Is the HubSpot Free CRM Really Free? What you need to know!
Discovering the right CRM for your business is crucial, and HubSpot offers a free CRM option. However, it’s important to understand its limitations and whether it aligns with your specific needs.
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The Power of Customer Relationship Management (CRM)
In today’s business landscape, customers and prospects are undoubtedly the most valuable assets. Efficient and informed communication with potential customers drives new sales, while staying informed about existing and past customers fosters repeat business.To effectively manage and nurture these relationships, businesses require a centralised place to store and update all customer-related information. This is where a CRM (customer relationship management) platform comes into play, serving as a database for managing customer relationships and becoming essential for businesses operating in the digital space.
Is the HubSpot CRM truly free?
Absolutely! However, it’s important to understand its limitations.
Let’s explore what you can expect with the HubSpot CRM’s free version. This robust option allows you to store up to a million contacts in your HubSpot database, providing ample space for your customer information. Additionally, there are no restrictions on the number of users who can access and utilise this data, fostering collaboration within your team.
With the totally free version of the HubSpot CRM, you can store up to a million contacts in your HubSpot database, and you have an unlimited number of users on your team that can access that data. You also gain access to some of the tools to manage your database.
Free HubSpot CRM features include:
- Content management
- The ability to store companies that are associated with your contacts
- The ability to store and track sales deals
- The ability to track contact website activity
- Gmail or Outlook integration
- Limited sales productivity tools (like email scheduling, tickets, and meeting scheduling)
- Access to email tracking, templates, and canned snippets
- Access to calling
- Access to third party integrations through the App Marketplace
- Forms to capture leads throughout your site
- Live chat and basic chatbots that can be embedded on your website
These features are a fantastic starting point for businesses embracing inbound marketing and sales, particularly for small or new ventures. However, it’s important to recognise that the free HubSpot CRM has its limitations.
What are the limitations of the free HubSpot CRM?
if your business is rapidly scaling or requires more advanced functionality, you may find that the free version falls short of your long-term needs. It’s crucial to consider these limitations and evaluate whether upgrading to a paid version would better support your growing business.
Here are the limitations of the free HubSpot CRM:
- Limited Time-Saving Tools: While the free HubSpot CRM offers great features, it does not include time-saving tools like marketing automation and email marketing, which are crucial for streamlining manual processes.
- Restricted Email Templates, Snippets, and Documents: With the free version, you have access to only five email templates, snippets, and documents. This limitation can hinder your ability to efficiently communicate with prospects and customers, especially when practicing assignment selling.
- One Meeting Scheduling Link: The free CRM restricts you to using only one meeting scheduling link. This limitation prevents customisation and embedding, making it challenging to personalise the scheduling experience or provide multiple sales reps with their own meeting links.
- No Access to Automated Features: Sales automation workflows, an essential tool for reducing manual actions and improving efficiency, are not available in the free version of the HubSpot CRM.
It’s important to consider these limitations when evaluating the suitability of the free HubSpot CRM for your business. While it provides a solid foundation, scaling up and running a full sales process and marketing operation may require the advanced features offered in the paid versions.
How long can you stay on the HubSpot Free CRM?
Simply put, if you can manage within the perimeters of the free CRM, you can stay on it forever.
Go Beyond Free Features: Trial the Full Version of CRM Solutions
When your business requirements exceed the limitations of free CRM features, it’s time to consider trialing the full version of CRM solutions. Unlock the complete range of features and functionalities with trial versions, allowing you to assess the software’s suitability for your specific needs.
Explore the following CRM solutions that offer trial versions encompassing all the features and capabilities of the software.
By trialing the full versions of these CRM solutions, you can evaluate their capabilities and assess how well they align with your business requirements.
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