Categories: Marketing Tips

CRM solutions comparison: HubSpot vs Salesforce

Choosing the right technology to manage your digital marketing and sales efforts can be overwhelming. The goal is to find an all-in-one tool that minimizes future investments and maximizes efficiency.

Implementing a new CRM and marketing solution is a significant undertaking that usually requires buy-in from several departments. From the initial investment to planning, implementing, and training, the platform must ensure success and a return on investment.

Two major players dominate the CRM landscape: Salesforce, a seasoned veteran, and HubSpot, a rapidly growing contender.

“78% of sales leaders say their CRM effectively improves alignment between sales and marketing teams (HubSpot Research, 2023).” – HubSpot

Let’s compare these two solutions and determine which is best for smaller and startup businesses.

HubSpot: The intuitive, all-in-one growth toolkit

Designed to grow with your business, HubSpot’s all-in-one, module-based solutions allow your business to select what meets your needs based on where you are in your journey.

Built to address the needs of marketers and salespeople, HubSpot offers seamless integration, powerful automation and comprehensive customer relationship management tools that simplify workflows and tell a story.

Its cost-effective pricing approach makes it accessible to startups, while its scalability supports the needs of enterprise businesses.

That said, customer feedback drives HubSpot’s open Ideas Forum—it uses a voting approach to roll out new features daily.

Salesforce: A comprehensive CRM for complex needs

Salesforce is a leading CRM platform most renowned for its extensive customization options. So much so that, in my 15 years of operating in various HubSpot and Salesforce environments, no two have looked or operated alike.

While Salesforce offers a variety of features, it primarily focuses on sales operations and analytics. This heavily relies on the expertise of a development team or consultant and an internal dedicated admin to ensure a smooth operating environment.

To address any marketing needs, you must utilize paid third-party integrations to accomplish various tasks, such as marketing emails, website analytics and social publishing.

Salesforce customer service leaves a lot to be desired. You will only have access to an actual human if you pay for added support or are part of the high-priced licenses that include account support. To find answers, you must filter through their convoluted community and occasionally outdated online sources.

Why we recommend HubSpot

Our biotech marketing agency recommends HubSpot as an ideal CRM solution for startups through medium-sized organizations due to its ease of use, affordability and comprehensive suite of tools.

HubSpot’s user-friendly, consistent interface allows businesses to get started quickly without requiring extensive technical expertise. The all-in-one platform integrates marketing, sales, and customer service, providing a seamless experience that simplifies the management of the entire customer journey.

As a bonus, HubSpot also offers powerful marketing automation features and a free, integrated CRM, making it easy to align marketing and sales efforts to drive growth.

Moreover, you have access to HubSpot’s extensive educational resources, strong community, and excellent customer support, which ensure that users can maximize the platform’s potential. I will happily proclaim that they have developed one of the best support systems with access to real humans on the other end.

HubSpot’s scalability allows businesses to start with basic features and gradually adopt more advanced tools as they grow. With customization options that balance flexibility and simplicity, its cost-effective growth tools further support our recommendation.

In conclusion, HubSpot is a comprehensive, user-friendly, and scalable CRM solution that supports the growth and efficiency of startups and growing companies. Its combination of features with excellent support and educational resources makes it an ideal choice for businesses looking to streamline their marketing, sales and customer service efforts.

“Salesforce is a complex CRM that offers sophisticated tools unmatched by competitors. The downside is that complexity comes with a high price tag and a long learning curve. HubSpot is more user-friendly and budget-friendly but that’s because it doesn’t have Salesforce’s extensive features.” – Forbes Advisor April 2024

HubSpot has perfected the customer journey from marketing through closed deals and everything in between. Follow your leads on their journey and find out what clicked.

The CQ leadership team is dedicated to constantly consuming cutting-edge marketing strategy resources. In today’s rapidly evolving digital landscape, our continuous learning from top experts across various industries – not just healthcare – is a key strength.

For those seeking inspiration, here’s a selection of our team’s preferred sources for marketing insights, intelligence, and strategy. You’ll notice HubSpot stands out as a top pick for many.

Melissa Foote