HubSpot vs SharpSpring: The Most Affordable CRM – But Is It the Best for 2025?
Businesses that need to optimize their sales marketing and customer relationship operations must make a critical decision regarding their CRM selection. Visitors to the CRM market face a critical choice between HubSpot vs SharpSpring among their many options. The platforms deliver strong marketing automation, email marketing, lead tracking, and analytics that businesses need to scale their operations. Organizations need to choose between these platforms because they want maximal cost efficiency alongside sustainable business expansion.
The widely known premium CRM HubSpot includes a full range of features but SharpSpring offers an inexpensive alternative toolset that delivers robust automation capabilities. The following discussion provides an analysis of fundamental features alongside corresponding prices to determine which system best matches specific requirements between startup agencies and expanding businesses. A comprehensive assessment of these CRMs through their email marketing features and lead scoring potential together with their automated capabilities and retargeting capabilities will be performed with a cost evaluation to identify the optimal choice for 2025.
Key Takeaways
- HubSpot vs SharpSpring both offer powerful marketing automation, CRM, and email marketing tools.
- HubSpot is more expensive but provides premium integrations and AI-driven features.
- SharpSpring offers more affordable pricing with solid automation tools, making it ideal for SMBs.
- Lead scoring, email marketing, and retargeting tools are advanced in HubSpot, while SharpSpring provides a cost-effective alternative.
- Agencies and startups may find SharpSpring more practical, while larger businesses may prefer HubSpot’s scalability.
Marketing Automation and CRM Integration Breakdown
One of the biggest advantages of using a CRM is the ability to integrate marketing automation features seamlessly. Both HubSpot vs SharpSpring provide a suite of tools to help businesses nurture leads, track customer interactions, and personalize marketing campaigns. However, their approach to automation varies significantly.
HubSpot offers a user-friendly interface with drag-and-drop automation workflows, making it an excellent choice for beginners. SharpSpring, on the other hand, provides more customizable automation sequences, allowing advanced users to fine-tune their campaigns. The right choice depends on your team’s experience level and automation needs.
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Comparison Table: Marketing Automation Features of HubSpot vs SharpSpring
Feature | HubSpot | SharpSpring |
---|---|---|
Automation Workflow | Drag-and-drop builder | Advanced customization with branching |
Lead Management | AI-powered lead tracking | Behavior-based lead scoring |
Personalization | Dynamic content & smart rules | Adaptive content based on user behavior |
Third-Party Integrations | Extensive app marketplace | Limited but includes key tools |
Key Takeaways:
- HubSpot is ideal for businesses that need a beginner-friendly CRM with AI-powered automation.
- SharpSpring is better suited for teams that require advanced lead scoring and customization in automation.
Email Marketing, Lead Scoring, and Retargeting Comparison
Email marketing remains a crucial tool for customer engagement, and both HubSpot vs SharpSpring offer powerful solutions for automated email campaigns. While both platforms provide email tracking, A/B testing, and segmentation, their strengths lie in different areas.
HubSpot’s email marketing is deeply integrated with its CRM, allowing businesses to send highly personalized emails based on user behavior. SharpSpring, however, excels in behavioral retargeting and lead scoring, enabling businesses to rank and target prospects more effectively. This is a game-changer for companies looking to increase conversion rates.
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Comparison Table: Email Marketing & Lead Scoring of HubSpot vs SharpSpring
Feature | HubSpot | SharpSpring |
---|---|---|
Email Templates | Pre-designed & customizable | Fully customizable with dynamic content |
A/B Testing | Built-in | Built-in |
Lead Scoring | AI-powered tracking | Behavior-based lead ranking |
Retargeting | Facebook, Google Ads integration | Web behavior-based retargeting |
Key Takeaways:
- HubSpot is best for personalized email automation and CRM integration.
- SharpSpring offers more precise lead scoring and behavioral-based retargeting.
Cost Analysis: Which Tool Gives More Value for Money?
One of the biggest concerns for businesses when choosing between HubSpot vs SharpSpring is the overall cost. While both CRMs claim to be affordable, they follow different pricing models that can affect long-term value.
HubSpot has a freemium model, making it an attractive choice for startups that want to get started with basic features. However, its paid plans can become expensive as businesses scale. SharpSpring, on the other hand, offers flat-rate pricing that includes all features, making it more predictable for growing businesses.
Comparison Table: Pricing & Value of HubSpot vs SharpSpring
Plan Type | HubSpot | SharpSpring |
---|---|---|
Free Plan | Yes (Limited Features) | No |
Starting Price | $50/month | $449/month (Full Suite) |
Scalability Costs | Increases with add-ons | Flat-rate pricing |
Best for | Small businesses/startups | Agencies & mid-sized businesses |
Key Takeaways:
- HubSpot is cheaper for small businesses but gets expensive with add-ons.
- SharpSpring has predictable flat-rate pricing, making it better for long-term cost management.
Best Suited for Agencies, Startups, and Growing Businesses
Both HubSpot vs SharpSpring cater to different types of businesses, depending on their priorities. While HubSpot is known for its scalability and ease of use, SharpSpring is designed with marketing agencies and mid-sized businesses in mind.
Startups and small businesses will benefit from HubSpot’s free plan and user-friendly interface, making it a great entry-level CRM. However, agencies that manage multiple clients may find SharpSpring’s all-inclusive pricing and multi-client support more practical.
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Comparison Table: Best Fit for Business Types of HubSpot vs SharpSpring
Business Type | HubSpot | SharpSpring |
---|---|---|
Startups | ✔️ Great for beginners | ❌ Higher starting price |
Marketing Agencies | ❌ Add-ons increase costs | ✔️ Includes multi-client support |
Mid-Sized Companies | ✔️ Scalable, but pricey | ✔️ Flat-rate pricing is budget-friendly |
Large Enterprises | ✔️ Enterprise plan available | ❌ Limited enterprise support |
Key Takeaways:
- HubSpot is better for startups and small businesses due to its free plan and scalability.
- SharpSpring is ideal for agencies and mid-sized businesses looking for an all-in-one, cost-effective solution.
User Interface and Ease of Use
A CRM’s usability determines how quickly teams can adopt and maximize its potential. HubSpot is known for its intuitive, beginner-friendly dashboard with drag-and-drop automation. SharpSpring, however, offers more customization but comes with a steeper learning curve.
Comparison Table: User Interface & Usability
Feature | HubSpot | SharpSpring |
---|---|---|
Ease of Use | Very intuitive, great for beginners | More complex, better for experienced users |
Onboarding Support | Extensive tutorials & guides | Personalized training available |
Customization | Limited without enterprise upgrade | Highly flexible with full suite |
Key Takeaways:
- HubSpot is best for ease of use, making it ideal for beginners.
- SharpSpring offers deeper customization but requires more training.
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Customer Support and Community
Good customer support ensures businesses can resolve CRM-related issues quickly. HubSpot provides 24/7 customer support via chat, email, and phone—but only for paid users. SharpSpring offers personalized support but has fewer resources compared to HubSpot’s vast community.
Comparison Table: Customer Support & Community
Feature | HubSpot | SharpSpring |
---|---|---|
Customer Support | 24/7 chat, email, and phone (paid users) | Dedicated account manager for agencies |
Knowledge Base | Extensive documentation & videos | More limited knowledge base |
Community & Forums | Large user community & HubSpot Academy | Smaller community, but agency-focused |
Key Takeaways:
- HubSpot has extensive self-service resources & community support.
- SharpSpring provides more personalized agency support.
Reporting and Analytics
CRM analytics help businesses track performance and optimize campaigns. HubSpot offers custom dashboards with AI-driven insights, while SharpSpring provides detailed behavior-based reporting tailored for marketers.
Comparison Table: Reporting & Analytics
Feature | HubSpot | SharpSpring |
---|---|---|
Custom Reports | Available on paid plans | Available on all plans |
Lead Behavior Tracking | Limited unless upgraded | Advanced behavioral tracking |
AI-Powered Insights | Yes, but premium feature | No AI insights, but deep manual tracking |
Key Takeaways:
- HubSpot offers AI-driven reports, but requires upgrades.
- SharpSpring excels in behavioral tracking for lead nurturing.
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Sales Pipeline and CRM Features
Sales teams need robust pipeline management tools. HubSpot’s Sales Hub includes automated deal tracking and forecasting, while SharpSpring provides sales automation with built-in CRM features.
Comparison Table: Sales Pipeline & CRM
Feature | HubSpot | SharpSpring |
---|---|---|
Pipeline Management | Visual sales pipeline | Advanced multi-step sales workflows |
Deal Tracking | Automated notifications & forecasting | Manual tracking, requires customization |
CRM Features | Best for marketing-sales alignment | Best for lead nurturing & conversion |
Key Takeaways:
- HubSpot is better for sales automation & forecasting.
- SharpSpring focuses more on lead nurturing & multi-step sales processes.
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