Small-business CRM
HubSpotReviewed by Vetteroo review
Small businesses that want free contact management now and marketing, sales and service tools later.
We check it out so you don’t have to.
Disclosure: Some links on this page are affiliate links. If you buy through them, we may earn a commission at no extra cost to you. We only recommend things we believe are useful. Read our full disclosure.
- What it is
- CRM and marketing, sales and service software
- Best for
- Free start, grows into a full suite
- Price
- Free CRM; Starter $20/seat/mo regular, checked October 28, 2026
- Prices checked
- October 28, 2026
We researched HubSpot's official pricing, plan terms, product pages, help documentation and Trustpilot profile. We haven't used HubSpot ourselves, so this is a research-based review, not a hands-on test.
Who it’s best for
- Small businesses that want a free CRM to start.
- Teams that may later add marketing, sales and service tools.
- People who want many integrations and learning resources.
Who should skip it
- Probably not the best fit if you need a low-cost CRM for a large team on upper tiers.
How it works day to day
This part draws on HubSpot’s own product pages, help center and documentation, read October 28, 2026 (listed under Sources). We haven’t used HubSpot ourselves.
Day to day, you log contacts and deals, track emails and calls, move deals through a pipeline, and send marketing emails on paid hubs.
Key features in use
- Contact, company and deal records.
- Email tracking and meeting scheduling.
- Deal pipelines.
- Marketing email and forms.
- Help desk and live chat.
Setup and learning curve
You sign up free, import contacts, connect your email, and set up a deal pipeline.
Integrations
HubSpot has a large app marketplace, including Gmail, Outlook, Zoom, Slack, Shopify and QuickBooks.
Support
Free users get community help and HubSpot Academy; paid plans add email, chat and phone support.
Real-world use cases
- A small agency tracks leads and deals.
- A shop sends marketing emails from its CRM.
- A service team handles support tickets.
What it costs
Prices checked October 28, 2026, from HubSpot’s own pricing page unless noted. Prices change often, so check the official page before you buy.
- Free CRM: $0 for up to 2 users.
- Starter Customer Platform: regular price $20 a seat a month.
- Current promo (as of October 28, 2026): up to 65% off Starter for new customers, about $7 a seat a month billed yearly or $10 month to month.
- Professional and Enterprise hubs cost much more and add marketing contacts and onboarding fees.
- Starter includes 500 credits a month for AI features.
What we like
- Free CRM for up to 2 users.
- Marketing, sales and service tools in one platform.
- Large app marketplace and free HubSpot Academy courses.
- Easy to start without setup help.
- Current promo for new customers on Starter.
What to watch for
- Trustpilot showed 1.5 out of 5 from about 1,175 reviews as of October 28, 2026, with recent reviews complaining about charges for add-ons, contract lock-in and cancellation.
- Bills rise with seats, contacts and higher tiers.
- The promo price applies to new customers only; the regular Starter price is $20 a seat a month.
- Professional and Enterprise plans have onboarding fees.
The fine print
- Yearly commitments are common on paid plans; check the term before you buy.
- Prices are shown before tax.
- Our first check showed Canadian dollars from our location; the US prices above are from HubSpot's US pages.
The main alternative: Pipedrive Reviewed by Vetteroo
Pipedrive is a sales-focused CRM with a simple visual pipeline and clear per-seat pricing.
What it costs: $14/seat/mo (Lite) billed yearly, checked October 26, 2026
Read our full Pipedrive review · Pipedrive vs HubSpot
Pick HubSpotReviewed by Vetteroo if you…
- want a free CRM to start.
- expect to add marketing tools later.
- want lots of integrations.
Pick PipedriveReviewed by Vetteroo if you…
- only need sales pipeline tools.
- want simpler pricing.
Our take
HubSpot's free CRM is an easy way to start, and the platform can grow with you. Outside reviews are poor, especially about billing, and costs climb fast on higher tiers, so read the contract terms. Compare Pipedrive if you only need a sales pipeline.
Side by side
| Company | Best for | Starting price | Trial / refund |
|---|---|---|---|
| HubSpot Reviewed by Vetteroo | Free start, grows into a full suite | Free CRM; Starter $20/seat/mo regular, checked October 28, 2026 | Free tools |
| Pipedrive Reviewed by Vetteroo | Visual deal pipelines | $14/seat/mo (Lite) billed yearly, checked October 26, 2026 | 14-day trial |
From our company records. Check the official pages for current prices.
What we checked
- HubSpot's pricing page and plan terms, read October 28, 2026
- HubSpot's Trustpilot profile, read October 28, 2026
- Pipedrive's details: from our existing company record and review, not re-checked on October 28, 2026
- HubSpot's feature, help and integration pages listed below (links checked October 28, 2026)
Sources
How we review
We read the company's own terms, test the sign-up or booking steps where we can, and compare it with alternatives. A commission never changes what we write. Read our disclosure.
Disclosure: Some links on this page are affiliate links. If you buy through them, we may earn a commission at no extra cost to you. We only recommend things we believe are useful. Read our full disclosure.