Switching from Freshsales to HubSpot tends to be worth it when marketing, sales and service need to work from the same customer record, when reporting has to span the whole customer journey, or when you need the CRM to model your business with custom objects and connected apps. If your team is mainly sales-led, happy with Freshsales and cost per seat is the deciding factor, staying put is often the better call.
Part of our HubSpot guides.
What are the main differences between Freshsales and HubSpot?
Freshsales is a sales-focused CRM from Freshworks, built for fast pipeline management with built-in phone, email and AI scoring. HubSpot is a customer platform where marketing, sales, service, content and operations tools share one CRM database. The difference shows most in reporting, marketing automation and how far each one can be shaped around a specific business.
| Criteria | Freshsales | HubSpot |
|---|---|---|
| Core focus | Sales pipeline and rep productivity | Whole customer journey on one CRM |
| Marketing automation | Via Freshsales Suite or Freshmarketer | Marketing Hub, native to the CRM |
| Customer service | Via Freshdesk, a separate product | Service Hub, same CRM record |
| Custom data model | Custom modules on Enterprise | Custom objects on Enterprise |
| App marketplace | Freshworks Marketplace | HubSpot App Marketplace, larger catalogue |
| Built-in phone | Yes, native | Calling built in, plus integrations |
| AI | Freddy AI | Breeze AI |
| Cost per seat | Generally lower | Generally higher, varies by hub and tier |
| Partner availability in ANZ | Smaller partner network | Large Solutions Partner network |
Pricing on both platforms changes often. Check current plans on freshworks.com and hubspot.com before comparing totals.
When does switching from Freshsales to HubSpot make sense?
Switching tends to make sense when the limits you're hitting are about connection and reporting, not sales features. Freshsales handles a sales pipeline well. Teams usually start looking at HubSpot when they need more than a pipeline.
Financial services firms are a good example. A Sydney financial services company we moved from Freshsales to HubSpot in 2025 had five reps calling and qualifying leads in one pipeline. Alongside bringing across around 20,000 leads with their call details and notes, we set up HubSpot around how the team calls and qualifies, built the workflows and reporting dashboards leadership needed, and trained the reps to run it.
Common triggers we hear from teams moving off Freshsales and other CRMs:
- Marketing and sales run on different tools, so attribution and lead handover depend on spreadsheets
- Leadership wants one report from first enquiry through to closed revenue and renewal
- The business needs custom objects, such as properties, projects, policies or subscriptions, tied to contacts and deals
- Integrations are patchy, and the apps you rely on connect more fully to HubSpot
- You're adding a service team and want tickets on the same record as the deal
When should you stay on Freshsales?
Staying on Freshsales is often the right decision if it's doing the job and the gaps are small. A migration takes time and attention, and that cost is only worth paying for a clear gain.
Freshsales is likely to remain the better fit when:
- The team is sales-only, with little marketing automation needed
- Per-seat cost is the main constraint and Freshsales covers what you need
- Your service team already runs on Freshdesk and the two are working well together
- The real problem is data quality or adoption, which a new CRM won't fix on its own
We'll push back when something won't serve you. That's part of the job. A messy Freshsales account moved into HubSpot becomes a messy HubSpot account.
What changes for your sales team after moving to HubSpot?
The daily workflow tends to change less than teams expect. Reps still work from a deal pipeline, log calls and emails, and run sequences. What changes is where things live and how much is connected.
The adjustments that tend to need the most training:
- Leads become contacts with lifecycle stages, so there's one record per person from first touch onward.
- Accounts become companies, matched to contacts by email domain.
- Tags become properties, which makes filtering and reporting more consistent.
- Inbox and calendar connect to HubSpot, so emails and meetings log automatically.
- Marketing activity appears on the contact timeline, giving reps context before a call.
For what moves across and what doesn't, see what data you can move from Freshsales to HubSpot.
How long does it take to switch from Freshsales to HubSpot?
Switching from Freshsales to HubSpot with a full onboarding typically takes 12 to 16 weeks. That covers designing the HubSpot portal, migrating data, rebuilding automation and reporting, and training the team. Smaller accounts with mainly contacts and deals can move faster. Accounts with years of activity history, custom modules and several integrations sit at the longer end. For the steps involved, see how to migrate from Freshsales to HubSpot.
Frequently asked questions
Is HubSpot more expensive than Freshsales?
HubSpot generally costs more per seat, particularly at Professional and Enterprise tiers. The comparison that matters is total cost, including the separate tools Freshsales may need alongside it for marketing and service.
Is HubSpot better than Freshsales for small B2B businesses?
It depends on what the business needs the CRM to do. For a sales-only team, Freshsales is often enough. For a team that wants marketing, sales and service connected, HubSpot tends to be the better fit.
Can we move from Freshsales to HubSpot without losing our pipeline?
Yes. Deal pipelines are recreated in HubSpot and open deals are imported with their stage, amount, owner and close date. Teams usually run both systems in parallel briefly before switching.
Does HubSpot have a free CRM like Freshsales?
Yes. HubSpot offers free tools with core CRM features, and Freshsales offers a free plan for small teams. Both have limits that most growing B2B teams outgrow.
Do we need a HubSpot partner to switch from Freshsales?
No. Simple accounts can be moved using Freshsales' export and HubSpot's import tool. A partner is most useful when activity history, custom modules, integrations or reporting need to come across properly.
The pattern we see
Teams that switch to connect marketing, sales and reporting tend to be glad they did. Teams that switch to escape messy data tend to bring the mess with them. Which one is driving your move?