Salesforce vs HubSpot: Which CRM is Better?

Salesforce and HubSpot are the two most widely used CRM platforms. Salesforce offers more customization and power for enterprises, while HubSpot provides easier onboarding and better value for small to mid-sized businesses.

Salesforce created the template for cloud-based CRMs and holds 19.5% market share. HubSpot became one of the most recognized suites of sales and marketing tools. This guide compares them side-by-side across the most important categories to help you decide which fits your needs.

How Do Salesforce and HubSpot Compare on Overall Features?

It’s difficult to compare HubSpot and Salesforce directly since each platform is distinct in capabilities. Both offer tiers from basic to unlimited packages, and both support integrations that allow customization.

Salesforce is more robust, offering everything you need—and probably features you’ll never use. It’s also more customizable, though you’ll need in-house developers or a big budget to take full advantage. Leveraging Salesforce customization services can transform the platform into a tailored solution that enhances operational efficiency and customer relationship management.

HubSpot is known for being intuitive and user-friendly. It has tons of customer tracking features, and its full suite includes sales automation, marketing automation, and business analytics. It’s a complete CRM that’s easier to start with but offers less customization potential.

How Much Does Salesforce Cost vs HubSpot?

Salesforce pricing: Several packages from Essentials to Unlimited. Basic packages start at $25 per user per month, with the most advanced at $300 per user per month, billed annually. See Salesforce pricing for current details.

HubSpot pricing: Multiple paid packages with pricing varying by users and billing frequency. Basic packages start at $45 per month ($23/mo for additional users), with enterprise packages starting at $1,200 per month ($120/mo for additional users). HubSpot also offers a robust free tier. See HubSpot pricing for current details.

Which Has Better Sales and Marketing Automation?

Both Salesforce and HubSpot offer automation tools that help you scale while reducing costs.

Salesforce Einstein: Functions as a smart assistant for lead scoring, revenue forecasting, and outreach recommendations. It also works as a chatbot to serve customers without involving team members. Learn more at Salesforce Einstein.

HubSpot automation: Dozens of tools for automating prospect follow-up, marketing and sales email campaigns, and designing automated workflows for your team. See HubSpot sales automation for details.

Which CRM Has Better Integrations and Plugins?

Both platforms were built with integrations in mind. In the HubSpot ecosystem, many tools are designed to work together seamlessly. If you’re using HubSpot’s marketing suite, for example, you can easily transfer data to and from your CRM.

Salesforce constantly expands its product offerings, though additional features can sometimes be clunky. Salesforce provides a robust CRM API that allows developers to integrate with other systems.

The Salesforce AppExchange marketplace offers thousands of plugins to expand features and functionality. Salesforce offers more robust potential at the cost of a steeper learning curve.

Which CRM Scales Better for Growing Businesses?

Both platforms let you upgrade or downgrade your account at any time for instant access to different packages.

At the lower end, HubSpot has strong appeal. You can start with many tools for free and continue using the free package as long as it works. It’s also less expensive, making it affordable for most businesses.

At the higher end, Salesforce is tough to beat. You can start with a 14-day free trial, then begin paying. From there, Salesforce’s many integrations and top-to-bottom customizability mean the platform can evolve however you need, regardless of how your business grows.

Which CRM Offers Better Customer Support?

With Salesforce, you get a basic support package regardless of how much you pay. You can email customer support and expect an answer within a couple of days. More responsive 24/7 service requires extra payment.

With HubSpot, your primary support resources are the in-depth knowledge base and HubSpot Academy. Paying HubSpot customers get 24/7 phone support and live chat included. HubSpot offers more support for less money, though Salesforce can match it if you’re willing to pay.

Which CRM Has Better Reporting and Analytics?

Salesforce is a powerhouse for reporting and analytics. It offers real-time reporting, automatically generated reports, and all tools needed to fully customize your experience. Once you learn the ropes, you can generate reports on almost anything. Most users rely on built-in real-time dashboards.

HubSpot’s reporting features aren’t as customizable or robust. However, HubSpot is easier to get started with—it’s a highly intuitive platform that doesn’t require much training. In terms of total power, Salesforce wins, but HubSpot’s accessibility gives it advantages for teams without dedicated analysts.

How Do Salesforce and HubSpot Handle Email Integration?

Salesforce offers Gmail and Outlook integrations that let you log emails to CRM records, schedule emails, report on activities, and know when recipients open emails. However, you won’t get detailed breakdowns of individual sales rep email activity.

HubSpot’s email integration through Sales Hub makes it easy to create emails using CRM data and automatically store email information in records. You get tracking data on when prospects receive and open emails and attachments.

Like Salesforce, HubSpot lacks comprehensive email activity analytics per sales rep—making it difficult to analyze individual performance in some ways.

What Do Users Say About Salesforce vs HubSpot?

HubSpot has more than 121,000 users in over 120 countries. Salesforce has more than 150,000 users worldwide.

On platforms like Capterra, both CRMs receive similar ratings. HubSpot has a slight edge in average rating, but Salesforce has far more total reviews.

Which CRM Should You Choose: Salesforce or HubSpot?

Choose HubSpot if: You want a leaner, cheaper, more approachable CRM with all the basics and room for scalability. Since it’s easy to learn, it’s perfect for new and small businesses set to grow.

Choose Salesforce if: You need an absolute powerhouse with superior core features, reporting, analytics, and customization potential. If you don’t mind paying more and going through proper training, Salesforce provides more options and opportunities.

CRMs are powerful tools, but neither Salesforce nor HubSpot provides a comprehensive way to easily track email activity by representative and critical KPIs like email response time.

For that, you need EmailAnalytics. It shows everything about your team’s email activity—emails sent and received, busiest times and days, email thread data, and more. Sign up for a free trial to see how it works. Regardless of whether you choose Salesforce or HubSpot, EmailAnalytics complements your CRM with the email analytics neither platform provides.

Frequently Asked Questions About Salesforce vs HubSpot