Top 15 HubSpot Alternatives for 2025

HubSpot is a powerhouse. No doubt about that. It comes loaded with tools for CRM, marketing, sales, and customer service, all in one platform. But let’s be honest: not every business needs the full package. For many teams, HubSpot's pricing, steep learning curve, or feature overload can feel like too much.

Maybe you are a startup trying to keep costs low. Or you just need a simple CRM that is easy to use and doesn’t require weeks of training. Perhaps you have already tried HubSpot and realized it is not as flexible or cost-effective as you hoped.

Whatever the case, you are in the right place. This guide explores the best HubSpot alternatives based on real business needs. Whether you want better automation, simpler pricing, or a more focused feature set, there is a better fit waiting for you. Let’s help you find it.

Why Businesses Are Looking for HubSpot Alternatives

Before we explore the top alternatives, it is important to understand why many businesses are moving away from HubSpot. This shift is not only about price. It is also about simplicity, control, and finding the right fit without unnecessary complexity.

Let’s dive into the real reasons companies are actively looking for a change.

The Cost Barrier for Small and Mid-Sized Teams

HubSpot does have a free plan, but once you need advanced tools like automation, reporting, or custom workflows, the pricing increases sharply. For growing businesses, this can quickly become a financial strain.

Many teams find themselves locked into expensive tiers, paying for features they rarely use. The return on investment just does not always match the cost.

Feature Overload That Slows You Down

HubSpot offers a wide range of tools, but sometimes it feels like too much. If you only need a simple CRM or basic marketing automation, the interface can be cluttered and confusing.

For smaller teams, managing all those features becomes time-consuming. You end up spending more time learning the software than actually using it to grow your business.

Not Designed for Niche Use Cases

While HubSpot works well for general marketing and sales, it does not always fit niche industries. For example, ecommerce businesses, SaaS startups, or nonprofits often need more tailored workflows.

Several alternatives offer industry-specific solutions that are easier to set up and more aligned with their daily operations.

You Want a Tool That Scales Without Surprises

One of the biggest frustrations with HubSpot is how quickly costs increase as your business grows. Adding more contacts or unlocking specific tools often pushes you into a higher pricing tier.

In contrast, many alternatives offer clearer pricing models and allow you to scale gradually, without penalizing growth or locking features behind expensive upgrades.

Best HubSpot Alternatives by Use Case

Every business is different. Some need advanced automation. Others care more about simplicity, budget, or ecommerce support. Instead of listing tools randomly, let’s match each HubSpot alternative to the type of user it serves best.

This way, you can skip the noise and focus on the platform that actually fits your workflow.

1. Best Free HubSpot Alternative – Zoho CRM

If you are a startup or solo founder trying to stay lean, Zoho CRM gives you a surprisingly capable toolkit for zero cost. Its free plan supports up to three users, with features like lead management, basic workflows, and deal tracking.

What makes Zoho stand out is its flexibility. As you grow, it lets you add advanced features gradually, without a sudden pricing spike. You also get access to the larger Zoho ecosystem if you want to connect things like email, finance, or helpdesk tools.

2. Best for Email and Marketing Automation – ActiveCampaign

ActiveCampaign is a dream tool for anyone serious about automated customer journeys. If HubSpot’s marketing tools felt too expensive or clunky, ActiveCampaign might be the upgrade you did not know you needed.

Its email segmentation, conditional logic, and visual automation builder are powerful yet intuitive. Whether you run campaigns based on behavior, tags, or triggers, you can build it here. It is perfect for ecommerce brands, agencies, or content-driven businesses.

3. Best for Sales-Focused Teams – Pipedrive

Sales teams need speed, clarity, and clean pipelines. Pipedrive delivers just that. It is designed for salespeople, not marketers, and that focus shows in everything from the interface to its features.

The pipeline view makes it easy to track deals visually. You can set reminders, automate follow-ups, and track performance without clutter. If your main goal is to close more deals without the weight of unnecessary features, Pipedrive is a strong choice.

4. Best for All-in-One Functionality – EngageBay

EngageBay combines CRM, marketing, sales, and customer service into one platform. If you liked HubSpot’s all-in-one promise but not its price, this is a strong replacement.

It offers lead scoring, email automation, landing pages, ticketing, and even SMS marketing — all in one dashboard. Small businesses love it because they get access to a full suite without switching between apps or upgrading to enterprise pricing.

5. Best for Solopreneurs and Freelancers – Freshsales

Freshsales is ideal for individuals or small teams who want a clean, modern CRM without too many layers. It focuses on what matters: contacts, deals, and activity tracking.

You also get built-in calling, email syncing, and AI-powered lead scoring on higher tiers. The interface is minimal and easy to pick up, so you can spend more time building relationships instead of learning software.

6. Best for Open Source Flexibility – SuiteCRM

SuiteCRM is for those who want full control over their customer data and CRM setup. As an open-source platform, it is completely free to use and self-host. That makes it ideal for developers, IT teams, or privacy-focused companies.

You can customize everything — workflows, dashboards, modules — without vendor lock-in. It requires some technical setup, but in return, you get a CRM tailored exactly to your needs.

7. Best for Ecommerce Businesses – Brevo (formerly Sendinblue)

If you run an online store and need strong email and SMS tools, Brevo is worth a look. Unlike HubSpot, which requires expensive add-ons or integrations, Brevo gives you ecommerce-friendly automation at a much lower cost.

It integrates well with Shopify, WooCommerce, and other ecommerce platforms. You can segment customers based on behavior, trigger cart abandonment emails, and even send transactional SMS — all from the same dashboard.

8. Best for Email Marketing Simplicity – Mailchimp

Mailchimp is a solid choice for businesses that want to focus on email marketing without diving into a full-blown CRM right away. While it does offer basic contact management and automation, its real strength is in email creation, audience segmentation, and pre-built templates.

If your main goal is to send newsletters, build subscriber journeys, or run ecommerce drip campaigns, Mailchimp gets the job done quickly. It also has a generous free plan, making it perfect for small teams, content creators, or side hustlers who want to grow their list without getting lost in too many features.

9. Best for Agencies Managing Multiple Clients – Keap

Keap (formerly Infusionsoft) is ideal for marketing and sales agencies that manage several client accounts. It blends CRM, email automation, appointment scheduling, and payment features in one system.

Its standout strength is automation. You can create visual workflows that move leads across funnels, schedule tasks, and even send follow-ups based on behavior. It’s a smart fit for businesses that want to streamline services under one roof.

10. Best for Content Creators and Coaches – ConvertKit

ConvertKit is not a full CRM, but for creators, coaches, and solopreneurs who prioritize audience growth and monetization, it fits like a glove. You get clean email sequences, landing pages, tagging, and automation with a focus on building trust with your audience.

What makes it different is its simplicity. It’s built for creators, not marketers, so you won’t get lost in data-heavy dashboards. If you rely on email to drive traffic, nurture leads, or sell digital products, ConvertKit is a lightweight alternative worth considering.

11. Best for Growing SaaS Companies – Close

Close is built specifically for SaaS sales teams who need speed, efficiency, and serious calling tools. With built-in calling, texting, email, and a power dialer, it eliminates the need for third-party integrations.

It’s designed to reduce busywork and improve close rates. If you manage outbound or inbound sales calls regularly and need smart lead workflows, Close can replace both HubSpot and your calling software in one move.

12. Best for Visual Pipelines and Simplicity – Monday Sales CRM

Monday’s Sales CRM product is built on its popular project management platform, offering a visually intuitive and flexible approach to sales tracking. It’s perfect for teams that want everything in one place: sales pipelines, marketing tasks, and client onboarding.

Its drag-and-drop interface feels like a breeze compared to more traditional CRMs. If you want a customizable, visual alternative to HubSpot’s rigid workflows, Monday can easily adapt to your process — not the other way around.

13. Best for Lead Generation and Landing Pages – GetResponse

GetResponse is more than just an email marketing tool. It offers powerful landing page builders, autoresponders, and lead scoring capabilities — making it great for lead generation.

Its Conversion Funnel feature walks you through creating complete sales funnels, including opt-in pages, email sequences, and checkout forms. If you're a marketer focused on lead capture, GetResponse offers many of HubSpot’s features at a lower price point.

14. Best for Enterprise-Grade Flexibility – Salesforce

If you’re scaling fast and need deep customization, Salesforce is the heavyweight alternative to HubSpot. While it comes with a learning curve, it offers near-unlimited flexibility, advanced reporting, and integrations across almost every tool in your tech stack.

Enterprises choose Salesforce when they need full control and the ability to build systems around their processes. If you have the budget and resources to implement it, Salesforce is a future-proof investment.

15. Best for Custom Workflows and Team Collaboration – ClickUp CRM

ClickUp, best known as a productivity and task management tool, now offers a CRM layer built into its workspace. It is perfect for small businesses that want to manage tasks, sales, client communications, and internal workflows in one place.

It is not a traditional CRM, but it works well for service-based businesses or agencies that want a customizable sales pipeline tied directly to project management. If your team collaborates across departments and prefers flexible tools, ClickUp is a creative and affordable option.

HubSpot vs Top 15 Alternatives: Comparison Table

We’ve now covered 15 strong alternatives to HubSpot, each with its own strengths, specialties, and ideal user base. But if you’re still narrowing things down or want a quick snapshot, this table pulls everything together in one place.

Use it to compare core features, automation strengths, pricing, and overall usability — so you can confidently pick a tool that fits your business without needing a spreadsheet.

What These Tools Offer That HubSpot Doesn’t

HubSpot is a powerful platform, but it is not without its blind spots. Many of the alternatives we’ve covered weren’t just built to compete — they were built to solve the specific pain points that HubSpot users often encounter. This section highlights what these tools bring to the table that HubSpot tends to fall short on.

These differences might be the deciding factor in finding a CRM that feels like it actually fits your business.

1. Transparent and Flexible Pricing Models

One of the biggest frustrations with HubSpot is its pricing structure. It may start off free, but the moment you need automation, custom reports, or more contacts, the costs escalate fast.

Many alternatives, like Zoho, EngageBay, and Freshsales, offer straightforward pricing tiers. You can see exactly what you’re paying for, and in many cases, grow gradually without jumping into a $500+ monthly plan.

This transparency makes it easier to budget and plan ahead — especially for startups and bootstrapped teams.

2. More Specialized or Niche Features

While HubSpot is designed to serve a wide range of industries, that generalist approach can feel limiting if you need a tool built around your niche. For example:

• Close focuses on SaaS and call-driven sales teams with built-in dialers and SMS.
  Brevo is perfect for ecommerce businesses that need email and SMS flows tailored to online shoppers.
• ConvertKit and Mailchimp give content creators simple but powerful tools without the complexity of a full CRM.

These platforms focus on doing one thing exceptionally well, instead of trying to be everything at once.

3. Simpler Interfaces with Shorter Learning Curves

HubSpot’s extensive features come with a learning curve. It’s not always intuitive for beginners or non-technical users. That often leads to delays in onboarding, missed features, or the need for external help just to get started.

Tools like Pipedrive, Monday Sales CRM, and ClickUp take a more visual, no-fuss approach. Their interfaces are cleaner, more flexible, and easier to train your team on — especially if you're not looking to spend weeks setting things up.

4. Built-in Tools That Replace Third-Party Add-Ons

Many HubSpot users rely on integrations to fill feature gaps. But several alternatives bundle essential tools right into the platform:

• Keap includes appointment scheduling, payments, and automation in one system.
• GetResponse combines landing pages, pop-ups, and conversion funnels without extra plugins.
• ActiveCampaign offers powerful automation, lead scoring, and email personalization out of the box.

Fewer moving parts means fewer tools to manage and pay for.

5. True Ownership and Customization

If data ownership or customization is a priority, HubSpot may feel limiting. Its interface and structure are locked down in many ways, and advanced customizations often require paid upgrades or developer support.

With tools like SuiteCRM and Salesforce, you get total control over how the CRM works, where your data lives, and how it integrates into your broader tech stack. While they may take more effort to set up, the payoff is full flexibility and long-term control.

How to Transition from HubSpot to a New CRM

Switching from HubSpot to another CRM might feel overwhelming at first, but it doesn’t have to be. With the right plan, you can migrate smoothly without disrupting your sales or marketing workflows.

Let’s walk through what a successful transition looks like and how to avoid common pitfalls.

Step 1: Audit Your Current HubSpot Setup

Before you do anything else, take inventory of what you’re using inside HubSpot. Which features are essential? What automations do you rely on? Which reports or dashboards do you reference regularly?

This will help you:

• Identify must-have features in your next CRM
• Spot any tools or workflows you’re paying for but not using
• Avoid underestimating what needs to be replicated

A simple checklist or spreadsheet can go a long way here.

Step 2: Choose Your New CRM and Test It First

Once you’ve shortlisted your alternatives, sign up for free trials or starter plans. Most platforms like Zoho, Pipedrive, or EngageBay offer trial periods or demo sandboxes.

Use this time to:

• Recreate a sample workflow or sales pipeline
• Test importing a small batch of contacts
• Check how your team interacts with the interface

If it feels smooth, you’re in the right place.

Step 3: Clean and Prepare Your Data

Now’s your chance to get organized. Export your HubSpot data (contacts, deals, pipelines, notes) into CSV files. Review everything before importing it into your new system.

• Remove outdated contacts
• Merge duplicates
• Organize tags or deal stages so they match your new CRM’s structure

A clean import saves hours of trouble later.

Step 4: Import and Configure Your New CRM

Most modern CRMs offer guided imports or migration tools. Follow the prompts to bring your data in, then configure your pipeline stages, automation flows, and email settings.

Tip: Don’t try to rebuild every single workflow right away. Start with the essentials (e.g., lead capture, follow-ups), then layer on more over time.

Step 5: Train Your Team and Set a Go-Live Date

Even if the new CRM is easier to use, your team will need a bit of training to adjust. Hold a walkthrough session, create a short internal doc, or record a screen-share guide for your most important workflows.

Once everyone is comfortable, choose a firm go-live date. From that point on, stop using HubSpot entirely so you don’t split data between two systems.

Step 6: Monitor, Optimize, and Keep It Simple

In the first few weeks, keep an eye on how things are going. Are leads flowing properly? Are emails being sent as expected? Does your team feel confident?

Make adjustments as needed, but don’t rush to overcomplicate things. Simpler systems tend to be more sustainable in the long run.

Conclusion: Finding the Right HubSpot Alternative for Your Business

HubSpot is a strong platform, but it is not always the right choice for every team. For many businesses, the pricing, complexity, or unused features become roadblocks rather than solutions. Whether you're a startup, a growing sales team, or a content creator, the right CRM should feel like a partner, not a puzzle.

This guide has walked you through the top alternatives, each offering something HubSpot doesn’t. The next step is simple: define what matters most to your business, test a few platforms, and choose the one that fits your workflow and goals. The best CRM is the one that helps you stay focused, grow faster, and work with less friction.

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