Salesforce vs HubSpot: Which Should You Choose in 2026?
We may earn a commission when you click some links on this page. It never changes which tools we include or how we rank them. See how we make money.
Short answer
In our CRM software ranking, Salesforce Sales Cloud scores 91/100 and HubSpot Sales Hub scores 88/100. Salesforce is the deeper, more configurable platform for complex sales orgs; HubSpot is cheaper to start, easier for reps and strongest when marketing shares the same database.
Pick Salesforce if…
- You have several sales motions, territories or complex approval rules
- You have, or will hire, a Salesforce admin
- You need the largest ecosystem of apps and implementation partners
Pick HubSpot if…
- Your marketing already runs on HubSpot or you want sales and marketing on one database
- You want reps productive quickly without an admin
- You're a small or mid-sized team watching total cost
What it costs
Annual billing, 10 users, from each vendor's list prices. HubSpot's one-time onboarding fees are added to the first year. Taxes and add-ons excluded.
| Need | Salesforce plan | Salesforce per year | HubSpot plan | HubSpot per year |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Contacts, deals and basic automation | Starter Suite ($25) | $3,000 | Starter ($7) | $840 |
| Plus forecasting | Pro Suite ($100) | $12,000 | Professional ($90) + $1,500 onboarding | $12,300 |
| Advanced sales platform | Core ($195) | $23,400 | Enterprise ($150) + $3,500 onboarding | $21,500 |
From year two, HubSpot Professional costs $10,800 and Enterprise $18,000 for 10 seats. Salesforce sells AI as Agentforce for Sales, from $125 per user per month, and says AI can be added to Core and above. Prices from Salesforce and HubSpot pricing pages, checked Oct 26, 2026. Vendors change plans often; confirm before you buy.
Plans and features side by side
| Feature | Salesforce | HubSpot |
|---|---|---|
| Free option | Free Suite listed at $0 | Free plan for up to 2 users |
| Entry paid plan | Starter Suite, $25/user/mo, billed monthly or annually | Starter, $7/seat/mo billed annually ($20 monthly) |
| Forecasting | Listed from Pro Suite ($100) | Listed from Professional ($90) |
| Quoting | Sales quoting listed from Pro Suite | Quote-based workflows on Enterprise; quotes and payments sold in Revenue Hub |
| Workflow automation | Sales flows and lead routing from Starter Suite | Up to 50 workflows from Starter, with restricted triggers |
| Email sequences | Not compared here | Listed from Professional, 5,000 per account |
| Onboarding fee | None listed | $1,500 on Professional, $3,500 on Enterprise |
| Top editions | Core $195, Advanced $395, Max $550 per user per month | Enterprise $150 per seat per month |
| Free trial | 30 days, no credit card | Free plan; no Sales Hub trial listed |
| G2 user rating | 4.4/5 (27,576 reviews) | 4.4/5 (14,370 reviews) |
| Vettlo score | 91/100 | 88/100 |
"Listed from" means the feature first appears on that plan on the vendor's public pricing page.
Where Salesforce is stronger
- Configurability. Objects, rules and permissions can be shaped around complex sales processes, territories and approval chains.
- Ecosystem. The largest marketplace of apps and certified implementation partners.
- Scale. Core, Advanced and Max add Slack, Tableau, stronger security and more AI for very large organizations.
Where HubSpot is stronger
- Lower cost to start. Starter is $7 per seat billed annually against $25 for Salesforce Starter Suite, and the free plan covers 2 users.
- One database with marketing. Sales and marketing share the same records, so there's no sync for RevOps to maintain.
- Rep adoption. It is easier for reps to pick up without an admin, which is why it scores higher than Salesforce on usability in our ranking.
How to decide
- Map your sales process: number of teams, territories and approval steps.
- Decide who will administer the CRM; Salesforce usually needs an admin or partner.
- Price the plan you'll need in a year, including HubSpot onboarding fees and Salesforce add-ons.
- Run your real pipeline in Salesforce's 30-day trial and HubSpot's free plan before committing.
Salesforce vs HubSpot FAQ
Is HubSpot cheaper than Salesforce?
At the entry level, yes: HubSpot Starter is $7 per seat billed annually against $25 for Salesforce Starter Suite. With forecasting, a 10-seat team pays $12,300 in year one on HubSpot Professional (including onboarding) against $12,000 on Salesforce Pro Suite.
Which is better for enterprise teams?
Salesforce, for complex processes that need custom objects, territories and permissions, and a large partner ecosystem. It scores 91/100 in our CRM ranking against 88/100 for HubSpot.
Which is easier to use?
HubSpot. Reps usually adopt it faster, while Salesforce needs more configuration and admin time.
Do they offer free versions?
HubSpot's free plan covers up to 2 users. Salesforce lists a Free Suite and offers a 30-day free trial of its editions with no credit card.
Other options
If neither fits, see our full ranking of 7 CRMs for sales teams, with who each one is for and what it costs. Or see our guide to the HubSpot alternatives.