Quick verdict
Why people look for HubSpot alternatives
HubSpot’s free CRM is one of the best free tiers in software — but the moment you grow into the paid hubs, the math changes. Sales Hub Professional runs roughly $90–100 per seat per month with a mandatory ~$1,500 onboarding fee, and Marketing Hub Professional starts around $890/month with contact-based scaling on top. Per-seat and per-contact pricing stack, and HubSpot’s 2026 move to “Core Seats” plus AI credits made bills harder to predict. Small teams go looking for the same CRM-plus-marketing combination without the enterprise price tag.
The 8 best HubSpot alternatives
1. Pipedrive — best sales-first CRM
Pipedrive is the CRM built for reps: a visual drag-and-drop deal pipeline, dead-simple setup, and none of HubSpot’s multi-hub complexity. Plans start at $14/user/month billed annually (there’s a 14-day trial rather than a free plan). Marketing features cost extra as add-ons, so it’s a sales tool first — but for teams that sell more than they market, it’s cheaper and faster to run than HubSpot.
2. Brevo — best for email-heavy teams
Brevo (formerly Sendinblue) is an all-in-one email, SMS, and CRM platform with unusual pricing: you pay per email sent, not per contact or per seat. The free plan covers 300 emails a day with up to 100,000 contacts stored, and paid plans start at just $9/month. If you have a large list you email infrequently, it’s dramatically cheaper than HubSpot’s Marketing Hub.
3. EngageBay — best “mini-HubSpot”
EngageBay is the closest thing to HubSpot’s all-in-one model at startup prices: marketing, sales, and support in one suite, starting at $13.79/user/month billed annually — with no mandatory onboarding fees. The free plan covers 250 contacts and 15 users. For small teams that want integrated hubs without HubSpot’s steep per-seat and contact scaling, this is the most direct swap.
4. Zoho CRM — best budget full CRM
Zoho CRM offers the lowest per-seat prices in the category: Standard is $14/user/month billed annually, with a free tier for up to 3 users. You get process management, AI features on higher tiers, and the option to bundle the whole Zoho One suite. The UI is busier than Pipedrive’s, but dollar for dollar, nothing beats it for a full-featured CRM.
5. ActiveCampaign — best marketing automation
ActiveCampaign’s automation builder is deeper and more mature than anything near HubSpot’s Starter price: plans start at $15/month billed annually (for 1,000 contacts), with contact-based rather than per-seat pricing. Note that since late 2025 all contacts count toward tiers, so large lists push the price up. Still the pick for teams whose priority is email automation sophistication per dollar.
6. Freshsales — best for small outbound teams
Freshsales (by Freshworks) is a sales-focused CRM with built-in phone and AI lead scoring at very low per-seat prices: Growth starts at $9/user/month billed annually, with a free tier for up to 3 users. It’s simpler and cheaper than HubSpot for small outbound sales teams, with native links to Freshdesk and Freshmarketer. Calling minutes are metered on top, so heavy dialers should do the math.
7. Close — best for high-velocity outbound
Close is an inside-sales CRM built around the phone: built-in calling, SMS, power and predictive dialers, and AI assistance, starting at $9/user/month billed annually on the Solo plan. Nothing in HubSpot’s marketing-first lineup works like it for dial-heavy teams. Seats plus metered calling add up, so it’s a specialist tool — but for outbound machines, it’s the specialist you want.
8. Keap — best for small service businesses
Keap bundles CRM, automation, email, SMS, payments, and appointments in one subscription aimed at coaches, consultants, and agencies: $249/month billed annually for 2 users and 1,500 contacts. The automation is deeper for small-biz workflows than HubSpot Starter, but the price floor is high and there’s no free tier. One caveat: Thryv acquired Keap and the legacy API shuts down at the end of 2026, so check the roadmap before committing.
HubSpot alternatives compared
| Tool | Starting price | Free tier | Best for |
|---|---|---|---|
| Pipedrive | $14/user/mo annual | 14-day trial | Sales-first pipeline |
| Brevo | $9/mo | 300 emails/day | Email + SMS volume |
| EngageBay | $13.79/user/mo annual | 250 contacts, 15 users | All-in-one on a budget |
| Zoho CRM | $14/user/mo annual | Up to 3 users | Cheapest full CRM |
| ActiveCampaign | $15/mo annual | 14-day trial | Marketing automation |
| Freshsales | $9/user/mo annual | Up to 3 users | Small outbound teams |
| Close | $9/user/mo annual | 14-day trial | Phone-first outbound |
| Keap | $249/mo annual | 14-day trial | Service businesses |
Prices change often — confirm on each vendor’s pricing page before buying.
Verdict: which HubSpot alternative should you pick?
Most small teams should shortlist EngageBay (closest to HubSpot’s all-in-one model) and Zoho CRM (cheapest real CRM). If selling is the job, Pipedrive; if emailing is the job, Brevo or ActiveCampaign; if dialing is the job, Close. And an honest note: if you’re happy on HubSpot’s free CRM and not yet paying for hubs, there’s no reason to switch — the free tier remains one of the best deals in software.
Frequently asked questions
Is there a free alternative to HubSpot CRM?
Yes: Zoho CRM (up to 3 users), Brevo (300 emails/day, basic CRM), Freshsales (up to 3 users), and EngageBay (250 contacts, 15 users) all offer free tiers. HubSpot’s own free CRM is also genuinely good — the paid hubs are where costs explode.
Why is HubSpot so expensive?
Per-seat pricing on the Sales and Service hubs stacks with per-contact pricing on the Marketing hub, plus mandatory onboarding fees ($1,500+ on Professional tiers). A team of five on Sales Hub Professional can easily clear $6,000/year before onboarding.
Which HubSpot alternative is best for a small business?
EngageBay for the all-in-one experience, Zoho CRM for the lowest per-seat cost, or Brevo if email marketing is the core need. All three have real free tiers so you can test before paying.
Can I migrate from HubSpot to Pipedrive or Zoho?
Yes — both offer HubSpot import tools for contacts, deals, and pipelines. Marketing assets (workflows, landing pages) need rebuilding, so budget a migration week and export everything first.