Freshsales vs HubSpot: Which CRM is Best for Your Small Business?

Choosing the right Customer Relationship Management (CRM) tool is critical for small businesses aiming to streamline operations, boost sales, and nurture customer relationships. Two popular options that frequently come up in discussions are Freshsales and HubSpot. Both offer excellent features tailored to small businesses, but which one is the better fit for you?

In this blog, we’ll compare Freshsales and HubSpot across several key areas, highlighting their strengths, weaknesses, and ideal use cases. While both CRMs offer significant value, we’ll explore why HubSpot may be the more comprehensive choice for many small businesses, without discounting the merits of Freshsales.

Overview: Freshsales and HubSpot

Freshsales is part of the Freshworks suite and focuses on helping small businesses with sales management and customer engagement. It provides essential CRM tools like lead tracking, email integration, and AI-powered insights. Freshsales is known for its simplicity and affordability.

HubSpot is an all-in-one CRM platform offering tools for marketing, sales, customer service, and operations. What sets HubSpot apart is its free CRM and modular system that grows with your business. HubSpot’s strength lies in its ability to integrate marketing automation and advanced analytics, making it suitable for businesses looking to expand over time.

Key Comparison: Freshsales vs HubSpot

1. Ease of Use

• Freshsales:
  Freshsales is well-regarded for its intuitive interface. It’s easy to set up, even for businesses with little technical knowledge, and offers a clean, minimal dashboard that focuses primarily on sales management.

• HubSpot:
  HubSpot’s CRM is user-friendly and accessible, but its broader range of features can make it feel more complex initially. However, the platform provides step-by-step tutorials and a knowledge base to ease the learning curve.

Verdict:
Freshsales is slightly easier for those seeking a straightforward sales CRM, but HubSpot offers greater flexibility once you get accustomed to its tools.

2. Features and Functionality

• Freshsales:
  Freshsales is primarily focused on sales automation and lead management. Its AI-powered insights help identify the best leads, and the built-in phone and email integration make it easy to track communications. However, its marketing features are limited, which may require small businesses to use additional tools.

• HubSpot:
  HubSpot offers a comprehensive suite of tools for sales, marketing, customer service, and operations. It allows businesses to automate email campaigns, manage leads, run social media campaigns, and track customer interactions across various channels—all in one platform. The marketing automation and analytics features give it a significant edge.

Verdict:
If your focus is solely on sales, Freshsales covers the basics. However, for businesses that want to combine marketing and sales efforts or scale over time, HubSpot offers more robust functionality.

3. Pricing and Value for Money

• Freshsales:
  Freshsales offers affordable pricing plans, starting from £12 per user per month, with tiered packages based on the features you need. It provides good value for small businesses that primarily need sales tools.

• HubSpot:
  HubSpot’s CRM is free, with no time limits. Additional features—such as marketing automation and advanced reporting—come with paid plans, which can become more expensive as your business scales. However, for many small businesses, the free version offers more than enough to get started.

Verdict:
Freshsales offers more affordable entry-level plans, but HubSpot’s free CRM and scalable pricing make it a better long-term investment for growing businesses.

4. Integrations and Customisation

• Freshsales:
  Freshsales integrates well with other Freshworks products and offers limited third-party integrations with popular tools like Slack and Google Workspace. Customisation options are available, but they are relatively basic compared to other CRMs.

• HubSpot:
  HubSpot shines in terms of integrations and flexibility. It connects seamlessly with hundreds of apps, including Gmail, Microsoft 365, Shopify, and Zoom. Its customisable workflows allow businesses to automate tasks based on specific needs, providing greater versatility.

Verdict:
HubSpot offers broader integrations and deeper customisation, which makes it ideal for businesses that need to automate workflows and connect multiple tools.

5. Customer Support and Training

• Freshsales:
  Freshsales offers 24/7 support via chat, phone, and email, which is helpful for businesses needing quick assistance. However, its support resources and online training materials are more limited compared to HubSpot.

• HubSpot:
  HubSpot provides comprehensive support options, including email and chat support, along with a wealth of free training resources. The HubSpot Academy offers tutorials, certifications, and courses to help users make the most of the platform.

Verdict:
While both platforms provide good support, HubSpot’s extensive training resources make it easier for businesses to grow and learn as they use the CRM.

6. Scalability

• Freshsales:
  Freshsales is designed primarily for small to mid-sized businesses. While it offers useful features, it may become limiting for companies looking to scale significantly or integrate advanced marketing tools.

• HubSpot:
  HubSpot is built to scale with your business. You can start with the free CRM and gradually add paid features as your needs grow. Its modular approach ensures businesses don’t outgrow the platform, making it ideal for long-term use.

Verdict:
HubSpot is the better option for businesses with growth in mind, thanks to its scalable platform and wide range of advanced features.

Which CRM is Right for Your Small Business?

Both Freshsales and HubSpot offer valuable tools for small businesses, but which one is right for you depends on your specific needs:

• Choose Freshsales if:

  • You need a simple, affordable CRM focused on sales.
  • You want easy setup with minimal technical knowledge required.
  • Your business doesn’t need extensive marketing automation or analytics tools.

• Choose HubSpot if:

  • You want an all-in-one platform that covers sales, marketing, and customer service.
  • You need scalable tools that grow with your business.
  • You value in-depth analytics, automation, and comprehensive support resources.

While Freshsales is a good choice for businesses looking for a sales-centric CRM, HubSpot’s versatility and scalability make it the better option for most small businesses—especially those planning to expand their marketing efforts or grow in the long run. The fact that HubSpot’s CRM is free to start with gives it an extra edge, offering great value even before upgrading to paid plans.

Ultimately, if your small business prioritises long-term growth and needs a flexible CRM that combines sales and marketing efforts, HubSpot is the recommended choice. However, Freshsales remains a solid, user-friendly alternative for businesses focusing primarily on sales management without the need for advanced features.