Our verdict
Most small businesses will be happier on HubSpot. Salesforce makes sense when complexity and scale justify the investment in administration.
This is the classic CRM matchup: HubSpot's usability and all-in-one approach versus Salesforce's unmatched flexibility and ecosystem. The right choice depends less on features and more on how complex your sales operation is — and whether you have someone to administer it.
Choose HubSpot CRM if…
- You want a CRM your team can run without a dedicated admin
- Marketing and sales should share one platform
- You want to start free
SS Choose Salesforce Sales Cloud if…
- Your sales process is complex or highly customised
- You need advanced forecasting and territory management
- You have budget for an admin or implementation partner
Side by side
| Criterion | HubSpot CRM | Salesforce Sales Cloud |
|---|---|---|
| Overall score | 8.8 / 10 | 8.4 / 10 |
| Features & fit | 9.0 | 9.6 |
| Ease of use | 9.3 | 6.8 |
| Value for money | 8.0 | 7.2 |
| Support & reliability | 8.6 | 8.2 |
| Security & privacy | 8.4 | 9.0 |
| Integrations & ecosystem | 9.4 | 9.8 |
| Starting price (indicative) | Free; paid seats from around $15–20 / month | Starter tier from around $25 / user / month |
| Free plan | Yes | No |
| Free trial | Yes | Yes |
| Best for | Small teams wanting a free CRM that is easy to adopt | Growing sales teams with complex processes |
Feature by feature
| Feature | HubSpot CRM | Salesforce Sales Cloud |
|---|---|---|
| Free plan | Yes | No (free trial only) |
| Admin required | Usually not | Usually yes as it grows |
| Customisation | Custom objects on higher tiers | Near-unlimited, plus code |
| App ecosystem | Large marketplace | AppExchange, the largest CRM ecosystem |
| Forecasting & territories | Available on higher tiers | Advanced, mature |
| Best for | SMBs wanting fast adoption | Complex or scaling sales operations |
Pricing compared
HubSpot CRM
| Plan | Indicative price | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Free | Free | — |
| Starter | ≈ $15 / user / mo | Per seat, billed annually |
| Professional | ≈ $90 / user / mo | Per seat; onboarding fee may apply |
| Enterprise | ≈ $150 / user / mo | Per seat, annual |
SS Salesforce Sales Cloud
| Plan | Indicative price | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Starter Suite | ≈ $25 / user / mo | Billed annually |
| Pro Suite | ≈ $100 / user / mo | Billed annually |
| Enterprise | ≈ $165 / user / mo | Billed annually |
| Unlimited | Custom quote | — |
| Team size | HubSpot CRM | Salesforce Sales Cloud |
|---|---|---|
| 5 seats | $75 (Starter) | $125 (Starter Suite) |
| 10 seats | $150 (Starter) | $250 (Starter Suite) |
| 25 seats | $375 (Starter) | $625 (Starter Suite) |
Indicative USD list prices; excludes tax, add-ons and promotions. Confirm on each vendor’s site.
Administration
HubSpot is designed for business users to configure. Salesforce typically benefits from a trained admin, especially as custom objects and automations grow.
Customisation
Salesforce can model almost any process. HubSpot has added custom objects and advanced features, but on higher tiers and with less depth.
Total cost
Salesforce editions plus implementation often cost more than HubSpot for small teams, though at enterprise scale the comparison depends heavily on the hubs or clouds purchased.
Admin and implementation
HubSpot is designed to be configured by a business user; most small teams set it up themselves in days. Salesforce rewards a trained admin and, for anything beyond Starter Suite, often an implementation partner. Budget for that time or cost when comparing licence prices.
Scaling to many seats
Salesforce's data model, security controls and AppExchange are built for large, complex organisations, which is why many companies eventually move to it. HubSpot now serves mid-market companies well, but very complex territory, quoting or approval processes still tend to favour Salesforce.
Pros & cons
HubSpot CRM
- Generous free plan with unlimited users
- Clean, intuitive interface with fast onboarding
- Large app marketplace and native integrations
- Steep price increase at Professional tier
- Many reporting and automation features are paid
SS Salesforce Sales Cloud
- Extremely customisable data model and workflows
- Huge AppExchange ecosystem
- Advanced forecasting and reporting
- Steeper learning curve
- Total cost rises with editions and add-ons
Key features of each
HubSpot CRM
- Deal pipelines. Visual pipelines with customisable stages and deal properties.
- Email tracking & templates. Track opens and clicks from Gmail or Outlook and reuse templates.
- Shared inbox. Route conversations from email and chat to the right owner.
- Sequences & workflows. Automated follow-ups and workflows on paid tiers.
Integrates with: Gmail, Outlook, Slack, Zoom, QuickBooks, Shopify, Zapier.
SS Salesforce Sales Cloud
- Custom objects. Model almost any business process with custom objects and fields.
- Forecasting. Collaborative forecasts with roll-ups by team and territory.
- AppExchange. Thousands of pre-built apps and integrations.
- Flow automation. Visual automation builder for complex logic.
Integrates with: Slack, Outlook, Gmail, Tableau, MuleSoft, Zapier.
Who should avoid each
Skip HubSpot CRM if…
- Teams that need advanced automation on a tight budget
- Highly customised enterprise sales processes
Best for: Small teams wanting a free CRM that is easy to adopt; Businesses combining sales with inbound marketing; Companies that want one vendor for marketing, sales and service.
SS Skip Salesforce Sales Cloud if…
- Very small teams without an admin
- Buyers wanting quick, low-cost setup
Best for: Growing sales teams with complex processes; Companies that need deep customisation and reporting; Businesses planning to scale to many seats.
Switching between HubSpot CRM and Salesforce Sales Cloud
Migration difficulty: Hard
Moving to or from Salesforce usually involves custom objects, complex automations and integrations; budget for a migration project or partner.
- Audit objects, fields, automations and integrations in use.
- Decide what not to migrate — old data and unused fields.
- Use the vendor's migration tools or a partner for data with relationships.
- Rebuild workflows and reports, then train users.
- Cut over at the end of a sales period to keep reporting clean.
Weigh it your way
Adjust the weights to your priorities to see which tool comes out ahead for you. Print or export the result for your team.
| Tool | Features | Ease | Value | Support | Security | Integrations | Your score |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1. HubSpot CRM | 9.0 | 9.3 | 8.0 | 8.6 | 8.4 | 9.4 | 8.82 |
| 2. Salesforce Sales Cloud | 9.6 | 6.8 | 7.2 | 8.2 | 9.0 | 9.8 | 8.39 |
Drag the sliders to match your priorities. Scores are our editorial sub-scores; weights start at the values we publish on the methodology page. Nothing you change is stored or sent anywhere.
How our scores and weights work · Add a third tool side by side
Frequently asked questions
Is Salesforce more powerful than HubSpot?
In terms of customisation and ecosystem, generally yes. Whether that power is useful depends on your processes.
Which is easier to switch away from?
Both allow data export. Salesforce customisations tend to be deeper, so migrations away are usually larger projects.
Does HubSpot CRM or Salesforce Sales Cloud have a free plan?
HubSpot CRM has a free plan; Salesforce Sales Cloud has a free trial but no permanent free plan. Indicative starting prices: HubSpot CRM — Free; paid seats from around $15–20 / month; Salesforce Sales Cloud — Starter tier from around $25 / user / month.
Which is cheaper for a team of 10, HubSpot CRM or Salesforce Sales Cloud?
On indicative list prices, the cheapest paid plan that fits 10 users costs about $150 per month on HubSpot CRM (Starter) and about $250 on Salesforce Sales Cloud (Starter Suite), so HubSpot CRM is cheaper at that size. Taxes, add-ons and discounts are excluded — and the plan you actually need may be higher.
Which scores higher in our review, HubSpot CRM or Salesforce Sales Cloud?
HubSpot CRM scores 8.8/10 and Salesforce Sales Cloud 8.4/10 on our weighted rubric. HubSpot CRM leads on 3 of six criteria. A higher score does not make it right for every buyer — see the “choose if” lists above.
