Freshsales vs HubSpot: Which is Better in 2026?
Choosing between Freshsales and HubSpot comes down to understanding what each tool does best. This comparison breaks down the key differences so you can make an informed decision based on your specific needs, not marketing claims.
Bottom line: HubSpot is our overall CRM pick. Pick Freshsales if you need a free tier to start with.
Short on time? Here's the quick answer
We've tested both tools. Here's who should pick what:
Freshsales
AI-powered Sales CRM to streamline sales, boost conversions, and grow your pipeline.
Best for you if:
- • You want good CRM
- • You want fair pricing
HubSpot
CRM platform for scaling businesses
Best for you if:
- • You want generous free tier with CRM, forms, email, live chat, and basic reporting at no cost
- • You want unified platform eliminates data silos between marketing, sales, and service teams
| At a Glance | Freshsales | HubSpot |
|---|---|---|
Starts at | FreeFree tier available | FreeFree tier available |
Best For | CRM | CRM |
Rating | 4.5/5 | 3.9/5 |
Free plan | Yes | Yes |
Choose Freshsales or HubSpot?
Choose Freshsales if
AI-powered Sales CRM to streamline sales, boost conversions, and grow your pipeline.
- You want good CRM
- You want fair pricing
- Budget matters (Free vs Free)
Choose HubSpot if
CRM platform for scaling businesses
- You want generous free tier with CRM, forms, email, live chat, and basic reporting at no cost
- You want unified platform eliminates data silos between marketing, sales, and service teams
| Feature | Freshsales | HubSpot |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing Model | Freemium | Freemium |
| User Rating | ★4.5/5 1,859 reviews | ★3.9/5 19,150 reviews |
| Categories | CRMSales Engagement | CRMMarketing Automation |
In-Depth Analysis
Freshsales
AI-powered Sales CRM to streamline sales, boost conversions, and grow your pipeline.
Freshsales offers a very generous Free tier for up to 3 users, making it accessible for small teams.
Strengths
- +Good CRM
- +Fair pricing
- +Good features
- +Active development
- +Freshworks ecosystem
Weaknesses
- -Per-user pricing
- -Learning curve
- -Better alternatives exist
- -Feature gaps
- -Support varies
Key features
HubSpot
CRM platform for scaling businesses
HubSpot's pricing is the most complex in SaaS, 7 Hubs, 4 tiers each, per-seat AND per-contact charges, plus mandatory onboarding fees.
Watch out
Contact pricing is the biggest trap: Marketing Hub Pro includes only 2,000 marketing contacts.
Strengths
- +Generous free tier with CRM, forms, email, live chat, and basic reporting at no cost
- +Unified platform eliminates data silos between marketing, sales, and service teams
- +Intuitive interface with short learning curve compared to Salesforce
- +Extensive integration marketplace and open API for custom connections
- +HubSpot Academy provides free certifications and high-quality training content
Weaknesses
- -Pricing escalates quickly, Professional and Enterprise tiers are expensive for SMBs
- -Marketing contacts model means you pay more as your database grows
- -CMS is less flexible than WordPress for heavily customized websites
- -Reporting and analytics lag behind dedicated BI tools like Looker or Tableau
- -Contract terms require annual commitment; no monthly billing on higher tiers
Key features
Pricing: Freshsales vs HubSpot
| Plan | Freshsales | HubSpot |
|---|---|---|
| Tier 1 | Free Free | Free Free Tools |
| Tier 2 | $9 Growth | $15 /seat/month Starter |
| Tier 3 | $39 Pro | $890 /month Professional |
| Tier 4 | $59 Enterprise | $3600 /month Enterprise |
Pricing verified from each vendor's public pricing page. Compare in detail on Freshsales pricing and HubSpot pricing.
Who Should Use What?
On a budget?
Both are freemium. Compare plans on their websites.
Go with: Freshsales
Want the highest-rated option?
Freshsales: 4.5/5 (1,859 reviews). HubSpot: 3.9/5 (19,150 reviews).
Go with: Freshsales
Value user reviews?
Freshsales: 1,859 reviews (4.5/5). HubSpot: 19,150 reviews (3.9/5).
Go with: HubSpot
3 Questions to Help You Decide
What's your budget?
Both are freemium. Pricing won't help you decide here.
What's your use case?
Both are crm tools. Compare their specific features to decide.
How important are ratings?
Freshsales is rated higher: 4.5/5 vs 3.9/5.
Key Takeaways
HubSpot
- Larger review base (19,150 reviews)
- Free tier available
- Our pick for this comparison
Freshsales
- Higher user rating: 4.5/5 vs 3.9/5
The Bottom Line
HubSpot is our overall CRM pick.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Freshsales or HubSpot better?
HubSpot is rated in our evaluation. Both are freemium.
What are Freshsales and HubSpot used for?
Freshsales: AI-powered Sales CRM to streamline sales, boost conversions, and grow your pipeline.. HubSpot: CRM platform for scaling businesses.
What does Freshsales cost vs HubSpot?
Freshsales is freemium (free tier + paid plans). HubSpot is freemium (free tier + paid plans). Visit their websites for detailed pricing.