We put HubSpot and Insightly to the test to evaluate the most critical features small businesses need in customer relationship management (CRM) software, such as lead management and sales pipeline monitoring. HubSpot is superior in terms of ease of use, extensiveness of features, and customer support. Insightly, however, has the upper hand when it comes to pricing for upgrades and more advanced project management functionalities.
When to use HubSpot or Insightly based on specific business needs:
- HubSpot: Great option for users who need a low-cost CRM software with essential lead generation and marketing tools.
- Insightly: Better choice for users with longer sales or support cycles who need a CRM with additional project management features.
If you are looking for a CRM that is easy to use like HubSpot, but includes more advanced functionality without requiring an expensive upgrade, it is worth noting that there are a number of affordable alternatives to both of these products you should also consider. You can check out other options by visiting our guide on the best simple CRM.
HubSpot vs Insightly at a Glance
 |  | |
Expert Score | 4.63 out of 5 stars | 2.75 out of 5 stars |
Free Plan | ✔ | ✔ |
Paid Plan Starting Price* | $45 per month starting with 2 paid users + $23 per additional paid user** | $29 per user, per month |
Ease of Use | Beginner-friendly | Beginner to intermediate |
Lead and Deal Management | ✔ | ✔ |
Customizable Sales Pipelines | ✔ | ✔ |
Project Management | N/A | ✔ |
Reporting and Analytics | ✔ | ✔ |
Customer Support | Live chat, email, and phone support | Email and phone support |
Integrations | 500+ integrations including Slack, Mailchimp, Salesforce, Unbounce, and Zapier | 250+ integrations including Google Workplace, Microsoft Office, and Slack |
*Based on annual subscription. Monthly pricing is also available at slightly higher rates.
**Paid plan subscribers have access to productivity tools, while unlimited free users can only access databases, view reports, and perform basic administrative tasks.
How We Evaluated HubSpot vs Insightly
In comparing Insightly and HubSpot, we looked into various areas that are most important to small business owners to help guide their decision on which software serves their needs best. In particular, we looked into pricing, ease of use, general features, customer service, and expert score.
Click the tabs below for more information on the criteria we used to evaluate each customer relationship management (CRM) system:
40% of Overall Score
We looked at the available pricing options vis-a-vis the pricing structure to see which is more friendly and flexible for small business owners. We also factored in the need to purchase add-ons, the availability of a free plan, and the option to choose between an annual or monthly contract to determine the best value for your money.
20% of Overall Score
We evaluated the overall set of CRM features, including reporting, analytics, sales pipeline customization, and forecasting. We also scored the two software based on the extensiveness of their third-party integrations.
15% of Overall Score
User-friendliness and intuitiveness are two of our key considerations when looking into a software’s level of ease of use. When evaluating Insightly vs HubSpot, we looked into the level of technical expertise required to set up and operate each system.
15% of Overall Score
Small business owners, especially those without an in-house technical team, need timely and uninterrupted support when using their CRM software. Hence, we looked into each platform to determine if always-on support is available via live chat, email, and phone.
10% of Overall Score
We checked out existing customer reviews on credible sites to evaluate the level of satisfaction current users have, as well as recurring issues and concerns that they’ve encountered. On top of this, we added our thoughts and expert opinion on key features, value for money, and popularity.
Let’s take a closer look at Insightly and HubSpot:
Most Affordable: Tie
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Starting Monthly Price (Annual Contract) | $45 per month starting with 2 paid users + $23 per additional paid user* | $29 per user, per month |
Starting Monthly Price (Month-to-Month Contract) | $50 per month starting with 2 paid users + $23 per additional paid user* | N/A |
Free Plan | Supports unlimited users | Limited to 2 users |
Credit Card Requirement for Free Trial | N/A | N/A |
*Paid plan subscribers have access to productivity tools, while unlimited free users can only access databases, view reports, and perform basic administrative tasks.
Both Insightly and HubSpot offer a free plan with limited capabilities. Insightly’s free plan includes contact, sales, and project management for a maximum of two users. HubSpot’s free plan includes contact and deal management, reporting, and Facebook messenger integration, as well as email and meeting scheduling. It also has an allocation for unlimited users and 1 million contacts.
In addition, the availability of a free trial isn’t shown on HubSpot’s pricing page; however, signing up for a free plan gives you the option to try HubSpot’s Professional plan for free for 14 days.
For users who need more robust tools, such as automation and analytics, subscribing to priced plans is recommended. Insightly offers three pricing plans starting at $29 per user, per month. Its mid-range and most popular plan costs $49 per user, per month, while its highest-priced plan can go as high as $99 per user, per month.
On the other hand, HubSpot offers three pricing plans that include a prepackaged number of users starting at $45 for two users. Its mid-range plan costs $450 for five users, while its most expensive plan costs $1,200 for 10 users.
HubSpot subscribers can opt to add paid seats for an additional cost and can also add as many free users as they want. However, a free seat’s access is mainly limited to administrative and basic features.
It also offers a Starter CRM Suite bundle on top of its base plan. For an additional $50 per month, users will have access to added marketing, sales, and customer service tools, such as email marketing, ad management, landing pages, and list segmentation.
Winner: Tie. Insightly’s simple pricing structure makes it a great choice for users wanting a paid subscription. Because of its uncomplicated pricing scheme, it’s also easier for teams to scale up to a higher-priced plan as their requirements expand. However, HubSpot’s free plan with unlimited users, 1 million contacts, and helpful features, such as lead management and reporting, makes it an equally great choice for users who need a free, but good CRM.
Most User-friendly: HubSpot
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Easy-to-use interface that new users can easily navigate. | User-friendly interface suited for beginner to more experienced users; has a more sophisticated-looking interface. |
HubSpot and Insightly are equally intuitive to use and are both easy to navigate. However, HubSpot’s presentation of data is easier to navigate, making it less intimidating to use—especially for novice users. Insightly’s interface, while clean and modern, displays a more sophisticated dashboard that is useful for more experienced users.
HubSpot offers a step-by-step guide to using its various functionalities. Upon creating a new account, users are prompted to read tutorial materials on using each function. Insightly doesn’t have this option and leaves users to explore its dashboard and various tabs on their own.
- Insightly: Recommended for beginner to intermediate users who prefer a more advanced and sophisticated presentation of their data.
- HubSpot: Best for beginners and small sales teams as it has a straightforward interface that makes toggling between various feature tabs easy.
Opportunity Management With Insightly
Insightly’s opportunity management details view
Adding an opportunity on Insightly is simple. Users click on the New Opportunity button and fill out needed information accordingly, such as opportunity name, client, industry, probability of winning, forecasted close date, and opportunity value. However, sales opportunities are laid out on a list format that only shows the specific stage for each opportunity, instead of a Kanban-type board that makes it easier for users to see all opportunities at one glance.
Opportunity Management With HubSpot
HubSpot’s opportunity management details view
Adding an opportunity or deal in HubSpot is easy: Click on the Create Deal button, and you are prompted to input essential information, such as deal name, stage, value, type, priority level, and client name. You can see all your deals in a single glance—with the sales value for each stage automatically calculated at the bottom of the page.
Winner: HubSpot is the clear winner when it comes to ease of navigation and intuitiveness. The dashboard and overall interface are straightforward, making it easy to learn and use.
If you’re looking for another alternative, check out our guide on the best simple CRM systems to see what’s best for you.
Most Extensive Capabilities: HubSpot
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Has more advanced features and niche functionalities—such as marketing and sales. It also offers 500+ third-party software integrations. | Offers all essential features and 250+ third-party software integrations. It also has robust project management features. |
HubSpot offers additional specialized features, including marketing tools, such as ads, emails, and landing pages. It also allows users to score leads and make sales forecasts. Insightly provides users with essential CRM functionalities, such as lead, deal, and opportunity management. It also lets users manage projects, customize sales pipelines, and schedule emails.
Insightly offers CRM integrations that allow users to connect to over 250+ third-party apps, including sales, marketing, and human resources. HubSpot, however, offers users a more comprehensive selection of integrations, letting them connect to over 500+ other systems that cover other CRM, ecommerce, lead generation, social, automation, sales, and analytics.
Winner: HubSpot is superior in this category because of its ability to offer specialized capabilities and extensive third-party integrations to extend your CRM tool’s functionalities.
Best in Reporting: HubSpot
| | |
Opportunity Reports | ✔ | ✔ |
Lead Reports | ✔ | ✔ |
Revenue Reports | ✔ | N/A |
Sales Representative Reports | ✔ | N/A |
Task Reports | ✔ (Reports are segmented by type of task) | ✔ |
Funnel Reports | ✔ | N/A |
Both HubSpot and Insightly have various types of reports, including opportunities, leads, and tasks. However, HubSpot provides intelligent reports that cover sales revenue, sales rep performance, and funnels.
HubSpot’s sales representative report provides visibility on the productivity level of the sales team
Winner: HubSpot is our pick as its available reporting templates are more useful in providing users with visibility on the various areas of their business.
Best Customer Support: HubSpot
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24/7 Support | ✔ | N/A |
Live Chat | ✔ | N/A |
Email Support | ✔ | ✔ |
Phone Support | ✔ | ✔ |
HubSpot offers round-the-clock support via live chat, email, and phone. In contrast, Insightly offers limited support options. While it has typical email and phone support, it doesn’t provide users with 24/7 assistance and is only available from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. Pacific Time. It also doesn’t offer a live chat option. Instead, users are encouraged to ask questions in its Community forum.
Winner: HubSpot is the clear winner because its technical support options are available in more channels and during all hours.
Best Alternatives to HubSpot & Insightly
Both HubSpot and Insightly are excellent CRM tools, but they are not your only choices. If you are looking for CRM software that offers specialized features to help with your specific business needs, coupled with third-party tools necessary to your sales process, explore other options.
Here are the best alternatives to HubSpot and Insightly:
- Pipedrive: Ideal for sales professionals and teams who need an easy-to-use CRM with visual sales pipeline tools.
- Zoho CRM: Best CRM for users and teams who need robust social media integrations.
- Freshsales: Great option for growing teams who are looking for a scalable CRM platform. It also offers a built-in phone system.
Interested in exploring more options? Read our guide to the best CRM software for small businesses and determine which option would work best for varying business use cases.
Bottom Line
Insightly and HubSpot are both excellent options for small businesses, but each has distinct features that make them suitable for specific needs. Insightly is more affordable and offers the essential elements needed in a CRM, including strong project management functionality. However, if you’re looking for a more robust but still user-friendly system that provides advanced features, HubSpot is the better choice.
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