10 Best HubSpot Alternatives for Small Businesses in 2027
HubSpot combines customer relationship management, sales tools, marketing automation, and customer service features in one platform. But not every small business needs the entire package. If you’re looking for a simpler sales pipeline, lower-cost email marketing, or a CRM that fits your team’s workflow, these HubSpot alternatives are worth considering. Here is what to know about HubSpot alternatives before you decide.
Quick verdict: What is the best HubSpot alternative?
The best alternative depends on which HubSpot products you use. Replacing Sales Hub is a different decision from replacing Marketing Hub or moving away from HubSpot’s entire customer platform.
Best overall alternative to evaluate: Zoho CRM. It offers a broad set of sales CRM features and a tiered product lineup that can suit businesses with different requirements.
Best for sales pipeline management: Pipedrive. Its sales-first design is worth considering if your team mainly needs to organize leads, track deals, and manage follow-ups.
Best low-entry-price sales CRM: Freshsales. Its Growth plan is advertised at a relatively low annual-billing price, though the features available on higher tiers may affect the real cost.
Best for email-led marketing: Brevo. It is worth evaluating if your main need is email campaigns and customer communication rather than a full sales CRM suite.
Best for an all-in-one budget option: EngageBay. It combines CRM, marketing, and customer support capabilities, but check contact limits and which plan includes the automations you need.
There is also an option that is easy to overlook: staying on HubSpot’s free or lower-tier plan. If it already supports your process, switching could introduce migration work and new limitations without delivering enough savings.
Why do small businesses look for HubSpot alternatives?
HubSpot can be a good fit for businesses that want customer data, sales activity, marketing, and service tools in a connected platform. The challenge is that small businesses may not need every feature, or may find that the plan required for their workflow costs more than expected.
1. The required features are on a higher tier
An entry-level plan may cover the basics, while advanced automation, reporting, permissions, or other capabilities may require an upgrade. The important question is not simply whether a CRM is inexpensive at entry level, but what your team must pay to use its essential features.
2. You only need a sales CRM
If your team mainly tracks leads, contacts, opportunities, and follow-up activities, a dedicated sales CRM may be easier to evaluate and manage than a broader marketing and service platform.
3. Your primary need is email marketing
Businesses that mainly send newsletters, campaigns, and customer lifecycle emails may find that a marketing-focused service offers a better fit. A dedicated marketing platform, however, may not replace all of HubSpot’s sales and service functionality.
4. Your team wants a simpler workflow
Some businesses prefer a focused sales pipeline. Others need customizable boards, a Google Workspace-centered workflow, or integrated calling tools. Choosing a CRM built around the team’s daily work can reduce unnecessary configuration.
5. You want predictable costs as the business grows
Compare how each product charges for seats, contacts, email volume, automation, and add-ons. A low entry price can become less attractive when you add users or need advanced functionality.
For a wider comparison of tools aimed at small teams, see our guide to the best CRM software for small businesses.
HubSpot alternatives for small business: hubSpot alternatives compared
This table is a starting point for narrowing your shortlist. Prices are indicative US-facing starting prices from vendor pages or current product pricing information, not a guarantee of the final amount for your account. Annual billing, region, taxes, contacts, seat minimums, and feature limits can affect the total.
| Alternative | Best for | Indicative starting price | Free access | Main consideration |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Zoho CRM | Broad CRM functionality | Free tier; Standard advertised at $14/user/month annually | Yes, up to 3 users | More advanced features are on paid tiers |
| Pipedrive | Sales pipeline management | Lite advertised at $14/seat/month annually | 14-day trial | Automation and advanced tools depend on plan |
| Freshsales | Small sales teams | Growth advertised at $9/user/month annually | Check current offer and eligibility | Sequences and advanced sales features require higher tiers |
| EngageBay | Combined sales and marketing | Plan and billing dependent; verify current offer | Limited free tier | Contact limits and automation features vary by plan |
| monday Sales CRM | Customizable visual workflows | Basic advertised at $12/seat/month annually | Trial; confirm current terms | Seat bundles and plan limits affect total cost |
| ActiveCampaign | Marketing automation | Depends on contacts, plan, and billing | Trial; check current offer | Contact volume can increase cost |
| Brevo | Email-led marketing | Starter advertised from $9/month | Yes, with sending limits | Automation features vary by plan |
| Close | Outbound sales and calling | Solo advertised from $9/user/month annually; team plans cost more | Free trial | Calling and SMS usage can add costs |
| Copper | Google Workspace workflows | Basic advertised at $23/seat/month annually | Free trial | Contact limits and advanced features vary by tier |
| Salesforce Starter Suite | Businesses seeking Salesforce | Starter Suite advertised at $25/user/month | Check current free offers | More advanced functionality can increase cost substantially |
Pricing snapshot researched in October 2026. Confirm all prices, billing terms, free-tier eligibility, seat minimums, and feature inclusions on the linked vendor pages before publishing. Vendor prices and promotional offers can change.
For the fairest comparison, match each product against the features you currently use in HubSpot rather than comparing the lowest plan names alone.
The 10 best HubSpot alternatives for small businesses
1. Zoho CRM — Best overall alternative
Best for: Small businesses looking for a broad CRM with room to customize and expand.
Zoho CRM is a strong option to evaluate when HubSpot feels more extensive or expensive than your business requires. It supports core CRM functions such as leads, contacts, accounts, deals, and sales activity, with additional capabilities available across its paid tiers.
Zoho also offers a wider business software ecosystem, which may appeal to businesses that want to connect sales processes with other operational needs. Its free CRM edition is advertised for up to three users, making it worth considering for a small team starting out.
Pricing: Zoho lists a free edition for up to three users. Its Standard plan is advertised at $14 per user/month with annual billing on the US-facing pricing page. Higher tiers cost more and unlock additional features.
Potential drawback: The breadth of options can require configuration and training. Businesses should identify which modules and features they actually need before selecting a plan.
Our take: Start with Zoho CRM if you want a general-purpose CRM alternative and are comfortable comparing plan features before committing.
2. Pipedrive — Best for sales pipeline management
Best for: Small B2B teams, sales representatives, and businesses focused on moving deals through a pipeline.
Pipedrive is built around sales activities and deal management. Its interface helps teams organize opportunities, track sales stages, and manage follow-up work.
It can be a good alternative if you primarily use HubSpot to manage contacts and deals but do not need a full marketing automation platform. Pipedrive’s integrations can also help connect the CRM with other sales tools.
Pricing: Pipedrive’s Lite plan is advertised at $14 per seat/month with annual billing, and the vendor offers a 14-day trial. More advanced automation, email workflows, and sales tools depend on the plan or add-ons.
Potential drawback: Pipedrive is not a like-for-like replacement for every HubSpot marketing and service feature. You may need separate tools for email campaigns, support, or other functions.
Our take: Choose Pipedrive when sales execution is the primary problem you want to solve—not when you need every HubSpot hub in one platform.
Read our related comparison: Pipedrive vs HubSpot.
3. Freshsales — Best for smaller sales teams on a budget
Best for: Small businesses that want a sales CRM with communication and pipeline features.
Freshsales brings sales-focused customer and deal management together with communication tools. Its Growth plan includes features such as contact lifecycle stages, email and phone capabilities, custom fields, and basic workflows.
For a business that mainly needs sales tracking, it can be a practical alternative to a broader platform. The key is to check whether the required reporting, scoring, sequences, and forecasting features are available on the selected plan.
Pricing: Freshsales Growth is advertised at $9 per user/month with annual billing on its US-facing pricing page. Pro and Enterprise cost more.
Potential drawback: The entry plan may not include every advanced sales feature your team currently uses in HubSpot. Optional AI or document-related add-ons can also affect total cost.
Our take: Freshsales deserves a place on your shortlist if price and a focused sales workflow are priorities.
4. EngageBay — Best all-in-one budget alternative
Best for: Small businesses that want CRM, marketing, and customer support capabilities from one vendor.
EngageBay combines customer relationship management with marketing and service features. This makes it worth considering if you are trying to reduce the number of separate tools used for customer acquisition and support.
Depending on the plan, its feature set can include contact management, email marketing, forms, landing pages, sequences, automation, and help desk functions. The included limits matter, especially for growing contact lists and more complex workflows.
Pricing: EngageBay has a limited free offering and paid plans. Check its current pricing page for the latest prices, contact limits, billing options, and feature allocation.
Potential drawback: A low entry price does not necessarily mean every marketing automation or CRM feature is included. Some functions require an upgrade, and contact allowances can be restrictive.
Our take: Consider EngageBay if you want a combined platform, but test your essential automation and support workflows before migrating.
5. monday Sales CRM — Best for customizable workflows
Best for: Teams that want visual boards, configurable fields, and sales processes connected to wider business workflows.
monday Sales CRM takes a visual, board-based approach to organizing leads, contacts, deals, and sales activities. Its flexibility can be useful when sales work connects to account handoffs, onboarding, or other internal processes.
Rather than choosing a product only for its default sales pipeline, teams can evaluate how well its boards, dashboards, and automations fit their actual workflow.
Pricing: monday Sales CRM Basic is advertised at $12 per seat/month with annual billing on its US-facing pricing page. Standard and Pro cost more, and seat bundles and plan limits can affect the total.
Potential drawback: A configurable workspace requires consistent setup. If you need advanced sales reporting, email automation, or larger automation quotas, verify the exact plan requirements.
Our take: monday CRM is worth evaluating when flexibility and collaboration across teams matter as much as pipeline tracking.
6. ActiveCampaign — Best for marketing automation
Best for: Businesses that rely on email marketing, customer journeys, and automated communication.
ActiveCampaign is worth considering if the marketing automation part of HubSpot is more important to your business than its broader CRM workspace.
Its feature set includes email marketing and automation, with plan-dependent segmentation, integrations, landing pages, and customer journey capabilities. Businesses with complex lifecycle campaigns should assess its automation tools against their current HubSpot workflows.
Pricing: Pricing depends on the plan, contact count, and selected configuration. Use the official pricing page to calculate the cost for your actual list size and feature requirements.
Potential drawback: Contact-based pricing can increase as your list grows. ActiveCampaign may also require a separate CRM or service tool if you need functionality beyond its supported sales features.
Our take: Choose ActiveCampaign when automation is central to marketing performance, rather than simply looking for the cheapest general-purpose CRM.
7. Brevo — Best for email-led marketing
Best for: Small businesses that mainly need email campaigns and customer communications.
Brevo offers email marketing and other customer communication tools, alongside sales-related capabilities. It can be a good candidate if you use HubSpot mostly for newsletters, campaign delivery, and basic customer communication.
Brevo offers a free plan with limits, and its Starter plan is advertised from $9 per month. The price and available features depend on the configuration and sending requirements.
Potential drawback: The lowest-cost plan may not include the advanced automation or sales functionality you expect. Check sending volumes, contact management, automation, and branding limits carefully.
Our take: Brevo is worth evaluating if email is your primary use case. It should not be treated as a complete replacement for every HubSpot hub without a feature-by-feature review.
8. Close — Best for outbound sales teams
Best for: Sales teams that spend much of their day calling, emailing, and following up with prospects.
Close brings sales CRM workflows together with calling, email, and sales communication capabilities. It is particularly relevant for outbound teams that want customer records and sales conversations closely connected.
Its plans include different calling, automation, reporting, and AI-related features. The best fit depends on how your team prospect, the number of users, and how much calling or messaging it does.
Pricing: Close advertises an annual-billing Solo plan from $9 per user/month, but its team-oriented Essentials plan is advertised at $35 per user/month annually. Calling and SMS usage can add costs.
Potential drawback: It is not primarily a substitute for HubSpot’s full marketing platform. Usage-based communication costs and the correct team tier need to be included in your budget.
Our take: Consider Close if outbound sales and communication are your primary workflows.
9. Copper — Best for Google Workspace users
Best for: Teams that use Google Workspace extensively and want a CRM connected to their existing work habits.
Copper is a CRM to consider if your team works heavily with Gmail and Google’s productivity tools. It offers contact and pipeline management, with additional reporting, automation, and email capabilities across higher tiers.
Pricing: Copper’s US-facing pricing page advertises Basic at $23 per seat/month with annual billing. Professional and Business cost more and offer additional features.
Potential drawback: Copper’s contact limits and feature availability differ by tier. Its higher plans may be expensive for a small business that needs advanced automation and reporting.
Our take: Evaluate Copper if Google Workspace integration is a major factor in your CRM decision, and compare the total price against your required feature set.
10. Salesforce Starter Suite — Best for a Salesforce growth path
Best for: Small businesses that want to start with Salesforce and may need its wider ecosystem as they grow.
Salesforce is a major CRM platform with sales, service, automation, reporting, and ecosystem capabilities. Starter Suite is designed for businesses that want a more accessible entry point into Salesforce.
The product can be worth evaluating if you expect to need more sophisticated CRM processes later. However, the plan that suits a small team today may differ significantly from the plan required as the business becomes more complex.
Pricing: Salesforce Starter Suite is advertised at $25 per user/month on its US-facing pricing page. Confirm the latest free offers, transaction fees, billing terms, and plan requirements directly with Salesforce.
Potential drawback: Costs and complexity can increase as your needs expand into more advanced functionality. Do not assume the entry suite includes every capability available across Salesforce products.
Our take: Consider Salesforce if its ecosystem and longer-term direction fit your business. If you only need basic contact and deal management, a simpler CRM may be easier to operate.
What are the best free HubSpot alternatives?
If your main reason for leaving HubSpot is cost, start by identifying the minimum functionality you need. A free CRM can be sufficient for contact and deal tracking, while email marketing and automation tools may impose separate limits.
Zoho CRM
Zoho advertises a free CRM edition for up to three users. Check the edition’s record, feature, and customization limits before migrating.
Brevo
Brevo offers a free plan with email sending and feature limits. It is most relevant when customer communication and email campaigns are central to the use case.
EngageBay
EngageBay offers limited free access to its combined product. Confirm the contact allowance and which automation or support capabilities are included.
HubSpot Free CRM
If your current setup already works, HubSpot’s own free tools may be a better option than migrating. Confirm the current user and feature limits.
Free-plan limits can change, and free access to one product does not mean all sales, marketing, and service functions are free. Compare the precise features your business uses before making a decision.
For a broader shortlist, see our guide to the best free CRM software.
Which HubSpot alternative is best for your business?
Best alternative for sales teams
Start by comparing Pipedrive, Freshsales, and Zoho CRM. Pipedrive is built around sales pipeline management, Freshsales offers sales communication and workflow features, and Zoho CRM provides a broader set of CRM modules and paid editions.
Review the best B2B sales CRM platforms if your team manages longer sales cycles, multiple stakeholders, and business accounts.
Best alternative for marketing automation
Consider ActiveCampaign if customer journeys and marketing automation are your priority, or Brevo if you mainly need email marketing and customer communications. EngageBay may be worth testing if you want sales, marketing, and support capabilities together.
Before migrating, list the forms, lists, segments, campaigns, automation triggers, and reporting workflows you currently use. Verify whether each alternative supports them on the plan you can afford.
Best alternative for a startup
Startups should avoid paying for advanced functionality before they need it, but should also avoid choosing a plan that cannot support the first meaningful stage of growth.
Zoho CRM, Freshsales, and Pipedrive are useful candidates to compare, depending on whether the startup needs a general CRM, a budget sales workspace, or a focused pipeline.
Explore our guide to the best CRM for startups for more options.
Best alternative for a small business
For a small business, compare the number of users, required features, setup effort, and support needs. Pipedrive may suit a sales-focused team, while Zoho CRM may appeal to businesses that want a wider CRM feature set.
For more recommendations, visit our guide to the best CRM software for small businesses.
Best alternative if you’re also considering Salesforce
Salesforce Starter Suite is worth evaluating if you want to enter the Salesforce ecosystem. HubSpot may still be preferable if your business relies on its existing marketing workflows and wants customer data and campaigns closely connected.
Read our comparison of HubSpot vs Salesforce for small business before making a broader platform decision.
Best alternative for mobile and remote teams
Most of the CRM options in this guide offer browser-based access, and several provide mobile apps. Test your team’s real tasks: looking up a contact, updating a deal, logging a call, and checking follow-up reminders.
Our guide to the best mobile CRM apps can help you compare options for sales representatives working away from their desks.
HubSpot alternatives for small business: how to compare the real cost of HubSpot alternatives
The cheapest advertised plan is not necessarily the cheapest way to run your business. Compare the total cost of the features and usage your team actually requires.
1. Calculate the full seat cost
Multiply the per-user price by the number of seats you need. Check whether the vendor requires seat bundles or minimums and whether annual billing is necessary to get the advertised rate.
2. Check contact and email limits
Marketing platforms may price based on contacts, email volume, or both. A plan that looks inexpensive with a small list can cost more as your audience grows.
3. Identify the tier that includes essential features
List the capabilities you cannot lose, such as workflow automation, email sequences, advanced reporting, permissions, or sales forecasting. Compare the cheapest plan that includes those features rather than comparing entry tiers alone.
4. Include add-ons and usage charges
Phone calls, SMS, AI usage, data enrichment, premium integrations, and extra automation capacity may be charged separately. Include them in your estimate if your team relies on them.
5. Factor in migration and administration
Moving to a new CRM takes time. Budget for data cleanup, field mapping, workflow rebuilding, integration setup, testing, and team training. A modest subscription saving may not justify a difficult migration.
A useful rule: compare the total annual cost of the setup you actually need, including required add-ons and implementation effort. Do not choose a CRM based only on the lowest headline price.
How to switch from HubSpot without losing important data
Before moving to another platform, identify which parts of HubSpot your team uses and what must be preserved. A CRM migration can affect more than contact records.
- Export contacts, companies, deals, and relevant notes.
- Document custom properties, lifecycle stages, and pipeline stages.
- Review associations between contacts, companies, and deals.
- Identify the activity and email history your team needs to retain.
- Document forms, lists, segments, and marketing automation workflows.
- List integrations that must be reconnected or replaced.
- Check how consent, unsubscribe status, and other marketing preferences will transfer.
- Test the import with a sample dataset and validate record relationships.
- Rebuild essential automations and test them before going live.
- Train users and set a clear date for the final transition.
Do not assume every field, activity, email, or automation will transfer automatically. Check the source and destination systems’ current export and import documentation, and keep a verified backup before making changes.
Should you migrate everything at once?
Not necessarily. If your business uses HubSpot for multiple functions, you might replace only the expensive or unnecessary part first. For example, you could change the sales CRM while retaining a marketing platform that already supports your campaigns.
A phased approach can reduce disruption, but it requires clear ownership of customer records and careful handling of data synchronization. Avoid running overlapping automations that could send duplicate messages or update the same record inconsistently.
Final verdict: Which HubSpot alternative should you choose?
Zoho CRM is a strong general-purpose alternative to evaluate if you want a broad CRM and a choice of editions. Pipedrive is a strong candidate for sales-first teams that mainly need to manage deals and follow-ups. Freshsales deserves a look for smaller teams focused on sales functionality and entry-level cost.
If marketing automation is the main reason you use HubSpot, compare ActiveCampaign and Brevo based on your campaigns, contact count, and automation requirements. If you want several customer-facing functions in one product, test EngageBay’s plan limits and feature set. For visual workflows, consider monday Sales CRM; for outbound calling, Close; for Google Workspace, Copper; and for a Salesforce-oriented growth path, Starter Suite.
But do not switch simply because another vendor advertises a lower starting price. If HubSpot’s existing free or paid plan meets your needs, retaining it may be the simpler and more cost-effective choice.
Make your shortlist before you migrate
Choose two or three alternatives, test your essential workflows, calculate the total annual cost, and verify that the data you need can be migrated.
Frequently asked questions
What is the best HubSpot alternative for small businesses?
Zoho CRM is a strong option for businesses looking for a broad CRM. Pipedrive may be better for sales pipeline management, Freshsales for a budget-focused sales workflow, and Brevo or ActiveCampaign for email-led marketing. The right choice depends on which HubSpot features you need to replace.
What is the cheapest HubSpot alternative?
There is no single cheapest option for every use case. Zoho CRM offers a free edition for up to three users, Brevo has a free email marketing plan with limits, and EngageBay offers limited free access. For paid plans, compare the exact features, seat count, contacts, and usage you require.
Is there a free HubSpot alternative?
Yes. Zoho CRM offers a free edition for up to three users, Brevo offers a limited free plan, and EngageBay offers limited free access. HubSpot also has its own free CRM tools, which may be enough if your needs are basic.
Is Zoho CRM better than HubSpot?
Zoho CRM may suit businesses that want a broad CRM with different paid editions and a wider business-app ecosystem. HubSpot may be preferable if your team relies on its connected marketing, sales, and service workflows. Compare your required features rather than treating one as universally better.
Is Pipedrive a good alternative to HubSpot?
Pipedrive is worth considering if you primarily use HubSpot for leads, deals, sales pipelines, and follow-up activities. It is not a complete replacement for every HubSpot marketing and service capability, so additional tools may be needed.
Which HubSpot alternative is best for marketing automation?
ActiveCampaign is worth evaluating for customer journeys and email automation, while Brevo is a candidate for email-led marketing. EngageBay may be useful if you want marketing, CRM, and customer support capabilities together. Compare automation triggers, segmentation, contact limits, and the required subscription tier.
Can I move my HubSpot data to another CRM?
Many CRM platforms support importing records from spreadsheets or other systems, but not every activity, association, email, or automation necessarily transfers. Check the supported data types, test with a sample, and preserve a backup before migrating.
Why do businesses switch away from HubSpot?
Common reasons include the cost of the plan needed for specific features, a preference for a simpler sales CRM, a need for different marketing tools, or a desire to reduce complexity. Switching is not always necessary if HubSpot already meets the business’s needs.
Should I replace all of HubSpot at once?
Not necessarily. If different parts of HubSpot serve different purposes, consider replacing only the part that no longer fits. A phased transition can reduce disruption, provided you plan data ownership, integrations, and automation carefully.
How do I compare CRM pricing fairly?
Compare the annual cost for your actual number of users, required features, contact count, email volume, add-ons, and usage. Check seat minimums, billing cycles, taxes, and the plan tier needed for automation and reporting before choosing.
Editorial note: This guide is intended to help readers evaluate software options. Prices, feature availability, free-plan limits, and billing terms may change by date, region, and subscription. Confirm current terms on the vendors’ official websites before purchasing. PreferWise should disclose any affiliate relationships in accordance with its site policies.
How we evaluated these tools
We compare tools on pricing (including plan limits and add-ons), features, AI and automation, integrations, ease of use, support and fit for the use case. We use vendor pricing and documentation pages, note when information was checked, and do not let commercial relationships decide the order. Read our full ranking methodology.