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HubSpot review: Sales Hub Starter's real price and email-only support
Updated Oct 6, 2026 · scored under rubric v1
HubSpot suits teams that want to start free with two users, then pay per seat for all five basics and a 15 million contact limit. The catches: the $7-$10 price is a limited new-customer offer, and on the reading we use Starter support is email only.
HubSpot's entry paid plan, Sales Hub Starter, is $20 a seat a month at the regular price, monthly or annually. A new-customer offer cuts that to $10 monthly or $7 annually for a limited time, with no end date. Starter includes pipelines, inbox sync, up to 50 workflows, dashboards and the mobile app, with a 15 million contact limit. A free plan covers 2 users.
What it does well
- A free plan for up to 2 users, with no credit card.
- Starter includes pipelines, inbox sync, workflows, dashboards and the mobile app.
- 15 million contact records for paying customers.
- No onboarding fee on Starter.
Where it falls short
- The $7 and $10 seat prices are a new-customer offer; the regular price is $20.
- The pricing FAQ gives Starter email support only.
- Email sequences start at Professional, $100 a seat a month.
- Professional requires a one-time $1,500 onboarding fee.
What HubSpot costs
| Plan | Price per seat a month | Billing | The limit that matters |
|---|---|---|---|
| Free | $0 | up to 2 users | |
| Sales Hub Starter | $20 (regular) | monthly, or annually at $240 a year | 15 pipelines per account |
| Starter, new-customer offer | $10 monthly, $7 annually ($84 a year) | limited time, no end date | new customers only |
| Professional | $100 monthly, $90 billed annually ($1,080 a year) | annual commitment | plus $1,500 onboarding |
| Enterprise | $150, billed annually ($1,800 a year) | through sales | plus $3,500 onboarding |
Prices from its Sales pricing page, read Sep 27, 2026.
Five Starter seats cost $100 a month at the regular price.
Over time
Total = monthly price × 12 × years, or yearly price × years, or a one-time price once; a per-seat plan is multiplied by seats. Only current plan prices; fees are listed separately. Taxes, add-ons and promotional prices are not included.
Current prices
| Plan | Price | Checked |
|---|---|---|
| Free Free tools for up to 2 users; no credit card required. | $0 per month | Oct 9, 2026 |
| Starter (billed monthly) Regular price per seat (Core Seat), paid monthly with a monthly commitment. The pricing page shows it struck through beside the new-customer offer; the Product & Services Catalog lists Sales Hub Starter at $20/month per seat. | $20 per month per seat | Sep 27, 2026 |
| Professional (billed monthly) Per Sales Professional Seat, paid monthly with an annual commitment. Required one-time Professional Onboarding fee of $1,500. | $100 per month per seat | Sep 27, 2026 |
| Starter (billed annually) Regular price per seat when paying annually: the page's struck-through list price is $20/mo/seat on the annual option too (no lower regular annual rate is published), so $20 x 12. | $240 per year per seat | Oct 9, 2026 |
| Professional (billed annually) $90 per seat a month billed annually. Required one-time Professional Onboarding fee of $1,500. | $1,080 per year per seat | Oct 9, 2026 |
| Enterprise (billed annually) $150 per seat a month, billed annually (per the Product & Services Catalog); sold through sales. Required one-time Enterprise Onboarding fee of $3,500. | $1,800 per year per seat | Oct 9, 2026 |
Fees and other costs
| Cost | Kind | Amount | Checked |
|---|---|---|---|
| Professional Onboarding Required one-time fee on Professional (not on Starter). | Fee | $1,500 one-time | Oct 9, 2026 |
| Enterprise Onboarding Required one-time fee on Enterprise (not on Starter). | Fee | $3,500 one-time | Oct 9, 2026 |
What you get on Sales Hub Starter
- Deal pipelines: up to 15 pipelines per account across object types (pricing page).
- Gmail, Outlook and Microsoft Exchange inbox connection, with email replies tracked on the contact timeline (product catalog).
- Up to 50 workflows "with restricted triggers and actions".
- 30 dashboards, with 50 reports per dashboard.
- The HubSpot mobile app for iOS and Android.
- A 15 million CRM contact record limit for paying customers (free accounts: up to 1,000 contacts).
Catches and fine print
- The offer price isn't the price. The pricing page shows $10 a seat monthly or $7 annually beside a struck-through $20. HubSpot's Starter page calls it "up to 65% off", for new customers only and for a limited time, with no end date. We price Starter at the regular $20, which the catalog also lists. Budget for $20 once the offer ends.
- No regular annual discount. The struck-through list price is $20 a seat on the annual option too.
- Onboarding fees above Starter. Professional requires a one-time $1,500 onboarding fee and Enterprise $3,500. Starter has none.
- Sequences cost more. Automated email sequences start at Professional ($100 a seat a month). Starter's workflows have restricted triggers and actions.
- Real estate. HubSpot's real estate page describes real estate CRMs in general. It names no real-estate pipeline, Zillow import or property records for Starter.
Support
HubSpot's pages disagree. The Sales pricing FAQ says: "With Sales Hub Starter, you'll have access to email support." HubSpot's Starter product page says Starter customers "have access to 24/7 chat and email support", and the product catalog lists "Email and in-app chat support". We use the pricing FAQ's reading, email only, because it is the worse one for a buyer and it is on the page where you buy. Phone support starts at Professional.
Who it suits
HubSpot suits teams that want to try a CRM free with two users, then pay per seat for pipelines, workflows and dashboards with a very high contact limit. Look elsewhere if you need phone support on the cheapest paid tier, or email sequences without paying $100 a seat. It isn't on our real estate list, because its pages state none of the four real-estate features we check. See where it stands in our CRM ranking.
Alternatives in CRM software
| Alternative | Score | Best for | Visit |
|---|---|---|---|
| Zoho CRM | 9.7/10ExcellentOur score | Small teams that want all five basics, phone and chat support and 100,000 records for $14 a user No affiliate relationship | Visit Zoho CRMOn zoho.com |
| Pipedrive | 8.1/10Very goodOur score | Sales teams that want unlimited contacts and 24/7 live chat support on a $14 per-seat plan No affiliate relationship | Visit PipedriveOn pipedrive.com |
| Less Annoying CRM | 8.0/10Very goodOur score | One plan at $15 per user a month with every feature included, phone support and a 30-day trial No affiliate relationship | Visit Less Annoying CRMOn lessannoyingcrm.com |