Hubspot

What is hubspot

HubSpot is a cloud-based customer relationship management platform focused on marketing, sales, service, content management, and operations automation. The platform centralizes contact and company records, tracks interactions across channels, and supplies tools to run campaigns, manage deals, automate service workflows, host websites, and sync data across teams. HubSpot is designed to consolidate customer-facing functions into a single data model so teams can coordinate outreach, measure funnel performance, and manage retention from one place.

HubSpot is delivered as a modular suite of "Hubs" — Marketing Hub, Sales Hub, Service Hub, CMS Hub, and Operations Hub — each available at multiple tiers. The product architecture lets teams adopt only the functionality they need and expand over time; for example, a company can start with the free CRM and add Marketing Hub Starter or Sales Hub Professional as requirements grow. HubSpot emphasizes inbound and content-driven workflows, contact lifecycle management, and integrations with third-party tools.

HubSpot is used by a wide range of organizations — from small businesses that rely on the free CRM and email marketing, to mid-market and enterprise customers using advanced automation, multi-touch attribution, and custom reporting. It supports both self-serve teams and enterprise deployments with SSO, account management, and professional services for larger rollouts.

HubSpot features

HubSpot bundles core capabilities across multiple hubs. Core feature areas include contact and company records, deal pipelines, email marketing, form and landing page builders, conversational tools (chat, bots), knowledge base and ticketing, CMS & website hosting, workflows and automation, analytics and reporting, permissions and security, and integrations.

Marketing-focused features include drag-and-drop email builders, landing page templates, ad management, marketing automation workflows, lead scoring, A/B testing, and contact-based analytics. Sales features provide sequences, templates, calling and meeting scheduling, deal pipelines, quote generation, and sales productivity analytics. Service features include ticket pipelines, shared inboxes, knowledge base, customer feedback surveys, and service automation.

On the technical side, HubSpot provides a CMS with server-side rendering options, membership gating, and a developer framework for custom themes and modules. The Operations Hub adds data sync, programmable automation, and data quality controls to keep contact records normalized across apps. The platform’s reporting tools range from basic dashboards in the free CRM to cross-hub custom reporting and attribution in higher tiers.

HubSpot also includes a marketplace and native integrations for popular tools (email providers, e-commerce platforms, ad networks, analytics, and productivity apps), plus a public API and SDKs to build custom integrations or extend the platform programmatically.

What does hubspot do?

HubSpot centralizes customer and prospect data and provides tools to attract visitors, convert leads, close deals, and support customers. At its core, HubSpot stores contacts and tracks every interaction so teams can build targeted lists, automate repetitive tasks, and report on funnel performance.

On the marketing side, HubSpot manages campaigns across email, landing pages, blogs, and social channels and connects those activities back to contacts and revenue. For sales, HubSpot automates outreach sequences, tracks deals through configurable pipelines, logs communications automatically, and provides visibility into rep performance. For service teams, HubSpot manages incoming requests, automates ticket routing, and centralizes support content.

HubSpot also provides administrative and operations capabilities — data sync and transformation, custom properties, role-based access controls, and audit logs — so the platform can be governed in larger organizations. Developers can extend HubSpot using APIs, webhooks, and custom objects to model complex business entities beyond the built-in contact/company/deal/ticket primitives.

HubSpot pricing

HubSpot offers these pricing plans:

• Free Plan: $0 (covers core CRM, contact management, basic email marketing, forms, ticketing, and live chat with limits)
• Starter: pricing varies by hub; commonly starts around $20/month for single-hub Starter plans (monthly billing) but depends on seat counts and add-ons
• Professional: pricing depends on the hub and included capacity (typical starting points range from $400/month to $890/month depending on the product and billing cadence)
• Enterprise: pricing varies widely based on selected hub, contacts, and seats; enterprise tiers commonly start in the $1,200+/month range and scale with usage

Note that HubSpot's pricing is modular by hub (Marketing, Sales, Service, CMS, Operations) and capacity varies by contacts, users, and feature sets. For the latest, specific numbers for each Hub and billing option, see HubSpot’s official pricing page: view HubSpot's pricing plans for the latest rates and enterprise options.

HubSpot pricing frequently changes for promotions and new feature releases; when evaluating total cost, account for contact tiers (Marketing Hub), paid seats (Sales and Service), add-on products (e.g., additional marketing contacts, CMS bandwidth), and professional services or onboarding fees.

How much is hubspot per month

HubSpot starts at $0/month for the Free Plan, which provides a functional CRM and entry-level marketing, sales, and service tools. Starter tiers for individual Hubs commonly begin around $20/month when billed monthly, although exact monthly prices vary by Hub and the number of seats or contacts.

Monthly billing is available for many HubSpot subscriptions but annual billing typically provides discounted effective monthly rates. For mid-market and enterprise tiers, monthly billing options exist but often require sales negotiation and minimum terms.

To determine a monthly estimate for your use case, identify which Hubs you need, the number of paid seats, and the marketing contacts threshold; then check HubSpot's published monthly rates for those specific configurations on HubSpot's pricing page: view HubSpot's pricing plans.

How much is hubspot per year

HubSpot costs $0/year for the Free Plan. Annual billing for Starter and above is generally available and commonly billed as 12 months upfront; annual contracts often lower the effective monthly price versus month-to-month billing.

As an example, Starter-level bundles for a single Hub billed annually might be advertised around $240/year (equivalent to $20/month), while Professional and Enterprise tiers billed annually will be several thousand dollars per year depending on the Hub and capacity. Exact annual totals require selecting the hub, user counts, and contact tiers.

For current annual pricing and the annual discounts HubSpot applies, consult HubSpot’s detailed plans and annual billing rates: view HubSpot's pricing plans.

How much is hubspot in general

HubSpot pricing ranges from $0 (free) to $1,200+/month and up to several thousand dollars per month for enterprise deployments depending on hub selection, contacts, and seat counts. Small teams frequently start on the $0 free tier or a $20/month Starter plan, while teams needing marketing automation, custom reporting, and advanced operations often move to Professional or Enterprise tiers that start in the mid-hundreds to low thousands per month.

Total cost of ownership should account for licensing, onboarding or implementation services, third-party integrations, and any paid add-ons such as additional marketing contacts or CMS bandwidth.

Confirm the exact ranges for your required hubs and capacities by checking HubSpot's up-to-date pricing: view HubSpot's pricing plans.

What is hubspot used for

HubSpot is used to centralize customer records and to coordinate marketing, sales, and support activities around those records. Marketing teams use HubSpot to run content marketing, email campaigns, lead capture, and ad management while attributing conversions back to contacts for reporting. Sales teams use HubSpot to manage pipelines, automate repetitive outreach, schedule meetings, and track revenue attribution.

Service teams use HubSpot to manage tickets, centralize customer communication, and build self-service knowledge bases. The same contact-centric data model means tickets, deals, and marketing interactions are all visible on a single contact record, which improves handoffs between teams and reduces duplicate data.

HubSpot is also used for website hosting and content management via CMS Hub; organizations can create landing pages, blogs, and full websites that tie directly into contact lists and personalization rules. The Operations Hub is used to maintain data integrity between HubSpot and other systems by automating data syncs and transformations.

Overall, HubSpot is used for lead generation, pipeline management, customer support, attribution reporting, content publishing, and operational data management across marketing, sales, and service organizations.

Pros and cons of hubspot

Pros:

• Centralized CRM and contact model: HubSpot keeps marketing, sales, and service activity on unified contact records so teams can see full customer journeys.
• Modular Hubs: Teams can adopt only the functionality they need and expand incrementally, which lowers friction for initial adoption.
• Strong inbound and content tools: Built-in blogging, landing pages, SEO recommendations, and email builders support content-driven acquisition strategies.

Cons:

• Pricing scale with usage: Marketing Hub pricing is tied to contact counts and can escalate quickly for larger contact databases or heavy automation usage.
• Feature parity across Hubs: Some advanced features (e.g., custom reporting, attribution) are gated behind Professional or Enterprise tiers, so teams may need to upgrade to access full capabilities.
• Platform lock-in considerations: Deep use of HubSpot’s automation, templating, and CRM schema can make migration to another platform time-consuming.

Operational considerations:

• Administration and governance: For rapid growth teams, governance policies (custom properties, naming conventions, access controls) and data cleanup processes are necessary to avoid contact and property sprawl.
• Integration needs: While HubSpot integrates with many tools, complex data flows may require middleware or operations investment (e.g., Operations Hub or external iPaaS) to ensure clean, bidirectional syncs.

HubSpot free trial

HubSpot offers a robust Free Plan that provides a permanent no-cost tier for core CRM features; in addition, many paid Hubs offer trial periods or demo access for Professional and Enterprise tiers. The Free Plan includes contact and company records, deal tracking, forms, contact-based email sends (with limits), ticketing, chat, and basic reporting.

Trials and promotional trials for paid hubs are periodically offered; when available, those trials allow short-term access to Professional features (workflows, reporting, A/B testing) so teams can validate functionality before purchase. Trials typically require creating an account and may request billing details depending on the promotion.

Because HubSpot’s Free Plan supports real usage, many teams evaluate the product by starting with Free, then enabling paid Hubs for a limited time or a single campaign to test the incremental capabilities. For current trial availability and terms, check HubSpot’s product pages and offers: view HubSpot’s product pages for trial and plan details at HubSpot's pricing plans.

Is hubspot free

Yes — HubSpot offers a free tier. The Free Plan includes the CRM, contact management, basic forms, email sending with limits, ticketing, live chat, and basic dashboards. The free tier is intended to let small teams begin managing contacts and simple campaigns without initial licensing costs; paid Hubs add advanced automation, reporting, and capacity.

HubSpot API

HubSpot provides a comprehensive API platform covering CRM objects (contacts, companies, deals, tickets), CMS interactions, engagement events (emails, calls, notes), marketing data, and operations endpoints. The REST APIs support common CRUD operations, batch operations, search, custom objects, and Webhooks for event-driven workflows.

Developers can use the API for data synchronization, custom integrations, building apps for the HubSpot App Marketplace, or extending the CMS with custom modules. HubSpot also provides SDKs and client libraries in multiple languages, sample apps, and developer documentation to accelerate integrations. For full technical reference and authentication flows, see HubSpot’s developer documentation: view HubSpot API documentation and developer guides.

Common API use cases include automatic syncing of leads from web forms to back-office systems, pushing e-commerce transactions to HubSpot for attribution, building custom reporting exports, and automating lifecycle stage updates from external sources. HubSpot supports OAuth-based authentication for public apps, API keys for private integrations, and webhook subscriptions for real-time events.

10 HubSpot alternatives

• Salesforce — enterprise-grade CRM with extensive customization, large ecosystem, and broad feature set for sales and service
• Pipedrive — sales-first CRM focused on pipeline management and ease of use for small sales teams
• Zoho CRM — modular CRM with a wide set of apps and competitive pricing for SMBs
• ActiveCampaign — strong email automation and CRM features focused on marketing automation for SMBs
• Marketo — marketing automation and lead management platform geared toward enterprise marketing teams
• Freshworks (Freshsales/Freshdesk) — combined sales and service tools with integrated ticketing and AI features
• Copper — CRM built for Google Workspace users with tight Gmail and Google Calendar integration
• Keap (Infusionsoft) — small business CRM with integrated e-commerce and campaign automation
• Microsoft Dynamics 365 — enterprise CRM and ERP suite with deep Microsoft ecosystem integration
• Zendesk Sell — sales CRM built by Zendesk offering integrated support-to-sales workflows

Paid alternatives to hubspot

• Salesforce: enterprise-grade CRM with broad customization, strong analytics, and a large partner ecosystem. Often selected for complex sales processes and advanced reporting needs.
• Marketo: marketing automation geared for high-volume enterprise marketing programs and account-based marketing.
• Microsoft Dynamics 365: integrates CRM and ERP capabilities and is commonly chosen where deep Microsoft stack integration is required.
• ActiveCampaign: focused on marketing automation and CRM for SMBs with competitive pricing and email automation features.
• Pardot (Salesforce Pardot): B2B marketing automation for teams invested in Salesforce CRM.
• Zoho CRM Plus: combined CRM and customer engagement suite at price points attractive to SMBs.

Open source alternatives to hubspot

• SuiteCRM: open source CRM that can be self-hosted and customized for sales, marketing, and support workflows.
• CiviCRM: CRM for non-profits and civic organizations with contact management and campaign features.
• EspoCRM: lightweight open source CRM with activity streams and customizable entities.
• OroCRM / OroCommerce: flexible CRM platform often used for B2B and commerce-driven CRM needs.
• ERPNext: broader ERP that includes CRM modules suitable for teams needing combined operations and CRM capabilities.

Frequently asked questions about HubSpot

What is HubSpot used for?

HubSpot is used for CRM, marketing automation, sales enablement, and customer service. Organizations use it to manage contacts and companies, run email and inbound marketing campaigns, automate sales tasks, manage tickets and knowledge bases, and centralize reporting across customer touchpoints.

How much does HubSpot cost per user or month?

HubSpot starts at $0/month for the Free Plan; Starter tiers commonly begin around $20/month for single-hub Starter plans, and Professional or Enterprise tiers range from several hundred to thousands per month depending on hub selection and capacity. Exact per-user or per-month costs depend on the chosen Hub, number of paid seats, and contact limits.

Is there a free version of HubSpot?

Yes, HubSpot offers a Free Plan. The Free Plan includes the CRM, basic email marketing, forms, contact management, ticketing, and chat tools with usage limits that make it suitable for small teams or initial evaluation before moving to paid tiers.

Does HubSpot integrate with Slack?

Yes, HubSpot offers a native Slack integration. The integration can send notifications to Slack channels, allow quick creation of records from Slack messages, and connect conversations so teams can act on HubSpot activities without switching tools.

Can HubSpot be used as a full CRM replacement?

Yes, HubSpot can function as a full CRM for many organizations. It supports contacts, companies, deals, tickets, custom objects, role-based permissions, and integrations; however, very large enterprises with highly customized processes may require additional configuration or integration work compared to specialized enterprise CRMs.

How steep is the learning curve for HubSpot?

HubSpot has a moderate learning curve depending on features used. Basic CRM and email functions are approachable for non-technical users, while advanced automation, custom reporting, CMS development, and API integrations require more technical and administrative expertise.

Does HubSpot offer an API for developers?

Yes, HubSpot provides a comprehensive API and developer tools. The API covers CRM objects, engagements, CMS functions, marketing analytics, and supports OAuth and webhook subscriptions for custom integrations and apps.

Can I migrate data from Salesforce or other CRMs to HubSpot?

Yes, data migration into HubSpot is supported. HubSpot provides import tools, CSV upload utilities, and a data import service; larger migrations from systems like Salesforce often use connectors or professional services to map custom fields and preserve historical data.

What level of reporting does HubSpot provide?

HubSpot provides reporting from basic dashboards to advanced custom reporting. The Free Plan includes basic dashboards; Professional and Enterprise tiers unlock custom report builders, cross-object reporting, and attribution reports for multi-touch funnel analysis.

What support options does HubSpot provide?

HubSpot provides tiered support depending on plan level. Free users get community and knowledge base access, Starter plans receive email support, and Professional/Enterprise customers receive phone support, onboarding resources, and designated customer success or technical account management depending on contract terms.

hubspot careers

HubSpot maintains a global hiring program across engineering, product, marketing, sales, customer success, and operations. The company is known for publishing culture and role information and for offering a mix of remote and on-site roles depending on the location and function. For up-to-date career listings and hiring processes, see HubSpot's careers site: view HubSpot’s careers and openings at https://www.hubspot.com/careers.

hubspot affiliate

HubSpot has an affiliate program that lets partners earn commissions for referring new customers to paid HubSpot subscriptions. Affiliates typically sign up through HubSpot’s partner or affiliate pages and follow program terms for payout tiers and qualified referrals. For partner programs and affiliate requirements, consult HubSpot’s partner pages: view HubSpot partner and affiliate information at https://www.hubspot.com/partners.

Where to find hubspot reviews

You can find user reviews and independent evaluations of HubSpot on software review platforms, analyst reports, and community forums. Common sources include G2, Capterra, TrustRadius, and comparative reports from industry analysts. For official case studies and customer stories collected by HubSpot, review HubSpot’s customer case studies and testimonials at https://www.hubspot.com/customers.