10 Best Free & Cheap HubSpot Alternatives for Startups (2026)

Last verified: 11 October 2026. Every price below was checked against the vendor's official website on this date (pricing, product, startup or help pages, as noted). Prices are in USD, per user per month, unless noted.

By Kabandi Saikia, co-founder and Chief M-aa-rket-er at maarket.ai, a distribution platform for products. The order is editorial and pricing-led (see How we picked), not taken from maarket.ai's community rankings. No vendor paid for inclusion or placement, and this page carries no affiliate links.

Quick answer: The best free and cheap HubSpot alternatives for startups are Zoho CRM (free for 3 users, then $14; the best default), Freshsales (free for 3 users, then $9), Pipedrive ($14, founder-led sales), Attio (free for 3 seats; 80% off Pro for eligible VC-backed startups) and Twenty (open source, free to self-host). HubSpot itself is free for 2 users, and Starter is $7 a seat billed annually on a limited-time new-customer offer. The cost jump comes at Professional: $90 a seat plus a $1,500 onboarding fee.

Looking for tools to find and contact leads alongside your CRM? Compare our 11 Best AI Prospecting Tools in 2026 (Pricing Compared).

Top picks by use case

• Best overall CRM for startups: Zoho CRM, free for 3 users with a cheap path to a full suite
• Cheapest hosted sales CRM with calling: Freshsales at $9 per user, billed annually
• Founder-led sales: Pipedrive
• VC-backed startups: Attio, with 80% off Pro in year one
• Free and open source: Twenty
• Replacing HubSpot Marketing Hub email: Brevo

Comparison at a glance

\Cost for 5 users per year uses the cheapest paid plan on annual billing, before tax and add-ons. HubSpot's figure uses its current new-customer Starter price. Twenty's applies its advertised 25% yearly discount to the $9 monthly price (our calculation). Brevo's adds 4 extra seats at $129.60 a year each to Starter's $97 a year. Bitrix24 charges per account, not per seat. Less Annoying CRM has no annual discount, so its figure is 12 × the monthly price. †Listed on Freshworks' startups page rather than its main pricing page. ‡From Capsule's own pricing blog; its pricing page shows plan limits but not prices to every visitor.*

Cheapest for 5 users, annual billing: Twenty Cloud ~$405 · HubSpot Starter $420 (new-customer offer) · Freshsales $540 · Bitrix24 $588 · Brevo ~$615 (email marketing, not a sales CRM) · EngageBay $827 · Zoho CRM and Pipedrive $840 · Less Annoying CRM $900 (monthly only) · Capsule $1,080 · Attio $2,100.

How we picked: a tool made the list only if it has a free plan, a free self-hosted version, or a paid plan under $20 per user per month, and covers core CRM or the HubSpot hub it replaces. folk, for example, starts at $24 per member per month billed annually on its Standard plan ($30 monthly), with a 2-week trial and no free plan, so it missed the cut. We applied the same rule to every CRM we considered, which is why larger CRMs without a free plan or sub-$20 tier aren't here. Prices were read from each vendor's official pages on 11 October 2026; where a figure appears only on a help, product, startup or blog page from the vendor, we say so. The order is editorial, weighing 5-seat annual cost, free-plan limits and seat-cap headroom for a typical 3–10 person startup. Attio ranks above cheaper tools because its free plan and 80% startup discount make it inexpensive for the VC-backed teams it suits; Twenty ranks below them because self-hosting costs time that headline prices don't show.

Why this list matters: what HubSpot really costs a startup in 2026

• HubSpot is cheap at the start and expensive in one jump. Sales Hub Starter is $7 per seat per month billed annually, or $10 monthly, on a limited-time offer for new customers (HubSpot lists the normal price as $20). Custom reporting, sales analytics and playbooks sit in Professional, at $90 per seat billed annually plus a required one-time $1,500 onboarding fee, per HubSpot's product catalog. A five-person team goes from $420 a year to $6,900 in year one.
• Starter's price is a promotion, not a fixed rate. HubSpot's pages say the discount is for new customers and for a limited time, with no end date. Budget for renewal at the $20 list price unless your contract locks in the lower rate.
• Annual vs monthly billing changes the answer. Monthly billing costs anywhere from nothing extra (Less Annoying CRM, which has no annual discount) to 45% more (Bitrix24 Standard, $144 vs $99). Zoho CRM Standard and HubSpot Starter both cost 43% more monthly ($20 vs $14, and $10 vs $7 on HubSpot's current offer). Attio Plus costs 26% more monthly ($44 vs $35), and HubSpot Professional 11% more ($100 vs $90).
• Seat caps are the hidden budget risk. Attio Plus stops at 10 seats, Bitrix24 Basic at 5 users and Capsule's free plan at 2. Brevo's Starter and Standard plans include one seat; extra seats cost $12 each per month. Plan for your team size in 12 months, not today.
• At the full 90% discount, HubSpot Professional can be the cheapest mid-tier CRM in year one, but only if the onboarding fee is waived. HubSpot for Startups gives up to 90% off Professional or Enterprise in year one (50% in year two, 25% in year three) if you're pre-seed to Series A and either work with an approved HubSpot for Startups partner or have verified venture funding. With the $1,500 fee, 5 seats cost $2,040 in year one: more than Zoho CRM Professional ($1,380) and close to Freshsales Pro or Pipedrive Growth ($2,340). Startups tied to an approved entrepreneurial organisation get 30% off in year one and 15% in year two. The discount covers only new Professional or Enterprise products, not Starter, and HubSpot's startups page doesn't say whether it covers the onboarding fee.
• AI-assistant access now differs by CRM. HubSpot, Attio and Zoho run official MCP servers that let Claude, ChatGPT and other assistants read and update your CRM; Pipedrive's is in beta. See our guide to official MCP servers for setup and plan rules.

1. Zoho CRM: best default CRM for most startups

Is Zoho CRM free? Yes, for up to 3 users. Zoho CRM is the strongest fit here for a startup that expects to grow from a free plan to a full suite on one vendor. Standard is $14 per user per month billed annually ($20 monthly). Professional is $23 billed annually ($35 monthly). That's about a quarter of HubSpot Professional's per-seat price, with no onboarding fee. Zoho also bundles into a wider suite (Books, Desk, Campaigns), so you can add finance and support tools without a second vendor.

Budget watch-out: taxes are added on top. India only: startups recognised under Startup India (or registered through a Zoho partner) may qualify for up to ₹1.86 lakh in Zoho for Startups wallet credits.

Best for: startups that also want accounting (Books) and a help desk (Desk) from the same vendor.

2. Freshsales: cheapest per-seat CRM with built-in calling

Is Freshsales free? Yes, for up to 3 users, per Freshworks' startups page; the free plan isn't shown on the main pricing page. Freshsales Growth, at $9 per user per month billed annually, is the cheapest paid plan among the per-seat alternatives here, apart from Twenty's yearly cloud price. Pro is $39 per user per month billed annually, and there's a 21-day free trial. Freshworks lists phone, email, SMS and live chat among Freshsales' core features, so an early sales team may not need a separate dialer.

Budget watch-out: Freddy AI Agent sessions are a paid add-on at $49 per 100 sessions.

Best for: early sales teams that want the cheapest per-seat sales CRM with calling built in.

3. Pipedrive: best for founder-led sales

Is Pipedrive free? No; there's a 14-day trial with no card needed. Pipedrive (see it on maarket.ai) is built around a visual deal pipeline, which suits founder-led sales, where the job is moving a handful of deals forward each week. Lite is $14 per seat per month billed annually and Growth is $39.

Budget watch-out: LeadBooster, Smart Docs, Web Visitors, Projects and Campaigns are paid add-ons (each listed "from" $13.33 to $41 on Pipedrive's pricing page), so the real price can be well above the headline.

Best for: founders running outbound or deal-by-deal B2B sales.

4. Attio: best for VC-backed startups

Is Attio free? Yes, for 3 seats and 50,000 records. Attio is a data-first CRM: you model your own objects (investors, partners, users, not just contacts and deals), and records are enriched automatically. Plus is $35 per seat per month billed annually ($44 monthly), and Pro is $79 ($99 monthly). Venture-backed companies can apply to Attio for Startups for 80% off annual Pro in year one and 30% off in year two, for workspaces of up to 10 seats. You must apply within 90 days of creating your workspace.

Budget watch-out: Plus stops at 10 seats, and every member must be on the same plan, so the 11th hire moves the whole team to Pro.

Best for: VC-backed startups with custom workflows (fundraising, partnerships, PLG pipelines).

5. Twenty: best open-source HubSpot alternative

Is Twenty free? Yes, if you self-host it. Twenty is an open-source CRM, mostly licensed under AGPL-3.0, with some enterprise-licensed files and MIT-licensed packages. The cloud Pro plan is $9 per user per month, 25% less on yearly billing, with unlimited records and custom objects and a free trial with no card. It's the only option here where you own the code and the data outright.

Budget watch-out: self-hosting is free in licence fees, not in time. You pay for servers, upgrades and whoever maintains it. SSO needs the Organization plan at $19 per user per month billed monthly.

Best for: technical teams that want an extensible CRM and full data ownership.

6. Less Annoying CRM: simplest CRM with one flat price

Is Less Annoying CRM free? No; there's a 30-day free trial. Less Annoying CRM has one plan: $15 per user per month, every feature included, no contracts and no tiers. It deliberately skips marketing automation and complex configuration, which is why small teams can learn it in an afternoon.

Budget watch-out: no annual discount, and the vendor suggests staying below 50,000 total contacts and companies.

Best for: very small teams that want contacts, pipeline and follow-ups, nothing else.

7. Capsule CRM: simplest free plan for relationship tracking

Is Capsule free? Yes, for 2 users, 250 contacts and one pipeline. Capsule CRM is a simple contact and pipeline CRM. Starter holds 30,000 contacts and costs from $18 per user per month billed annually, per Capsule's own pricing guide (April 2026); annual billing saves up to 18%. There's a 14-day trial with no card.

Budget watch-out: automations, multiple pipelines and AI tools start at Growth (from $36 per user per month billed annually), and email marketing is a separate add-on from $11 a month.

Best for: service startups and agencies tracking relationships rather than high-volume deals.

8. Brevo: cheapest HubSpot Marketing Hub alternative

Is Brevo free? Yes: 300 emails a day and up to 100,000 stored contacts for one user, per Brevo's help centre. Brevo is the budget replacement for HubSpot Marketing Hub rather than Sales Hub. It also has a free Sales plan with one pipeline. Starter is a flat $9 a month ($8.08 yearly) for 5,000 emails, and Standard, which adds automation, is $18 ($16.17 yearly). Pricing is by email volume, not contact count, which is the opposite of HubSpot's model.

Budget watch-out: Starter and Standard include one seat; extra seats cost $12 a month each ($129.60 a year on yearly billing), up to 10. Removing Brevo's logo on Starter costs $12 a month extra ($10.80 billed yearly), which makes Standard, where logo removal is included, the better deal.

Best for: startups whose main HubSpot use is newsletters and email campaigns.

9. EngageBay: most users on a free plan

Is EngageBay free? Yes, for up to 15 users and 250 contacts. EngageBay follows HubSpot's all-in-one model at a lower price: marketing, CRM and helpdesk in one tool. All-in-One Basic is $13.79 per user per month billed yearly, or $12.74 on a two-year term. Its $14.99 "monthly" price is still paid yearly, so there's no true month-to-month option on Basic.

Budget watch-out: Basic is capped at 500 contacts, and Growth jumps to $59.79 per user billed yearly.

Best for: very early teams that want HubSpot-style breadth for under $15 a seat.

10. Bitrix24: best flat-priced all-in-one workspace

Is Bitrix24 free? Yes, for up to 2 users, per its pricing page. Bitrix24 prices per organisation, not per seat. Basic is $49 a month billed annually ($69 monthly) for 5 users. Standard is $99 a month billed annually ($144 monthly) for 50 users. You get CRM plus tasks, projects, chat and HR tools, and there's a 15-day trial of higher-tier features.

Budget watch-out: Basic stops at 5 users, so a sixth user means moving to Standard. Telephony and Market apps need a paid plan.

Best for: teams of up to 50 that want one flat monthly bill for CRM and internal collaboration.

How to choose a HubSpot alternative on a budget

1. Decide which HubSpot you're replacing, and whether you need to pay at all. The strongest free options are Zoho CRM and Freshsales (3 users each), Attio (3 seats) and self-hosted Twenty. EngageBay's free plan allows the most users (15) but caps you at 250 contacts. For Sales Hub, look at Freshsales, Pipedrive, Zoho or Attio; for Marketing Hub email, Brevo; for the all-in-one, EngageBay or Bitrix24.
2. Price your team size in 12 months, not today. Seat caps (Attio Plus at 10, Bitrix24 Basic at 5, one included seat on Brevo Starter) decide the real cost.
3. Compare annual and monthly billing separately. Pre-revenue startups often can't commit to a year. Month-to-month prices run from the same as annual (Less Annoying CRM) to 45% higher (Bitrix24 Standard).
4. Check HubSpot for Startups first if you're VC-backed. At the maximum 90% off, Professional is $9 a seat ($540 a year for 5 seats), level with Freshsales Growth, or $2,040 if the $1,500 onboarding fee isn't waived. For comparison, 5 seats cost $1,380 a year on Zoho CRM Professional and $2,340 on Freshsales Pro or Pipedrive Growth. Model years two and three before you commit.
5. Count add-ons. Pipedrive, Freshsales, Capsule and Brevo all sell key features separately. Add them to the headline price.

How to move off HubSpot

1. Export your data. HubSpot lets you export contacts, companies and deals as CSV or Excel files from each record list. Export notes and activity history separately if you need them.
2. Map your fields before importing. Match HubSpot properties (lifecycle stage, deal stage, owner) to the new CRM's fields, and recreate your pipeline stages first.
3. Import a small batch first. Every CRM on this list accepts CSV imports. Import 50 records, check the fields landed correctly, then import the rest.
4. Run both for a week, then switch. Keep logging in HubSpot until the new CRM is complete. On switch-over day, turn off HubSpot sequences, forms and workflows before you downgrade to the free plan (2 users), so no leads get lost.

FAQ

What is the best CRM for startups?

For most early-stage startups, Zoho CRM is the best default: it's free for 3 users, $14 per user billed annually after that, and it grows into a full suite (Books, Desk, Campaigns) without a second vendor. Pick Freshsales if built-in calling at the lowest per-seat price matters more, Pipedrive for founder-led deal pipelines, or Attio if you're VC-backed with custom data needs. HubSpot Starter is cheaper in year one ($7 a seat on its current new-customer offer), but at its $20 list price 5 seats cost $1,200 a year, versus $840 on Zoho.

Is HubSpot free?

Yes. HubSpot's free tools cover up to 2 users with no credit card, but with limits. More users, sequences and automation start at Sales Hub Starter: $7 per seat per month billed annually, or $10 monthly, on a limited-time new-customer offer (normally $20). Custom reporting, sales analytics and playbooks need Professional: $90 per seat billed annually ($100 monthly) plus a $1,500 onboarding fee.

How much does HubSpot cost for a startup?

A 5-person team pays $420 a year on Starter at HubSpot's current new-customer price, or $1,200 a year at the $20 list price. Sales Hub Professional costs $90 per seat billed annually plus a one-time $1,500 onboarding fee: $6,900 in year one for 5 seats. Eligible pre-seed to Series A startups can get up to 90% off Professional in year one through HubSpot for Startups.

What is the cheapest alternative to HubSpot?

Twenty: free to self-host, or about $6.75 per user per month on yearly cloud billing (our calculation from its 25% discount). The most generous free hosted plans are Zoho CRM and Freshsales (3 users each), Attio (3 seats) and EngageBay (15 users, 250 contacts). Among hosted sales CRMs, the cheapest paid per-seat plan is Freshsales Growth at $9 per user per month billed annually; HubSpot's own Starter is $7 on its current new-customer offer.

Is HubSpot worth it for a startup?

It's worth it on the free plan or Starter, or if you qualify for HubSpot for Startups. It's usually not worth it if you need Professional features at full price: $90 a seat plus a $1,500 onboarding fee, when Zoho CRM Professional ($23), Freshsales Pro ($39) and Pipedrive Growth ($39) cover the mid-tier with no onboarding fee listed.

Does HubSpot have a startup discount?

Yes. HubSpot for Startups gives pre-seed, seed and Series A companies up to 90% off Professional or Enterprise in year one, 50% in year two and 25% in year three. You must work with an approved HubSpot for Startups partner or have verified venture funding. Startups tied to an approved entrepreneurial organisation get 30% off in year one and 15% in year two. Starter isn't covered, and an annual commitment is required.

Does HubSpot for Startups cover Starter?

No. The discount applies only to new Professional or Enterprise products, so it doesn't discount Starter.

How much does HubSpot Marketing Hub cost?

Marketing Hub Starter lists at $20 per seat per month with 1,000 marketing contacts; HubSpot's product page currently shows a new-customer price of $10 per seat per month but doesn't state the billing term there, so confirm it at checkout. Professional is $800 a month billed annually ($890 monthly) for 3 seats and 2,000 marketing contacts, plus a required one-time $3,000 onboarding fee. For email-first startups, Brevo's free plan (300 emails a day) or $9 Starter is the budget alternative.

What is the best free HubSpot alternative?

Zoho CRM for most startups: free for 3 users, with a paid path into Zoho's wider suite. Choose Freshsales (3 users) for built-in calling, Attio (3 seats, 50,000 records) for custom data, EngageBay if you need up to 15 users and can live with 250 contacts, and Twenty if you can self-host.

Can I use AI assistants like Claude or ChatGPT with my CRM?

Yes, with some CRMs. HubSpot, Attio and Zoho run official MCP servers that let AI assistants search and update CRM records after you sign in; Pipedrive's is in beta. Our MCP server guide lists endpoints and plan rules.

Switching your website analytics too? Our 10 Best Google Analytics (GA4) Alternatives in 2026 guide compares Plausible, Umami, Fathom, Pirsch, PostHog and more at the same traffic level, with prices verified October 2026.

Update log: first published 24 September 2026. Updated 11 October 2026: all prices re-verified; HubSpot Starter now marked as a limited-time new-customer offer; Brevo 5-user cost corrected for its newly published seat pricing; Attio startup terms and Pipedrive add-ons updated; AI-assistant (MCP) section added. Next scheduled review: January 2027, or sooner if HubSpot's Starter offer ends.

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