HubSpot vs Zoho CRM
Same data, side by side: what each costs for a small team, which features sit on which plan, and where each one falls short.
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Free CRM for two users plus a broad paid suite; Sales Hub Starter adds workflows and calling, while Professional jumps to $90+ per seat and a required $1,500 onboarding.
- Core plan
- Starter, $20 /user/mo
- 5 users / month
- $100
- Year 1, 5 users
- $1,200
- Free option
- free plan
Low-cost, deep CRM with a free plan for three users that already includes workflow automation; Standard adds email integration, built-in calling and custom modules.
- Core plan
- Standard, $14 /user/mo
- 5 users / month
- $70
- Year 1, 5 users
- $840
- Free option
- free plan
Bottom line
On documented facts, Zoho CRM scores 9.9 and HubSpot 9.7 out of 10. For 5 users on each core plan with annual billing, Zoho CRM costs $840 in the first year and HubSpot $1,200, a difference of $360. The scores are close, so the deciding factor is which specific features you need on which plan (see the differences below).
Where they differ
- Email marketing: Zoho CRM ✓ from Standard; HubSpot paid add-on.
- AI assistant / AI features: HubSpot ✓ from Starter; Zoho CRM higher plans only.
- Custom objects: Zoho CRM ✓ from Standard; HubSpot higher plans only.
Choose HubSpot if
- Teams that want to start on a free 2-user CRM with Gmail/Outlook sync and move up inside one platform later
- Teams that need workflow automation, custom reporting and forecasting and can absorb a $1,500 onboarding fee (Professional, $90/seat annual)
- US teams that need HIPAA-eligible storage of PHI in the CRM (Enterprise only)
Choose Zoho CRM if
- Budget-conscious teams that want built-in calling, multiple pipelines, forecasting and custom modules from $14/user/month on annual billing
- Very small teams (up to 3 users) that need workflow automation and API access for free
- Teams already on other Zoho apps (Books, Desk, Campaigns, Sign) that want native integrations
Full comparison
 HubSpot |  Zoho CRM | |
|---|---|---|
| Overview | ||
| Fact score | 9.7 / 10 | 9.9 / 10 |
| Type | General CRM | General CRM |
| Company | HubSpot, Inc. · Cambridge, MA, USA | Zoho Corporation · Chennai, India; US office in Austin, TX |
| Price | ||
| Free plan | Free tools / free Smart CRM: up to 2 users, no time limit, no credit card. Limits per catalog: up to 1,000 contacts, 1 pipeline per object type, 10 dashboards, 3 email templates, 200 email-tracking notifications/month, 2,000 marketing email sends/month (HubSpot branding), 1 shared inbox, 1 meeting link. Includes deals, tasks, Gmail/Outlook/Exchange sync, ticketing. | Free edition: up to 3 users, permanent. Includes contact management, follow-up reminders, workflow automation, up to 10 custom email templates, tasks/meetings/calls, data import and export (export up to 10 times), standard reports, APIs (5,000 API calls/day) and mobile apps |
| Free trial | 14 days | 15 days, no card |
| Paid plans from | $20 per user / month | $14 per user / month |
| Core plan | Starter: $20 | Standard: $14 (annual) · $20 monthly |
| 5 users, year 1 | $1,200 | $840 |
| Seat minimum | none | none |
| Mandatory fees | Required onboarding (Professional): $1,500; Required onboarding (Enterprise): $3,500 | none documented |
| Monthly billing | yes | yes |
| Features | ||
| Sales pipeline / deals | ✓ all plans | ✓ all plans |
| Email sync & tracking | ✓ all plans | ✓ from Standard |
| Workflow automation | ✓ from Starter | ✓ all plans |
| Email marketing | paid add-on | ✓ from Standard |
| Built-in calling | ✓ from Starter | ✓ from Standard |
| AI assistant / AI features | ✓ from Starter | higher plans only |
| Reports & dashboards | ✓ all plans | ✓ all plans |
| Custom objects | higher plans only | ✓ from Standard |
| API access | ✓ all plans | ✓ all plans |
| Mobile app | ✓ all plans | ✓ all plans |
| Compliance & data | ||
| HIPAA BAA | yes (Enterprise tier of the hub in use (Marketing, Sales, Service, Data, Content Hub Enterprise or Smart CRM Enterprise) with the Sensitive Data feature enabled) | yes (Zoho's BAA text does not tie the BAA to an edition. Zoho's own feature comparison (https://www.zoho.com/crm/complete-feature-list.html, German-language version read) shows 'HIPAA compliance settings' for Standard, Professional, Enterprise and Ultimate but not Free. Some third-party sites say Enterprise and Ultimate only (unverified).) |
| Open source | no | no |
| Facts checked | 2026-10-03 | 2026-10-03 |
Sources for every value are on each review: HubSpot · Zoho CRM. Add a third CRM in the comparison tool.
FAQ
Is HubSpot or Zoho CRM better?
On our fact score, Zoho CRM ranks higher (9.9 vs 9.7). That does not make it better for everyone: check the capability differences and the "choose it if" lists above.
Is HubSpot cheaper than Zoho CRM?
For 5 users on each core plan with annual billing, Zoho CRM costs $840 in the first year and HubSpot $1,200, a difference of $360.
Do HubSpot and Zoho CRM have free plans?
HubSpot: yes (Free tools / free Smart CRM: up to 2 users, no time limit, no credit card. Limits per catalog: up to 1,000 contacts, 1 pipeline per object type, 10 dashboards, 3 email templates, 200 email-tracking notifications/month, 2,000 marketing email sends/month (HubSpot branding), 1 shared inbox, 1 meeting link. Includes deals, tasks, Gmail/Outlook/Exchange sync, ticketing.). Zoho CRM: yes (Free edition: up to 3 users, permanent. Includes contact management, follow-up reminders, workflow automation, up to 10 custom email templates, tasks/meetings/calls, data import and export (export up to 10 times), standard reports, APIs (5,000 API calls/day) and mobile apps).