HubSpot and Salesforce are the two CRM names most owners hear first. Both are priced per seat, per month. Here's what each lists on its public pricing page, what the fees are, and what that pricing model means for a small B2B business as it grows.
What HubSpot lists
From HubSpot's Sales Hub pricing page, checked October 30, 2026:
- Sales Hub Professional: $100 per seat per month, plus a required one-time Professional Onboarding fee of $1,500.
- Sales Hub Enterprise: starts at $150 per seat per month, plus a required one-time Enterprise Onboarding fee of $3,500.
HubSpot's prices are shown in USD and subject to tax, and HubSpot notes some discounts are for new customers only.
What Salesforce lists
From Salesforce's Sales Cloud pricing page, checked October 30, 2026:
- Pro Suite: $100 per user per month, billed annually.
- Sales Cloud Core: $195 per user per month, billed annually.
- Advanced: $395 per user per month, billed annually.
Salesforce also lists a Starter Suite at $25 per user per month. Its page notes that most Salesforce products use annual contracts, and lists many add-ons priced separately, such as Revenue Intelligence from $220 per user per month.
The per-seat model, in plain terms
Both companies charge for each person who logs in, every month you subscribe. That has three effects for a small B2B team:
1. Your bill grows with your team
Add an estimator, an inside salesperson or an office manager, and you add another full seat price every month. Growth, which is the whole point, makes the software more expensive.
2. The bill never ends
Subscription software has no finish line. Year three costs as much as year one, more if you've grown or moved up a tier.
3. The list price isn't the full price
Onboarding fees, add-ons, integrations and consultants to fit the software to your process are all extra. HubSpot's onboarding fees are listed right on its pricing page.
A quick way to estimate your cost
Example calculation (list prices above; no discounts, taxes or add-ons):
- 5 users on HubSpot Sales Hub Professional for 12 months: 5 × $100 × 12 = $6,000, plus $1,500 onboarding = $7,500 in year one.
- 5 users on Salesforce Pro Suite for 12 months: 5 × $100 × 12 = $6,000 per year.
Run the same math with your team size and the tier that has the features you need. Then multiply by the number of years you expect to use it.
The alternative: custom CRMs
Custom CRMs are built around how your business already sells, for your team, and priced as a build.
HSGA builds custom CRMs in 2 to 4 weeks, with 10 team logins and two-step sign-in included, and more logins at no extra charge.
What per-seat pricing doesn't include
A subscription gives you software. It doesn't design your pipeline stages, write your follow-up rules or build the reports your owner needs. Someone still has to fit the tool to how a distributor, contractor or shop actually sells.
Check before you buy
Prices change. Before you decide, check both pricing pages yourself, note the date, and ask each vendor what year three will cost with the team you expect to have.
Sources
- HubSpot, Sales Hub pricing: https://www.hubspot.com/pricing/sales (checked Oct 30, 2026).
- Salesforce, Sales Cloud pricing: https://www.salesforce.com/sales/pricing/ (checked Oct 30, 2026).