- What HubSpot's free CRM includes
- The free tools and their limits
- The catch: branding and the 1,000 contact line
- How to set up HubSpot for free
- Who HubSpot's free plan suits
- Is the free CRM a trial in disguise?
- Free AI in HubSpot
- More free limits worth knowing
- Connecting HubSpot free to your other tools
- Reporting on the free CRM
- Frequently asked questions
Yes, HubSpot is free. HubSpot's free CRM has no expiration date and comes with free marketing, CRM and service tools, but the free tools carry HubSpot branding and have limits such as 1,000 marketing contacts and 300 email sends a calendar month.
HubSpot is one of the few big CRMs with a free plan that isn't a trial. That's why so many small businesses start there. It's worth knowing where the free tools stop before you build your whole pipeline inside them.
What HubSpot's free CRM includes
HubSpot's CRM page says the free CRM is free with no expiration date, and that every free account also includes essential marketing, CRM and service tools. You can create contacts, keep records up to date, log deal activities and see communication history in one place. It works in Chrome, Firefox, Safari or Edge with no downloads, and connects to over 2,000 business apps.
The free tools and their limits
| Free tool | What the free version allows |
|---|---|
| Marketing contacts | 1,000 |
| Email marketing | 300 email sends per calendar month, with HubSpot branding |
| Email automation | 1 automated action |
| Live chat | Includes HubSpot branding |
| Meeting scheduling | 1 personal meetings link, with HubSpot branding |
| Email templates | Up to 3 per account |
| Canned snippets | Up to 3 |
| Reporting | 10 dashboards, 50 reports per dashboard |
| Landing pages and website pages | Up to 30 of each |
| Blog | Up to 100 posts, 20 authors and 50 tags, with HubSpot branding |
The catch: branding and the 1,000 contact line
Here's what catches people out. Nearly every customer-facing free tool shows HubSpot branding: your marketing emails, your live chat, your meetings link and your blog. For a new business that's fine. If you care about a polished look in front of clients, it's the first thing you'll want gone.
The second is the marketing contacts number. The free CRM can hold your contacts, but only 1,000 can be marketing contacts, the ones you send marketing email to. If you're planning a newsletter for a bigger list, you'll hit that line quickly.
The third is automation. Free gives you one automated email action, while the Starter level moves up to ten and adds workflows. So the free version is great for tracking contacts and one-to-one email, and light on automation.
How to set up HubSpot for free
- Go to HubSpot's free CRM page and choose Get started free.
- Create your account with your business email and connect your inbox.
- Import your contacts from a spreadsheet, or add them by hand.
- Set up your deal pipeline so you can see where each sale stands.
- Add the free meetings link and live chat to your website.
My HubSpot setup checklist walks through the settings worth doing on day one so your CRM stays clean as it grows.
Who HubSpot's free plan suits
It suits founders, freelancers and small teams who chase deals who want one place for contacts, deals and email history. It also suits anyone who wants a simple website form, live chat and meeting booking tied to their contacts without stitching several tools together.
It's less suited to businesses that send a lot of marketing email, need branded customer touchpoints or want heavy automation from the start. If you're comparing it with other CRMs, my HubSpot vs Pipedrive comparison shows how the two differ for a small team.
Is the free CRM a trial in disguise?
No. HubSpot says plainly that unlike a free trial, the free CRM has no expiration date. You can stay on it as long as you like and upgrade parts of it when you're ready. That's the honest advantage: you can start with your real contacts today and only change plans when a specific limit gets in your way.
Free AI in HubSpot
HubSpot also says AI tools are built into the free CRM to automate routine tasks and surface customer insights. That's a nice extra, but treat it as a helper inside the CRM rather than the only reason to pick HubSpot.
More free limits worth knowing
Beyond the headline numbers, HubSpot's comparison lists a few smaller limits on the free tools that matter once you're using them every day:
- CRM segments: 10 active and 1,000 static segments.
- Content in other languages: up to 3 HubSpot-supported languages.
- Blog: up to 20 authors and 50 tags.
None of these will trouble a brand new business. They start to matter when you segment a growing list or publish in more than one language.
Want AI doing the heavy lifting in your marketing?
I build the systems that handle the boring 80 percent, so you get your week back. Done properly, with the human kept in.
Connecting HubSpot free to your other tools
HubSpot says the free CRM connects to over 2,000 business apps through HubSpot-built and third-party integrations. Start with your email inbox and calendar, because logging emails and booking meetings straight into contact records is where the free CRM saves the most time.
Reporting on the free CRM
HubSpot's free tools include 10 reporting dashboards with up to 50 reports on each one. That's plenty to see your pipeline, the deals you've won and the activity your team has logged. Set up one dashboard for deals and one for marketing on day one, and you'll have a clear weekly picture without exporting anything to a spreadsheet. As your contact list grows, those same dashboards show you when you're getting close to the 1,000 marketing contact line.
My verdict: HubSpot is free, and its free CRM is one of the best starting points a small business can get. Use it for contacts, deals and email history, accept the branding for now, and watch that 1,000 marketing contact line if email marketing is part of your plan.
Frequently asked questions
Is HubSpot CRM free forever?
Yes. HubSpot says its free CRM is free with no expiration date, unlike a free trial.
How many contacts can you have on HubSpot free?
HubSpot's free tools include 1,000 marketing contacts, the contacts you can send marketing email to.
How many emails can I send with HubSpot free?
The free email marketing tool allows 300 email sends per calendar month, with HubSpot branding.
Does HubSpot free include HubSpot branding?
Yes. Free marketing email, live chat, the meetings link and the blog all include HubSpot branding.
Can I book meetings with HubSpot free?
Yes. The free tools include 1 personal meetings link, which shows HubSpot branding.
Does HubSpot free include a website builder?
Yes. HubSpot's free tools list up to 30 landing pages and up to 30 website pages, plus a blog with HubSpot branding.
Do I need to download HubSpot?
No. HubSpot says the free CRM works in Chrome, Firefox, Safari or Edge with no other downloads or installations.
