HubSpot free vs a $9 CRM: which one a small business should pick
HubSpot's free CRM costs nothing and does a lot. A $9 CRM puts texts and Instagram in the same inbox as email and Facebook. Here is what each one includes, checked on HubSpot's pricing page, and when the free one is the better pick.
Published November 2, 2026 · 8 min read
HubSpot's free CRM is the default answer when a small business asks for a free CRM, and for good reason: it is genuinely free, it is generous, and it grows into a big platform. A $9 CRM like Ringvance Inbox is built around a narrower job: getting texts, email, Facebook and Instagram messages into one inbox next to your customer list. We make Ringvance, so read this with that in mind; every HubSpot fact below comes from HubSpot's own pricing page, checked in November 2026, and we say plainly when HubSpot is the better pick.
Side by side
| HubSpot free CRM | Ringvance Inbox | |
|---|---|---|
| Price | $0 for up to 2 users, no credit card, no time limit | $9 a month, plus usage. No free plan or trial; cancel anytime |
| Contacts | Up to 1,000 | Unlimited |
| Connects Gmail and Outlook; 1-to-1 email carries HubSpot branding | In the shared inbox; email sent from your account $1.50 per 1,000 emails | |
| Messenger integration: simple messages and quick replies | In the shared inbox | |
| Instagram messages | Not listed | In the shared inbox |
| Texting (SMS) | Not listed on the free or Starter plan | In the shared inbox, after you add a business number and pass carrier registration |
| Website live chat | Included, with HubSpot branding | Not in the Inbox plan |
| Marketing email | 2,000 sends a month, with HubSpot branding | Not in the Inbox plan |
| Next step up | Starter: $20 per seat a month list price (new-customer offer $7 yearly, $10 monthly) | Core: $97 a month, 14-day free trial |
When HubSpot free is the better pick
- Your customers mostly email you. HubSpot connects Gmail and Outlook for free. You do not need to pay for a multi-channel inbox you would not use.
- You want website live chat or marketing email. HubSpot's free tools include live chat and 2,000 marketing email sends a month (both with HubSpot branding). Neither is part of the Ringvance Inbox plan.
- You are two people with under 1,000 contacts. That fits inside the free plan with room to spare.
- You want zero monthly cost. Free is free. Ringvance Inbox is $9 a month before any usage.
When a $9 CRM is the better pick
- Customers text you and message you on Instagram. HubSpot's pricing page does not list texting or Instagram messages on the free or Starter plan. Ringvance Inbox puts both in the same inbox as email and Facebook.
- Your list is past 1,000 contacts. HubSpot free stops at 1,000; Ringvance Inbox has unlimited contacts.
- You want a simple, predictable bill. Ringvance has one $9 plan for the inbox, and usage is billed from a prepaid balance at published rates. HubSpot's Starter is $20 per seat at list price once the new-customer offer ends.
The real cost of the $9 side
$9 is the subscription, not the whole bill, so here is the rest. If you only use email, Facebook and Instagram, it is $9.00 a month plus email sent from your account at $1.50 per 1,000 emails. Texting needs a local business number ($2.50 per month), a one-time carrier registration ($22.50 for most small businesses) and a carrier campaign fee of $1.50 to $10.50 per month; approval usually takes a few days. Texts are then $0.015 per segment, sent or received. With a number and texting, an example month (100 minutes of incoming calls, 50 minutes outgoing, 300 text segments and 200 emails) comes to $22.05 to $31.05. Those are example volumes worked out from our published rates, not a real customer's bill. Full rates are on the pricing page.
Can you use both?
Yes, and some businesses will. Nothing stops you from keeping HubSpot free for marketing email or a website chat while customer texts and Instagram messages go to a separate inbox. The trade-off is two places to check. If one tool covers how your customers actually reach you, pick that one.