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HubSpot is a legitimate, publicly traded software company (NYSE: HUBS) with about 306,000 paying customers, and its free CRM is one of the easiest ways for a small team to start tracking contacts and deals. The tradeoff is the jump in cost: Sales Hub goes from $20 a seat on Starter to $100 a seat on Professional plus a required $1,500 onboarding fee, and Marketing Hub Professional starts at $890 a month plus $3,000. Most complaints on Trustpilot and the BBB are about billing, auto-renewal and support, so turn off auto-renewal if you're unsure and know that HubSpot's terms make paid subscriptions non-refundable and block downgrades mid-term.
Your options
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HubSpot This review
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Monday.com Alternative Small and midsize teams that want visual project tracking, and are willing to pay for Standard or Pro to get automations and timelines.
- Company
- HubSpot, Inc., Cambridge, Massachusetts, founded 2006; listed on the NYSE as HUBS7
- Customers
- 306,446 paying customers as of June 30, 2026, up 14% in a year; Q2 2026 revenue $911.7 million7
- Free plan
- Free CRM for up to 2 users and 1,000 contacts, no expiration2
- Sales Hub price
- Starter from $20 a seat a month, Professional from $100 a seat, Enterprise from $150 a seat billed annually, as listed October 20261
- Onboarding fees
- Required one-time fees: $1,500 Sales Hub Professional, $3,500 Sales Hub Enterprise, $3,000 Marketing Hub Professional, $7,000 Marketing Hub Enterprise1
- Refunds and renewal
- Subscriptions renew automatically; amounts paid are non-refundable and you can't downgrade during a term3
- BBB
- D- rating, not accredited; 60 complaints in the last 3 years (October 2026)4
- Recent news
- On October 1, 2026 HubSpot's board approved a restructuring that cuts about 7% of its workforce8
HubSpot vs. competitors
| Company | Free plan | Entry paid plan | Mid tier | Onboarding fee | Next step |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| HubSpot | Up to 2 users, 1,000 contacts | $20 a seat a month | $100 a seat a month | $1,500 Professional, $3,500 Enterprise | Visit site |
| Salesforce | Free Suite, up to 2 users | $25 a user a month | $100 a user a month, billed annually | None required | Visit site |
| Pipedrive | None; 14-day trial | $14 a seat a month billed annually | $39 a seat a month billed annually | None listed | Visit site |
| Zoho CRM | Up to 3 users | $14 a user a month billed yearly | $23 a user a month billed yearly | None listed | Visit site |
CRM software we reviewed
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HubSpot This review BestGuide rating: 4.6 out of 5. Set by our editorial team from published factors such as cost, credentials, reputation, customer experience, services and guarantees. Verified partners are scored on our partner verification program and can be listed first; they are always labeled BestGuide Partner. -
Monday.com BestGuide rating: 4.8 out of 5. Set by our editorial team from published factors such as cost, credentials, reputation, customer experience, services and guarantees. Verified partners are scored on our partner verification program and can be listed first; they are always labeled BestGuide Partner. Best for: Small and midsize teams that want visual project tracking, and are willing to pay for Standard or Pro to get automations and timelines. -
Salesforce BestGuide rating: 4.8 out of 5. Set by our editorial team from published factors such as cost, credentials, reputation, customer experience, services and guarantees. Verified partners are scored on our partner verification program and can be listed first; they are always labeled BestGuide Partner. Best for: Growing and large sales organizations that need a heavily customized CRM and have the budget for licenses and administration. -
Pipedrive BestGuide rating: 4.6 out of 5. Set by our editorial team from published factors such as cost, credentials, reputation, customer experience, services and guarantees. Verified partners are scored on our partner verification program and can be listed first; they are always labeled BestGuide Partner. Best for: Small and midsize sales teams that want a simple, visual deal pipeline with email tracking and automations, without enterprise CRM setup. -
Zoho BestGuide rating: 4.7 out of 5. Set by our editorial team from published factors such as cost, credentials, reputation, customer experience, services and guarantees. Verified partners are scored on our partner verification program and can be listed first; they are always labeled BestGuide Partner. Best for: Small and midsize businesses that want CRM, email, accounting and other tools from one low-cost vendor.
HubSpot pricing at a glance
HubSpot Sales Hub and Marketing Hub plans, as listed October 20261
| Plan | Starting price | Seats | One-time onboarding fee |
|---|---|---|---|
| Free CRM | $0 | Up to 2 users, 1,000 contacts | None |
| Sales Hub Starter | $20 a seat a month | Per seat | None |
| Sales Hub Professional | $100 a seat a month | Per seat | $1,500 |
| Sales Hub Enterprise | $150 a seat a month, billed annually | Per seat | $3,500 |
| Marketing Hub Starter | $20 a seat a month | Per seat, 1,000 marketing contacts | None |
| Marketing Hub Professional | $890 a month | 3 seats, 2,000 marketing contacts | $3,000 |
| Marketing Hub Enterprise | $3,600 a month, billed annually | 5 seats | $7,000 |
Marketing Hub charges more as your marketing contacts grow, for example $250 a month per extra 5,000 contacts on Professional. HubSpot showed a limited-time discount on Starter for new customers in October 2026. Service Hub Professional and Enterprise use the same seat prices as Sales Hub.
HubSpot, step by step
Start on the free CRM
Create an account, import contacts and set up a deal pipeline. The free plan covers 2 users and 1,000 contacts.
Add a paid Hub
Buy Sales, Marketing, Service or other Hubs at Starter, Professional or Enterprise level. Prices are per seat, and Marketing Hub also charges by marketing contacts.
Pay onboarding on Professional or Enterprise
HubSpot requires a one-time onboarding fee, from $1,500 to $7,000 depending on the Hub and tier, for setup help from a HubSpot specialist.
Watch your renewal date
Subscriptions renew automatically for the same term or one year, whichever is shorter. You can only downgrade at renewal.
Cancel by turning off auto-renewal
Turn off auto-renewal in Account and Billing before the term ends. Your free CRM data stays available after paid features end.
HubSpot legitimacy and licensing
Yes. HubSpot, Inc. is a Cambridge, Massachusetts software company founded in 2006 and listed on the New York Stock Exchange as HUBS. In its second quarter 2026 report it listed 306,446 paying customers and $911.7 million in quarterly revenue. The software works as advertised for most users, and its mobile app holds 4.7 out of 5 from about 15,700 ratings on the App Store.
Its reputation as a seller is weaker. The BBB rates HubSpot D- (not accredited) with 60 complaints in three years, and Trustpilot shows 1.5 out of 5 from 1,178 reviews, with 51% one star. Those complaints center on billing, renewals and support, not on HubSpot being fake.
In October 2026 HubSpot told investors it would cut about 7% of its workforce in a restructuring expected to finish by early 2027. It hasn’t announced product or price changes tied to that plan.
HubSpot pricing explained
HubSpot sells separate Hubs (Marketing, Sales, Service, Content, Data and others) that sit on one free CRM. Customer relationship management software that stores contacts, companies, deals and every interaction with them. Compare CRM software. Each Hub has Starter, Professional and Enterprise tiers, priced per Seat. One paid user license; most CRMs bill per seat. Compare CRM software.
- Free CRM: up to 2 users and 1,000 contacts, with deal pipelines, forms, email tracking and meeting links.
- Sales Hub: Starter from $20 a seat a month, Professional from $100 a seat plus a $1,500 onboarding fee, Enterprise from $150 a seat billed annually plus $3,500.
- Marketing Hub: Starter from $20 a seat, Professional from $890 a month with 3 seats plus $3,000, Enterprise from $3,600 a month with 5 seats plus $7,000. Prices rise as you add marketing contacts.
The real cost for a growing team is usually the Professional tier. A five-person sales team on Sales Hub Professional pays about $500 a month plus the $1,500 onboarding fee in year one.
What you get with HubSpot
Everything runs off one contact database, so marketing emails, sales calls, deals and support tickets show up on the same record. The free CRM includes contact and company records, deal pipelines, email tracking, meeting scheduling, live chat and basic forms. Paid Sales Hub tiers add sequences, forecasting, quotes, call recording and automation; Marketing Hub adds email marketing, landing pages and campaign automation.
HubSpot’s AI tools, branded Breeze, are built into the CRM. More than 2,000 apps connect through the HubSpot Marketplace, including Gmail, Outlook, Slack, Zoom and Shopify.
What customers say about HubSpot
Recurring themes across the review sites and complaint records listed above, not individual quotes.
Common praise
- Easy to set up and learn compared with heavier CRMs
- A free CRM that small teams can use for a long time
- Marketing, sales and service data in one place
- A well-rated mobile app
Common complaints
- Big price jumps from Starter to Professional, plus onboarding fees
- Auto-renewals and contracts enforced after a missed cancellation window
- Slow or unhelpful support and being passed between teams
- Pressure to upgrade and features gated behind higher tiers
HubSpot complaints and how to avoid problems
The patterns on the BBB and Trustpilot are consistent: surprise renewals, contracts enforced after the cancellation window, steep price jumps between tiers, onboarding fees customers didn’t expect and slow support. To avoid most of them:
- Ask for the full first-year cost in writing, including onboarding and contact tiers.
- Put your renewal date on a calendar and turn off auto-renewal early if you might cancel or downgrade.
- Buy monthly where it’s offered until you’re sure the tier fits, since paid amounts are non-refundable.
- Count marketing contacts carefully; setting contacts to non-marketing keeps Marketing Hub costs down.
Cancellation, refunds and downgrades
HubSpot’s customer terms say subscriptions renew automatically for the same length as your last term or one year, whichever is shorter. To stop that, turn off auto-renewal in the Account and Billing section before the term ends. Payments are non-cancelable and non-refundable except in narrow cases spelled out in the agreement, and you can’t downgrade during a term, only at renewal.
If you cancel paid Hubs, you can keep using the free CRM with its 2-user and 1,000-contact limits.
Who should skip HubSpot
Small sales teams that only need a Pipeline. The set of stages a deal moves through from first contact to won or lost. Compare CRM software will usually pay less with Pipedrive or Zoho CRM, neither of which lists an onboarding fee. Large companies with complex territories, forecasting and custom objects may outgrow HubSpot and need Salesforce. And if you can’t commit to a year, be careful with Enterprise tiers, which are billed annually.
Alternatives to HubSpot
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Better value per seat and a free plan for 3 users, if you can live with a busier interface.
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A cheaper choice for small sales teams that mainly work deals through a pipeline and don't need marketing tools.
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Better for large or complex sales teams that need deep customization and have an admin or partner.
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A shared spreadsheet
Free and enough for a solo seller or very small team tracking a few dozen deals.
Next steps
HubSpot reviews
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Frequently asked questions
Is HubSpot really free?
The CRM is, for up to 2 users and 1,000 contacts, and it doesn't expire. Paid features such as sequences, automation and advanced reporting need a Starter, Professional or Enterprise Hub.
How much does HubSpot cost per month?
Sales Hub starts at $20 a seat a month on Starter, $100 a seat on Professional and $150 a seat on Enterprise. Marketing Hub Professional starts at $890 a month with 3 seats, and Professional and Enterprise tiers carry one-time onboarding fees.
Does HubSpot charge an onboarding fee?
Yes, on Professional and Enterprise. HubSpot's catalog lists $1,500 for Sales Hub Professional, $3,500 for Sales Hub Enterprise, $3,000 for Marketing Hub Professional and $7,000 for Marketing Hub Enterprise.
Can I get a refund from HubSpot?
Usually not. HubSpot's terms say amounts paid are non-refundable except in specific cases in the agreement. Turn off auto-renewal before your term ends if you don't want to be charged again.
How do I cancel HubSpot?
Turn off auto-renewal in the Account and Billing section before your current term ends. Your paid features stay on until the end of the term, and you can keep the free CRM afterward.
Why does HubSpot have bad reviews on Trustpilot?
Most one-star reviews are about billing, renewals, price increases between tiers and slow support rather than the software itself. Trustpilot shows 1.5 out of 5 from 1,178 reviews, and HubSpot doesn't invite customers to review there.
What is HubSpot's BBB rating?
D-, and HubSpot is not BBB accredited. Its profile listed 60 complaints in three years in October 2026.
Is HubSpot good for small businesses?
It's a strong fit for small teams that want marketing and sales in one easy tool, and the free CRM costs nothing to try. Teams that only need a sales pipeline usually pay less with Pipedrive or Zoho CRM.
Is HubSpot better than Salesforce?
For most small and midsize businesses, HubSpot is easier to set up and starts free. Salesforce is better for large or complex sales teams that need heavy customization and have an admin.
Can I downgrade my HubSpot plan?
Only at renewal. HubSpot's terms don't let you downgrade during your current term, so pick your tier and seat count carefully on an annual plan.
Sources (11)
Facts on this page come from company websites, government agencies and regulators, checked on the dates shown. Editorial standards
- HubSpot: Product and Services Catalog (prices and onboarding fees) (accessed October 12, 2026)
- HubSpot: Free CRM software (accessed October 12, 2026)
- HubSpot: Customer Terms of Service (accessed October 12, 2026)
- BBB: HubSpot business profile (accessed October 12, 2026)
- Trustpilot: HubSpot reviews (accessed October 12, 2026)
- Apple App Store: HubSpot (accessed October 12, 2026)
- SEC: HubSpot Reports Q2 2026 Results (Exhibit 99.1, August 5, 2026) (accessed October 12, 2026)
- SEC: HubSpot Form 8-K on restructuring plan (October 6, 2026) (accessed October 12, 2026)
- Salesforce: Small business pricing (accessed October 12, 2026)
- Pipedrive: Pricing (archived September 13, 2026) (accessed October 12, 2026)
- Zoho: Zoho CRM pricing (U.S.) (accessed October 12, 2026)
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