HubSpot Free CRM: What You Actually Get (And What’s Missing)

I’ve tested dozens of CRMs over my 12 years in marketing, and HubSpot keeps coming up in every “best free CRM” list. The promise sounds incredible: a powerful CRM platform, completely free, forever.

But here’s what those lists don’t tell you: HubSpot’s free plan has gotten significantly more restrictive. In 2024, they quietly dropped the contact limit from 1 million to just 1,000. That’s a 99.9% reduction.

I’ve been using HubSpot CRM for years — both the free and paid versions. In this review, I’ll show you exactly what you get for free, what’s locked behind paywalls, and whether it’s actually worth starting with HubSpot if you know you’ll eventually need to pay.

What is HubSpot Free CRM?

HubSpot CRM is a customer relationship management platform that helps businesses track contacts, manage deals, and organize their sales pipeline. The free version gives you access to basic CRM features without paying anything — at least in theory.

HubSpot positions itself as an “all-in-one” platform covering marketing, sales, service, and content. The free tier touches all of these areas, but with significant limitations in each one.

What makes HubSpot different from other free CRMs:

• It’s genuinely free forever (no 14-day trial)
• Includes basic tools across marketing, sales, and service
• Has a polished, user-friendly interface
• Integrates well with Gmail, Outlook, and hundreds of apps
• Scales into paid plans when you’re ready

The catch? HubSpot makes money when free users upgrade. So the free plan is designed to get you hooked on the platform — then hit limitations right when you need features most.

What You Actually Get for Free

Let’s be fair: HubSpot’s free plan does include real, usable features. Here’s what you genuinely get without paying:

Contact Management

• Store up to 1,000 contacts (reduced from 1 million in 2024)
• Unlimited companies and deals
• Contact timeline showing all interactions
• Basic contact properties (name, email, company, etc.)
• Up to 10 custom properties to track additional data

Deal Pipeline

• 1 deal pipeline with customizable stages
• Drag-and-drop deal management
• Basic deal tracking and forecasting
• Task and activity logging

Email Tools

• Email tracking (open and click notifications)
• Email templates (up to 5)
• 2,000 marketing emails per month (account-wide, not per user)
• Gmail and Outlook integration
• Meeting scheduler (with HubSpot branding)

Basic Marketing

• Forms to capture leads
• Landing pages (limited templates, HubSpot branding)
• Ad management basics
• List segmentation (static lists only)

Reporting

• Pre-built dashboard templates
• Basic activity reports
• Deal and pipeline reports

For a solo founder or freelancer just starting out, these features can genuinely work. I used the free plan for a side project for 8 months before hitting any walls.

What’s Missing (The Painful Limitations)

Here’s where HubSpot’s free plan falls apart for growing businesses. These limitations aren’t minor inconveniences — they’re deal-breakers for most teams.

The 1,000 Contact Limit

This is the biggest change. HubSpot used to allow 1 million contacts on the free plan. Now it’s 1,000. For context:

• A small email list hits 1,000 contacts in months
• Import one trade show list and you’re done
• Every form submission, website visitor, or imported contact counts

Once you hit 1,000 contacts, you’ll need to upgrade or start deleting people. Neither option is great.

No Automation or Workflows

This is where HubSpot really gates value. On the free plan:

• No automated email sequences
• No workflows (automated actions based on triggers)
• No lead scoring
• No behavior-based nurturing

Want to automatically send a follow-up email when someone downloads your ebook? That requires Sales Hub Professional at $90/user/month. This is the feature that makes CRMs actually useful — and it’s completely locked.

Limited Pipelines

You get exactly 1 deal pipeline. If you sell multiple products, have different sales processes, or need separate pipelines for different teams — you’re stuck. Even the Starter plan only gives you 2 pipelines.

HubSpot Branding Everywhere

Every customer-facing element shows HubSpot branding:

• Meeting scheduler links say “Powered by HubSpot”
• Forms include HubSpot branding
• Landing pages have HubSpot footer
• Marketing emails include HubSpot branding

Removing branding requires paid plans across the board.

Weak Reporting

The free plan only offers template-based reports. You cannot:

• Build custom reports from scratch
• Create revenue attribution reports
• Analyze conversion funnels
• Export detailed analytics

Custom reporting requires Professional plans starting at $90/month.

Limited Customization

With only 10 custom properties, you’ll run out fast. Most businesses need to track:

• Lead source details
• Industry/company size
• Product interests
• Budget range
• Decision timeline

That’s already 5 properties. Add a few more for your specific needs and you’re maxed out.

HubSpot’s Pricing When You Need to Upgrade

Here’s what you’ll actually pay when you outgrow the free plan. According to HubSpot’s official pricing, these are the 2026 rates:

Sales Hub (CRM Features)

Plan	Price	Key Features Added
Free	$0	Basic CRM, 1,000 contacts, 1 pipeline
Starter	$20/user/month	Remove branding, 2 pipelines, simple automation
Professional	$90/user/month	Workflows, sequences, custom reporting, lead scoring
Enterprise	$150/user/month	Advanced permissions, predictive lead scoring, custom objects

Hidden Costs to Know

• Onboarding fees: Professional requires $1,500 onboarding. Enterprise requires $3,500+.
• Marketing contacts: Charged separately. 1,000 marketing contacts included, then $50/month per additional 1,000.
• Multiple hubs: Need marketing AND sales features? You’re buying two subscriptions.
• Annual billing: Monthly billing costs 20-25% more.

A 5-person sales team on Professional with basic marketing? That’s $450/month for Sales Hub alone, plus onboarding, plus marketing contacts. It adds up fast.

Pros — What Works Well

Despite the limitations, HubSpot’s free CRM does some things right:

1. Genuinely Polished Interface
HubSpot has the best UX of any CRM I’ve used. Navigation is intuitive, the contact timeline is clean, and even non-technical users can figure it out quickly.

2. Strong Gmail/Outlook Integration
The email tracking actually works well. You see when contacts open emails, click links, and engage with your content — right in your inbox.

3. All-in-One Platform
Having CRM, email, forms, and basic marketing in one place is convenient. No juggling multiple tools when you’re starting out.

4. Excellent Free Resources
HubSpot Academy offers genuinely useful free courses. The certifications look good on LinkedIn and teach real skills.

5. Massive Integration Ecosystem
Over 1,500 integrations in the HubSpot App Marketplace. Most tools you use probably connect to HubSpot.

Cons — What Disappointed Me

Here’s what frustrated me during my time with HubSpot Free:

1. The Contact Limit Change is Brutal
Going from 1 million to 1,000 contacts changed everything. This isn’t a free CRM anymore — it’s a trial with no expiration date.

2. Automation Locked at Every Turn
Every time I wanted to automate something simple — a follow-up email, a task reminder, a lead assignment — I hit a paywall. This gets exhausting.

3. The Upgrade Pressure is Constant
HubSpot shows upgrade prompts everywhere. Locked features are visible but grayed out. The free plan feels designed to frustrate you into paying.

4. Pricing Jumps are Steep
From free to $90/user/month for the features most teams need? There’s no middle ground. Starter at $20/month barely adds anything useful.

5. Vendor Lock-in Risk
Once your team learns HubSpot, your data lives there, and your processes are built around it — switching becomes painful. HubSpot knows this.

Who Should Use HubSpot Free CRM?

HubSpot Free works for:

• Solo founders with fewer than 1,000 contacts
• Freelancers tracking a small client base
• Teams evaluating HubSpot before committing to paid plans
• Side projects where manual work is acceptable
• Non-profits with minimal contact management needs

HubSpot Free is NOT for:

• Growing startups who’ll hit 1,000 contacts within months
• Anyone who needs email automation or workflows
• Sales teams with multiple products/pipelines
• Marketers who need segmentation or lead scoring
• Budget-conscious teams who can’t afford $90+/user/month eventually

Better Alternatives to Consider

If HubSpot’s free limitations don’t work for you, here are alternatives I’ve tested:

Pipedrive — Starts at $14/user/month with unlimited contacts and pipelines. Better for pure sales teams.

Freshsales — Free plan includes more contacts and basic automation. Good HubSpot alternative for startups.

Zoho CRM — Free for 3 users with more generous limits. Better for small teams on a budget.

Notion — Not a CRM, but many freelancers use it as one. Free, flexible, no contact limits.

My Verdict: Is HubSpot Free CRM Worth It?

HubSpot Free CRM is a capable but heavily restricted starting point. The interface is excellent, the integrations are strong, and for very small operations, it genuinely works.

But let’s be honest: this isn’t really a free CRM anymore. With 1,000 contacts and no automation, it’s more like an extended demo. HubSpot wants you to upgrade — and they’ve designed the free plan to make sure you will.

My recommendation:

• Use HubSpot Free if you’re evaluating the platform and plan to budget for paid plans eventually
• Skip HubSpot Free if you need a truly free, long-term CRM solution — look at Zoho or Freshsales instead

I buy and test every tool I review. HubSpot’s free plan taught me CRM basics years ago, and I’m grateful for that. But for most growing businesses today, the limitations will frustrate you within 6 months.

Start with clear expectations: HubSpot Free is a trial, not a solution.

FAQ

Is HubSpot CRM really free forever?

Yes, you can use the free plan indefinitely — but it’s limited to 1,000 contacts, 1 pipeline, and no automation. Most growing businesses will need to upgrade within 6-12 months. There’s no time limit, but the feature restrictions push you toward paid plans.

How many contacts can I have on HubSpot Free?

As of 2024, HubSpot Free allows 1,000 contacts. This was reduced from 1 million contacts previously. Once you exceed this limit, you’ll need to upgrade or delete contacts. This is the biggest limitation for most users.

What’s the cheapest HubSpot plan with automation?

Basic automation features require Sales Hub Professional at $90/user/month (billed annually). The Starter plan at $20/user/month only includes very limited automation. For workflows and sequences, you need Professional or higher.

Can I remove HubSpot branding on the free plan?

No. All free plan features — forms, landing pages, meeting links, and emails — include HubSpot branding. Removing branding requires paid plans, typically Starter ($20/user/month) or higher depending on the feature.

Is HubSpot Free better than Pipedrive or Zoho?

It depends on your needs. HubSpot Free has a better interface but stricter limits. Pipedrive has no free plan but offers unlimited contacts at $14/month. Zoho CRM Free allows 3 users with more features. For pure sales teams, Pipedrive often wins on value.

Final Thoughts

HubSpot built its reputation on a generous free CRM. The 2024 contact limit reduction changed that story. What was once a genuinely free tool is now a restricted trial designed to convert you to paid plans.

That’s not necessarily bad — HubSpot’s paid plans are powerful. But go in with realistic expectations. The free plan is a starting point, not a destination.

For solo operators and tiny teams, HubSpot Free still works. For everyone else, budget for $90+/user/month when you outgrow it — or start with a more generous alternative from day one.