Freshworks vs Hubspot: Which tool is better?

Imagine you're a marketing manager at a growing e-commerce company. So far with a limited customer base your team was able to handle multiple tasks. But, as your customer base expands, the team struggles to juggle multiple tasks, from lead generation and customer communication to sales tracking and performance analysis. As a manager, you should know that it is time to invest in a robust customer relationship management (CRM) tool that can centralize your efforts, streamline processes, and provide actionable insights.



The right CRM software can be the linchpin of success. It helps increase team efficiency by driving communication, informed decision-making, and ultimately, business growth. Among the multitude of CRM solutions available, two popular tools that caught our attention are Freshworks and HubSpot. Both offer comprehensive features to enhance customer engagement, but understanding their nuances is essential to make the right choice for your business. Therefore, by examining their offerings in-depth we will help our readers to make a well-informed decision that aligns with their business goals and paves the way for exceptional customer relationship management.

To begin our exploration, let's clear the air by emphasizing that Freshworks and HubSpot are distinct players in the realm of customer relationship management (CRM) and business solutions. Freshworks delves into CRM solutions with a focused approach, adeptly streamlining customer interactions and workflows. It excels in providing a seamless interface for efficient ticket management, customer support, and engagement. 

Conversely, HubSpot, renowned for its inbound marketing and sales prowess, presents a comprehensive suite of products tailored to various business facets, aptly referred to as "hubs." Among these are the marketing, CMS, operations, customer service, and sales hubs, embodying its all-encompassing approach.

In the following discussion, we'll compare Freshworks and HubSpot CRM. We'll look at the important features that are crucial when deciding on CRM software. This will help us understand how each one performs in these important areas.

While navigating through the intricacies of customer management and enhancing overall business efficiency, Freshworks and HubSpot are two prominent contenders. Both offer robust features, but their differences come to the forefront when we explore their customization and flexibility capabilities.



Freshworks empowers users with the ability to craft highly personalized pipelines, meticulously tailored to fit the unique sales stages and cycles of their business. It provides a hands-on approach to designing your sales processes, offering fine-grained control. HubSpot, on the other hand, takes a holistic approach to customization. It seamlessly integrates automation across various facets of your business, spanning sales, marketing, and customer service. This integrated approach aims to liberate teams from manual and repetitive tasks, streamlining operations on a broader scale.

Pricing is often a pivotal factor when choosing a CRM tool, and Freshworks and HubSpot have distinct approaches in this regard. HubSpot's free plan can be an enticing entry point for newcomers, making it an attractive option for those just starting out. However, as you delve into advanced sales and marketing features, you'll find that HubSpot's higher-tier pricing plans unlock a wealth of customization options. Meanwhile, Freshworks resonates particularly well with sales-focused teams. Its pricing structure aligns with the needs of businesses seeking to bolster their sales efforts.

The differentiation between these CRM tools extends beyond their feature sets. Freshworks boasts a user-friendly interface that fosters rapid adaptation, making it an ideal choice for newcomers who want to quickly harness its potential. HubSpot, while comprehensive and powerful, may have a steeper learning curve, especially for those exploring its intricate suite of capabilities.

Ultimately, the choice between Freshworks and HubSpot hinges on your business's specific requirements and how deeply you aim to integrate CRM into your operations. Whether you prioritize fine-tuned sales processes or seek a comprehensive CRM suite that covers marketing, sales, and customer service, your decision should align with your unique business objectives and growth strategies.

• Robust CRM functionality: Freshworks offers comprehensive CRM features, aiding lead management, customer insights, and sales optimization for improved business relationships.
• Unified platform: Freshworks provides a suite of integrated tools, streamlining customer support, sales, and marketing activities, enhancing team collaboration and efficiency.
• Automation and AI: Freshworks leverages automation and AI for tasks like ticket routing and chatbot interactions, reducing manual efforts and improving response times.
• Customization options: Freshworks allows tailoring of workflows, reports, and dashboards to match specific business needs, promoting adaptability and data-driven decisions.
• User-friendly interface: Freshworks boasts an intuitive interface, aiding quick adoption and minimal training for users of various technical backgrounds.

• Scaling costs: As business needs grow, subscription costs might increase, potentially impacting affordability for growing startups or small businesses.
• Integration limitations: While offering integrations, Freshworks' options might not cover all required tools, influencing seamless data exchange between systems.
• Complex setup: Initial configuration and setup might be intricate, requiring time and expertise, especially for organizations with limited IT resources.
• Learning curve: Some advanced features may have a learning curve for new users, impacting swift utilization and maximizing the platform's potential.
• Feature overload: Freshworks' extensive feature set might overwhelm users seeking a simpler solution, particularly small businesses with basic requirements.

• All-in-one marketing platform: HubSpot offers a comprehensive suite for inbound marketing, CRM, sales, and customer service, streamlining operations and fostering alignment.
• User-friendly interface: HubSpot's intuitive design facilitates quick adoption, enabling users of diverse technical backgrounds to efficiently navigate and utilize the platform.
• Automation and personalization: HubSpot's automation tools enable personalized interactions at scale, enhancing customer engagement and nurturing leads through tailored content.
• Data-driven insights: HubSpot's robust analytics provide valuable insights into marketing, sales, and customer behavior, aiding data-driven decision-making and optimization.
• Community and resources: HubSpot's vast community, educational resources, and support network empower users to learn, share knowledge, and troubleshoot effectively.

• Pricing complexity: HubSpot's pricing tiers and add-ons might be intricate, necessitating careful assessment to align with budget and feature requirements.
• Integration challenges: While offering integrations, HubSpot's options might not cover all needed tools, impacting seamless data exchange between systems.
• Learning curve: Some advanced features may require training, impacting immediate integration into existing workflows for users with limited technical expertise.
• Overwhelming for small businesses: HubSpot's extensive features might overwhelm smaller businesses seeking a simpler solution, potentially complicating operations.
• Customization limitations: Advanced customization might be limited, affecting businesses with unique processes or requirements that deviate from HubSpot's defaults.

When contrasting Freshworks and HubSpot, Freshworks distinguishes itself with its adaptable and user-friendly interface. Freshworks offers an intuitive platform, enabling easy engagement with customer management and support tasks. In contrast, HubSpot's interface can appear complex, especially for newcomers, due to its extensive array of features and choices, potentially overwhelming certain users.

Freshworks prioritizes user-friendliness, making it an attractive option for those valuing straightforward and accessible customer management. While Freshworks is lauded for its ease, HubSpot caters to users seeking advanced functionalities and extensive customization. HubSpot's feature-rich approach suits those seeking robust tools and deeper customization capabilities.

Comparing Freshworks and HubSpot's superiority depends on your business needs. HubSpot is famed for its all-encompassing marketing toolkit but comes with complexity and a learning curve. 

In contrast, Freshworks boasts an intuitive interface, ideal for smaller or mid-sized firms. Both platforms offer rich features; the optimal choice depends on your specifics. HubSpot suits larger enterprises seeking a wide array of tools like CRM, email, and automation. Freshworks is better for streamlined customer support and ticketing, benefiting startups. 

So, the decision hinges on your priorities—integrated solutions or targeted simplicity—aligning your choice with your distinct business goals.

Freshworks excels in customer support and relationship management solutions, particularly through its flagship product Freshdesk. It simplifies ticketing, multi-channel support, and automation for efficient query resolution. 

Freshworks's CRM tool, Freshsales, is also effective for managing customer interactions and sales pipelines. For instance, businesses can streamline customer inquiries, track support history, and personalize interactions. It's particularly beneficial for organizations prioritizing exceptional customer experiences and swift query resolutions. 

Freshworks' focus on support, along with its intuitive interface, makes it suitable for startups, SMBs, and larger enterprises seeking optimized customer relationship management.

While Freshworks excels in customer support and CRM, it may not fully replace HubSpot, especially for businesses heavily dependent on advanced inbound marketing tools. 

HubSpot's prowess encompasses marketing, sales, and service hubs, offering a comprehensive customer journey perspective. Both platforms have distinct strengths, catering to diverse business needs. Freshworks emphasizes customer interactions, whereas HubSpot's broad spectrum extends to comprehensive marketing strategies, sales, and service workflows. 

Your decision should align with your specific business priorities and which aspects, whether CRM-focused or comprehensive marketing, are more vital for your growth.

In terms of pricing, Freshworks typically provides budget-friendly plans compared to HubSpot. Its adaptable pricing model suits various business scales, particularly startups and SMBs. 

Nonetheless, it's crucial to assess costs relative to your business requirements and the benefits derived from each platform's capabilities. Consider how the pricing aligns with your company's financial plans and the extent to which the features offered by each platform contribute to your growth and efficiency goals.

While the software offers robust customer support and CRM solutions, alternatives to Freshworks like Salesforce, HubSpot, Zoho, Zendesk and monday.com have their unique strengths to help excel your relationships. 

However, Freshworks stands out with its user-friendly interface and affordability, making it an excellent choice for startups and small businesses focused on efficient customer interaction. Consider the balance between advanced features and ease of use when determining the ideal CRM for your specific needs.

HubSpot takes the spotlight with its user-friendly interface and intuitive design. HubSpot offers a streamlined and easily navigable platform, enabling seamless engagement with customer management and marketing tasks. Conversely, Freshworks' interface might seem more intricate, especially for newcomers, due to its extensive capabilities and options that may appear overwhelming to certain users.

HubSpot’s emphasis on user-friendliness attracts those valuing efficient and accessible customer management. While HubSpot garners praise for its ease, Freshworks caters to users in search of broader customization and advanced features. Freshworks' feature-rich approach appeals to businesses requiring deeper functionality and comprehensive customization, serving those seeking tailored solutions.

The answer lies in aligning with your distinct requirements. HubSpot boasts advanced inbound marketing tools and an extensive CRM suite, ideal for large enterprises with intricate marketing approaches. Conversely, Freshworks prioritizes efficient customer support and sales solutions, catering to businesses desiring a user-friendly, intuitive platform. 

While HubSpot suits extensive marketing strategies, Freshworks excels in streamlined customer interactions. Consider whether your emphasis is on comprehensive marketing or simplified customer management, ensuring your choice resonates with your specific operational needs and business objectives. It's about finding the right fit for your organization's unique goals and strategies.

HubSpot excels in executing inbound marketing strategies, nurturing leads, and adeptly handling customer relationships. Its cohesive ecosystem facilitates seamless interaction among marketing, sales, and service units, offering an all-encompassing perspective of the customer journey. 

Leveraging robust tools, HubSpot guides businesses to harmonize strategies, attracting, engaging, and satisfying customers holistically. Whether automating email campaigns or tracking interactions, HubSpot optimizes marketing efforts, streamlining customer interactions across departments. Its extensive capabilities resonate particularly with businesses seeking a unified approach to marketing, sales, and service functions, resulting in enhanced customer engagement and overall business growth.

HubSpot boasts strong marketing, sales, and CRM features, yet it may not entirely replace Freshworks, particularly for businesses emphasizing customer support. 

Freshworks excels in this realm with efficient customer service and ticketing systems. HubSpot's prowess extends to broader marketing strategies, while Freshworks offers streamlined support solutions. 

Consider whether your priority is comprehensive marketing or customer interaction, and evaluate which platform aligns better with your business needs. HubSpot is excellent for integrated marketing, whereas Freshworks specializes in enhancing customer relationships through efficient support, warranting a thoughtful choice based on your focus.

When comparing pricing, HubSpot generally falls on the higher end compared to Freshworks. This elevated cost for the range of plans and solutions available aligns with HubSpot's comprehensive features, making it an attractive choice for larger enterprises seeking robust inbound marketing tools and advanced CRM functionalities. 

While HubSpot's premium range delivers a wide array of capabilities, Freshworks offers affordability without compromising streamlined customer support and sales solutions, catering to diverse business scales and budgets. The decision between the two depends on your company's size, marketing emphasis, and budget considerations for optimal returns on investment.

Multiple commendable CRM options exist, yet HubSpot excels as a comprehensive inbound marketing solution. Integrating CRM, sales, and customer service, HubSpot streamlines processes. 

Tools like Marketo, Mailchimp, Monday.com, EngageBay or GetResponse may shine in specialized domains, such as email marketing, but HubSpot's all-inclusive system fosters seamless, unified marketing. While alternatives to HubSpot excel in specific niches, the platform's holistic approach enhances overall marketing strategies, catering to businesses seeking an encompassing platform to manage and nurture customer relationships. The choice hinges on prioritizing a comprehensive marketing approach or specific functionalities like email campaigns.

HubSpot surpasses Freshworks in lead scoring and segmentation with its advanced features. HubSpot enables assigning scores based on lead engagement and behavior, streamlining lead prioritization. Notably, its predictive lead scoring employs machine learning to identify promising leads through historical data and behavior analysis. 

In contrast, Freshworks also offers lead scoring and segmentation, but HubSpot's innovative approach and utilization of data-driven insights provide more sophisticated lead management. For businesses seeking a deeper understanding of lead potential and enhanced segmentation, HubSpot's capabilities provide a competitive advantage over Freshworks in optimizing conversion and sales strategies.

Freshworks boasts an array of tools for tailored customer engagement, giving it an advantage in delivering unique experiences. Offering shared data, customizable fields, and AI-driven interactions, Freshworks enables businesses to tailor interactions to individual needs, enhancing customer satisfaction. 

This comprehensive approach surpasses HubSpot, fostering deeper connections through personalization. For instance, Freshworks' AI chatbots analyze customer queries to provide relevant responses, elevating user experience. By embracing a wider spectrum of personalization features, Freshworks empowers businesses to cultivate stronger relationships and stand out in a competitive market, showcasing its superior commitment to delivering customized interactions.

Both Freshworks and HubSpot provide versatile third-party integration options, yet HubSpot takes the lead. Boasting a sprawling ecosystem encompassing over 1,000 apps and services spanning CRM, content management, customer service, and more, HubSpot offers unparalleled integration opportunities. This breadth empowers businesses to tailor their workflows to specific requirements. 

Freshworks, too, offers a commendable array of integrations; however, when measured against HubSpot's extensive suite, it does not match the same breadth. HubSpot's comprehensive integration landscape underscores its commitment to seamless connectivity and adaptability for businesses seeking enhanced efficiency and tailored solutions.

In the realm of user-friendliness, both Freshworks and HubSpot stand out, but Freshworks shines with exceptional ease-of-use. Freshworks boasts an intuitive interface, characterized by straightforward navigation and simple instructions. This design caters to SaaS newcomers and enthusiasts of minimalism. Its shorter learning curve accelerates team onboarding and productivity. 

On the other hand, while HubSpot remains user-friendly, its robust feature set might demand slightly more acclimatization time. In essence, Freshworks excels at providing a seamless and swift experience, making it a prime choice for those seeking effortless software interaction, especially for those new to the SaaS environment.

Freshworks stands out by providing an advanced omnichannel solution for customer service management. Unlike HubSpot, Freshworks integrates various communication channels like email, chat, and social media into a unified platform. This enables efficient interaction management, enhancing response times and overall effectiveness. 

With Freshworks, teams can seamlessly handle customer queries from different avenues within a single interface, streamlining workflows and ensuring a cohesive customer experience. While HubSpot also offers diverse communication channels, Freshworks' holistic approach offers a distinct advantage, particularly for businesses seeking to optimize their omnichannel customer support strategy.

Freshworks and HubSpot share robust automation features aimed at optimizing business processes. They facilitate automated lead scoring, qualification, follow-ups, as well as marketing and sales processes. These functionalities alleviate manual workload, enabling businesses to dedicate more resources to growth strategies. For instance, Freshworks' automated workflows efficiently manage customer interactions, while HubSpot's marketing automation streamlines campaign management. 

Although their approaches may differ slightly, both platforms empower users with time-saving tools to streamline operations and enhance efficiency. Whether it's nurturing leads or automating marketing tasks, Freshworks and HubSpot offer reliable automation options to support businesses in achieving their goals.

HubSpot holds an advantage over Freshworks when it comes to managing your sales pipelines effectively. Its user-friendly interface allows seamless customization of stages and milestones, simplifying deal progression. 

HubSpot's intuitive tool enhances sales tracking efficiency, providing a structured visual representation. This contrasts with Freshworks' approach, making HubSpot the preferred choice for sales process alignment. The ability to swiftly move deals through stages empowers sales teams, streamlining their workflow and optimizing conversion strategies. 

HubSpot's emphasis on intuitive sales pipeline management sets it apart from Freshworks in facilitating effective sales process visualization and execution.