HubSpot

Yes. HubSpot's free CRM is permanently free with no time limit. The free plan is Yes (2 users, 1,000 contacts) and includes contact and deal management, email tracking, meeting scheduling, live chat, and basic reporting. It is not a trial and does not require a credit card to start.

HubSpot Starter begins at $31/seat/mo (Starter), billed annually. There is no monthly base fee on the Starter plan and no mandatory onboarding fee at that tier. Costs rise significantly at the Professional tier, which also carries a mandatory onboarding fee. Check the comparison table for current AUD figures across all plans.

HubSpot's free plan is Yes (2 users, 1,000 contacts). Its paid Starter plan raises the ceiling to 25,000 (Starter), with additional blocks billed as your list grows. The contact limit becomes relevant once you start sending bulk emails or running automated marketing campaigns rather than plain sales outreach.

HubSpot charges no onboarding fee on the Starter plan. From the Professional tier upward, a mandatory onboarding fee applies. This is a common point of surprise for buyers moving up from Starter. The fee covers guided onboarding with HubSpot's team and is charged once at the start of the Professional subscription.

HubSpot connects with more than 1,000 tools via the HubSpot App Marketplace, making it one of the largest integration ecosystems in the CRM category. Key connections include Gmail, Outlook, Slack, Shopify, Xero, QuickBooks, Salesforce, and most major marketing and e-commerce platforms.

HubSpot is generally easier to set up and use, with a free starting plan and a shallower learning curve. Salesforce offers deeper customisation, more powerful reporting, and scales better for large enterprise deployments, but it carries a higher total cost of ownership and typically requires more time and expertise to implement. HubSpot is the more practical choice for SMBs; Salesforce is better suited to mid-market and enterprise teams with complex CRM requirements.

HubSpot is widely used by Australian businesses from startups to mid-market companies. The free plan makes it risk-free to start. The main consideration is the sharp price jump from Starter to Professional, which can catch growing teams off guard. If your team needs advanced automation, reporting, or the full Marketing Hub, build the Professional cost into your budget from the outset.