat, with unlimited users and contacts on every plan per its pricing page, plus SMS, calendars, funnels and workflows. HighLevel starts at US$97/month (Starter, 3 sub-accounts) with a free trial — 30-day bootcamp offer on this site; pricing page lists 14 days (gohighlevel.com/pricing, checked 4 Nov 2026). It isn't a like-for-like enterprise sales CRM, though.

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Frequently asked questions

Is HubSpot cheaper than Salesforce?

At entry level, yes: HubSpot has a free CRM and Starter from US$15/seat/month, versus Salesforce Starter Suite at US$25/user/month (checked 4 Nov 2026).

Does Salesforce have a free plan?

Salesforce's pricing page lists a Free Suite at US$0 and a 30-day free trial of its editions.

How I reviewed this: Prices and plan limits come only from official pricing pages for HubSpot (hubspot.com/products/crm), Salesforce (salesforce.com/sales/pricing) and HighLevel (gohighlevel.com/pricing), checked 4 Nov 2026, in USD. Opinions come from my own use of HighLevel for agency client work. Nothing here is a paid placement. See how we rate and how we review.

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About the author: Cathy Riddell
Agency owner who uses HighLevel daily for client work. How we review →