Our review of Hubspot CRM

Hubspot is one of the behemoths of the CRM market, thanks not only to its wealth of functions, but also to a free plan that is quite unprecedented among CRM software of this size.

Its lightweight frame, low cost and ease of use make it an attractive CRM.

On the other hand, teams with more elaborate sales processes or greater customization needs may find the platform limited.

Hubspot CRM quickly made a name for itself (and a good user base) thanks to its free formula. What makes Hubspot the right tool? How far can the free formula really go? What are the limitations of this CRM software?

In this article, we bring you the results of our comprehensive test.

My opinion of Hubspot in a nutshell

Perimeter	Score	My opinion
Overall rating	4,5	Hubspot is a great tool for startups: free & powerful at the beginning, then very expensive very quickly, but very rich in complex functionalities. If you’re somewhere in between, looking for a balanced tool that’s powerful but not too expensive, choose solutions like Pipedrive, Zoho or FreshWorks CRM.
Ease of use	4,3	Hubspot’s ergonomics are a real winner. The interface is packed with smart shortcuts to limit the number of clicks required for each action. Overall, when it comes to basic use, the tool is quickly mastered. If, on the other hand, you want to use the full power of the tool, it’s less obvious.
Easy to install	4,1	In terms of set-up, Hubspot is considerably less straightforward than other software. The tool is very “contact”-centric, which makes the use of sales funnels etc. not very obvious when you’re just starting out.
Customer service	4,4	Support available in French from Monday to Friday for paying accounts – efficient. Plenty of content and detailed training to get to grips with the tool, but most of it in English.
Integrations	4,6	Hubspot is probably one of the commercial CRMs that integrates best with a very large number of tools. Their free plan and large user base fuel their “ecosystem”, with a huge number of applications.
Value for money	4,3	We need to distinguish between Hubspot’s free plan, which we use with more and more integrations to meet specific needs, and paid plans. Hubspot is very relevant at the very beginning, with a powerful free plan, and a very qualitative user interface. The tool is also highly relevant at a very advanced stage, with numerous integrations, an extensive agency ecosystem and considerable functional depth. Boredom lies somewhere in between. Starter and Pro packages are very expensive for what they offer. Solutions such as Pipedrive or Zoho will be much more appropriate in most cases.

Hubspot’s main advantages & disadvantages

• A great CRM for those just starting out. Very complete, well-designed, versatile, good user experience, and frankly rather affordable compared to the competition.
• An absolutely monstrous tool in the Starter CRM Suite, which includes all 5 Hubspot tools for just €360/year. The tool can grow with you (even if it’s quite expensive) and that’s a huge unfair advantage in the beginning. If you’re a small or medium-sized business with few or many tools that do things by halves, switching everything over to Hubspot can also make a lot of sense.
• The vision and execution are, frankly, beyond reproach. Hubspot manages to remain very open, feeding a marketplace of integrations and a high-quality ecosystem of partners, while maintaining an impressive functional scope. In the software world, it’s a textbook case.

• The disadvantages of all-in-one tools: there are
  many
  things, and not only do you often have to pay for things you don’t necessarily use, it also makes the experience a little more complex and inevitably lengthens the learning curve.
• The tool is a good guide to good practice, but the downside is that it’s pretty hard to customize in depth. If you’re hoping to translate bespoke processes that took you 30 years to set up into Hubspot, it’s going to be a bit more complicated than with other, more flexible solutions like Zoho or Monday.
• If you’re looking for a tool to take your sales and marketing processes to the next level, Hubspot is a great solution. But if you’re a company with well-established, efficient business processes, and you’re keen to customize your CRM software or use very specific tools, this probably isn’t the best solution.

Hubspot CRM: one of the deepest functional scopes on the market

#1 Contact management with Hubspot CRM: Our opinion

CRM lets you import your contacts from Gmail, Outlook, or your corporate e-mail and web forms. Once your contact database has been imported, the platform automatically updates the contacts and records all your contacts’ sales activities.

HubSpot automatically scans its database of over 20 million companies, integrating revenue, industry and other elements into contact details wherever possible. Even if their contact sheets aren’t the most readable, the automation strategies are ultra advanced, with 135 possible fields for a contact.

Outside the sales process, this information helps you to segment your customer and prospect base for more effective, targeted in-place marketing campaigns. The platform supports up to 1 million contacts and companies, covering the needs of most medium-sized companies, especially in B2B.

#2 Sales tunnel & opportunity management on Hubspot

HubSpot CRM is an excellent tool to help your sales team optimize their sales processes: the sales pipeline in “Kanban” view makes it easier to track the evolution of leads within the sales funnel.

The solution lets you create up to 50 different pipelines, which is very useful for organizations with products or services with different sales processes. You can modify and add stages to the sales pipeline, in addition to the seven already pre-configured (Appointment, Qualified, Scheduled Presentation, Decision in Progress, Contract Sent, Sale Closed won/lost).

For example, you can create a specific “up-sell” pipeline for existing customers, or a pipeline for renewing expiring subscriptions.

As a deal progresses, it moves through your sales pipeline. You can create and save filters to quickly view offers of a certain size, offers expected to close this month or offers in a specific sector.

There’s also a tabular display option, handy for sorting transactions by salesperson, stage or expected closing date.

HubSpot CRM lets you keep a close eye on your customers’ behavior. Once all the data has been entered into the system, you start receiving notifications every time your prospects open their e-mails or click on a link or attachment.

#3 Administration & Reporting on Hubspot CRM

Hubspot CRM’s positioning is clear: the tool is aimed primarily at small and medium-sized businesses, and is therefore designed to be quick to learn and use, without requiring hours of training.

The navigation is modern and intuitive, enabling your sales team to increase efficiency in a number of ways.

On the other hand, while the ability to import contacts from your e-mail account simplifies the tool’s configuration and speeds up the onboarding process, we regret that the learning curve is so steep for a tool that is intended to be lightweight.

When your organization has been using the tool for a long time, and your sales force is familiar with its main features, it’s easy to use.

On the other hand, getting your teams to adopt Hubspot CRM can be a challenge for your organization, as taking full advantage of its capabilities implies a “cultural” change in the day-to-day work of your sales force.

This adaptation time should not be neglected, as your teams will need time to become fully operational.

Once your sales representatives have integrated the daily actions required to make the most of Hubspot CRM, the solution will make their lives much easier, particularly in the following areas:

• Respond quickly to your prospects: You receive a pop-up alert when a prospect performs an interesting action (opening a presentation or going to your website) and simply click to get several options for interacting with the prospect.
• Use it where you need it: In Gmail or Outlook 365, you’ll get a pop-up window that lets you view all contact-related information.
• Access to powerful functions: In Gmail and Outlook 365, you can view your templates, email sequences, excerpts, documents and meeting links. You’ll save a lot of time writing emails and following up with customers.
• Automation: The tool automates meeting scheduling and, thanks to integration with your conference call software, you can reach your prospects quickly. HubSpot CRM can also integrate with Twilio, which lets you make phone calls directly from the software. Calls can be recorded directly in the tool, enabling you to better track your prospects.

In terms of reporting, each dashboard template is associated with a number of reports that you can choose to keep or not. Creating a customized dashboard also lets you choose the reports that interest you according to your needs.

#4 Hubspot CRM prospect sheet & data model

Contact form

You can enter the contact details of all your customers, and then link them not only to their company, but also to any current offers they may have.

Company profile

Finally, you can fill in company files, where you can list all the contacts who work there, with notes on the company’s activities.

Custom fields

Depending on your company’s needs, you can create custom fields to filter your data. These fields can apply to people, offers, organizations, etc.

#5 Automation, Documentation & CPQ

When you have finalized a sale, you probably have many documents to send, sign and return. The faster you complete these tasks, the faster you move on to the next deal.

HubSpot has workflow functionality available in both the Pro and Enterprise plans to automate your business processes. But this functionality falls short of the depth, flexibility and customization offered by Salesforce.

In its free version, HubSpot allows you to upload documents up to 250 MB. Free users have access to five shared documents at any one time. If your business requires storage of files larger than 250 MB, you will have to pay. The advantage here is that there is no overall storage limit.

Customer support & training at Hubspot

Hubspot is reputed to be aimed more at “Do It Yourself” enthusiasts, who need a minimum of support.

But CRM does offer French-language support, available Monday to Friday, for paying accounts. The Hubspot Academy provides access to a wealth of content and highly detailed training courses, for example on how to get to grips with the tool – but beware, most of these are in English.

You can also take certifications with Hubspot, focusing mainly on lead generation.

Onboarding sessions for new sales reps are detailed, dynamic and intuitive – expect to pay around $1,500/user. You can also opt for in-depth sessions to solve complex problems, which cost more than $5,000.

Customer reviews of Hubspot CRM

Feedback from Hubspot CRM users is generally positive, and here are the ratings the software receives on the main review platforms.

We have summarized the main advantages & disadvantages cited by users.

Advantages & disadvantages

Hubspot CRM prices

What is Hubspot’s free plan really worth?

The free version of HubSpot CRM offers up to 1 million contacts in your database, accessible to an unlimited number of users. You have access to the following functions:

• Access to CMS (website creation software).
• Track website activity: get an overview of your contacts’ activity on your website (page views, form submissions, etc.).
• Integration with Gmail or Outlook: to schedule mailings from within CRM.
• Limited productivity tools (such as e-mail scheduling, tickets and meeting planning).
• Access to e-mail tracking and templates: receive real-time notifications when your e-mails are opened or links are consulted.
• Access to third-party integrations via the App Marketplace.
• Forms to capture leads across your entire site
• Live chat and basic chatbots that can be integrated into your website.

For example, in terms of sales management tools, you’ll be limited to just 15 minutes of calls/user/month, a single sales pipeline, no email automation (and Hubspot branding on your emails).

Hubspot’s really interesting offer is the Starter CRM Suite plan, which includes all 5 Hubspot tools (marketing automation, sales CRM, helpdesk, CMS and operations), for €50/month for 2 users. For the moment, it’s one of the most interesting plans on the market, at a fairly low price given the functional breadth offered.

Hubspot CRM prices

HubSpot CRM’s freemium approach means that basic CRM functionality is free of charge, and that you can access more advanced features for a fee, depending on your needs.

It’s quite interesting to be able to choose the add-ons you need without having to incur huge up-front costs for many features you wouldn’t use.

To take your customer relationship management a step further, there are three pay-as-you-go packages:

• Sales Hub Starter: from €30 per month (or €50 if billed monthly) for 2 paying users, 8h calls via the tool, unlimited email tracking, 1000 email templates, 1000 personal and team meeting links, 10 dashboards and 2 transaction pipelines.
• Professional: from €1185 per month (billed annually) for 5 paying users, up to 100 quotes per transaction with electronic signature, 100 inboxes, 25 dashboards and 15 sales pipelines.
• Enterprise: From €4783 per month (billed annually) for 10 paying users, 33h of calling, 50 dashboards, 50 sales pipelines and up to 1000 automation workflows to manage your team.

Hubspot training costs

The best-known CRMs are, on the whole, highly intuitive tools that require very little training in the use of sales functions.

HubSpot has a comprehensive resource center, the HubSpot Academy, where users can take comprehensive courses – videos, downloadable slides, practical exercises – and obtain certifications.

The CRM currently offers 11 certifications, all of which can be obtained following a free training course available in French, should you wish to have your HubSpot expertise certified.

Many Hubspot agencies, such as Markentive and Invox, offer training courses, aimed at both novice teams and existing experts who want to improve their CRM skills.

Hubspot integration costs

There are several ways to implement Hubspot: you can go through an agency, the publisher or implement it yourself.

If you choose to work with a certified agency, Hubspot has a number of partner agencies to help you integrate the software. Hubspot awards them 5 different badges according to their level: Partner, Gold, Platinum, Diamond, and Elite.

This guarantees a high level of Hubspot expertise and truly tailor-made support, but it also comes at a price: implementation by an agency generally costs a minimum of 1,000 euros.

Hubspot also offers its own remote integration: for onboarding of the Marketing Hub, for example, you’ll pay €2,760 for a pro and €5,500 for a company. See an example of their onboarding plan for the Marketing tool.

You can also integrate the tool yourself: Hubspot offers a number of free training courses on the Hubspot Academy that can help you implement the software yourself. This is a more time-consuming solution, but one that can be highly effective and economical if you understand the tool and know your needs.

The 5 products in the Hubspot suite

The Hubspot suite consists of 5 products:

• Marketing Hub – What they’re best known for, and probably one of the most comprehensive marketing automation software packages on the market.
• Sales Hub – The sales CRM with the iconic free plan
• Service Hub – Hubspot’s suite of customer support software, on a par with leading tools such as Zendesk
• CMS Hub – Hubspot offers a CMS (Content Management System) that lets you build and manage sites of varying complexity. In practice, it’s not the best CMS on the market, but the (very) big advantage is that the entire analytics suite, web-tracking and the link with CRM and marketing automation tools are native. Since the aim of a showcase site is to generate money, this is more important than being able to customize the color of the bottom border of email fields.
• Operations Hub – It’s more like an add-on for all the other tools in the suite: these are the functionalities that make interactions between the 4 other tools smoother, but also accept payments, automate the lead scoring and contact scoring, lead attribution, and a whole range of functions to ensure better data quality.