HubSpot vs Salesforce Starter: Complete Comparison (2026)
An in-depth comparison of HubSpot and Salesforce Starter to help you choose the right tool for your business.
Last updated: November 2026
HubSpot
6.9/10
HubSpot is a CRM platform with a free tier and paid per-seat Sales Hub plans, plus companion marketing and service hubs, aimed at small and mid-sized businesses.
Salesforce Starter
5.7/10
Salesforce Starter Suite is an entry-level CRM bundling sales, service and email marketing tools with Slack and AI for small businesses.
Feature-by-Feature Comparison
| Feature | | S Salesforce Starter |
|---|---|---|
| Scores | ||
| Overall Rating | 6.9/10 | 5.7/10 |
| Customization | 6/10 | 5/10 |
| Analytics | 7/10 | 6/10 |
| Integration | 9/10 | 6/10 |
| Support | 6/10 | 4/10 |
| Ease of Use | 8/10 | 5/10 |
| Security | 7/10 | 8/10 |
| Cost | 5/10 | 5/10 |
| Scalability | 7/10 | 8/10 |
| Pricing | ||
| Free plan | Yes | No |
| Cheapest paid plan | $20/user/mo Sales Hub Starter | $25/user/mo Starter Suite |
| Estimated cost for 10 users | $200/mo Sales Hub Starter | $250/mo Starter Suite |
| Features | ||
| Contact Management | ||
| Customer Support Management | ||
| Integrations | ||
| Marketing Automation | ||
| Mobile Access | ||
| Opportunity Management | ||
| Reporting & Analytics | ||
| Sales Automation | ||
| Built-in Calling | Not listed | |
| Collaboration | Not listed | |
| Lead Management | Not listed | |
HubSpot vs Salesforce Starter cost by team size
HubSpot costs less at every team size we checked.
| Team size | HubSpot | Salesforce Starter |
|---|---|---|
| 1 user | FreeFree | $25/moStarter Suite |
| 5 users | $100/moSales Hub Starter | $125/moStarter Suite |
| 10 users | $200/moSales Hub Starter | $250/moStarter Suite |
| 25 users | $500/moSales Hub Starter | $625/moStarter Suite |
| 50 users | $1,000/moSales Hub Starter | $1,250/moStarter Suite |
The plan that fits each team size, billed monthly, before add-ons and usage charges. Each cost opens that tool's pricing calculator for the team size.
Which One Should You Choose?
Why choose HubSpot
- Has a free plan (Salesforce Starter does not)
- Lower estimated cost for 10 users: $200/mo vs $250/mo
- Higher Integration score (9/10 vs 6/10)
- Higher Ease of Use score (8/10 vs 5/10)
- Better fit for marketing teams (8/10 vs 4/10)
SWhy choose Salesforce Starter
- Higher Security score (8/10 vs 7/10)
- Higher Scalability score (8/10 vs 7/10)
Pros & Cons
HubSpot
Pros
- The free CRM has no time limit and covers contacts, deals, tickets, a shared inbox, a reporting dashboard and mobile apps.
- The HubSpot Marketplace lists over 2,000 integrations.
- Sales, marketing and service hubs share one customer database, so teams avoid syncing separate tools.
- G2 reviewers often praise the sales automation and how easy everyday use is.
Cons
- The free tier is now limited to two users and 1,000 contacts.
- Professional and Enterprise tiers require one-time onboarding fees of $1,500 to $7,000, depending on the hub.
- Reviewers report a steep price jump from Starter to Professional, and extra costs from marketing-contact tiers and credits.
- Reviewers cite annual contract lock-in and setup and administration complexity as recurring complaints.
SSalesforce Starter
Pros
- At $25 per user per month with monthly billing, it is one of the cheapest ways to get onto the Salesforce platform.
- Sales, service and email marketing come in one product instead of separate clouds.
- Includes a free Slack workspace connected to the CRM, which helps team collaboration.
- Salesforce lists no maximum user count, and teams can upgrade to Pro and higher editions without migrating data.
- Reviewers praise its reporting and its unlimited contacts.
Cons
- Moving from Starter to Pro Suite quadruples the price to $100 per user per month and requires an annual contract.
- Reviewers report limited customization and automation compared with higher Salesforce tiers.
- Reviewers say it has a steeper learning curve than HubSpot or Pipedrive.
- Reviewers say support on the cheaper plans is weak, and Trustpilot complaints mention difficulty cancelling contracts.
- Salesforce states that transaction fees apply to Starter.
Not sold on either?
Frequently Asked Questions
HubSpot scores higher on our CRM criteria: 6.9/10 against 5.7/10 for Salesforce Starter. The largest gap is in Ease of Use: 8/10 for HubSpot and 5/10 for Salesforce Starter.
HubSpot costs less for 10 users: about $200/mo on its Sales Hub Starter plan, against about $250/mo on its Starter Suite plan for Salesforce Starter, billed monthly.
HubSpot has a free plan; Salesforce Starter does not list one.
HubSpot is the better fit for enterprise: we rate it 6/10 for them, against 2/10 for Salesforce Starter.
