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Is HubSpot completely free?



Is HubSpot completely free?


CRMs are a dime a dozen these days — but what if I told you that the best one out there is totally free...forever? That's right, HubSpot offers its users an all-you-can-eat buffet of features without charging them a penny.

The company was founded by Dharmesh Shah in 2005 after he left Google, where his team developed AdWords (now known as Display Ads). The core principles remain unchanged today: Provide high quality customer service while building products that make your life easier. In 2008 they launched Salesforce.com, which became their flagship product. They've since grown into a global B2B marketing technology platform that serves over five million businesses worldwide. Now, they're back again with their newest offering: HubSpot CRM. With more than 10 years under its belt, this new business software combines sales automation, lead management, email marketing, social media integration, website tracking, reporting, and analytics. It also integrates directly with Gmail, so you don't have to worry about switching between platforms when sending emails to potential clients or prospects. You'll never feel overwhelmed again!

In short, HubSpot promises to change how you do business online forever, making it the most powerful tool on the market. But does HubSpot really offer such a generous amount of services? Is HubSpot completely free? Keep reading to find out. Plus, we'll share some other interesting facts about this groundbreaking CRM too.

Is HubSpot truly free?

When you first sign up for HubSpot's free plan, you get access to three essential modules: Contact Manager, Marketing Automation, and Lead Management. These tools serve as the foundation of any professional organization looking to streamline communication. As part of each module, you receive customizable templates so you can easily create automated workflows based on triggers like whether someone fills out a form, clicks through from a link, signs up for something, etc. All of these actions trigger different sets of processes, including follow ups via phone calls, text messages, emails, newsletters, webinars, and more. Each action also comes with its own set of rules, meaning you won't ever miss another opportunity because of human error. And those who pay $16 per month ($1.60/mo) will gain access to even more advanced features like multi-user support, bulk upload capabilities, mobile app integrations, third party API connections, data backups, and more. If you want to upgrade at any point before paying, HubSpot lets you try every feature for 30 days at no charge. However, once your trial expires, you must pay for full access unless you qualify for a special promotion.

Now let's talk numbers. How much storage space does HubSpot give away? Does it include unlimited contacts? Can anyone use HubSpot for free? What other perks come along with HubSpot's plans? Read below to learn the answers to all of these questions.

Does HubSpot steal data?

Absolutely not. HubSpot doesn't collect user information, nor does it mine personal details like names, addresses, dates of birth, credit card info, bank account numbers, or Social Security Numbers. Never fear though, HubSpot takes security very seriously. Since its inception, the company hasn't sold consumer data, and they take steps to ensure that happens. For example, HubSpot uses industry standard encryption methods to keep sensitive information secure. Also, HubSpot utilizes Secure Socket Layer (SSL), Transport Layer Security (TLS), and Pretty Good Privacy (PGP) protocols to encrypt communications between servers and devices. Finally, the company employs multiple layers of authentication to protect against unauthorized logins, plus two factor authorization whenever possible. So rest assured knowing that HubSpot isn't interested in selling your private information.

As far as HubSpot's free plan goes, you only get 5 GB of file attachments and 1 TB worth of cloud storage. This might seem limiting compared to other companies' offerings, but remember, HubSpot's goal is to provide value above price points. Furthermore, HubSpot gives you 24 hours to download important documents before they expire, so you can avoid getting locked out of critical files. Lastly, HubSpot provides optional identity protection packages that allow you to generate unique passwords for specific accounts. To see which ID Protection package works best for you, go here.



Can HubSpot be hacked?

According to Forbes, "the number of people infected with malware increased almost 50 percent last year." Unfortunately, hacking continues to increase across industries around the world, and HubSpot believes consumers should know exactly how safe they are when using their platforms. Therefore, HubSpot maintains strict policies regarding network security. No matter what your current position within HubSpot may be, you'll always have direct control over your entire environment. For instance, employees aren't allowed to connect external hard drives to computers or phones during working hours. Additionally, HubSpot regularly reviews and updates its internal systems, plus it constantly monitors suspicious activity throughout the network. Should anything happen, HubSpot quickly responds by contacting law enforcement agencies.

While HubSpot tries to stay ahead of hackers, cybercriminals still manage to infiltrate networks occasionally. Thankfully, the company makes efforts to prevent hackers from accessing confidential information. When you register for HubSpot, you enter a password that changes daily. Then, anytime you log in to a site containing client information or payment forms, you'll notice small dots next to certain letters or words instead of regular characters. Those dots indicate that the page contains sensitive material, and therefore requires additional security measures. By clicking on one of those dots, you become aware of the extra precautionary step required to view the content. Of course, HubSpot wants to emphasize that it cannot guarantee 100% safety from attacks, but following basic guidelines helps reduce risk significantly.

How many contacts can you store in HubSpot for free?

If you're asking yourself how many people you could potentially invite to attend an event hosted by HubSpot, then the answer depends on which plan you choose. Let me explain. First off, if you purchase either a Starter or Deluxe Plan, you'll automatically receive 200 Contacts, plus 500 Followup Emails. This means you can invite up to 250 individuals to events hosted by HubSpot. On top of that, HubSpot allows you add a maximum of 2,000 Contacts onto your subscription. This limit is imposed due to technical limitations affecting the size of databases stored on our servers. Once you hit this cap, however, you'll have to upgrade to a paid plan.

For reference purposes, HubSpot charges $299 per month for the Business Pro Pack, which includes unlimited contacts and integrated calendars. Similarly, the Enterprise pricing tier costs $499 per month ($4.99/mo) and covers 3,500+ contacts. Unlike the starter plan, enterprise subscribers can host unlimited meetings and conferences.

So now you know the basics of HubSpot's free plan. Take advantage of these perks and start maximizing your productivity today!

CRMs are expensive tools for businesses that don't have the budget or desire to pay thousands of dollars per month. But what if they were affordable enough for small teams to use without breaking the bank?

That's exactly where HubSpot comes in. The cloud-based software is one of the most popular options on Gartner L2 as well as other industry analyst firms due to its ease of use, flexibility, and affordability. It also integrates seamlessly into existing sales pipelines via Zapier, allowing users to manage multiple projects at once while keeping their data organized. And best of all, HubSpot is available for free!

Does this mean HubSpot offers more features than any other CRM out there? Absolutely not. However, we can say for sure that it provides an incredible value for those who aren't willing to spend hundreds (or even thousands) every month on enterprise solutions like Salesforce, Microsoft Dynamics, Zoho, etc. If you're looking to take your marketing efforts online but want something simple, reliable, and easy to learn without shelling out exorbitant sums, then HubSpot may be just what you need. Here's why...

Is HubSpot free forever?

Yes. No matter how many times I've been asked this question over the past year, HubSpot will never charge me a penny for its services. In fact, the company only charges two things: a $299/year setup fee ($199 annually), and an additional 10 percent transaction processing fee when clients close deals worth more than $1 million. While these fees might seem high at first glance, keep in mind that both companies -- HubSpot and Accellion (another major player in the space) -- offer unlimited support plans so you'll always receive help whenever needed.

Also, HubSpot doesn't require contracts so you won't get locked into anything. You can cancel anytime during the trial period without paying a cent. Plus, because HubSpot isn't charging money from day one, you can try it risk-free before making a decision. That means no concerns about whether it works or not, which should give potential buyers peace of mind. Finally, HubSpot gives you access to all customer information via APIs, meaning you can integrate HubSpot directly with third party apps such as Mailchimp, Google Analytics, Facebook Ads Manager, etc., rather than having to import them separately. This saves time, increases efficiency, and allows you to focus solely on running campaigns instead of managing numerous platforms.

As far as pricing goes, HubSpot's entry level plan costs $199/month for up to five users. For larger groups, you can increase that number by adding more people to your team until you reach a maximum cap of 25 users. Then, each user will cost between $149-$169/mo depending on which country he or she lives in. To see full prices, head here.

The bottom line is that HubSpot is totally committed to providing top-notch service for free forever. There's really nothing else quite like it.

How long does HubSpot free last?

If you think about it, HubSpot's model makes sense since most consumers wouldn't consider spending tens of thousands of dollars on a monthly subscription unless they had some sort of guarantee. As such, HubSpot offers three different types of trials: 30 days, 90 days, and 180 days. During these periods, you can experience the entire platform to decide if it fits your needs. Once the trial ends, however, you must either purchase a yearly license through PayPal or credit card billing.

To find out more details, head here.

What happens after you sign up depends largely on the type of account you choose. Businesses using HubSpot Enterprise Edition tend to stick around longer since they have direct access to the development team behind the product. On the other hand, standard accounts typically come with annual renewals and limited feature sets.

It's important to note that HubSpot's policy states that "All licenses purchased from the official HubSpot website expire 365 days after being activated." So, make sure to check the expiration date next time you go to buy a license. Also, remember that HubSpot doesn't provide refunds regardless of the reason.

Is there a completely free CRM?

No. Although HubSpot bills itself as the world's easiest CRM, it still requires some effort to set up properly. Thankfully, setting up HubSpot is relatively straightforward thanks to its drag-and-drop interface. When you create new contacts, lead forms, landing pages, reports, surveys, follow ups, reminders, events, etc., you simply click on the relevant button and select a template. From there, you enter basic info about the person and hit save. Simple.

But wait, didn't I mention earlier that HubSpot wasn't going to charge us a dime? Well, technically speaking, it did charge us a bit: our API keys. Luckily, though, HubSpot uses OAuth 2.0 to let you connect various apps without worrying about passwords, security tokens, or private keys. Unfortunately, since HubSpot supports dozens of devices including Android, iOS, Windows Phone, Blackberry, Mac OS X, Linux, Chrome, Firefox, etc., you'll need to register several mobile applications to gain access to your API key(s). Fortunately, HubSpot automatically generates these codes for you based on your phone number, email address, and password.

In addition to being fully functional, HubSpot is packed with useful features like calendar integration, activity tracking, project management capabilities, multi-level navigation menus, customizable dashboards, automated responses, integrated analytics, and much more. Best of all, it's compatible with tons of integrations such as Slack, Gmail, Dropbox, Twitter, LinkedIn, Evernote, YouTube, Instagram, Pinterest, WordPress, Shopify, Tumblr, Trello, Google Drive, OneDrive, Todoist, and Basecamp.

Is there a truly free CRM?

Unfortunately, no. Despite offering a robust suite of tools, HubSpot is nowhere near complete when compared to other paid alternatives. For example, its workflow editor lacks automation functions whereas Salesforce includes them by default. HubSpot also falls short when it comes to integrating social media and content marketing strategies. Lastly, although HubSpot does allow you to add external documents, you cannot edit them within the app. Instead, you'd have to export files and open them externally. This process could prove problematic down the road since you could lose track of changes made elsewhere. Again, HubSpot excels when dealing with leads and prospects and less effective otherwise.

Despite these shortcomings, HubSpot remains a great option for anyone looking to cut expenses while growing their business exponentially. Even though it's priced lower than competitors like InfusionSoft and Mango Solutions, it's hard to argue against HubSpot's overall affordability considering how quickly it grows alongside your group. With that said, we recommend taking advantage of HubSpot's free months to test drive the system thoroughly before committing to a payment plan. After all, you can always switch providers later if you determine it's not right for your organization.

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CRMs are critical tools for small business owners looking to grow their companies faster than ever before by automating repetitive tasks that can bog down your productivity. But there's no one-size-fits all solution when choosing which software package is right for your company.

We've previously covered some of the best free options out there but today we're going to take an in-depth look at another popular option - HubSpot CRM. Is HubSpot completely free or does it have hidden costs like most other services do? Let's find out together!  After reading this article, I'm convinced that Hubspot is worth checking out if you want a more robust CRM system.  If you don't care as much about bells & whistles then maybe you should just stick with Google Docs instead.

I'll be covering HubSpot vs MailChimp (which happens to be our favorite email marketing provider), Zoho CRM, SalesForce and InfusionSoft. All of these programs will allow you to create powerful lead generation campaigns while giving salespeople access to the information they need to make decisions on whether or not to pursue opportunities further. For each program listed below, I'll cover features such as support levels, pricing models, etc so stay tuned for future articles on additional products from each vendor.

Is Zoho CRM really free?

Zoho was founded back in 1999 and since its inception it's been offering its users a variety of different plans starting with $29 per month. Each plan offers varying degrees of functionality depending on what level subscription you choose. The cheapest version allows you to send emails up to 25 total messages per day over 5 days plus unlimited followup sequences per person. This basic account also includes advanced reporting capabilities and the ability to create web forms without any coding required. If you'd rather pay less money upfront, you could always opt for a monthly payment model where you only pay once a year ($19/month) and get 2 months free. Or you could even go totally annual and save yourself the hassle of paying every single month. Either way works great for those who just want to use a tool now and worry about upgrading later.

Here are some of the key benefits provided under the various tiers available:

Basic Accounts -- Unlimited Emails, FollowUp Sequences, Forms Creation, Reports

Plus Account -- Email Scheduling, Lead Tracking, Custom Fields, Social Media Integration

Pro Account -- Web Conferencing Support, Data Export, Project Management Tools, Marketing Automation Features

Enterprise Account -- Enterprise support, custom branding, multi-user licenses, professional development training and consulting

The Pros:

Free forever. You won't ever hear anyone complain about having to pay again.

You can try the service risk-free for 30 days with absolutely zero obligation to upgrade past that point unless you decide you like using the product enough to keep going.

Easy setup wizards help walk new users through setting up accounts quickly and painlessly.

Excellent customer service via phone, live chat, ticketing systems, forums, and community sites.

Integration with hundreds of applications including Gmail, Outlook, Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, WordPress, Blogger, Shopify, YouTube, Tumblr, eBay, Tungle, Digg, Delicious, Flickr, Foursquare, XING, Yahoo Messenger, IMO, Basecamp, etc...

Accessible anywhere thanks to mobile apps.

Cons:

No API for third party developers. That means adding new features requires hiring someone to write them and maintain them.

Some people claim that Zoho doesn't offer as many functionalities as other similar offerings because it focuses more heavily on collaboration between multiple employees within larger organizations. Personally, I think that's good thing considering how fast things move nowadays. A lot of times smaller businesses simply aren't equipped to handle complex projects on their own so why waste time trying to roll something complicated on your own anyway?

Also, Zoho isn't very good at managing large teams or handling numerous simultaneous projects. Maybe that's true in general but I never had problems keeping my team organized despite being fairly small. In fact, I've found that sometimes working with a bigger group makes things easier because everyone knows exactly what needs doing and who's responsible for accomplishing specific goals. Small groups tend to work well if everyone understands clearly who owns what responsibilities. And frankly, big corporations already know how to manage massive amounts of data and resources efficiently. It would seem that Zoho may actually benefit more from dealing with huge multinational corporations rather than regular sized ones.

Overall Scorecard: 7 / 10

Is HubSpot CRM really free?

Yes! There's currently a 14 week trial period during which you can test drive HubSpot's CRM platform for free. After that expires however, you'll need to either subscribe to the Starter Plan or higher. Here are some of the main benefits provided under both packages:

Starter Package -- Free Trial Period, 1 Contact Manager Per User, Basic Reporting Capabilities

Standard Package -- Up to 3 Users With One Contact Manager, Advanced Reporting, Dashboard Views

Professional Package -- Up to 8 Users With Two Contact Managers, Full Access To Platform APIs, Real Time Visibility Of Leads

Enterprise Package -- Unrestricted Usage Rights, Professional Training, Subscription Pricing Model, Dedicated Technical Staff

Pros:

There's no limit to the number of contacts you can add to your database nor the amount of leads you can generate. They say "the sky's the limit".

Greatest feature offered by HubSpot is the real-time visibility into your pipeline. Every contact added gets assigned to a particular stage based upon the type of interaction they've had with you thus far. If you see a lead coming in on Stage 4, you can automatically start following up with them accordingly regardless of whether or not they requested your call.

One unique selling proposition offered by HubSpot is their Business Class Support Service. Their staff monitors your website 24 hours per day, seven days per week. If you ever experience technical difficulties, technical issues arise, or your site goes down unexpectedly, a member of their dedicated tech squad will reach out immediately to assess the situation and provide assistance until the problem is resolved.

Cons:

Not sure why, but HubSpot seems to be notorious for crashing frequently. My last experience involved getting logged out of several websites simultaneously and losing valuable client files. Not cool.

Limited customization options unless you shell out extra cash for premium upgrades.

Only three price points. More often than not you'll be stuck playing catch-up against competitors that offer greater flexibility.

All in all though, HubSpot is definitely the closest competitor to Salesforce.com. At least when it comes to ease of use, reliability, and overall performance.

Overall Scorecard: 9 / 10



Is mailchimp a free CRM?

Mail Chimp is an online newsletter management platform owned by AOL Inc. Like Zoho, MailChimp offers two types of subscriptions namely Lite and Pro. Both versions include identical functions except for certain limitations imposed by the Lite version. The first difference is that the Lite version limits the number of subscribers you can have whereas the Pro version caps the number of mailing lists you can create. Another notable difference is that the Pro version gives you the freedom to customize your landing pages whereas the Lite version forces you to use pre-built templates.

Lite Plans -- No Restrictions On Number Of Lists, Templates Used

Premium Plans -- No Limit On Numbers Of Subscribers, Customizable Landing Pages

Pros:

Unlimited numbers of subscriber records. Great for growing rapidly.

Create beautiful newsletters packed full of useful content. Very easy to design attractive layouts using HTML code.

Built-in autoresponder capability. Save time sending bulk emails to thousands of prospects.

Automatic spam filtering. Stop annoying recipients with countless unwanted emails cluttering up inboxes everywhere. Better yet, MailChimp intelligently filters out known junk words so you don't end up wasting precious bandwidth and server space delivering useless messages to non-subscribed clients. Also, unlike SpamCop, MailChimp takes proactive measures by scanning incoming mails for potential violations BEFORE they hit your servers.

Cons:

AOL owns MailChimp so it might feel a bit too restrictive especially if you're used to using other providers. You'll probably miss out on important features that come with other competing platforms.

Can't view reports directly inside the application. Instead, you must visit the report page located elsewhere on the Internet.

Harder to set up. Getting started involves downloading plugins, creating databases, configuring settings, integrating third-party applications, etc.

Unless you purchase one of the premium plans, you cannot export data or integrate with existing applications.

In summary, MailChimp is decent but lacks some crucial features that are included in competing solutions. Unless you absolutely require those missing features, I wouldn't recommend investing in MailChimp just yet. It still feels like a beta product.

Overall Scorecard: 6 / 10

Is HubSpot free Safe?

Absolutely! As mentioned above, HubSpot provides an extremely generous 14 week FREE trial period during which you can test drive the software for yourself. Once the trial ends however, you'll need to either sign up for the Starter plan or higher. These are some of the major advantages provided under both packages:

Starter Package -- Unlimited Contacts, Limited Reporting Options


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