HubSpot vs. Zoho CRM: Which CRM Fits a Small Business?
Both start free; HubSpot's paid tiers add onboarding fees and AI credits, while Zoho charges a flat price per user at every tier.
HubSpot vs. Zoho CRM is a common shortlist for small businesses buying their first real CRM. Both have a free plan, both add AI on paid tiers, and both can grow with you. The difference is the shape of the bill: HubSpot's entry plan is cheap, but its Professional tier jumps sharply and adds a one-time onboarding fee. Zoho charges a steadier per-user price at each step.
Prices below are US dollars per user (or seat) a month. HubSpot prices come from its pricing pages on the date checked. Zoho's pricing page displayed prices in a regional currency for us, so Zoho's US-dollar figures come from its own edition comparison sheet. New to CRMs? Start with our guide on how to set up a CRM for small business.
| At a glance | HubSpot | Zoho CRM |
|---|---|---|
| Free plan | Up to 2 users, 1,000 contacts | Up to 3 users, 5,000 records |
| Entry paid plan | Starter, $20 a seat list ($7 new-customer annual price) | Standard, $14 annual or $20 monthly |
| Mid plan | Professional, $90 a seat annual, $1,500 onboarding | Professional, $23 annual or $35 monthly |
| Custom pipelines | None on free; 15 on Starter; 100 on Professional | Default only on free; 5 on Standard; 10 on Professional |
| AI | Breeze, metered by credits: 500 a month on Starter, 3,000 on Professional | Zia on Standard for data enrichment; AI agents on Professional |
| Onboarding fee | $1,500 on Professional, $3,500 on Enterprise | None listed |
| Extras on the free plan | Forms, live chat, landing pages, website builder | Workflow automation, mobile apps, standard reports |
HubSpot
- Free plan includes free tools such as a website builder, forms and live chat
- Starter adds up to 15 custom pipelines and removes HubSpot branding
- Breeze AI features, with 500 HubSpot Credits a month on Starter
- Free view-only seats on paid plans
- Professional costs $90 a seat billed annually and adds a $1,500 one-time onboarding fee
- Free plan is capped at 1,000 contacts and 2 users
- AI use is metered with credits, and overages can add to the bill
Zoho CRM
- Free edition covers 3 users and up to 5,000 records, with workflow automation
- Standard adds multiple pipelines (up to 5), forecasting, mass email and built-in calling
- Professional adds AI agents and predictive intelligence
- No onboarding fee listed
- Free edition has only the default pipeline
- Fewer built-in marketing tools than HubSpot's free plan
- Advanced Zia AI features sit on Enterprise, at $40 a user billed annually
Pick HubSpot if you are a small team that also needs simple marketing tools, and you expect to stay on Free or Starter for a while; it is the easier place to start. Pick Zoho CRM if you have several salespeople or expect to need advanced features soon, because its Professional edition costs a fraction of HubSpot's and has no onboarding fee. Before choosing either, set up your pipeline on the free plan and use it for two weeks with real customers. If neither fits, our list of the 10 best CRM tools for small business covers eight more options.
Prices and features checked October 26, 2026 from each company's own site. They change often, so confirm before you buy. We are not paid by either company.
- HubSpot Sales Hub pricing (HubSpot)
- HubSpot Starter Customer Platform (HubSpot)
- Zoho CRM pricing and editions (Zoho)
- Compare Zoho CRM editions (USD) (Zoho)
- Zoho CRM edition comparison (record and pipeline limits) (Zoho)
- Zoho CRM Standard edition (Zoho)
- Set up and manage object pipelines (HubSpot Knowledge Base)
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