Choosing the right CRM (Customer Relationship Management) platform can make or break a small business. If you’ve been researching the best CRM for your growing company, chances are you’ve come across HubSpot a well-known name in the industry. With its sleek interface, a wide range of tools, and powerful automation features, HubSpot seems like the ultimate solution for business owners who want to automate marketing, sales, and customer service.
But here’s the real question: Is HubSpot right for small businesses? Or isn’t it?
In this article, I’ll provide a balanced and in-depth overview of HubSpot’s features, benefits, and limitations. As a Certified Business Coach, I specialize in helping small businesses automate and grow using smart, cost-effective tools.
Summary
- HubSpot is a widely used CRM platform offering tools for marketing, sales, and customer service, with a free plan ideal for startups and small businesses.
- Its free CRM includes contact management, deal tracking, and activity logging but locks advanced features like automation and reporting behind expensive plans.
- HubSpot integrates with over 1,000 tools and offers user-friendly features like email marketing, live chat, chatbots, and a website builder.
- Limitations include high costs for scaling, reliance on third-party tools for functionalities like funnels or appointments, and complexity as features expand.
- GoHighLevel emerges as a cost-effective alternative, consolidating CRM, funnel building, email/SMS marketing, appointment booking, invoicing, and more in one platform.
- Unlike HubSpot, GoHighLevel offers all features without additional costs or hidden fees and eliminates the need for multiple subscriptions.
- It is for small businesses and agencies seeking simplicity and automation without the tech overwhelm of managing multiple tools.
- Key GoHighLevel features include built-in workflows, SMS/email marketing, appointment booking, invoicing, reputation management, and course hosting.
- Switching to GoHighLevel can save businesses over $1,000/month in software costs compared to piecing together multiple tools with HubSpot.
- Book a free consultation call with Muhammad Nouman, a GoHighLevel Certified Expert, to explore how this all-in-one platform can transform your business.
Let’s start with HubSpot and its features for small businesses.
What is HubSpot and Why Do Small Businesses Use It?
HubSpot is a popular name in marketing, sales, and customer service software. Founded in 2006, it started as a simple inbound marketing tool but quickly evolved into a full-fledged CRM (Customer Relationship Management) platform. Today, HubSpot offers an extensive suite of tools, including lead management, email marketing, sales pipelines, automation, customer service ticketing, and more.
How Can Small Businesses Benefit from HubSpot?
At the heart of HubSpot is its free CRM, which allows businesses to manage contacts, track interactions, and log sales activity, all from a centralized dashboard. The CRM is often the first thing small businesses try when they’re looking for a way to organize their customer data without breaking the bank.
HubSpot is known for its clean user interface, deep integrations with tools like Gmail, Outlook, Slack, and Zoom, and a modular system that allows users to expand their features by adding various “Hubs” Marketing Hub, Sales Hub, Service Hub, CMS Hub, and Operations Hub.
For small businesses, HubSpot often feels like the “safe choice.” It’s well-known, well-reviewed, and offers a free plan. But is that enough?
Let’s dig into what makes it attractive to small businesses in the first place.
Key Features of HubSpot that Attract Small Businesses
Free CRM with Core Features
One of the biggest draws of HubSpot is its forever-free CRM. It gives small businesses the basics they need: contact management, deal tracking, company insights, tasks, and activity tracking all at no cost. For startups or solopreneurs, that can be a huge win in the early stages.
Professional-Looking Email Marketing
HubSpot’s email marketing tools allow users to create and send branded emails, set up basic automation, and track open rates and clicks. The visual drag-and-drop builder is user-friendly and designed for marketers who may not know how to code.
Lead Tracking and Sales Pipelines
The Sales Hub lets you track leads as they move through your sales process. You can assign tasks, log calls, and set reminders to follow up all within a drag-and-drop pipeline view. This makes it easier to stay organized and ensure no leads fall through the cracks.
Website and Landing Page Builder
For businesses that need a simple way to build landing pages or host content, HubSpot offers a CMS Hub with blog hosting, landing page templates, and even SEO tools. It’s ideal for content-focused businesses looking to drive inbound traffic.
Live Chat and Chatbots
HubSpot offers live chat functionality and chatbots to engage with website visitors, capture leads, and provide support. This is especially useful for service-based businesses trying to boost engagement and conversions.
Robust Integrations
HubSpot integrates with over 1,000 tools including WordPress, Shopify, Zoom, Stripe, and Google Workspace. This makes it easier for businesses to plug HubSpot into their existing tech stack.
Educational Content & Academy
HubSpot has one of the best knowledge bases and online academies in the CRM world. Their free training and certifications attract small business owners looking to learn inbound marketing, email automation, and CRM best practices.
Where HubSpot Works Well and Where It Doesn’t?
Now, while HubSpot does a lot of things right, especially for new businesses, it’s important to understand where it shines and where it can fall short, particularly for growing small businesses.
HubSpot Features are Good For:
Startups and Solopreneurs on a Budget
HubSpot’s free CRM is perfect for businesses just getting started. It’s simple, clean, and easy to use. If your sales process is basic and you’re not ready for heavy automation, the free version can work.
Content-Driven Businesses
Companies that rely heavily on blogging, inbound content marketing, and SEO may benefit from HubSpot’s CMS and marketing features. The built-in SEO recommendations, blog scheduling, and analytics tools are designed for content creators.
Teams with Dedicated Marketing Resources
If you have a marketing team (or agency) that knows how to use HubSpot and configure workflows, it can be a solid foundation for marketing automation. The platform is robust but often needs an expert to unlock its full potential.
Companies with Complex Sales Pipelines
HubSpot’s paid Sales Hub offers advanced pipeline customization, email sequences, meeting scheduling, and in-depth reporting. It’s suitable for businesses that need structured deal management.
HubSpot Falls Short for Small Businesses:
Feature Gating & Price Creep
One of the biggest challenges small business owners face with HubSpot is that key features like advanced automation, A/B testing, custom reporting, or removing HubSpot branding are locked behind expensive premium plans. What starts as a “free tool” can quickly turn into $800/month investment when you need to scale.
Complexity Over Time
While the interface is user-friendly, HubSpot can become overwhelming as you add more Hubs and features. You often need a specialist (or spend hours learning) just to build a simple automation or lead funnel.
No Built-In Funnel or Appointment System
HubSpot doesn’t offer built-in funnel builders or a dedicated appointment booking system. You’ll need external tools like ClickFunnels, Calendly, or Acuity and then integrate them adding more cost and complexity.
Limited Customization on Lower
On the free or starter plans, customization options are limited. You can’t fully automate workflows or custom dashboards, and reports without upgrading.
Multiple Tools Still Required
HubSpot often works best with other tools. Need invoicing? Use QuickBooks. Want SMS reminders? Use Twilio. Need a course platform? Use Thinkific. This multi-tool setup creates tech bloat and more monthly subscriptions.
Cost of Using HubSpot as a Small Business
We’ve seen how HubSpot can be appealing at first glance, especially with its generous free CRM and polished interface. But as many small business owners soon find out, that initial “free ride” often turns into a complicated, expensive journey.
If you’re running a small business, especially in service industries like plumbing, coaching, consulting, or local services, the true cost of using HubSpot can be more than just the monthly subscription. It’s the time, tech overwhelm, and dependency on add-ons or agencies that slowly eat away at your growth.
Let’s break down where the platform starts to lose its shine.
Hidden Pricing Tiers
HubSpot’s free CRM feels like a great place to start. And it isn’t until you realize most of the features that help you grow and automate your business are gated behind high-tier plans.
Want to automate follow-ups? That’s in the Marketing Hub Starter. Want to create custom workflows or remove HubSpot branding? You’ll need the Professional or Enterprise tiers, which can cost anywhere from $800 to $3,200+ per month, depending on how many contacts you have.
Here’s a glimpse of the real pricing progression:
- Free Plan: Very limited automation, HubSpot branding, and basic tools only.
- Starter Plan ($20–$50/month): Still basic; limited forms, no smart content, minimal reporting.
- Professional Plan ($800+/month): Unlocks workflows, A/B testing, and advanced automation.
- Enterprise Plan ($3,200+/month): Needed for advanced segmentation, custom reporting, and scalable automation.
And if you’re scaling your business and your contact list grows? You’ll be charged extra per 1,000 contacts. That’s on top of the monthly fee. For many small businesses, this becomes unsustainable fast.
Reality Check: Most of my clients come to me after spending $1,000+/month on tools like HubSpot, Calendly, Mailchimp, and Zapier to cobble together what GoHighLevel offers in one affordable, automated system.
Feature Lock-In Problem
Another hidden frustration? Feature Lock-In
HubSpot gives you access to shiny dashboards, but just when you’re ready to automate or scale you hit a wall. Features like:
- Smart workflows
- SMS marketing
- A/B testing
- Custom reports
- Stripe integration
- White-labeled email domains
- Funnel building
are only available if you pay significantly more, and even then, they may require third-party apps to work properly.
Let’s say you want to send a lead magnet, trigger a follow-up email sequence, and book a call all while tracking the results in one place. In HubSpot, this may require:
- Upgrading to Marketing Hub Pro
- Setting up complex workflows
- Possibly using Zapier or third-party tools like Calendly or ClickFunnels
It’s like being sold a car… and then charged extra for the engine, wheels, and brakes.
This kind of feature gating can slow down your growth and kill momentum, especially for small business owners who just want a system that works without needing to piece together five tools.
Why This Matters for You?
Your time and money are better spent serving clients and growing your revenue not managing tech stacks or figuring out which plan includes what.
In the next section, I’ll show you exactly how GoHighLevel compares to HubSpot, and why switching might be the best decision you make for your business this year.
Meet GoHighLevel: The Best All-in-One CRM Alternative to HubSpot
If the high costs, locked features, and complexity of HubSpot have left you frustrated, you’re not alone. Many small business owners eventually reach a point where they realize: they don’t need more tools, they need better systems.
Here GoHighLevel steps in, as a purpose-built, all-in-one CRM platform designed for small business owners, agencies, and service providers who want simplicity, power, and automation without the tech overwhelm.
As a Certified GoHighLevel Expert, I’ve helped over 1,000 business owners make the switch, and they all say the same thing after just a few days: “Why didn’t I find this sooner?”
Let’s break down why GoHighLevel is the best alternative to HubSpot especially if you’re serious about growth, automation, and ease of use.
Why GoHighLevel Was Built for Small Businesses?
GoHighLevel wasn’t created for big corporate marketing teams or software engineers. It was built by marketers and agency owners for small business owners like you. Whether you’re running a plumbing service, coaching practice, real estate business, or any local service. GoHighLevel is designed to automate the tasks that eat up your time.
The creators understood that small businesses often rely on 4–5 different tools just to run basic operations. Tools like:
- Calendly for appointments
- ClickFunnels for landing pages
- Mailchimp for email campaigns
- ActiveCampaign or HubSpot for CRM
- Zapier connects everything
With GoHighLevel, you don’t need any of these. It replaces all of them and does it better, faster, and more affordable.
Here’s why that matters: small businesses don’t have time to learn complex systems or manage 6 logins. You need a streamlined solution that works right out of the box, with minimal setup and maximum impact.
Key Features You Get GoHighLevel All-in-one Simple Dashboard
With GoHighLevel, everything you need to market, sell, and deliver it in one clean, user-friendly dashboard. No add-ons. No integrations. No “pro version required.”
Here’s what you get instantly:
CRM & Pipeline Management
Track every lead, client, and deal from start to finish. Visual pipelines let you manage sales or service stages with drag-and-drop simplicity.
Funnel Builder & Landing Pages
With the intuitive drag-and-drop builder, you can build high-converting funnels, lead pages, or full websites. No coding or third-party tools are needed.
SMS & Email Marketing
Send automated SMS and email campaigns, create nurture sequences, appointment reminders, and follow-ups, all natively built-in.
2-Way Messaging Inbox
Manage text, email, Facebook messages, and Google My Business chats in one place. No switching between apps or tabs.
Appointment Booking & Calendar
Integrated calendar with automated booking, reminders, and confirmations. Replace Calendly and avoid no-shows with ease.
Workflow Automation
Set up powerful automations that trigger based on actions, tags, time delays, or conditions without needing Zapier or coding knowledge.
Surveys & Forms
Create branded forms and surveys to capture leads, collect feedback, or qualify prospects before they ever get on a call with you.
Invoicing & Payments
Send branded invoices, accept payments via Stripe, and track revenue within your CRM.
Reputation Management
Automatically request Google reviews from happy customers, monitor your online ratings, and improve local visibility.
Course & Membership Hosting
Host your online courses or coaching programs directly inside GoHighLevel, no need for Teachable, Kajabi, or Thinkific.
GoHighLevel Tools Without Paying for Add-Ons
Unlike HubSpot (or many other CRMs), GoHighLevel doesn’t nickel-and-dime you as you grow. There are no surprise feature walls, no hidden “enterprise upgrades,” and no limits on your automation power.
You don’t need to pay:
- Extra for more contacts
- Extra for more automation
- Extra to remove branding
- Extra for landing pages
- Extra for SMS or booking tools
- Extra for course hosting or invoicing
That’s because GoHighLevel was designed as an all-in-one growth platform, not a patchwork of tools you have to piece together.
Here’s what most business owners save when switching from HubSpot to other tools:
That’s over $1,000/month in software costs, replaced by one single platform, and supported by me to make sure it runs smoothly for you.
You don’t need to learn a new tech tool. You need a expert as your partner to work with you.
If you’re already convinced and want to explore how GoHighLevel can work for your business, Book a free consultation call with GoHighLevel Expert Muhammad Nouman to start today!
GoHighLevel vs HubSpot: Feature-by-Feature Breakdown
By now, you’ve seen why so many small business owners find themselves outgrowing HubSpot’s limitations and looking for a smarter, more affordable solution. That’s where GoHighLevel truly shines, especially when you compare the two feature by feature.
In this section, we’ll break it all down so you can see which platform gives you the most power, flexibility, and value without the hidden fees or learning curve.
1. CRM & Pipeline Management
Winner: GoHighLevel, you get full pipeline access and customization even on the base plan, while HubSpot limits core CRM features to higher tiers.
2. Funnel Builder & Website Tools
Winner: GoHighLevel, it includes a true funnel builder and full website/page builder with drag-and-drop ease, no third-party tools are required.
3. Email & SMS Marketing
Winner: GoHighLevel: HubSpot doesn’t include SMS unless you use another tool, and advanced automation requires high-tier upgrades.
4. Automation & Workflows
Winner: GoHighLevel, full automation suite included at base price, with no restrictions on logic, branching, or triggers.
5. Appointment Booking & Calendar
Winner: GoHighLevel completely replaces tools like Calendly, with more automation options built-in.
6. Invoicing & Payments
Winner: GoHighLevel provides real-time invoicing, payment processing, and revenue tracking without needing separate software.
7. Course & Membership Hosting
Winner: GoHighLevel allows you to launch digital products, coaching programs, or paid memberships without Kajabi or Teachable.
8. Cost Comparison
Winner: GoHighLevel, No contest. One low price gets you the entire toolkit, with no add-ons or third-party tools required.
Want a GoHighLevel Automation Expert?
You’ve read the comparisons. You’ve seen the results. You know the power of GoHighLevel.
Now it’s time to take action, and I’m here to make it easy.
Contact me, as a Certified GoHighLevel Expert, I specialize in helping small business owners migrate smoothly, with done-for-you setup, funnel design, automation, and lifetime support.
I’m Muhammad Nouman, a Certified GoHighLevel Expert, and over the past few years, I’ve helped 1,000+ business owners streamline their operations, automate their marketing, and scale faster with GoHighLevel, and more than 20 of those clients made a successful migration from HubSpot to GoHighLevel under my guidance.
With my help, they replaced it all with one unified system, set up to match their business goals, lead flow, and client journey, without lifting a finger.
Whether you’re switching from HubSpot or starting fresh, I take care of:
- Data Migration & CRM Setup
- Funnel & Landing Page Creation
- Workflow & Automation Setup
- Calendar, Booking, and Reminder Systems
- Email & SMS Campaigns
- Reputation Management, Invoicing, Course Hosting & More
.Book a free strategy call with me today and see what’s possible outcome you can have with an Certifed GoHighLevel Expert.
Success Stories: How My Clients Are Saving Time & Money with GoHighLevel
Real success doesn’t come from features on a website, it comes from what those features can do for real business owners. And the transformation I’ve seen with my clients after switching from HubSpot to GoHighLevel has been nothing short of amazing.
Let’s look at how actual businesses have saved thousands of dollars, automated hours of manual work, and created a streamlined system that grows with them without needing to touch a single line of code.
From Confusion to Clarity: Switching from HubSpot
One of my clients, a fast-growing local plumbing business, came to me feeling overwhelmed. They were paying over $900/month for HubSpot, but still couldn’t automate basic things like appointment reminders, review requests, or follow-ups. Worse yet, their team had to juggle multiple platforms, Calendly for bookings, Mailchimp for email, and Google Sheets for leads.
After migrating them to GoHighLevel:
- I replaced all tools with a single dashboard
- Built automated SMS/email reminders for every appointment
- Created a branded funnel that converts cold traffic into booked call
- Tracked leads through a custom pipeline with no manual data entry
In less than 30 days, they had more clarity in their business than they had in 3 years with HubSpot and saved over $800/month in software costs.
Automated Onboarding, Messaging & Reputation Management
Another client, a business coach with an online course, was manually sending Zoom links, invoices, and onboarding emails, and struggling to keep up. With HubSpot, they needed multiple integrations (and still felt limited).
I moved them to GoHighLevel and:
- Built an automated onboarding system with contracts, payments & calendar links
- Set up 2-way SMS chat with leads and clients from one inbox
- Integrated a Google Review request flow to boost social proof
- Built a membership area to deliver their course content (no Kajabi needed)
They now run everything from one platform, and their client satisfaction score has doubled thanks to better communication and streamlined onboarding.
Is HubSpot Right for Small Business? Bottom Line
After everything we’ve covered, the features, the pricing, the real-world usage it’s time to get clear. Is HubSpot the right tool for you? Or are you better off with a smarter, more streamlined, and more affordable CRM alternative like GoHighLevel?
Let’s break it down one last time.
Summary: HubSpot vs GoHighLevel
In short, HubSpot has the name recognition, but GoHighLevel delivers more value and flexibility, especially for small businesses.
FAQs
Are there limitations with Gmail integration in HubSpot?
While HubSpot offers Gmail integration, users have noted missing features like a Google location field or map locator for companies.
Is the user interface (UI) intuitive for new users?
Some users find HubSpot’s UI unintuitive, requiring multiple clicks for simple tasks.
How does HubSpot handle email tracking before a deal is created?
Users have reported that emails or calendar invites sent before creating a deal aren’t automatically tracked within that deal.
Does changing a contact owner reassign associated tasks automatically?
No, when a contact owner is changed in HubSpot, the associated tasks aren’t automatically reassigned to the new owner.
Why do essential features like reporting and automation require expensive plan upgrades?
Many users have expressed frustration that fundamental functionalities, such as advanced reporting and automation, are only available in higher-tier plans.
Which CRM fits my budget and growth plan?
If you’re a large enterprise with an in-house marketing team and a six-figure CRM budget, HubSpot may be worth exploring.
But if you’re a solopreneur, agency, coach, or local service provider who wants:
- One tool to manage your entire business
- No extra fees or integrations
- The ability to scale without hiring extra staff
- Real support from someone who knows your industry
Then, GoHighLevel is hands down the best choice.
Final Verdict
Throughout this article, I’ve taken a deep dive into the realities of using HubSpot as a small business owner, from its polished reputation to its frustrating paywalls, feature lock-ins, and steep learning curve. While it’s a solid platform, the truth is clear:
HubSpot wasn’t built for the everyday entrepreneur. GoHighLevel “IS”.
If you’re a coach, consultant, service provider, or local business owner who values efficiency, automation, and affordability, then continuing to piece together multiple tools, or staying locked into a high-cost platform like HubSpot is slowing you down.
GoHighLevel puts everything in one place:
- Funnels
- CRM & Pipelines
- Email + SMS Marketing
- Booking Calendars
- Invoicing, Reviews, and even Memberships
… all under one simple dashboard, and at a fraction of the cost.
And with me by your side, Muhammad Nouman as a Certified GoHighLevel Expert who’s helped over 1,000 business owners (including 20+ ex-HubSpot users), you won’t just get a platform, you’ll get a done-for-you system for your business from Day 1.
This is more than just a software switch. It’s a shift in how you run, grow, and scale your business, with no tech overwhelm, no wasted money, and no scattered systems.
So ask yourself:
- Are you tired of paying more for less?
- Are you ready to automate client onboarding, lead follow-up, and reputation building?
- Do you want to stop “learning tools” and start focusing on serving your clients?
If the answer is yes, it’s time to move.
Book your free strategy call now with GoHighLevel Certified Expert and see GoHighLevel in action with your business in mind. Let’s build the backend of your business so you can focus on what truly matters: growth, freedom, and results.
Affiliate Disclosure: This article contains affiliate links. If you make a purchase through these links, I may earn a small commission at no extra cost to you. Thank you for supporting my work as a GoHighLevel affiliate!
Ready to master GHL? Click here to read more
Be First to Comment