Pipedrive vs HubSpot CRM: which fits a small sales team?
HubSpot starts free and grows into a large platform; Pipedrive is a sales pipeline CRM with a free trial instead of a free plan. Here is how their plans, prices and limits compare for a small team.
Quick answer
- Want to start at $0? HubSpot has a free CRM for up to 2 users and 1,000 contacts, with no expiry date. Pipedrive has no free plan, but every plan has a 14-day free trial with no card.
- Cheapest paid seat: HubSpot Starter is $7 a seat a month billed annually as a limited-time new-customer offer (HubSpot says it is normally $20). Pipedrive Lite is $14 a seat billed annually.
- Growing into advanced sales tools: Pipedrive’s top plans are $59 and $79 a seat with free implementation on plans over $400 a year. HubSpot Sales Hub Professional starts at $100 a seat a month plus a $1,500 one-time onboarding fee.
- In short: HubSpot is best for teams that want a free start and a single platform for marketing, sales and service. Pipedrive is best for sales teams that want a pipeline-focused CRM with predictable per-seat pricing.
Side by side
| Pipedrive | HubSpot CRM | |
|---|---|---|
| Free option | 14-day free trial on every plan, no credit card | Free CRM for up to 2 users and 1,000 contacts, no expiry, no credit card |
| Entry paid plan | Lite: $14 a seat (annual), $24 (monthly) | Starter: $7 a seat (annual), $10 (monthly), new-customer offer; normally $20 |
| Mid plan | Growth: $39 a seat (annual) | Sales Hub Professional: from $100 a seat a month |
| Top plan | Ultimate: $79 a seat (annual) | Sales Hub Enterprise: from $150 a seat a month, billed annually |
| One-time fees | None listed; free implementation on plans over $400 a year | $1,500 onboarding (Professional), $3,500 (Enterprise) |
| Annual-billing saving | Up to 42% | Starter: $7 vs $10 on the current offer |
| Free trial of paid tools | 14 days, every plan | 14 days of HubSpot’s sales tools |
Prices per seat per month in US dollars, excluding tax, read on Pipedrive’s and HubSpot’s own pages on October 16, 2026. Figures written out in full (such as HubSpot’s Professional price and onboarding fees) come from HubSpot’s product catalogue.
Pricing in detail
Pipedrive
| Plan | Billed annually | Billed monthly | What you get |
|---|---|---|---|
| Lite per seat / month | $14 | $24 | Deal and pipeline management, calendar view and activity management · Marketplace with 500+ integrations · AI-powered report creation 2,500 leads and deals x seats · 30 custom fields |
| Growth per seat / month | $39 | $49 | Two-way email sync with open and click tracking · Automations (50) and sequences (5) · Forecast view and revenue forecast reports 5,000 leads and deals x seats · 100 custom fields |
| Premium per seat / month | $59 | $79 | LeadBooster, Projects and Smart Docs (e-signatures) add-ons included · Custom scoring and firmographic enrichment · Automatic assignment, team inbox 15,000 leads and deals x seats · 300 custom fields |
| Ultimate per seat / month | $79 | $99 | Security alerts, security rules, device history and audit log · Non-developer sandbox account · Extended phone support 20,000 leads and deals x seats · 500 custom fields |
HubSpot CRM
| Plan | Billed annually | Billed monthly | What you get |
|---|---|---|---|
| Free account (up to 2 users) | $0 | $0 | Track deals · Engage visitors with live chat · Schedule meetings without the back-and-forth Up to 2 users · 1,000 contacts |
| Starter per seat / month, new-customer offer (normally $20) | $7 | $10 | Limited-time new-customer offer: up to 65% off · Unlimited users with seats purchased per user · Email and live chat support Offer for new customers only, limited time; normal price $20/month per seat |
| Sales Hub Professional per Sales Seat / month (additional Core Seats $50/month) | $100 per seat / month | – | Find and engage high-value prospects · Customize sales workflows and sequences · Record and transcribe calls $1,500 one-time required onboarding |
| Sales Hub Enterprise per Sales Seat / month, billed annually (additional Core Seats $75/month) | $150 per seat / month, billed annually | – | Custom objects · Manage complex pipelines · Advanced analytics and reporting $3,500 one-time required onboarding |
HubSpot’s Starter price is a limited-time offer for new customers, and HubSpot notes that a Starter bill can change if you add seats, buy an add-on or capacity pack, or go over an included limit. Ask how long the discounted price lasts before you commit for a year.
What a team pays
Both charge per seat on paid plans. Move the slider to your team size to compare their entry plans, and the other CRMs we track, on annual or monthly billing.
What will your team pay?
Move the slider to your team size. Totals multiply each plan's published per-seat price by your seats. Add-ons and tax are not included.
Prices read on vendor pricing pages on October 14–16, 2026. Plans without a published per-seat price are left out.
For a team of one or two, HubSpot’s free CRM may be all you need. For larger teams, compare the total for each paid plan you would actually use, including HubSpot’s onboarding fee if you are looking at Professional or Enterprise.
Where each one fits
Pipedrive is built around the sales pipeline: every plan includes lead, calendar and pipeline management, AI report creation and 500+ integrations, and email sync with tracking, automations and sequences arrive on Growth. Premium adds lead capture (LeadBooster), project tracking and e-signatures without extra add-on fees. Read our full Pipedrive pricing guide →
HubSpot starts as a free CRM and is part of a wider platform with marketing, sales, service and content tools (Marketing Hub, Sales Hub, Service Hub and more). Starter adds paid seats with team permission controls; Sales Hub Professional and Enterprise add advanced sales tools with higher per-seat prices and a one-time onboarding fee.
Pros and things to consider
Pros of Pipedrive
- Pipeline, calendar and AI reports on every plan.
- 14-day trial of any plan, no card; co-workers can join.
- No onboarding fees; free implementation on plans over $400 a year.
- Premium includes LeadBooster, Projects and Smart Docs.
Things to consider with Pipedrive
- No free plan after the trial.
- Email sync and automations start on Growth.
- Campaigns and Web Visitors are paid add-ons on every plan.
Pros of HubSpot CRM
- Free CRM for up to 2 users and 1,000 contacts, with no expiry date.
- Low entry price on Starter for new customers ($7 a seat, annual).
- One platform for marketing, sales and service as you grow.
- 14-day free trial of HubSpot’s sales tools.
Things to consider with HubSpot CRM
- The Starter price is a limited-time new-customer offer; HubSpot lists $20 a seat as the normal price.
- Sales Hub Professional and Enterprise have one-time onboarding fees ($1,500 and $3,500).
- The bill can change with extra seats, add-ons or going over included limits.
What research says about using a CRM
A peer-reviewed 2026 study of 103 small and medium food and beverage businesses in East Java, Indonesia found that customer relationship management had a significant effect on business performance (Indrawati, Prasetyo and Rusdiyanto, Problems and Perspectives in Management, doi:10.21511/ppm.24(1).2026.19). It studied the practice of managing customer relationships, not a specific product, so use it as context for why a CRM matters rather than as a comparison of Pipedrive and HubSpot.
What customers say
2030 Builders, a small Danish sustainability-platform company, moved from tracking leads in Excel spreadsheets to HubSpot’s Starter Customer Platform. HubSpot reports that the company attributes 33% of its revenue to lead generation and nurturing through HubSpot. Co-founder Mia Negru calls HubSpot “a founder’s best friend”.
Pure Bookkeeping, which serves more than 700 bookkeepers in Canada, the US and Australia, replaced a mix of tools with HubSpot’s Starter Customer Platform. HubSpot reports the company saw a return on investment within its first 90 days.
Guy Thornton, Managing Director of Picked Group Ltd, says Pipedrive’s flexibility and integrations are what make it useful for his team, because it connects with the rest of their sales and account-management tools.
Watch both in action
Which is best for you?
- Best for a one- or two-person business starting at $0: HubSpot CRM Free, because it has no expiry and covers up to 2 users and 1,000 contacts.
- Best for a small sales team that wants pipeline tools and email sync: Pipedrive Growth ($39 a seat, annual), with no onboarding fee.
- Best for teams that also want marketing and service tools in one place: HubSpot Starter, as long as you check how long the new-customer price lasts.
- Best for teams that need lead capture, projects and e-signatures without add-on fees: Pipedrive Premium ($59 a seat, annual).
Common questions
Is HubSpot cheaper than Pipedrive?
To start, yes: HubSpot’s CRM is free for up to 2 users, and its Starter offer is $7 a seat (annual) against Pipedrive Lite at $14. HubSpot’s normal Starter price is $20 a seat, and its Professional plan starts at $100 a seat plus a $1,500 onboarding fee, while Pipedrive’s top plan is $79 a seat with no onboarding fee. Which is cheaper depends on the plan and team size you need.
Does Pipedrive have a free plan like HubSpot?
No. Pipedrive offers a 14-day free trial of every plan with no credit card. HubSpot’s free CRM has no expiry date.
Can I try both before paying?
Yes. Pipedrive has a 14-day trial of every plan, and HubSpot has a free CRM plus a 14-day free trial of its sales tools.
Which one has onboarding fees?
HubSpot lists one-time required onboarding of $1,500 for Sales Hub Professional and $3,500 for Enterprise. Pipedrive says implementation is free on plans worth more than $400 a year.
Sources
- Pipedrive pricing page and plan comparison, pipedrive.com/en/pricing, read October 16, 2026.
- HubSpot free CRM, hubspot.com/products/crm; Starter offer, hubspot.com/products/crm/starter; Sales Hub, hubspot.com/products/sales; all read October 16, 2026.
- HubSpot Product & Services Catalog (seat prices and onboarding fees), legal.hubspot.com, read October 16, 2026.
- Indrawati, M., Prasetyo, I. and Rusdiyanto, R. (2026). Problems and Perspectives in Management, 24(1), 274–291. doi:10.21511/ppm.24(1).2026.19.
- HubSpot case studies: 2030 Builders and Pure Bookkeeping.
- Videos: Pipedrive (@pipedrive) and HubSpot (@HubSpot-CRM) on YouTube.