HighLevel vs HubSpot Starter
The two price their products in opposite ways. HighLevel charges a flat monthly fee per agency account with unlimited contacts and users, plus usage. HubSpot charges per seat, and its marketing tiers are sized by marketing contacts.
Prices side by side
| HighLevel Starter | HighLevel Unlimited | HubSpot Marketing Hub Starter | HubSpot Marketing Hub Professional | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Listed price | $97/mo ($970/yr) | $297/mo ($2,970/yr) | "Starts at" $7/mo/seat; $20/mo/seat also shown, depending on billing term | "Starts at" $800–$890/mo depending on billing term |
| Users / seats | Unlimited | Unlimited | Per seat | Includes 3 core seats; more from $45/mo |
| Contacts | Unlimited | Unlimited | 1,000 marketing contacts | 2,000 marketing contacts |
| Client accounts | 3 sub-accounts | Unlimited sub-accounts | Not listed on the pricing page we checked | |
| One-time fees | None listed | None listed | None listed | $3,000 required Professional Onboarding |
| Usage billed separately | Phone, SMS, email, AI | Phone, SMS, email, AI (rebillable to clients) | See HubSpot's catalog; the page mentions HubSpot Credits (500 on Starter Customer Platform) | |
[HighLevel pricing page; checked 2026-10-25] [HubSpot Marketing Hub pricing; checked 2026-10-25] HubSpot's page shows two Starter figures next to its monthly/annual toggle without labelling each, so check which one applies to your billing term. HubSpot also has a free CRM for up to 2 users.
Where each one fits
HighLevel tends to fit when…
- You're an agency running marketing for several small businesses, each needing its own CRM, funnels, calendars, texting and phone. One plan covers them all.
- Your list is large but low value per contact (home services, local leads), so per-contact pricing would hurt.
- Texting and calling from the CRM is central to how you sell. LC Phone is built in. See usage costs.
- You want to resell the platform under your own brand (Agency Pro SaaS Mode).
HubSpot tends to fit when…
- You're one company with a sales team, and per-seat pricing for a handful of people is cheaper than $97+.
- You can start on the free CRM and grow into paid tiers.
- You want a widely used CRM that many hires already know, with a large integrations ecosystem.
A quick cost example
A 3-person team with 5,000 contacts: on HighLevel Starter the platform fee is $97/month regardless of contacts or users, plus usage. On HubSpot, Starter seat prices are low but Starter includes 1,000 marketing contacts and Professional 2,000, so a 5,000-contact marketing list means paying for a higher contact tier. Get the exact figure from HubSpot's pricing calculator before you decide; we don't estimate HubSpot's contact-tier add-ons here because they aren't on the page we checked.
Things to test in a trial
- Import a real sample of your contacts and check deduplication and custom fields.
- Rebuild your most important automation in both.
- Send a real SMS and email from each and check what arrives and what it cost.
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Facts last checked against official sources: