HubSpot's "free" CRM is the most expensive free product ever created. Here's why SimpleCRM's honest pricing and focused features are crushing HubSpot for small businesses.
"HubSpot promised us a free CRM. Six months later, we were paying $890/month and still couldn't get our team to use it consistently. SimpleCRM gave us everything we actually needed for $79/month, and our adoption went from 30% to 95%."
That's Jennifer, who runs a 12-person marketing agency. Her story is becoming increasingly common as small businesses realize HubSpot's "free" model is actually a sophisticated pricing trap.
Let's break down the real differences between SimpleCRM and HubSpot, and why smart businesses are making the switch.
The HubSpot "Free" CRM Trap
HubSpot markets aggressively on having a "free forever" CRM. But here's what they don't tell you upfront:
What HubSpot Free Actually Includes
HubSpot "Free" Limitations:
- • 1,000,000 contacts max (sounds generous, but...)
- • No email templates (premium feature)
- • No email scheduling (premium feature)
- • No sequences/automation (premium feature)
- • Basic reporting only (useful reports are premium)
- • No phone support (email only, slow responses)
- • HubSpot branding (looks unprofessional)
- • Limited integrations (most require paid plans)
- • No custom fields (premium feature)
- • No deal stages customization (premium feature)
Reality: The "free" version is basically a lead magnet to sell you paid plans.
The Inevitable Upgrade Pressure
HubSpot's business model depends on converting free users to paid plans. Here's how they do it:
- Hook you with "free": Get you to input all your data
- Limit basic functionality: Make essential features "premium only"
- Constant upgrade prompts: Every useful feature requires an upgrade
- Sales pressure: Regular calls pushing you to paid tiers
- Data lock-in: Once your data is in, switching costs feel high
"HubSpot's free plan is like a drug dealer's first hit—free, but designed to get you hooked on something much more expensive." - Marcus Rodriguez, SaaS Consultant
Pricing: Transparency vs. Manipulation
Let's compare real-world pricing for a typical 10-person small business:
HubSpot Pricing Reality
HubSpot Professional (What You Actually Need):
- Software: $890/month ($10,680/year)
- Additional contacts: $40/month for over 2,000 contacts
- Implementation: $5,000-15,000 (recommended)
- Training: $3,000-8,000 (almost required)
- Ongoing consulting: $2,000-5,000/year
First-year cost: $25,680-38,680
Annual ongoing cost: $12,680-15,680
SimpleCRM Transparent Pricing
SimpleCRM Complete Solution:
- Software: $79/month ($948/year)
- Unlimited contacts: $0 (included)
- Implementation: $0 (self-serve)
- Training: $0 (intuitive design)
- Ongoing support: $0 (included)
First-year cost: $948
Annual ongoing cost: $948
Savings: $24,732-37,732 first year
Features: Focused vs. Bloated
HubSpot has become a Swiss Army knife—it can do everything, but nothing particularly well for small businesses.
What Small Businesses Actually Need
Essential CRM Features (Both Platforms):
✅ SimpleCRM Includes:
- • Contact management
- • Deal pipeline tracking
- • Email integration
- • Email templates
- • Task reminders
- • Basic reporting
- • Mobile app
- • Team collaboration
- • Custom fields
- • Pipeline customization
❌ HubSpot Free Missing:
- • Email templates (paid only)
- • Email scheduling (paid only)
- • Custom fields (paid only)
- • Advanced reporting (paid only)
- • Phone support (paid only)
- • Remove HubSpot branding (paid only)
- • Automation (paid only)
- • Custom pipeline stages (paid only)
HubSpot's Feature Overload Problem
HubSpot has expanded into a massive platform with hundreds of features across multiple "hubs":
- Marketing Hub: Email marketing, landing pages, ads management
- Sales Hub: CRM, sales automation, calling
- Service Hub: Ticketing, knowledge base, customer feedback
- CMS Hub: Website creation and management
- Operations Hub: Data sync, automation, reporting
The problem: Small businesses don't need five different hubs. They need one simple CRM that works well.
User Experience: Simple vs. Overwhelming
HubSpot's Complexity Problem
Common HubSpot User Complaints:
- Interface overload: Too many menus, tabs, and options
- Slow performance: Heavy platform takes time to load
- Learning curve: Requires extensive training
- Feature confusion: Multiple ways to do the same thing
- Mobile issues: App is clunky and slow
- Constant updates: Interface changes frequently
SimpleCRM's User-Friendly Approach
SimpleCRM User Experience:
- Clean interface: Only what you need, when you need it
- Fast performance: Lightweight and responsive
- Intuitive design: 15-minute learning curve
- Single workflow: One clear way to do each task
- Great mobile app: Native iOS and Android apps
- Stable interface: No constant changes to relearn
Implementation and Support
HubSpot Implementation Reality
Despite marketing HubSpot as "easy to use," most businesses need help:
- Onboarding calls: Multiple sessions to understand the platform
- Configuration complexity: Dozens of settings to configure
- Integration challenges: Connecting with existing tools
- Data migration: Complex process requiring expertise
- Team training: Everyone needs extensive training
- Ongoing optimization: Requires continuous improvement
SimpleCRM Self-Service Success
SimpleCRM is designed for immediate productivity:
- 10-minute setup: From signup to first contact in minutes
- Guided onboarding: Interactive tutorials get you started
- Simple integration: Connect Gmail/Outlook with one click
- Easy data import: Upload CSV files or import from other CRMs
- Minimal training: If you can use email, you can use SimpleCRM
- Works immediately: No optimization required
The Hidden Costs of HubSpot
Beyond the obvious subscription costs, HubSpot creates hidden expenses:
Time Costs
- Learning time: 20-40 hours per team member
- Configuration time: 40-80 hours of setup
- Maintenance time: 5-10 hours monthly ongoing
- Support time: Dealing with complexity issues
Opportunity Costs
- Low adoption: Team avoids using complex system
- Poor data quality: Inconsistent usage leads to bad data
- Missed follow-ups: Complex interface causes mistakes
- Reduced productivity: More time on admin, less on selling
Real Migration Stories
Case Study 1: TechGrow Consulting
Background: 18-person B2B consulting firm
Previous setup: HubSpot Professional ($890/month)
Problem: Low adoption (35%), high costs, feature overwhelm
Migration Results (6 months later):
- Cost reduction: 91% savings ($9,732 annually)
- Adoption increase: From 35% to 92%
- Setup time saved: 3 months of implementation avoided
- Productivity gain: 25% more time spent selling
- Data quality: 3x more complete contact records
Case Study 2: ScaleFast Agency
Background: 25-person digital marketing agency
Previous setup: HubSpot free plan (hitting limitations)
Problem: Constant upgrade pressure, missing essential features
SimpleCRM Impact:
- All features included: No upgrade pressure or limitations
- Team satisfaction: 9.2/10 vs. 5.1/10 with HubSpot
- Feature utilization: 85% vs. 25% with HubSpot
- Sales cycle improvement: 20% faster deal closure
- Customer follow-up: 95% completion rate vs. 60%
Why HubSpot Keeps Growing Despite These Issues
If HubSpot has so many problems for small businesses, why is it still popular?
Marketing Machine
- Massive marketing budget: You see HubSpot ads everywhere
- "Free" hook: The free plan gets people in the door
- Content marketing: Tons of SEO-optimized content
- Partner network: Agencies sell HubSpot implementations
Enterprise Success
- Good for large companies: Enterprise features work for big teams
- Dedicated administrators: Large companies have people to manage complexity
- Integration needs: Enterprises need the all-in-one approach
- Budget availability: Cost is less of a factor
Switching Costs
- Data lock-in: Hard to export complex setups
- Sunk cost fallacy: "We've invested too much to switch"
- Change resistance: Teams resist learning new systems
- Integration complexity: Multiple integrations to rebuild
When HubSpot Might Make Sense
To be fair, HubSpot isn't wrong for everyone:
- Large marketing teams: 50+ person marketing organizations
- Complex funnels: Multiple lead sources and nurture paths
- Dedicated admin: Someone whose job is managing HubSpot
- All-in-one need: Want CRM, website, and marketing in one place
- Enterprise budget: $10,000+/month software budget
Bottom line: If you're a small business, HubSpot is almost certainly overkill.
Making the Switch from HubSpot
Ready to escape HubSpot's complexity and costs? Here's how:
Pre-Switch Preparation
- Export your data: Contacts, deals, companies, and notes
- Document workflows: What processes actually work?
- Identify pain points: What frustrates your team about HubSpot?
- Calculate costs: What are you really paying annually?
The Migration Process
- Start SimpleCRM trial: Import your data to test
- Set up pipeline: Recreate your sales stages (simplified)
- Train your team: 30-minute overview session
- Run parallel: Use both systems for 1-2 weeks
- Make the switch: Cancel HubSpot, go full SimpleCRM
Post-Migration Optimization
- Refine your process: Simplify based on actual usage
- Celebrate savings: Put the cost savings to better use
- Measure adoption: Track team usage and satisfaction
- Document success: Share wins with your team
The Verdict: Simple Wins
HubSpot is a powerful platform that's perfect for large companies with complex needs and dedicated administrators. For small businesses, it's a expensive, overcomplicated solution to simple problems.
SimpleCRM gives you everything you need and nothing you don't, at a fraction of the cost, with adoption rates that actually matter.
Ready to Escape HubSpot's Complexity?
Don't let HubSpot's "free" trap cost you thousands. Try SimpleCRM free for 14 days and experience what a CRM built for small businesses feels like.
Why Businesses Choose SimpleCRM Over HubSpot:
- ✅ 91% cost savings vs. HubSpot Professional
- ✅ 10-minute setup vs. months of implementation
- ✅ All features included vs. constant upgrade pressure
- ✅ 95% adoption rates vs. industry average of 30%
- ✅ Flat-rate pricing vs. per-user scaling costs
- ✅ Simple and fast vs. complex and overwhelming
Your business deserves a CRM that helps instead of hinders. Make the smart choice.
🚨 HubSpot Reality Check
If you're using HubSpot's free plan, add up all the "premium only" features you actually need. Then look at the Professional plan pricing. You'll quickly realize the "free" plan is designed to be inadequate, forcing you into expensive paid tiers.