Sales CRMs are the heartbeat of established sales teams. CRM, or customer relationship management, platforms take the pressure off your in-house salespeople to manually keep track of conversations, to-dos and deals. Instead of having to monitor all this valuable information on their own (and potentially forget it) they can easily store it all in a centralized software tool.
Two of the biggest CRM platforms out there are HubSpot and Salesforce. Each is a giant in the industry, used by enterprise clients and small businesses alike. But which one is right for your team? I'm glad you asked because we're about to compare all the key features and benefits of the two. You'll be able to make an informed decision that gives your whole sales team the sudden urge to buy you lunch and hoist you up on their shoulders in victory.
⭐ Considering Hubspot? Work with a HubSpot Onboarding Accredited Partner.
📺 Also, check out this interview with John Pszenny for his insights after using both platforms.
When Salesforce was founded in 1999, the life-changing yet ambiguous cloud wasn't a thing quite yet. CRM software was run locally on the machines of each individual computer in a business. But Salesforce changed that when they become the first CRM tool available entirely online and one of the first software-as-a-service companies. The Salesforce CRM leverages its online connectivity to help businesses understand and communicate with existing customers, potential customers, and partners in a more efficient and convenient way.
Since its founding in the late nineties, Salesforce has helped tons of sales teams centralize their database and streamline their sales processes. Their Sales Cloud and Marketing Cloud products are a 1-2 punch of brand awareness and conversion. But to save you some time, I'll just hit the high points today.
An important thing to note is that Salesforce offers many similar features to HubSpot. The difference lies mainly in how the platform operates.
“One of the biggest things Salesforce has on HubSpot is customization,” Krista explains. “You can customize pretty much everything to a high degree, but you will have to hire or outsource that work to someone who can do it for you. You won’t be able to do it on your own.”
Other popular features include:
Because Salesforce is such a powerful tool, Krista urges users to “know what your ‘have to have’ data points are.”
“Really this goes for any CRM, but especially Salesforce. If you want to fully utilize its capabilities, then you need to know what data points will tell you what’s happening with a lead and how your team is keeping track of that data. All of that will depend on your business and sales goals.”
She adds that without clean, meaningful data, you’ll never get the most out of your CRM, no matter what platform it is.
Krista also notes that Salesforce can be tougher to adopt for teams who aren’t very comfortable with technology. She mentions that “it’s not a very intuitive platform,” which can lead to a longer learning curve and frustration if people weren’t excited about adopting it in the first place.
Be sure to gauge your team’s willingness to learn a new system and processes before diving fully into this CRM.
Salesforce’s pricing model is based on how many users will be on your account.
“It’s important to remember that you can’t set up a Salesforce portal effectively on your own,” Krista reminds us. “So you have to consider the cost of outsourcing to an onboarding professional, which adds a pretty steep additional cost.”
HubSpot’s claim to fame is the introduction of inbound marketing — a philosophical shift in the way marketers engage with prospects. Where Salesforce is strictly a CRM, HubSpot has tools for marketing, sales, service and operations that include a powerful CRM and convenient CMS.
To help you compare apples to apples, we’ll focus on HubSpot’s CRM and Sales Hub, which are the tools that directly compete with Salesforce.
“Overall, HubSpot is a lot easier to use,” Krista says. “There’s a much shorter learning curve, you can reasonably set up and manage your portal yourself, plus it’s a lot cheaper to get help with onboarding and administration if you need it. It’s just a much more intuitive system.”
Krista notes a major difference between the two platforms is that HubSpot has a much easier out-of-the-box setup. It’s designed to be user-friendly, so although you don’t have the same depth of functionality, you can get campaigns and processes up and running much quicker.
Some of the most valuable HubSpot features include:
As you can see, many of these features align closely with what Salesforce offers. However, Krista says there are three things that give HubSpot an edge over their competitor:
Before we discuss the pricing tiers for HubSpot Sales Hub, it's important to note that they do offer a free version of their CRM. The pricing below is for additional sales features on top of the free CRM. There are also bundle pricing options if you choose to add Marketing Hub, as well.
HubSpot prices their platform similarly to Salesforce, but instead of paying per seat, you pay for a group of users.
Krista notes that the overall cost of HubSpot is lower and you can get set up much quicker and easier than in Salesforce. “It’s a powerful tool for what you’re paying. You get a lot of high level features for a good price.”
HubSpot and Salesforce are both powerful CRM options that offer a host of sales tools and add-ons. However, choosing the best CRM for you will depend on your business needs.
Krista recommends asking the following questions before making your decision:
Sometimes, though, you just need someone to talk to. We’re happy to help you work through your business needs and decide if HubSpot or Salesforce is the better fit for your business.
Or if you want to learn more about other marketing automation tools, check out this blog.