|

Pipedrive vs HubSpot (2026): Which CRM Is Right for Your Small Business?

Shortlist Software is reader-supported. If you sign up through links on this page, we may earn a commission at no extra cost to you. How we make money.

Updated October 27, 2026. Prices below were checked against each company’s own pricing page on this date.

Pipedrive and HubSpot are two of the most popular CRMs for small businesses, but they’re built on different ideas. Pipedrive is a focused sales pipeline you pay for from day one. HubSpot starts free and grows into a full marketing, sales and service platform.

Here’s how they compare on price, features and fit, based on each company’s own pricing pages.

The short answer

  • Choose Pipedrive if you have a sales team that lives in its pipeline and you want the simplest tool for moving deals forward.
  • Choose HubSpot if you’re 1 or 2 people who want to start free, or you plan to add email marketing and customer service on the same platform later.

Pipedrive vs HubSpot at a glance

PipedriveHubSpot
Best forSales-focused teamsStarting free and growing
Free planNoYes, 2 users and 1,000 contacts
Paid plans from$14/seat/mo (billed annually)$20/seat/mo (Starter list price)
Free trial14 days, no cardFree plan
Email sync and automationsFrom Growth ($39/seat)Paid plans
Marketing and service toolsAdd-onsSame platform (Marketing, Service Hubs)

Prices checked against each company’s pricing page. Monthly billing costs more.

Pricing compared

Pipedrive

Lite is $14 per seat per month billed annually ($24 monthly). Growth, which adds full email sync, automations and a meeting scheduler, is $39 per seat billed annually ($49 monthly). Premium is $59 and Ultimate is $79 per seat billed annually. Every plan has a 14-day free trial with no credit card. There is no free plan.

HubSpot

The free CRM covers up to 2 users and 1,000 contacts with no time limit. Starter lists at $20 per seat per month, and HubSpot was running discounted Starter pricing for new customers when we checked. Costs climb on the higher Professional tiers, so price the tier you’ll actually need.

Where Pipedrive wins

  • A clear, visual pipeline built purely for selling
  • Less to learn, so a team can be up and running in an afternoon
  • Predictable per-seat pricing with a no-card trial

Where HubSpot wins

  • A genuinely useful free plan for up to 2 users
  • Room to grow into marketing and customer service tools
  • Works with Gmail and Outlook from day one

Our verdict

For a small sales team that wants to close more deals, Pipedrive is the more focused, easier tool and our top CRM overall. For a solo owner or two-person business that wants to start without paying, HubSpot’s free plan is hard to beat. Just expect to pay once you pass 2 users or 1,000 contacts.

Frequently asked questions

Is Pipedrive cheaper than HubSpot?

At the entry level, Pipedrive Lite ($14 per seat billed annually) costs less than HubSpot Starter’s $20 list price. But HubSpot’s free plan costs nothing for up to 2 users.

Can I switch from HubSpot to Pipedrive later?

Yes. Both let you export contacts and deals, and Pipedrive offers import tools for moving your data across.

Want to see more options? Read our full guide to the best CRM for small business.

Free download

Get the Small Business Software Pricing Cheat Sheet

Real prices, renewal costs and catches for 25 popular tools on one page, plus an email when prices change or we publish a new comparison.

No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.

Similar Posts

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *