Salesforce vs HubSpot CRM Comparison 2026
Which CRM suits a business like yours? A plain-English comparison for Australian businesses.
Salesforce or HubSpot: Which Suits Your Business?
Short answer: if you have a small or mid-sized team and want sales and marketing in one easy tool, HubSpot usually suits better. If your sales process is complicated, with long sales cycles, multi-step approvals, your own custom records or a need to keep data in Australia, Salesforce is usually the stronger fit. Kenomont doesn't sell software, so this comparison is independent.
In brief: HubSpot is easier to use, has marketing built in, and costs less for small and mid-sized businesses. Salesforce can be customised further, copes better as you grow very large, and has more advanced features for big, complicated organisations.
Which One Suits You?
- Choose HubSpot if you have a small or mid-sized team and want sales and marketing in one easy tool. The free version does a lot, and many businesses can set it up themselves.
- Choose Salesforce if your sales process is complicated, with long sales cycles, multi-step approvals or your own custom records, or you must keep your data in Australia.
- Growing business (25-100 staff)? HubSpot if marketing drives your sales; Salesforce if your sales process is complicated or your industry has special needs.
- Allow for set-up costs: Salesforce almost always needs an outside firm to set it up, so it usually costs more in the first year.
Pricing Comparison
HubSpot is better value for small teams; Salesforce for large organisations
Free/Starter
Salesforce:
Essentials: $25/user/month
HubSpot:
Free: $0/month (up to 1M contacts)
Professional
Salesforce:
Professional: $75/user/month
HubSpot:
Starter: $45/user/month
Enterprise
Salesforce:
Enterprise: $150/user/month
HubSpot:
Professional: $450/user/month
Premium/Unlimited
Salesforce:
Unlimited: $300/user/month
HubSpot:
Enterprise: $1,200/user/month
Detailed Feature Comparison
| Feature | Salesforce | HubSpot | Winner | Explanation |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Starting Price | $25/user/month (Essentials) | $0/month (Free tier) | HubSpot | HubSpot’s free version does a lot; Salesforce starts at $25/user |
| Advanced Features Cost | $75-$300/user/month | $45-$1,200/user/month | Salesforce | Salesforce usually works out cheaper for large teams |
| Ease of Use | Complicated, takes time to learn | Simple and easy to use | HubSpot | HubSpot is much easier to learn and use |
| Customisation | Can be customised a great deal | Good customisation, less complicated | Salesforce | Salesforce can be customised further |
| Sales Pipeline Management | Advanced pipeline features | Excellent visual pipeline tools | Tie | Both are excellent for tracking deals, in different ways |
| Marketing Automation | Needs Marketing Cloud (expensive) | Built-in marketing automation | HubSpot | HubSpot includes marketing tools; with Salesforce you buy them separately |
| Email Marketing | Limited (needs Pardot/Marketing Cloud) | Full email marketing tools | HubSpot | HubSpot includes email marketing; Salesforce needs add-ons |
| Reporting & Analytics | Advanced reporting | Good reporting with visual dashboards | Salesforce | Salesforce offers more detailed reporting options |
| Third-party Integrations | 5,000+ apps on AppExchange | 1,000+ integrations available | Salesforce | Salesforce connects to more other software |
| Mobile Experience | Good mobile app | Excellent mobile experience | HubSpot | HubSpot’s mobile app is generally easier to use |
| Customer Support | Good support (additional cost) | Excellent support included | HubSpot | HubSpot includes support; Salesforce charges extra |
| Coping with Growth | Excellent for very large businesses | Good for small to mid-sized businesses | Salesforce | Salesforce suits very large organisations better |
Which Features Each One Includes
| Feature | Salesforce | HubSpot |
|---|---|---|
| Contact Management | Advanced | Excellent |
| Deal/Opportunity Tracking | Advanced | Excellent |
| Email Marketing | Add-on required | Built-in |
| Marketing Automation | Pardot/Marketing Cloud | Included |
| Social Media Management | Limited | Good |
| Content Management | Basic | Excellent |
| Live Chat | Add-on | Included |
| Help Desk/Ticketing | Service Cloud | Service Hub |
| Custom Record Types (Objects) | Unlimited | Limited |
| Workflow Automation | Advanced (Flow) | Good |
| Mobile App | Good | Excellent |
| API Access (for connecting other software) | Very full | Good |
Salesforce Pros & Cons
Salesforce Advantages
- A very wide range of CRM features
- Can be customised and configured a great deal
- Powerful workflow automation (Flow)
- Advanced reports and dashboards
- Huge range of add-on apps from other companies
- Strong AI features (Einstein Analytics)
- Excellent for complicated sales processes
- Strong security features
- Strong API (the connection other software uses to send and receive data)
- Proven in very large organisations
Salesforce Limitations
- Complicated and takes time to learn
- High cost, especially for advanced features
- Needs a dedicated admin or developer
- Marketing automation is a separate purchase
- Can be overwhelming for small businesses
- Heavy customisation can be hard to maintain
- Premium support costs extra
- The Lightning interface can be slow
HubSpot Pros & Cons
HubSpot Advantages
- Free version that does a lot
- Very easy to use
- Marketing, sales and customer service in one product
- Built-in email marketing and automation
- Excellent onboarding and customer support
- Great for inbound marketing (attracting customers with useful content)
- Easy to set up and get started quickly
- Strong website content and blogging tools
- Good mobile experience
- Regular feature updates and improvements
HubSpot Limitations
- Can become expensive for large teams
- Less customisation than Salesforce
- Reporting is more limited than Salesforce
- Fewer connections to other software
- Some advanced features only in higher-priced plans
- Marketing focus may not suit all sales teams
- Few features for specific industries
- Storage limits in lower-priced plans
Which CRM Fits Your Business?
Startup/Small Business (1-25 employees)
HubSpot
Why: The free version does a lot, it is easy to set up, and it includes marketing tools. A good fit for businesses using a CRM for the first time.
Key needs: Contact management, deal tracking, basic marketing automation, email connection
Growing Business (25-100 employees)
HubSpot or Salesforce
Why: HubSpot if marketing drives your sales; Salesforce if your sales process is complicated or your industry has special needs.
Key needs: More automation, custom reports, team management, connections to other systems
Mid-Market (100-500 employees)
Depends on needs
Why: Salesforce if you need a lot of customisation; HubSpot if you want marketing and sales working together in one product.
Key needs: Heavy customisation, complicated workflows, sales territories, advanced reporting
Enterprise (500+ employees)
Salesforce
Why: Better suited to large organisations with complicated requirements and a lot of customisation.
Key needs: Advanced security, complicated sales territories, heavy customisation, connections to other systems
Marketing-Focused Businesses
HubSpot
Why: Puts marketing and sales in one product, and is excellent for inbound and content marketing.
Key needs: Marketing automation, website content, SEO tools, social media management
Complex B2B Sales
Salesforce
Why: Stronger for long sales cycles, multi-step approvals and detailed deal tracking.
Key needs: Advanced workflow automation, multi-step approvals, sales territories
Industry-Specific Recommendations
| Industry | Salesforce Strength | HubSpot Strength | Recommendation |
|---|---|---|---|
| Technology/software companies | Excellent for complicated product ranges | Great for inbound marketing | HubSpot for early-stage, Salesforce for large companies |
| Real Estate | Good with real estate apps | Excellent for following up leads | HubSpot generally better for real estate marketing |
| Healthcare | Strong healthcare products | Few healthcare-specific features | Salesforce better for healthcare compliance |
| Manufacturing | Excellent for complicated business-to-business sales | Good when marketing drives sales | Salesforce for complicated manufacturing sales |
| Professional Services | Good for project-based sales | Excellent for marketing services | Depends on how complicated your sales are and your marketing needs |
| Retail/E-commerce | Strong with Commerce Cloud | Good for online marketing | Salesforce for large retailers, HubSpot for small and mid-sized |
CRM Considerations for Australian Businesses
Both are used widely in Australia, but each has different local strengths
Data Sovereignty
Salesforce can store your data in Australia (its Sydney region) for enterprise customers. HubSpot stores data in the US and EU and has no Australian data centre yet. If your industry has strict rules on where data is kept (healthcare, government, financial services), this matters.
Salesforce advantageAU Accounting Integration
Both connect to Xero and MYOB. HubSpot has a built-in Xero connection that is simpler to set up. Salesforce needs add-on connectors from its AppExchange app store (such as Breadwinner or DBSync) at extra cost, typically $50-$150/mo per connector.
HubSpot advantageLocal Support & Partners
Salesforce has a larger network of Australian consulting firms. HubSpot's Australian network is growing but smaller. If a complicated setup needs local consultants, Salesforce has more to choose from.
Salesforce advantageAUD Pricing & GST
Both bill in US dollars, so your costs move with the exchange rate. At AUD/USD 0.65, a $75 USD Salesforce seat costs ~$115 AUD/month. Add 10% GST on top. HubSpot's free version avoids this entirely for small teams.
HubSpot advantageTotal First-Year Cost — 10-Person Australian Team
HubSpot Professional
Lower
Licence + getting started (set up yourselves)Salesforce Professional
Higher
Licence + outside firm to set it upHow Long Setup Usually Takes
Planning & Setup
Salesforce:2-6 weeks
HubSpot:1-2 weeks
Working out what you need, setting up the system
Data Migration
Salesforce:2-8 weeks
HubSpot:1-3 weeks
Cleaning up, matching and importing your data
Customisation & Automation
Salesforce:4-16 weeks
HubSpot:2-6 weeks
Custom fields, workflows and automation
Training & Go-Live
Salesforce:2-4 weeks
HubSpot:1-2 weeks
Training staff, testing and switching on
Switching CRMs: What to Expect
HubSpot to Salesforce
Complexity: Medium-High
2-6 months
Why switch: Outgrowing HubSpot, needing more customisation, complicated sales processes
Main challenges:
- Matching up and moving data
- Rebuilding automated workflows
- Training staff and getting them using it
- Setting up and testing connections
Salesforce to HubSpot
Complexity: Medium
1-4 months
Why switch: Cutting costs, simplifying, wanting marketing and sales in one place
Main challenges:
- Simplifying complicated customisations
- Setting up marketing automation
- Moving content and emails
- Rebuilding workflows
Legacy CRM to HubSpot
Complexity: Low-Medium
1-3 months
Why switch: Replacing an old system, lower cost, ease of use
Main challenges:
- Cleaning up and importing data
- Agreeing one way of working
- Team training
- Setting up connections
Legacy CRM to Salesforce
Complexity: High
3-12 months
Why switch: Large-business requirements, advanced features, room to grow
Main challenges:
- Complicated customisation requirements
- Large data migration
- Redesigning how work is done
- Helping staff adjust to the change
Frequently Asked Questions
For most Australian small businesses (under 50 staff), HubSpot is the better choice. The free version is genuinely useful, it is far easier to learn, and the marketing tools are built in rather than bought separately. Salesforce becomes the better option when your sales process is complicated, you need your own custom record types, or it must connect deeply with many other systems.
HubSpot CRM is free for basic use. Paid plans start at $45/month (Starter) up to $3,600/month (Enterprise). Salesforce starts at $25/user/month (Essentials) up to $300/user/month (Unlimited). For a 10-person team, Salesforce usually costs more in the first year because it almost always needs an outside firm to set it up, while many businesses can set up HubSpot themselves. All prices are in USD plus GST.
Yes. The time and cost of a professional move depend on how much data you have and how heavily Salesforce has been customised. Contacts, deals, companies and activities move across well. Heavier customisations, such as custom record types, Apex triggers (custom code) and complex workflows, may need to be rebuilt a different way in HubSpot.
HubSpot has a built-in Xero connection that is simpler to set up. Salesforce needs add-on connectors from its AppExchange app store (such as Breadwinner or DBSync), at $50-$150/mo extra. For a simple link to your accounts, HubSpot is easier. For more complicated flows of information, such as stock, automatic invoicing or several companies, Salesforce is more flexible.
Many small teams set up HubSpot themselves for basic use. Salesforce almost always benefits from professional setup because it is more complicated. Even on HubSpot Professional or Enterprise plans, expert setup helps you avoid common mistakes that cost time later.
Yes. Salesforce offers Australian data storage through its Sydney data centre region for enterprise customers. HubSpot stores data in the US and EU and does not currently have an Australian data centre. If you are in healthcare, government or financial services and must keep data in Australia, this is a key difference.
HubSpot was built for inbound marketing (attracting customers with useful content). It includes blogging, SEO tools, landing pages, email marketing and social media in one product. Salesforce needs separate purchases (Pardot for business-to-business marketing or Marketing Cloud for consumer marketing), which adds a lot of cost and complexity.
HubSpot is much easier to learn. Most sales teams pick it up quickly with little training. Salesforce takes longer to learn, so expect more training time and ongoing admin support. If you have a small sales team and nobody whose job is to look after the CRM, HubSpot will save a lot of time and frustration. Salesforce’s complexity is only worth it when you need a lot of customisation.
It depends on what you need. HubSpot Enterprise can handle businesses with 500+ staff, especially if your sales process is fairly standard and you want marketing and sales in one place. Salesforce is still stronger for businesses with many divisions, highly customised sales processes, lots of connections to other software, and regulated industries that need advanced compliance controls. Many large businesses use HubSpot for marketing and Salesforce for sales.
Salesforce has more detailed sales forecasting, with forecast categories you can customise, forecasting by sales territory, and AI predictions through Einstein Analytics. HubSpot offers solid forecasting with visual pipeline reports and deal probability tracking, but you can’t customise forecasts as finely. For straightforward forecasting, HubSpot is enough. For forecasting across several levels or territories, or heavily customised forecasts, Salesforce is stronger.
HubSpot is generally better for businesses that sell to consumers, especially with shorter sales cycles where marketing drives growth. It includes email marketing, landing pages and social media tools from the start. Salesforce for consumer marketing needs Marketing Cloud (expensive) and suits large retailers or complex consumer brands better. For most consumer businesses under 100 staff, HubSpot is better value and easier to set up.
Both have good mobile apps, but the HubSpot app is simpler and field teams tend to take to it faster. You can log calls, update deals, scan business cards and check your pipeline from your phone with little training. The Salesforce app does a lot but takes longer to learn. For field sales teams (construction, HVAC, trade services), HubSpot usually gets used sooner, with less pushback.
Yes, and this is one of HubSpot’s most attractive features for Australian startups. HubSpot Free CRM supports unlimited users and up to 1 million contacts with no time limit. You can run your whole sales process on Free, then upgrade to Starter ($45/mo) or Professional ($450/mo) when you need automation, reporting or marketing features. Your data and history carry over when you upgrade, so there is no penalty for starting free.
Both work well with Microsoft 365 and Google Workspace for email, calendar and contacts. HubSpot is easier to set up, with built-in Gmail and Outlook add-ins that install in minutes. Salesforce connections can do more but need more setting up. For basic email tracking and calendar sync, HubSpot is easier. For complex automation involving SharePoint, Teams or Google Drive, Salesforce gives you more options through its AppExchange app store.
HubSpot is generally better for Australian real estate agencies. It is good at following up buyer and seller leads, sending property alert emails, and building landing pages for listings. HubSpot also connects well with Australian real estate software like AgentBox, Box+Dice and Rex. Salesforce can work for larger commercial real estate firms with complicated deals, but most residential agencies find HubSpot easier to use and better value.
Costs vary widely depending on the size of the business, how many systems are involved and how much needs to be custom-built. As a rule, Salesforce projects cost more than HubSpot ones because they take longer and need more technical skill, and ongoing Salesforce admin support also tends to cost more. Ask any consultant for a fixed quote based on what you actually need, rather than an open-ended hourly arrangement.
HubSpot generally gets emails into inboxes more reliably from the start, because email marketing is central to what it does. HubSpot manages its sending reputation, steers you towards good practice, and makes the technical email setup (SPF, DKIM and DMARC, the settings that prove your emails are genuine) easier. Salesforce email (through Pardot or Marketing Cloud) can reach inboxes just as well, but needs more setting up and ongoing monitoring. If nobody on your team specialises in email marketing, HubSpot is the safer choice.
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