HubSpot vs. Salesforce: Which CRM is Right for Your Business in 2025? 

April 3, 2025

April 3, 2025

Nitin Dangwal

HubSpot vs. Salesforce: Which CRM is Right for Your Business in 2025? 

Customer Relationship Management (CRM) software is a need of every growing business today as well as its efforts toward stronger customer relationships. The choice of CRM in 2025 is enormous. The two biggest names are taken here: Salesforce and HubSpot. Salesforce holds a 19.5% market share in the CRM markets, showing it is something that most organizations rely on to manage their sales and relationships with customers. Although Salesforce leads the way, it's not a standalone choice; rather, another top CRM on the list includes HubSpot as well, mostly suitable for smaller-sized businesses.

For small and medium-sized businesses (SMBs) who want to upgrade their marketing campaigns, turn leads into customers, and give the best customer service, CRM is the right answer. Salesforce is a powerful tool as is HubSpot, though it serves various kinds of businesses in differing ways, yet easy to use, one-stop-shop kind of package, with rich sales features. All the above functionalities in Salesforce and HubSpot, such as contact management, email marketing, workflow automation, and analytics, prove that both are strong players in the market. But, on the other hand, each platform has its strengths and weaknesses, depending on your business needs. So, which is best for you?

In this article, we will compare HubSpot vs. Salesforce by examining their target audiences, features, pricing, and the latest updates for 2025. We'll also look at how Salesforce's advanced AI features compare with HubSpot's marketing automation tools. As a result, you will know which CRM is the right fit for your business, whether it's a growing SMB or a large corporation.

Understanding the Basics of HubSpot and Salesforce

Here's a quick overview of HubSpot and Salesforce before we get to the differences. The two platforms are both designed to help businesses manage customer relationships, boost sales, and streamline marketing, but they do it very differently. Each has its strengths, and what your business needs makes the best choice.

Salesforce CRM: A Scalable, Enterprise-Ready Solution

Salesforce CRM is a powerful, customizable platform that can be used to help businesses deal with several aspects of sales, marketing, and customer service. It collects data from the various groups involved and presents it as a single source of truth, thus enabling better decision-making and automation. Proper setup of such software can greatly streamline operations, facilitate better customer interaction, and drive more revenue. 

The scalability and deep industry focus of this platform set it apart. The platform is designed for all businesses, whether startup-friendly or built for complex enterprise sales cycles. Most other CRMs lack this feature because Salesforce comes pre-loaded with business objects, minimizing the need for custom development. Thus, it suits industries requiring structured sales and marketing workflows: enterprise B2B sales, e-commerce, and customer experience (CX) platforms. 

Users of Salesforce like customizable dashboards and real-time insights that help to monitor sales pipelines, customer data, and performance metrics. But if the platform is too hard to learn and contains too many features, this can be too much. It is also not available for smaller businesses due to its higher costs. 

Despite these issues, Salesforce CRM is one of the most comprehensive solutions available today, especially for organizations that have a need for advanced automation, data-driven decision-making, and industry-specific tools. 

HubSpot CRM: A Simple Yet Powerful Solution

HubSpot CRM has remained one of the popular business application solutions for businesses looking to streamline sales and marketing without dealing with complicated systems. Being a user-friendly product, it makes it easy to manage contacts, track sales as well as run a marketing campaign, even for nontechnical teams. 

One of its biggest strengths is the tools for integrated marketing. Features including email marketing and lead tracking facilitate personalization by campaigns and better data-driven decision-making. Their active-list tool enables marketers to target the most relevant audience possible, while on the sales end, lead quality metrics and a forecasting tool further improve the outcome. 

Unlike Salesforce, HubSpot emphasizes simplicity and customization. Sure, it might not be as rich in depth as customer service workflows or industry-specific custom objects, but it can be an incredibly smooth experience for small and mid-sized businesses. It does particularly well for content-driven B2B, providing a central platform for managing their digital marketing and sales efforts. 

However, reporting and analytics in HubSpot for some users seem limited, and scaling up to advanced features gets expensive. Nevertheless, for a business looking for an intuitive, all-in-one CRM, HubSpot is a strong contender. 

HubSpot vs. Salesforce: Key Differences at a Glance 

Salesforce and HubSpot are two of the most popular CRM solutions, each offering powerful tools to help businesses grow. Both platforms are designed to boost sales, marketing, and customer service efficiency, but they take different approaches. Here is a quick look at how they differ: 

1) Ease of Use 

• Salesforce: The interface is less intuitive, specifically for new users. The application provides a demo-like account that could make it easier for users to know how to start using the software. 

• HubSpot: It is better suited for those users who already know how CRMs work, and thus, they get to navigate easily and operate the entire dashboard without any form of trouble or hassle. The application provides a smooth onboarding process with step-by-step guidance. 

2) Sales Reporting & Forecasting 

• Salesforce: Highly advanced and customizable sales reporting and forecasting, with basic reporting available in baseline plans, plus AI-powered analytics. 

• HubSpot: Standard sales reporting, analysis, and forecasting, for advanced, it needs an upgraded paid plan.  

3) Core Features 

• Salesforce: Customizable and advanced sales management tools designed for large teams and enterprises. 

• HubSpot: Intuitive CRM features that empower sales and marketing teams to connect with clients effortlessly. 

4) Data Management  

• Salesforce: Versatile platform with powerful data management capabilities. 

• HubSpot: Free and easy-to-use solution for organizing contacts and databases. 

5) Contact Management 

• Salesforce: Salesforce has deep customization; users can create custom fields, track deal progress, and maintain data security. It allows businesses to control access to sensitive information, enhancing compliance. 

• HubSpot: HubSpot simplifies lead capture, automatically gathering customer details from various sources. Its dynamic lists update in real-time, identifying engaged prospects. Advanced segmentation helps target customers more precisely.  

6) App Integrations  

• Salesforce: Provides access to 7,000+ apps, with over 4,000 available for free. 

• HubSpot: Offers 1,500+ apps, including 150+ free options. 

7) Email Marketing 

• Salesforce: Salesforce allows 5,000 emails per day and integrates well with Gmail and Outlook. Also, it comes with pre-designed templates. Email marketing features in their full versions need add-ons, though. 

• HubSpot: HubSpot’s built-in email tools support easy campaign creation with drag-and-drop templates, A/B testing, and AI-powered personalization.

8) Customizations 

• Salesforce: Fully customizable, including coding options for advanced users. 

• HubSpot: Supports custom workflows and automation with JavaScript and Python integration. 

9) AI Tools and Features 

• Salesforce: Einstein GPT & Einstein Copilot. AI-powered tools for automation, predictive analytics, and custom AI agents. Features vary by plan or add-ons and may require setup. 

• HubSpot: ChatSpot.ai (Beta). Seamlessly integrated AI tools, even in lower-tier plans, offering predictive insights, automation, and smart recommendations with Breeze Copilot. 

10) Workflows & Automation 

• Salesforce: Salesforce automates processes by turning data into actions, assigning tasks based on roles, and using AI-driven workflow suggestions.  

• HubSpot: HubSpot offers a drag-and-drop automation builder, AI-powered lead scoring, and automated follow-ups to streamline sales and marketing.  

11) Marketing Features  

• Salesforce - Offers powerful marketing automation tools, available through separate marketing packages. 

• HubSpot - Provides powerful marketing features even in the free and Starter plans. 

12) Customer Support  

• Salesforce - Phone, email, and live chat support is included in all plans during business hours; 24/7 support is available at an additional cost. 

• HubSpot - 24/7 email and chat support for all paid plans; phone support is available only for Professional and Enterprise plans. 

13) Pricing 

• Salesforce: Pricing ranges from $25 to $500 per user/month. Plans are highly segmented, with many features sold separately. Costs can add up based on selected functionality. 

• HubSpot: Offers a free plan with core CRM features. Paid plans range from $20 to $150 per user/month, with scalable bundles and customization options. 

Salesforce vs. HubSpot: Which CRM is the Better Fit? 

The choice of the right CRM is essential if you want to efficiently manage sales, marketing, and customer relationships. Both excel in different areas. Here's a detailed breakdown of how they differ. 

1) Sales Reporting & Forecasting: Salesforce Has the Edge 

The reporting and forecasting tools incorporated into Salesforce make it the first stop for businesses seeking deep insights into sales. Though both have forecasting, it's only available on Salesforce at a lower cost per user. HubSpot's dashboards are clean and modern looking, but the standard dashboard of Salesforce is much more functional as a home base, including a full pipeline view as well as personalized widgets for tasks, opportunities, and leads. 

It also features precise contact scoring tools, which score the quality of a lead based on customer fit to help sales teams better predict conversions. HubSpot offers a user-friendly custom report builder and allows real-time report creation on its higher-tier plans. 

Both support powerful forecasting and reporting, but Salesforce is more integrated and provides a more unified and complete experience, covering all essential business needs. 

2) Best for Ease of Use: HubSpot CRM 

HubSpot is ahead in terms of user-friendliness. Setup is easy with an intuitive interface that doesn't require extensive training. The tools for pipeline management are drag and drop, so it is easier to manage and maintain. And its knowledge base is full of helpful guides for users. What's more is that HubSpot Academy offers free certification courses; this makes the learning process not a burden, but rather smooth and at everyone's own pace. 

Salesforce, on the other hand, is a powerful tool but a steep learning curve to master. Its numerous customization options are daunting for those new to this platform. It does provide training through Trailhead; however, those deeper courses aren't free. Businesses that simply need to get CRM up and running quickly should pick HubSpot. 

3) Marketing Features: HubSpot Offers More in Its Plans 

HubSpot offers a more comprehensive package for businesses seeking a CRM with integrated marketing tools. It does not necessitate additional purchases but bundles the marketing features in its plans, which include the following: 

• PPC ad management 

• Automated email marketing 

• Social media publishing 

• AI-assisted blogging 

• SEO recommendations 

• Website and landing page builder 

Salesforce has also come up with marketing tools like AI-powered lead nurturing, email automation, and competitor monitoring. Salesforce's marketing features cost extra, and the lowest plan is $1,250 a month. For small businesses, HubSpot can be the better choice. Larger teams, however, will appreciate the added advantages of the cost. 

4) AI Capabilities: Customization vs. Ease of Use 

Both have embraced AI, but both serve different purposes. The AI in Salesforce, called Einstein, comes with all the functionalities of predictive analytics, workflow automation, and text generation. For example, with the Agentforce-augmented version, businesses can tailor custom AI agents for related tasks like qualification and sales coaching. But those applications require a little more setup with technical knowledge. 

The AI suite by HubSpot is Breeze, and it is very simple. Even free users have access to Breeze Copilot, which can help with content creation, summarization, and recommendations. Breeze Agents automate social media, content creation, and customer service, while Breeze Intelligence enhances CRM data with enriched buyer profiles and intent tracking. 

Winner: For the fully customizable AI capability for business needs, the winner would go to Salesforce. But for you to use a full AI solution without configurations but seamless usage, the strong pick is HubSpot's Breeze. 

5) User Onboarding: HubSpot Is More Intuitive 

While both CRMs have guided onboarding, HubSpot's process is more user-friendly for beginners. It has step-by-step milestone guides, so new users can get started right away. 

Salesforce is fully featured, but it takes longer to learn. It's split into several different apps and features, meaning users need to know which to use for certain things. Therefore, for a team that requires an easy setup, HubSpot is the way to go. 

6) Customization: Salesforce Wins 

Customization is another area where Salesforce stands out. It allows adding standalone apps and even using custom coding for the customization of the platform for specific needs. Its Code Builder makes it easier to develop unique features without the need for extra software. 

HubSpot also allows many different customizations, especially concerning workflows, reports, and marketing features. JavaScript and Python are also supported for advanced automation, and it uses GitHub integration for project management. However, the capabilities of Salesforce are much broader, considering complex workflows for businesses. 

7) App Integrations: More vs. Simplicity 

Salesforce offers AppExchange, which contains many more third-party and native integrations, such as Mailchimp, DocuSign, Aircall CTI, as well as many others. HubSpot's App Marketplace is smaller but curated, meaning it will always ensure smooth and reliable integration. 

Both CRM work with Zapier, offering access to thousands of more integrations. Before making a final decision, companies should check the marketplace for every app they're reliant on. 

8) Best for Customer Support: HubSpot CRM 

The difference between a wonderful user experience and a terrible one is what can break or make it. Users of any paid plans have access to 24/7 support in HubSpot. Free users are not offered direct support but can get assistance through the knowledge base and the HubSpot community. Paid users have live chat, email, and phone support, so problems are solved quite fast. 

Salesforce support hours are limited to email, phone, and live chat access between standard business hours. Extra premium support plans for both 24/7 and expert-specific directions may cost businesses a significant amount. For accessible and round-the-clock support, HubSpot takes the lion's share. 

9) Best for Core Features: Salesforce 

Both platforms do provide the CRM essentials, but Salesforce goes the extra mile. It offers enhanced sales tools, pipeline customization, forecasting, and enterprise-grade security. It further supports complex automation and integrates business intelligence tools to get deeper insights. 

HubSpot is ideal for small businesses, but it is also free for both sales and marketing tools. The deal pipeline is quite easy to use, and it gives the user ready-to-use templates for sites and landing pages. Advanced features like predictive lead scoring and custom automation require upgrading to other plans to become possible. For businesses that require a powerful, flexible CRM, Salesforce stands as the winner. 

10) Best for Data Management: HubSpot CRM 

Managing data effectively is important, and HubSpot simplifies it for you. Contact management, segmentation of records, and document storage are simple and easy tools with the help of which one can maintain a 360-degree view of their operation by integrating ERPs like SAP and Microsoft Dynamics. 

Salesforce sites shine in large-scale data management. It supports bulk data imports and exports, data enrichment through Salesforce Data Cloud, and much more complex automation. All those capabilities can be overwhelming for small teams, however, if it is a question of simplicity and access, HubSpot is the easier way to go. 

How to Choose the best CRM between HubSpot and Salesforce? 

So, the decision comes down to what your business needs more. If you need proper customization, AI, and the most developed sales forecasting in the industry, then Salesforce is the best choice for you. If you are looking for a user-friendly all-in-one tool that will quickly get up and running, that supports marketing and sales, then HubSpot is a perfect answer. 

Both provide top-of-the-line CRM, sales, and marketing tools just how they package them. Salesforce has a better system for customization and reporting, but HubSpot takes the cake when it comes to ease of use and affordability. One crucial point: moving from HubSpot to Salesforce is far more complicated than vice versa, so be sure to also consider long-term flexibility when making your choice. 

If you need a powerful, scalable CRM that grows with your business and offers endless customization, Salesforce is the better fit. If you are looking for an intuitive, budget-friendly CRM that makes marketing and sales easier, HubSpot is the smarter choice. 
 

Who Should Use Salesforce?

Salesforce is perfect for businesses that want a powerful, customizable CRM to improve efficiency across sales, marketing, and customer service. It centralizes data, automates workflows, and provides in-depth analytics. It is packed with features, integrates with countless tools, and scales with your business—though it comes at a higher cost. 

Who Should Use HubSpot?

HubSpot is best for companies focused on sales and marketing growth. It offers email marketing, lead tracking, sales forecasting, and automation tools that help businesses convert leads into customers efficiently. It is easy to use, has a free tier, and provides strong reporting tools without the steep learning curve of Salesforce. 

Still unsure? You can even use both—Salesforce for CRM and sales, and HubSpot’s free tools for marketing. With integrations available, you do not necessarily have to choose just one. 

Salesforce vs. HubSpot: Strengths and Weaknesses  

Both Salesforce and HubSpot cater to different business needs. Let’s break down their pros and cons, and who should (or shouldn’t) use them. 

Pros & Cons: Salesforce vs. HubSpot

Both Salesforce and HubSpot are great, but it all comes down to your business requirements. Salesforce wins on customization and scalability, while HubSpot is better for ease of use and affordability. Let’s break down their pros, cons, and strengths and weaknesses:  

Pros: Salesforce

Flexible and Configurable – You can tweak Salesforce to fit your workflow. It offers lead management, sales forecasting, and automation tools. Plus, it integrates with countless apps.  

Pros: HubSpot

Easy to Learn – HubSpot is easy to use, even for beginners. It has a free plan, great for startups. Tools like deal tracking and email automation simplify sales. Their support team is also top-notch. 

Cons: Salesforce 

Steep Learning Curve – Salesforce can be complex and requires time (or training) to master. It’s also costly for small businesses, and not everyone needs its deep customization.  

Cons: HubSpot

Limited Customization – While easy to use, HubSpot lacks advanced features for businesses with complex CRM needs. The free plan has limits, and premium plans can get pricey. 

Strengths & Weaknesses of Each CRM

Salesforce Strengths:

• Highly customizable for any business size 

• Deep reporting & analytics to track performance 

• Large network of integrations & third-party tools 

• Scales well as businesses grow 

Salesforce Weaknesses:

• Complicated interface, needs training 

• Expensive, especially with add-ons 

• Customer support can be slow 

• Frequent updates may require constant adaptation 

 HubSpot Strengths:

• Super easy to use with a clean interface

• Affordable, especially for small businesses

• Great for marketing (email automation, social media, reporting)

• Free CRM with essential tools

• Excellent customer support (live chat, email, phone)

HubSpot Weaknesses:

• Costs add up fast for advanced features

• Less customization than in Salesforce

• Annual contracts (no early exits)

• Might not work for businesses with specific or complex needs

Who Shouldn’t Use HubSpot or Salesforce?

Skip HubSpot If… 

• You are a large enterprise with complex sales processes 

• You need deep customization in your CRM 

• You rely on advanced data analytics and custom reports 

Skip Salesforce If… 

• You’re a startup or SMB on a tight budget. 

• You do not have IT resources to manage a complex CRM. 

• Your team prefers a simple and easy-to-use CRM. 

You can try HubSpot’s free plan or explore Salesforce’s trial before deciding. 

Final Verdict: Making the Right Choice 

Even though both platforms offer powerful CRM solutions, choosing the right one depends on your business needs. For small or midsized businesses, HubSpot is an excellent choice because it simplifies sales and marketing, making it a great starting point for businesses with a low budget. 

The difference, however, is that Salesforce is stronger and more scalable. It includes unmatched customization, advanced reporting, AI-powered automation, and enterprise-grade solutions catering to all businesses, irrespective of size. Its capabilities outweigh the limitations of HubSpot and its higher investment; it can really help businesses looking to scale, optimize workflows, and get a deeper look at customer data. 

Ultimately, a CRM should help your business be more capable and not restrict it. Whereas HubSpot will work well for smaller teams, Salesforce is where businesses that mean business will take their operations, growth, efficiency, and customer success seriously. 

Thus, if you need a CRM that will grow with your business, Salesforce is the clear winner. Being a Salesforce CREST Partner, Cynoteck offers professional consulting, implementation, and support services so businesses can truly benefit from the capabilities of this powerful platform.

Frequently Asked Questions

1) Can Salesforce and HubSpot be used together?

Yes, businesses normally integrate Salesforce with HubSpot to unlock the maximum extent of their CRM and marketing automation capabilities. This allows them to use advanced sales and reporting capabilities of Salesforce together with the straightforward, easy-to-use inbound marketing functionalities in HubSpot.

integration ensures data consistency and streamlines lead management, thereby improving general customer engagement. 

2) Which CRM is better for businesses with complex sales processes?

Businesses with highly complex sales cycles and multiple pipelines will find an easier fit using Salesforce. With high-end automation and AI-powered insights, it provides flexibility for custom dashboards to handle the leads, opportunities, and interactions of your customers in an optimized manner. The case with HubSpot, on the other hand, is it is straightforward but applies better to much simpler sales operations. 

3) Which platform offers better customer support and community resources?

Salesforce has a huge global community, detailed learning resources such as Trailhead, and dedicated customer support teams, which is ideal for businesses requiring hands-on assistance. HubSpot has useful resources but the support from the team is only available depending upon the different pricing tiers, whereas premium support will cost extra. 

4) Does Salesforce offer better reporting and analytics than HubSpot?

Yes, Salesforce truly does have analytics with super flexible reporting with AI-driven insights and deep visualization tools. Organizations where data is largely dependent on adjusting sales and marketing strategies will certainly prefer Salesforce for reporting. Its reporting is intuitive and easy, but it lacks depth when analyzing complex issues. 

5) Is HubSpot’s free CRM enough for long-term business growth?

HubSpot's free CRM is excellent for new startups and small businesses and provides them with regular contact management, email tracking, and pipeline visualization. However, as a business grows up, it will probably need more advanced automation, customized workflows, and integrations, and that Salesforce gives at an enterprise level, which makes it much more scalable in the long-term. 

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