Our review of Hubspot CRM

HubSpot stands as one of the giants in the CRM market, renowned for its extensive functionality and a groundbreaking free plan that’s rare among CRMs of this scale. This HubSpot review will explore the tool’s strengths, limitations, and how it stacks up in a competitive landscape.

With its lightweight framework, affordable entry point, and user-friendly interface, HubSpot is an appealing choice for startups and growing businesses. However, teams with complex sales processes or advanced customization needs may find its limitations challenging.

The platform quickly gained traction, building a loyal user base largely thanks to its free plan. But how well does HubSpot truly perform? What makes it the right tool for your business? And how far can its free plan take you before you need to upgrade?

In this HubSpot review, we dive into the results of our comprehensive test, highlighting the CRM’s main features, advantages, and drawbacks.

My Opinion of HubSpot in a Nutshell

HubSpot’s Main Advantages & Disadvantages

• A versatile CRM perfect for beginners. It’s well-designed, user-friendly, and competitive in cost compared to peers.
• The Starter CRM Suite is a game-changer, combining five tools for just $360/year. HubSpot scales with your business, offering immense value during growth stages.
• HubSpot excels in vision and execution. Its open marketplace and ecosystem of partners are unparalleled, offering a textbook case of CRM excellence.

• As an all-in-one tool, HubSpot includes features you may not need, increasing complexity and extending the learning curve.
• Customization is limited, which can frustrate businesses with highly specialized processes. Alternatives like Zoho or Monday may offer better flexibility.
• HubSpot is ideal for evolving your processes but less suited for teams with well-established workflows or niche tool requirements.

HubSpot CRM: One of the Deepest Functional Scopes on the Market

#1 Contact Management with HubSpot CRM: Our Review

HubSpot CRM excels in contact management, allowing seamless imports from Gmail, Outlook, or other corporate email and web forms. Once imported, the platform automatically updates contacts and records all sales activities related to them, making tracking and engagement effortless.

HubSpot taps into its database of over 20 million companies, enriching contact details with relevant information like revenue and industry. Although the contact sheets may not be the most visually streamlined, their advanced automation capabilities are a standout, offering up to 135 customizable fields per contact.

Beyond sales, this comprehensive contact data enables precise segmentation for targeted marketing campaigns. HubSpot supports up to 1 million contacts and companies, catering to the needs of most medium-sized B2B organizations.

#2 Sales Pipeline & Opportunity Management: HubSpot Review

HubSpot CRM provides a robust sales pipeline tool to help your sales team optimize processes. Its “Kanban” view simplifies tracking lead progress through various sales funnel stages.

You can create up to 50 pipelines, ideal for managing products or services with different sales processes. The platform lets you customize or add stages to the default seven (e.g., Appointment, Qualified, Presentation Scheduled, Decision in Progress, Contract Sent, Sale Closed – Won/Lost).

For instance, you might design a dedicated “up-sell” pipeline for current customers or a renewal pipeline for expiring subscriptions. Filters allow quick views of deals by size, closing date, or industry, and a tabular display is available for sorting transactions by salesperson, stage, or expected closure.

HubSpot CRM also provides real-time notifications whenever prospects open emails or click on links, keeping your sales team informed and proactive.

#3 Administration & Reporting on HubSpot CRM

HubSpot CRM is designed for small and medium-sized businesses, emphasizing quick onboarding and intuitive navigation. The platform helps sales teams enhance efficiency with modern, user-friendly features. However, despite its lightweight approach, the learning curve can be steep, particularly for teams unfamiliar with CRM software.

Importing contacts directly from email accounts simplifies setup and accelerates onboarding. Yet, fully leveraging HubSpot’s capabilities often requires a cultural shift in day-to-day workflows. For seasoned users familiar with its core features, HubSpot becomes a powerful ally in managing sales activities.

Once adopted, HubSpot CRM makes life easier for sales teams by:

• Providing real-time pop-up alerts when prospects take key actions, such as opening emails or visiting your website.
• Integrating with Gmail or Outlook, enabling instant access to contact-related information and tools.
• Streamlining email management with templates, sequences, and documents available directly in email platforms.
• Automating meeting scheduling and facilitating calls via integrations like Twilio, with call recordings stored within the CRM.

On the reporting side, HubSpot CRM offers customizable dashboards. Each dashboard template includes a variety of reports, allowing you to keep only what’s relevant to your team’s needs. This flexibility ensures your reporting tools align perfectly with your business goals.

#4 HubSpot CRM Prospect Sheet & Data Model

Contact Form

HubSpot CRM enables you to manage customer contact details, linking them to their company profiles and active deals. This holistic view ensures efficient management of customer relationships.

Company Profile

With company profiles, you can list all contacts within an organization and include detailed notes on its activities. This feature is especially useful for B2B businesses managing complex accounts.

Custom Fields

HubSpot’s custom fields allow you to tailor data management to your specific needs, whether for people, deals, or organizations. This flexibility enhances the platform’s usability across various industries.

#5 Automation, Documentation & CPQ

HubSpot CRM streamlines post-sale processes with tools for sending, signing, and managing documents. These features ensure quick transitions between deals, minimizing downtime.

Workflow automation is available in Pro and Enterprise plans, allowing businesses to optimize their processes. However, these features lack the depth and customization offered by platforms like Salesforce.

In the free version, HubSpot supports up to five shared documents at a time, with a maximum file size of 250 MB. Businesses requiring larger storage capacities can upgrade, with no overall storage limit applied.

Customer Support & Training at HubSpot

HubSpot is often regarded as a solution for “Do It Yourself” enthusiasts, providing minimal direct support. However, paying accounts benefit from French-language support available Monday through Friday. Additionally, the HubSpot Academy offers an extensive library of training resources, including detailed guides on mastering the platform. While comprehensive, most of these materials are in English.

HubSpot also offers certifications, primarily focusing on lead generation strategies. Onboarding sessions for new sales representatives are thorough and intuitive, though they come at a significant cost—approximately $1,500 per user. For businesses with complex needs, in-depth training sessions are available, but these can exceed $5,000.

Customer Reviews of HubSpot CRM

User feedback for HubSpot CRM is overwhelmingly positive. Below, we’ve summarized the key advantages and disadvantages noted by customers across various review platforms.

Advantages & Disadvantages

HubSpot CRM Pricing

What Does HubSpot’s Free Plan Offer?

The free version of HubSpot CRM supports up to 1 million contacts and is accessible to an unlimited number of users. Key features include:

• Access to a CMS for website creation.
• Website activity tracking, such as page views and form submissions.
• Integration with Gmail or Outlook for scheduling emails within the CRM.
• Basic productivity tools, including email scheduling and meeting planning.
• Real-time email tracking and templates for efficient communication.
• Access to third-party integrations via the App Marketplace.
• Lead capture forms across your website.
• Live chat and basic chatbots integrated into your website.

For example, sales management tools in the free plan are limited to 15 minutes of calls per user per month, one sales pipeline, no email automation, and branded emails with HubSpot’s logo. The true value of HubSpot lies in its paid plans, particularly the Starter CRM Suite, which includes all five HubSpot tools—marketing automation, sales CRM, helpdesk, CMS, and operations—for $50/month for two users. This plan offers an exceptional breadth of functionality at a competitive price point.

HubSpot CRM Prices

HubSpot CRM’s freemium model provides basic CRM functionality at no cost, while advanced features are available through paid plans tailored to different needs. This flexibility allows businesses to pay only for the features they require, avoiding unnecessary upfront costs for unused tools.

Here’s a breakdown of HubSpot’s paid plans:

• Sales Hub Starter: Starting at €30/month (or €50 when billed monthly) for two users. Includes 8 hours of calls, unlimited email tracking, 1,000 email templates, 1,000 meeting links, 10 dashboards, and two sales pipelines.
• Professional: From €1,185/month (billed annually) for five users. Features include up to 100 quotes per transaction with e-signature, 100 inboxes, 25 dashboards, and 15 pipelines.
• Enterprise: Starting at €4,783/month (billed annually) for ten users. Offers 33 hours of calling, 50 dashboards, 50 pipelines, and up to 1,000 automation workflows.

For more details, check out our HubSpot Pricing guide.

HubSpot Training Costs

HubSpot is renowned for its user-friendly design, but its sales features are enhanced by comprehensive training resources. The HubSpot Academy offers free courses, including videos, downloadable materials, and practical exercises, culminating in certifications to validate your expertise.

HubSpot currently offers 11 certifications, available in French for those looking to showcase their proficiency. For teams, agencies like Markentive and Invox provide training sessions tailored to both novices and experienced users.

HubSpot Integration Costs

HubSpot offers multiple integration options, including DIY implementation, publisher support, or agency partnerships. Costs vary depending on the complexity of your chosen plan.

Certified HubSpot partner agencies provide personalized integration services. These agencies, ranked from Partner to Elite, guarantee high-level expertise but come at a cost—starting at €1,000 for basic implementation.

HubSpot also offers its own remote onboarding services. For example, Marketing Hub onboarding costs €2,760 for the Pro plan and €5,500 for the Enterprise plan. Learn more about their onboarding services.

For those opting for self-integration, HubSpot Academy provides free resources to help implement the software. While time-intensive, this approach is cost-effective for businesses that understand their needs.

The 5 Products in the HubSpot Suite

HubSpot’s suite consists of five powerful tools, each tailored to meet specific business needs. Here’s a breakdown of the HubSpot suite:

• Marketing Hub: HubSpot’s flagship product and one of the most comprehensive marketing automation software solutions on the market. It’s designed to help businesses attract, engage, and nurture leads effectively.
• Sales Hub: A robust sales CRM, best known for its iconic free plan, empowering sales teams to streamline their workflows and close deals faster.
• Service Hub: HubSpot’s customer support software competes with top tools like Zendesk. It’s designed to help businesses deliver exceptional customer experiences.
• CMS Hub: A flexible content management system that enables businesses to build and manage websites. While it may not be the most advanced CMS on the market, its native integration with HubSpot’s analytics, web tracking, and CRM tools makes it ideal for revenue-focused websites.
• Operations Hub: An add-on that enhances the functionality of the other tools in the suite. It streamlines interactions between tools, supports payment processing, automates lead scoring, and improves data quality. It’s a must-have for scaling businesses looking to optimize processes.