Our Review of HubSpot CRM

Looking for a CRM that can handle everything from contact management to marketing automation? HubSpot CRM is a popular choice, and for good reason. But is it really all it’s cracked up to be? If you’re trying to figure out if HubSpot is right for you, or if you’re already using it and wondering if you should upgrade (or maybe even downgrade!), this is the place to be.

HubSpot CRM Features

HubSpot offers a suite of tools for contact management, deal tracking, email marketing, and more, all integrated into a single platform. HubSpot’s free CRM offering is often a starting point for many businesses, allowing them to experience the platform’s core functionalities before potentially upgrading to paid tiers. Here is our handy breakdown of what each HubSpot Sales Hub tier offers.

Sales Hub Starter

This is your entry-level option, perfect for small teams or solo sellers getting started with sales automation. Think of it as the foundation:

CRM Integration: Seamlessly connects with the free HubSpot CRM, which is a huge plus. You get a central place to manage contacts, deals, and interactions.
Contact & Deal Management: Track your contacts and deals through the pipeline. It’s basic, but it gets the job done for simple sales processes.
Email Tracking & Notifications: Know when your emails are opened and clicked. This gives you valuable insights into prospect engagement.
Meeting Scheduling: Eliminate the back-and-forth with scheduling links. Prospects can book meetings directly on your calendar.
Tasks & Activities: Stay organised with task management features. Keep track of what needs to be done and when.
Live Chat: Engage with website visitors in real-time. This can be a great way to capture leads and answer questions.
Quotes: Create and send simple sales quotes.

Sales Hub Professional

Now we’re talking. This tier is designed for growing businesses that need more robust automation and reporting. You get everything in Starter, plus:

Workflows: Automate repetitive tasks and processes. Think lead nurturing, follow-up emails, and internal notifications. This is where things start to get really efficient.
Sequences: Automate personalised email sequences to nurture leads and move them down the sales funnel.
Custom Reporting: Build your own reports and dashboards to track the metrics that matter most to your business. Get deeper insights into your sales performance.
Multiple Pipelines: Manage different sales processes with multiple pipelines. Useful for businesses with complex sales cycles.
Forecasting: Predict your sales revenue with forecasting tools. Get a better understanding of your future performance.
Conversation Intelligence: Analyse sales calls to identify areas for improvement. This can be a game-changer for sales coaching.
Playbooks: Create and share best practices with your sales team. Ensure everyone is following the same successful strategies.
Salesforce Integration: If you use Salesforce, you can integrate it here.

Sales Hub Enterprise

This is the big leagues. Designed for large organisations with complex sales needs and a focus on advanced customisation and analytics. You get everything in Professional, plus:

Custom Objects: Tailor HubSpot to your specific business needs with custom objects. Track unique data points relevant to your industry.
Predictive Lead Scoring: Prioritise your leads based on their likelihood to convert. Focus your efforts on the most promising prospects.
Advanced Custom Reporting: Dive even deeper into your data with advanced reporting features. Get granular insights into your sales performance.
Recurring Revenue Tracking: Track and manage your recurring revenue. Essential for subscription-based businesses.
Team Management & Permissions: Control access to different features and data with advanced user permissions.
Single Sign-On (SSO): Enhance security and streamline login processes with SSO.

We’ve ranked the top ten CRMs for features and functionality. Take a look at how HubSpot scored.

How Much Does HubSpot Cost? (And Is It Worth It?)

HubSpot’s pricing structure is tiered, with various “Hubs” (Sales, Marketing, Service, CMS, Operations) offering different functionalities and pricing levels. The free CRM is a great entry point, but as your businesses grows and requires more advanced features, you’ll likely need to upgrade.

Sales Hub Starter

Paid plans start relatively affordably and add features like more contacts, marketing automation, and reporting.

Price: from £14 per user per month
Minimum Users: No minimum
Key Features:

Basic sales automation
Meeting scheduling links
Email tracking and task management
Basic reporting dashboards

Sales Hub Professional

Offers advanced functionalities like workflows, sequences, and deeper reporting, targeting growing businesses.

Price: £400 per month for 5 users, then £80 per additional user per month
Minimum Users: 5
Key Features:

Full sales automation (workflows and sequences)
Custom reporting dashboards
Multiple sales pipelines
Forecasting tools for revenue and sales

Sales Hub Enterprise

Provides the most comprehensive suite of tools, including custom objects, advanced reporting, and higher limits, designed for large organisations.

Price: £1,100 per month for 10 users, then £120 per additional user per month
Minimum Users: 10
Key Features:

Advanced permissions and team hierarchies
Custom objects for tailored data management
Predictive lead scoring
Advanced custom reporting
Recurring revenue tracking
Advanced forecasting tools

Please note pricing is subject to change. We recommend visiting HubSpot directly for an accurate quote.

The value proposition of HubSpot CRM depends heavily on the specific needs and budget of the business. The free CRM is excellent for getting started. However, the paid tiers can become expensive quickly, especially as you add more hubs and contacts. For businesses that heavily utilise all the integrated sales and marketing tools, and value the ease of use and integrations, then the value is easier to justify.

You should carefully assess your requirements and compare HubSpot’s pricing with other CRM providers to determine if it offers the best value for your specific situation. See how HobSpot ranked in our top ten CRMs for value for money.

HubSpot: Strengths and Weaknesses

To give you a clearer picture, here’s a quick rundown of HubSpot’s key strengths and weaknesses:

	Starter	Professional	Enterprise	Strengths	Weaknesses
Pricing	Affordable entry point	Good value for growing businesses	Powerful, but premium priced	Starter tier offers excellent entry-level value. Professional provides a strong feature set at a reasonable price point.	Enterprise tier is a significant price jump and might not be justifiable for all businesses.
Sales Automation	Basic automation (tasks, email sequences)	Robust automation (workflows, sequences, lead scoring)	Advanced automation (custom objects, predictive lead scoring)	Automation features across all tiers, with increasing sophistication at higher tiers. Saves time and improves efficiency.	Starter tier automation is limited.
Deal Management	Basic deal tracking	Multiple pipelines, deal forecasting	Custom objects, recurring revenue tracking, advanced forecasting	Clear deal tracking and management tools. Professional and Enterprise offer more advanced features for complex sales processes.	Basic deal tracking in Starter might be insufficient for larger teams.
Reporting & Analytics	Basic dashboards	Custom dashboards, reporting tools	Advanced reporting, custom objects, predictive analytics	Comprehensive reporting capabilities, allowing for data-driven decision-making.	Starter tier reporting is limited. Enterprise reporting can be complex to set up.
Email Marketing	Basic email marketing features	Integration with HubSpot Marketing Hub	Integration with HubSpot Marketing Hub	Strong integration with HubSpot’s marketing tools allows for aligned sales and marketing efforts.	Sales Hub itself doesn’t offer full-fledged marketing automation like the Marketing Hub.
Sales Enablement	Meeting scheduling, document tracking	Playbooks, conversation intelligence	Conversation intelligence, advanced permissions	Tools to empower sales teams with content, insights, and best practices.	Some advanced sales enablement features are only available in higher tiers.
User Experience	Generally intuitive	Generally intuitive	Generally intuitive	User-friendly interface makes it easy for sales teams to adopt and use the platform.	Can become complex to navigate with advanced features in Enterprise.
Integrations	Limited integrations	Growing number of integrations	Wide range of integrations	Integrates with many popular business tools.	Some key integrations might require higher tiers or add-ons.
Customer Support	Standard support	Enhanced support	Priority support	HubSpot offers various support options, including knowledge base, community forums, and direct support.	Support levels can vary depending on the subscription tier.
Scalability	Suitable for small businesses	Suitable for growing businesses	Suitable for large enterprises	Can scale with businesses of all sizes, with features and pricing tailored to different needs.	Enterprise tier can become expensive as the team grows.
Customisation	Limited customisation	More customisation options	Highly customisable	Offers increasing levels of customisation across tiers, allowing businesses to tailor the platform to their specific needs.	Starter tier offers limited customisation.

Our Analysis: What Type of Business is HubSpot Best Suited For?

HubSpot CRM is particularly well-suited for:

Small to medium-sized businesses (SMBs): The free CRM and tiered pricing plans make it accessible to businesses of varying sizes.
Businesses focused on inbound marketing: HubSpot’s strength lies in its integrated marketing automation tools.
Businesses that require a comprehensive CRM solution: The platform offers a wide range of features across sales, marketing, and customer service.
Businesses seeking a user-friendly platform: HubSpot’s intuitive interface makes it easy for teams to adopt and use.
Businesses that value integrations: HubSpot’s ability to integrate with other business tools enhances its functionality.

Conclusion

So, there you have it – the lowdown on HubSpot CRM. It’s a solid platform with a lot to offer, especially if you’re into inbound marketing and want everything integrated. Just remember to keep an eye on the pricing as you scale. Ultimately, the best CRM is the one that works best for you, so give HubSpot a try (especially the free version!) and see if it’s a good fit.

HubSpot CRM Competitors

Check out our comparison of the best CRMs, and see where Hub Spot sits in the top ten.