For a price-sensitive sales team that needs email sequences, Freshsales is the better buy: Freshsales Pro costs $39 per user per month, billed annually, with no onboarding fee listed.
HubSpot Sales Hub fits teams that want calling minutes included, forecasting on the mid tier and over 2,000 apps. Its Professional plan costs $90 per seat per month, billed annually, plus a required $1,500 onboarding.
That gap is the core of Freshsales vs HubSpot. Five reps on Freshsales Pro pay $39 x 5 x 12 = $2,340 in year one. On Sales Hub Professional they pay $90 x 5 x 12 = $5,400 plus $1,500, which is $6,900.
Quick verdict
The deciding difference is the price of the plan with sequences. Freshsales Pro costs $39 per user per month and Sales Hub Professional $90 per seat per month, both billed annually, and HubSpot adds a one-time $1,500 onboarding.
Pick Freshsales when sequences and contact scoring are the job and every dollar per rep counts. Pick HubSpot when reps call from the CRM, managers need a forecast below the top tier, or the stack depends on HubSpot’s marketplace.
The trade-off: Freshsales holds forecasting for Enterprise and prints no calling minutes, workflow caps or integration count on its pricing page.
In This Article (11 sections)
Freshsales vs HubSpot at a Glance
The deciding difference is the seat price at the sequences tier, made wider by HubSpot’s required onboarding fee.
| Attribute | Freshsales | HubSpot |
|---|---|---|
| Best for | Price-sensitive teams that need sequences and contact scoring | Teams that want included calling minutes, mid-tier forecasting and a large app marketplace |
| Entry paid plan | Growth: $9 per user per month billed annually, $11 billed monthly | Sales Hub Starter: $7 per seat per month billed annually, $10 paid monthly, shown beside $20 |
| First plan with sequences | Pro: $39 per user per month billed annually, $47 billed monthly | Professional: $90 per seat per month billed annually, $100 paid monthly on an annual commitment |
| Required onboarding | Not listed on the pricing page | $1,500 one-time on Professional, $3,500 one-time on Enterprise |
| Free plan | Free: up to 3 users, contact cap not listed | Free tools: up to 2 users and 1,000 contacts |
| Main limitation | Forecasting insights only on Enterprise | Onboarding fee and annual commitment on Professional |
Sources: Freshsales pricing page, HubSpot Sales Hub pricing, HubSpot free tools FAQ, Freshsales free plan help article, checked October 2026.
HubSpot costs more at every paid tier except Starter, so the real question is what the extra money buys a sales team.
Key Differences Between Freshsales and HubSpot
Beyond price, the two differ in where they place forecasting, how they bill AI, how far the platform reaches and how a paid account starts.
- Seat price and fees: Freshsales Pro is $39 per user per month with no onboarding fee listed. Sales Hub Professional is $90 per seat plus a one-time onboarding fee.
- Where forecasting sits: both put sequences and scoring in the second paid tier, but HubSpot adds forecasting there, while Freshsales keeps forecasting insights for Enterprise.
- How AI is billed: Freshsales sells customer-facing bot sessions at $49 per 100; HubSpot includes 3,000 monthly credits on Professional and bills extra credits at $0.010 each.
- Platform reach: Freshsales Suite adds 500 marketing contacts at the same seat prices; HubSpot sells Marketing Hub separately and lists over 2,000 apps.
- Getting started: Freshsales opens with a 21-day trial and no credit card; Sales Hub Professional starts with a required paid onboarding.
My Freshsales review judges Freshsales outside this pairing.
My HubSpot CRM review does the same for HubSpot.
Freshsales vs HubSpot: Features Compared
Both vendors put sales sequences and scoring in their second paid tier, but forecasting sits on Freshsales Enterprise and on HubSpot Professional.
| Feature | Freshsales | HubSpot |
|---|---|---|
| Sales sequences | Plan-dependent: Pro | Plan-dependent: Professional |
| Lead or contact scoring | Plan-dependent: Pro | Plan-dependent: Professional, up to 5 scores |
| Forecasting | Plan-dependent: Enterprise | Plan-dependent: Professional |
| Workflows on the entry plan | Limited: basic workflows, cap not listed | Limited: up to 50, restricted triggers |
| Calling minutes | Not listed on the pricing page | Starter 500, Professional 3,000, Enterprise 12,000 |
| Sandbox | Plan-dependent: Enterprise | Plan-dependent: Enterprise |
| Custom modules or objects | Plan-dependent: Enterprise | Not listed on the Sales Hub pricing page |
| AI usage | Add-on: Freddy AI Agent | Included credits: 500, 3,000 or 5,000 |
Sources: Freshsales pricing page, HubSpot Sales Hub pricing, checked October 2026.
Sequences, scoring and automation
Sequences and scoring arrive at the same tier on both: Freshsales Pro and Sales Hub Professional. Freshsales Pro lists sales sequences, contact scoring, territory management and custom sales activities. Sales Hub Professional lists 5,000 sequences per account, up to 500 email sends per user per day and up to 5 lead scores.
Freshsales prints no send limit or score count on its pricing page. On the entry tier, Sales Hub Starter allows up to 50 workflows with restricted triggers and actions, while Freshsales Growth lists basic workflows with no cap.
The cost of reaching that tier is where the two split. Five reps pay $39 x 5 = $195 a month on Freshsales Pro and $90 x 5 = $450 a month on Sales Hub Professional, billed annually, before HubSpot’s onboarding fee.
Verdict: sequences on a budget
Freshsales fits better for a small team that needs sequences and scoring: Pro does the job at $39 per user per month, billed annually. The caveat is that HubSpot publishes its send limits and Freshsales does not, so check your daily sending volume in the 21-day trial.
Calling and email
HubSpot states its calling allowance plan by plan: 500 minutes on Starter, 3,000 on Professional and 12,000 on Enterprise. HubSpot’s product catalog counts those minutes per account per month, so ten reps on Professional share 3,000 minutes, about 300 each.
HubSpot also provides 1 phone number on Starter and up to 3 on Professional, and says the numbers are not supported in all countries. Freshsales Growth lists chat, email and phone, but its pricing page prints no minutes or call rates; the account’s Plans and Billing page shows phone credits instead.
Verdict: included calling
HubSpot fits better for teams that call from the CRM: its minutes are stated before you buy. The caveat is the shared per-account pool, which thins out as the team grows.
Forecasting and reporting
You get a forecast on Freshsales Enterprise at $59 per user per month, billed annually, and on Sales Hub Professional at $90 per seat plus onboarding. HubSpot Professional lists default and custom forecasting, plus up to 100 custom reports. Sales Hub Enterprise adds forecasting across team hierarchies.
For five reps, Freshsales Enterprise costs $59 x 5 x 12 = $3,540 a year. The same five reps pay $90 x 5 x 12 = $5,400 plus $1,500, which is $6,900, in year one on Sales Hub Professional.
Freshsales is the cheaper road to a forecast; HubSpot gets you there one tier earlier, with calling minutes and 300 workflows in the same plan.
Verdict: forecasting
It depends on the plan you would buy anyway. Moving from Freshsales Pro at $39 to Enterprise at $59 adds $20 per user per month, billed annually. A team that needs calling and forecasting together gets both on Sales Hub Professional.
AI and usage costs
HubSpot includes AI usage in every paid Sales Hub plan as monthly credits: 500 on Starter, 3,000 on Professional and 5,000 on Enterprise. Credits reset monthly and do not roll over. Extra credits cost $0.010 each, or $10 per pack of 1,000 credits.
At HubSpot’s own rate, Professional’s included credits are worth $0.010 x 3,000 = $30 a month. That is useful headroom for agents, not a reason to pick HubSpot by itself.
Freshsales sells AI differently. Every paid plan gets 500 bot sessions once per account, then the Freddy AI Agent add-on costs $49 per 100 sessions. Freshsales says only customer-facing bot features consume sessions; agent-facing AI features do not.
Verdict: AI usage
It depends on the use. A team putting a bot in front of customers buys Freshsales sessions; a team running agents inside the CRM spends HubSpot credits. The units measure different work, so price your own volume on each.
Admin controls for larger teams
Freshsales Enterprise lists field-level permissions, custom modules, a sandbox and audit logs at $59 per user per month, billed annually. Sales Hub Enterprise lists a standard sandbox account, deal splits, pipeline approvals for deals and lead form routing, starting at $150 per seat per month plus $3,500 onboarding.
HubSpot also raises the pipeline limit by plan: 15 on Starter, 100 on Professional and 350 on Enterprise. Its Sales Hub pricing page lists neither field-level permissions nor audit logs.
Verdict: admin controls
Not enough evidence for a verdict. Freshsales Enterprise prints its governance features at a lower seat price; ask HubSpot sales whether field-level permissions and audit logs come with Sales Hub Enterprise before you compare the two.
Freshsales vs HubSpot Pricing
Freshsales prices per user per month and HubSpot per seat per month; at the comparable tiers, HubSpot costs more everywhere except Starter.
| Plan tier | Freshsales | HubSpot Sales Hub |
|---|---|---|
| Free | Free: $0, up to 3 users | Free tools: $0, up to 2 users, 1,000 contacts |
| Entry | Growth: $9 billed annually, $11 billed monthly | Starter: $7 billed annually, $10 paid monthly, shown beside $20; commit monthly |
| Sequences tier | Pro: $39 billed annually, $47 billed monthly | Professional: $90 billed annually, $100 paid monthly; commit annually; $1,500 onboarding |
| Top | Enterprise: $59 billed annually, $71 billed monthly | Enterprise: starts at $150; $3,500 onboarding; sold through sales |
Sources: Freshsales pricing page, HubSpot Sales Hub pricing, checked October 2026.
Billing basis: Freshsales shows “Save 20%” on annual billing. HubSpot lets Starter pay monthly on a monthly commitment, while Professional paid monthly still commits for a year.
Free plans compared
Freshsales Free covers up to 3 users; HubSpot’s free tools cover up to 2 users and 1,000 contacts, with no time limit. A three-person team therefore fits only Freshsales at $0.
Freshsales Free includes email templates, a Kanban view, sales trends and custom fields, up to 5 per module. Its help article gives no contact cap.
HubSpot’s 1,000-contact cap is the edge to watch: one prospect list import can fill it. HubSpot’s own FAQ sets the free cap at 1,000 contacts, not unlimited, and points to a paid product beyond it.
What 5 and 10 reps pay in year one
On the sequences tier, Sales Hub Professional costs almost three times as much as Freshsales Pro for five reps in year one, onboarding included. At ten reps it is more than two and a half times.
| Team and billing | Freshsales Pro | HubSpot Sales Hub Professional |
|---|---|---|
| 5 reps, annual billing | $39 x 5 x 12 = $2,340 | $90 x 5 x 12 = $5,400 plus $1,500, which is $6,900 |
| 10 reps, annual billing | $39 x 10 x 12 = $4,680 | $90 x 10 x 12 = $10,800 plus $1,500, which is $12,300 |
| 5 reps, monthly billing | $47 x 5 x 12 = $2,820 | $100 x 5 x 12 = $6,000 plus $1,500, which is $7,500 |
| 10 reps, monthly billing | $47 x 10 x 12 = $5,640 | $100 x 10 x 12 = $12,000 plus $1,500, which is $13,500 |
Sources: Freshsales pricing page, HubSpot Sales Hub pricing, checked October 2026.
Assumptions: list prices in US dollars before tax; every rep on a full seat; no add-ons, no extra HubSpot credits and no paid Freshworks services. In year two, HubSpot’s onboarding drops out, but the seat gap stays.
The entry pair tells a different story. Sales Hub Starter undercuts Freshsales Growth while its $7 price applies, but neither plan has sequences.
| Team | Freshsales Growth | Sales Hub Starter at $7 | Sales Hub Starter at $20 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 5 reps | $9 x 5 x 12 = $540 | $7 x 5 x 12 = $420 | $20 x 5 x 12 = $1,200 |
| 10 reps | $9 x 10 x 12 = $1,080 | $7 x 10 x 12 = $840 | $20 x 10 x 12 = $2,400 |
Sources: Freshsales pricing page, HubSpot Sales Hub pricing, HubSpot product catalog, checked October 2026.
HubSpot’s pricing page does not say how long the $7 Starter price lasts or who qualifies, and its catalog lists a Starter Core Seat at $20 a month per seat. Budget the $20 column if the plan has to hold for more than a year.
Add-ons, onboarding and credits
HubSpot’s extras are required: one-time onboarding of $1,500 on Professional and $3,500 on Enterprise, plus any credits beyond the included amount.
Freshsales’ extras are optional. Branded documents cost $19 per user per month, the Freddy AI Agent $49 per 100 sessions, and Suite marketing contacts start at $100 per 5,000 contacts a month.
Every Freshsales add-on and plan is in my full Freshsales pricing breakdown.
HubSpot does sell cheaper seats for users who do not sell. Its catalog lists a Professional Core Seat at $50 a month and View-Only seats at no additional cost, while full Sales Hub Professional needs a Sales Seat.
The catalog lists that Sales Seat at $100 a month per seat, the figure the pricing page gives when paid monthly; billed annually, the pricing page shows $90 per seat per month. My guide to HubSpot’s pricing across hubs covers every seat type.
What forces the upgrade
On HubSpot, sequences, lead scoring or forecasting move a team from Starter to Professional, and with it onto the onboarding fee and an annual commitment. Running more than 50 workflows, 500 calling minutes or 15 pipelines does the same.
On Freshsales, sequences and contact scoring move a team from Growth to Pro. Forecasting insights, field-level permissions, sandbox and audit logs move it from Pro to Enterprise.
On the free tiers, HubSpot breaks at the 3rd user or the 1,001st contact, and Freshsales at the 4th user. Past the free tiers, the seat gap is widest at the top. Billed annually, the sequences tier is $39 against $90 per user or seat per month, and the top tier $59 against $150.
Integrations, Marketing and the Wider Platform
HubSpot lists over 2,000 apps and web services on its Sales Hub pricing page; the Freshworks Marketplace filters apps by Freshsales and Freshsales Suite but shows no count. A larger catalog is not a better fit by itself, so search both marketplaces for the 3 to 5 apps your team uses.
The free tiers cover the basics. Freshsales Free connects Gmail, Google Calendar, Outlook, Zoom and Teams; HubSpot’s free CRM connects to Gmail, G Suite and many versions of Outlook.
Marketing is the bigger split. Freshsales Suite keeps the same seat prices and adds 500 marketing contacts. HubSpot sells Marketing Hub as a separate product, which suits a team that plans to grow into HubSpot’s other hubs.
Freshsales vs HubSpot: Pros and Cons
Freshsales Free covers up to 3 users, and HubSpot’s free account covers up to 2.
At the sequences tier, Freshsales Pro is $39 per user per month and Sales Hub Professional is $90 per seat per month, both billed annually.
HubSpot states 500 calling minutes on Starter and 3,000 on Professional.
HubSpot lists forecasting on Professional, and Freshsales lists forecasting insights on Enterprise.
HubSpot’s pricing page lists over 2,000 apps and web services.
Freshsales pros and cons
Pros
- Sequences and contact scoring on Pro at $39 per user per month, billed annually
- No onboarding fee on the pricing page
- Free plan for up to 3 users
- Field-level permissions, sandbox and audit logs on Enterprise at $59 per user per month
Cons
- Forecasting insights only on Enterprise
- No calling minutes, call rates or workflow caps on the pricing page
- No published integration count on its marketplace
HubSpot pros and cons
Pros
- Calling minutes included: 500 on Starter, 3,000 on Professional
- Forecasting on Professional, one tier below the top
- Over 2,000 apps and web services
- Included monthly AI credits on every paid plan
Cons
- Required $1,500 onboarding on Professional and $3,500 on Enterprise
- Annual commitment on Professional, even when paid monthly
- Free tier stops at 2 users and 1,000 contacts
- Starter has no sequences
Which Is Better for Your Sales Team?
Freshsales is better for teams buying sequences on a budget; HubSpot is better for teams that call, forecast early or depend on its marketplace.
| Your priority | Better fit | Reason | Trade-off |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sequences at the lowest seat price | Freshsales | Pro is $39 vs $90 plus $1,500 | Forecasting needs Enterprise |
| Included calling minutes | HubSpot | 500 or 3,000 minutes stated | Higher seat price |
| A forecast without the top tier | HubSpot | Professional includes forecasting | $1,500 onboarding, annual commitment |
| Lowest-cost forecasting | Freshsales | Enterprise $59 is below Professional $90 | Fewer published limits |
| Free for 3 people | Freshsales | 3 users vs 2 | Contact cap not listed |
| A large app catalog | Depends | HubSpot lists 2,000+, Freshsales no count | Check your own apps |
| Marketing in the same CRM | Depends | Suite adds 500 contacts; Marketing Hub sold separately | Marketing Hub depth not compared here |
Sources: Freshsales pricing page, HubSpot Sales Hub pricing, checked October 2026.
A 5-rep team that emails in sequences and rarely calls should buy Freshsales Pro. When it needs a forecast, Freshsales Enterprise at $59 per user per month, billed annually, is the cheaper step; pick HubSpot once calling minutes become weekly needs, or when the team needs calling and forecasting together.
A team of 10 that calls daily should start on Sales Hub Professional if about 300 minutes per rep a month covers its calling, since the 3,000 minutes are shared across the account. Switch to Freshsales only if HubSpot’s year-one total in the cost table breaks the budget.
Pipeline-first teams weighing a third option can check how Freshsales compares with Pipedrive.
If Salesforce is the other name on your Freshsales shortlist, Freshsales vs Salesforce sets that pair against each other.
Who should skip each
Skip Freshsales if:
- you need a forecast but will not pay for Enterprise
- you want included calling minutes stated before you buy
- an app you rely on is missing from the Freshworks Marketplace
If one of those rules it out, my list of Freshsales alternatives covers other CRMs for the same job.
Skip HubSpot if:
- you need sequences but cannot pay $1,500 onboarding and commit for a year
- you are three people who want a free plan
- your budget for a CRM with sequences is closer to Freshsales Pro’s $39 per user per month than to $90
A team in that position can weigh the HubSpot alternatives worth a look before settling.
If Keap is still on your shortlist, HubSpot vs Keap puts the two side by side.
Switching Between Freshsales and HubSpot
Moving either way carries records, not automation. HubSpot to Freshsales moves contacts, accounts and deals as CSV files; Freshsales to HubSpot starts from a full export of contacts, activities and deals.
In both directions, plan to rebuild workflows, sequences, scoring rules and reports by hand: the help pages below cover records and activities. Confirm the scope with each vendor before you move.
HubSpot to Freshsales:
- Export from HubSpot as a file; HubSpot allows up to 300 exports within a rolling 24-hour window.
- Freshsales has a HubSpot migration wizard under Admin Settings > Data & Import that takes CSV files only, under 250 MB.
- Add your users and create custom fields with the same names and types before you import.
- Records without an email are skipped, because first name, last name and email are mandatory.
- Freshworks’ article notes that HubSpot deprecated API keys in November 2022, which affects tasks, notes and call logs; it tells you to ask HubSpot support for that data.
Freshsales to HubSpot:
- Freshsales exports all CRM data from Admin Settings > Account Settings as a Zip file sent to your email.
- You can export up to five times a day, but the full time range only once.
- HubSpot imports several objects in one file, with associations and activities such as calls and meetings.
- HubSpot also offers a self-service transfer for existing CRM data.
- Budget HubSpot’s Professional Onboarding fee in the move: it applies when you buy Professional.
Sources: HubSpot export help, Freshsales HubSpot migration help, Freshsales data export help, HubSpot multi-object import help, checked October 2026.
How I Compared Freshsales and HubSpot
I read both vendors’ US-dollar pricing pages on October 21, 2026, in the annual and the monthly view. I added HubSpot’s product catalog and help center, and Freshsales’ help center and Suite pricing page.
I compared the plans tier for tier, from free to top, on sequences and scoring, calling, forecasting, AI usage, admin controls, cost at 5 and 10 reps, integrations and switching.
Freshsales publishes no call rates, workflow caps, Free contact cap or integration count on those pages. HubSpot does not publish how long its $7 Starter price applies. Where a decision turns on one of those, the page names the trial or sales question that settles it.
FAQ
Is Freshsales a real CRM?
Yes. Freshsales is the sales CRM of Freshworks, with contact lifecycle stages, a Kanban pipeline view and email templates from its Growth plan. Freshworks also offers Freshsales Suite, a separate product whose plans add marketing contacts.
Does Freshsales charge an onboarding fee?
No onboarding fee appears on the Freshsales pricing page, which lists only the per-user plan prices and two add-ons. HubSpot, by contrast, requires a one-time $1,500 fee on Sales Hub Professional and $3,500 on Enterprise. Ask Freshworks sales if you want paid setup help.
Is Freshsales a good CRM?
Freshsales is a good CRM for small sales teams that want sequences and scoring at $39 per user per month, billed annually. It is weaker for teams that need a forecast below Enterprise, where HubSpot Professional is the earlier option.
Final Verdict: Freshsales or HubSpot?
Buy Freshsales Pro if your small sales team needs sequences and the budget is tight. Buy HubSpot Sales Hub Professional if reps call, managers need a forecast and the onboarding fee fits.
Choose Freshsales if
- Your reps need sequences and contact scoring at the lowest seat price (Pro is $39 per user per month, billed annually)
- Three people want to start on a free plan (Freshsales Free holds 3 users)
- You want no setup fee on the bill (none on the Freshsales pricing page)
- Governance matters on a budget (Enterprise lists audit logs at $59 per user per month)
Choose HubSpot if
- Reps call from the CRM and you want minutes included (3,000 per account a month on Professional)
- You need a forecast without buying the top tier (forecasting is on Professional)
- An app you rely on is in HubSpot’s marketplace but missing from the Freshworks Marketplace
- Your budget covers $1,500 onboarding and an annual commitment on Professional
The main trade-offs: Freshsales costs a five-rep team about a third as much in year one but holds forecasting for Enterprise. HubSpot’s premium buys calling minutes, earlier forecasting and a marketplace HubSpot lists at over 2,000 apps.
If neither fits, widen the shortlist with my ranking of the best CRM software for small teams.
Buyers who keep HubSpot and SugarCRM on the same list can open HubSpot vs SugarCRM next.
