HubSpot vs Insightly: Which is The Best CRM in 2025?

by | Last updated May 30, 2025

Winner
Hubspot
8.5
  • Marketing
  • Content
  • Commerce
  • Automation
  • Reporting
  • Free plan available
  • Paid Plan Starts at $15/month
Runner Up
Insightly
7.0
  • Pipeline Management
  • Lead Tracking
  • Workflow Automation
  • Project Management
  • Insightly marketing
  • Free plan available
  • Paid Plans from $29/month
HubSpot vs Insightly

Picking the right CRM is tough, right?

You’re looking at HubSpot vs Insightly, and it feels like comparing apples to oranges. 

Imagine your sales team struggling with clunky software. 

Don’t stress! This article breaks down HubSpot vs Insightly in simple words. 

We’ll look at the key differences, pricing, and who each CRM is best for. 

Overview

We didn’t just read reviews.

Our team dove deep, testing both HubSpot and Insightly. 

We explored their features, tracked user experience, and analyzed real-world scenarios to provide a practical, hands-on comparison.

Hubspot

Want to learn more about how HubSpot can help your business grow?

8.5out of 10

Pricing: It has a free plan. The premium plan starts at $15/month.

Key Features:

  • Marketing Automation
  • Sales Pipelines
  • Service Hub
Insightly

Need a CRM that goes beyond sales with robust project management tools?

7out of 10

Pricing: It has a free plan. The premium plan starts at $29/month.

Key Features:

  • Project management
  • Multiple pipelines
  • Advanced contact management

What is HubSpot?

Okay, so HubSpot. Think of it as your all-in-one business toolbox.

It helps with sales, marketing, and customer service. Basically, it keeps everything organized.

You get a clear view of your customers.

Also, explore our favorite Hubspot alternatives…

Hubspot
Hubspot
8.5

Grow your business better. HubSpot’s powerful CRM platform gives you the tools you need to attract, engage, and delight customers.

Key Benefits

HubSpot shines with its all-in-one approach and robust free plan. Here’s what makes it stand out:

  • Free CRM: Yes, you read that right! HubSpot offers a completely free CRM with unlimited users and up to 1 million contacts.
  • Marketing Automation: Automate your marketing tasks, such as email campaigns and social media posting, to save time and boost efficiency.
  • Sales Pipeline Management: Visualize and track your sales process, making it easier to identify bottlenecks & close deals faster.
  • Extensive Integrations: Connect HubSpot with over 1,000 popular business tools to streamline your workflows.

Pricing

  • Free Tools: Free for up to two users.
  • Marketing Hub Starter: $15/seat/month.
  • Starter Customer Platform: $15/seat/month.
  • Marketing Hub Professional + three seats: $800/month, additional seats at $45/month.
image 23

Pros

  • Excellent training and support.
  • Packed with helpful features.
  • Free plan available for small businesses.
  • Excellent customer support.
  • There are tons of free resources

Cons

  • Can get expensive as you scale.
  • Some limitations on design customization.
  • Advanced features require higher-tier plans.
  • Free plan has HubSpot branding.

What is Insightly?

Insightly? It’s more than just a CRM. It blends CRM with project management.

Think of it as keeping your sales and projects in one spot.

It’s built for those who juggle many things.

Also, explore our favorite Insightly alternatives

Insightly
Insightly
7.0

Ready to streamline your business processes and build stronger relationships? Start your free trial of Insightly and see the difference!

Key Benefits

    • Boost Productivity: Improve project completion rates by 20%.
    • Increase Revenue: Track leads effectively and closes more deals.
    • Enhance Collaboration: Connect teams and improve communication.
    • Gain Valuable Insights: Get a deeper understanding of your customers.

Pricing

All the plans will be billed annually.

  • Plus: $29/user/month.
  • Professional: $49/user/month.
  • Enterprise: $99/user/month.
Insightly Pricing

Pros

  • Incredibly versatile platform.
  • Powerful automation features.
  • Excellent for agencies.
  • Integrates with popular business apps.
  • Integrates with many apps.

Cons

  • Email marketing features are limited.
  • Some features feel complex.
  • The mobile app is a separate add-on.
  • Steep learning curve for beginners.

Feature Comparison

Let’s dive into the core of Insightly vs HubSpot.

We’ll compare key features, showing where each CRM platform shines and where one might edge out the other.

1. User Interface and Ease of Use

  • HubSpot:
    • Generally considered more user-friendly, with a modern and intuitive design. Navigation is straightforward, making it easy for new users to adapt.
  • Insightly:
    • While functional, Insightly may feel less polished. The interface is somewhat dated, potentially requiring a steeper learning curve.
Hubspot automation

2. CRM Capabilities

  • HubSpot:
    • The HubSpot CRM excels in sales tracking, lead management, and customer interactions. It offers robust tools for pipeline management and deal tracking.
  • Insightly:
    • The Insightly CRM is strong in relationship linking, allowing you to connect contacts, organizations, and opportunities. It is very strong in project management connections.

3. Marketing Automation

  • HubSpot:
    • HubSpotoffers extensive marketing automation, including email campaigns, landing pages, and workflow automation. It’s a powerhouse for inbound marketing.
  • Insightly:
    • Insightly offers workflow automation, but its marketing tools are less comprehensive. It focuses more on sales and project-related automation.

4. Project Management

  • HubSpot:
    • While it has some project management capabilities, it’s not its primary focus. Tasks and basic project tracking are available.
  • Insightly:
    • Project management is a core strength of Insightly. It offers robust project tracking, task management, and milestone tracking, making it ideal for project-based businesses.

5. Reporting and Analytics

  • HubSpot:
    • Provides detailed reporting and analytics, allowing you to track key metrics and gain insights into sales and marketing performance.
  • Insightly:
    • It offers customizable dashboards and reports, but some users find the reporting features less intuitive than those of HubSpot.

6. Integrations

  • HubSpot:
    • It offers a vast library of integrations with popular business tools, making it easy to integrate with your existing software.
  • Insightly:
    • Provides integrations with key apps, but the selection is smaller compared to HubSpot.
Personal experience with Insightly

7. Customization

  • HubSpot:
    • Allows for extensive customization of workflows, pipelines, and reports.
  • Insightly:
    • Insightly and HubSpot both offer customization, but Insightly particularly excels with custom fields and relationship linking.

What to Look for When Choosing CRM Software?

  • Consider your team’s size and technical skills.
  • Match CRM features to your specific business needs.
  • Evaluate scalability for future growth.
  • Check for mobile accessibility and usability.
  • Ensure seamless integration with existing tools.
  • Assess customer support options and responsiveness.
  • Factor in the total cost of ownership, including training and implementation.
  • Look for security features and data privacy compliance.
  • Determine if the CRM offers industry-specific solutions.
  • Test the software with a free trial or demo before committing.

Final Verdict

So, which one wins? For most, HubSpot edges it out.

Why? It’s a powerful CRM with strong marketing automation platform features.

Plus, HubSpot offers a free plan, which is great for getting started.

It’s super user-friendly, and its reporting tools are top-notch.

Sure, Insightly is strong in project management.

Especially for small businesses, but HubSpot’s overall package is hard to beat. 

We spent hours comparing Insightly and HubSpot’s automation features and closed system integrations, which make it our choice.

More of Hubspot

We’ve explored several alternatives to Hubspot, each offering distinct strengths.

Here’s a brief comparison of Hubspot with these software solutions:

  • Hubspot vs Gohighlevel: GoHighLevel is primarily tailored for marketing agencies, offering an all-in-one platform for managing various digital marketing tasks, including appointment scheduling and social media. Hubspot, conversely, caters to businesses of all sizes, excelling in inbound marketing with a broader set of marketing, sales, and service tools.
  • Hubspot vs Pipedrive: Pipedrive is a sales-focused CRM known for its visual sales pipeline management and intuitive interface, which makes it ideal for tracking deals. Hubspot provides a more comprehensive, all-in-one platform that encompasses sales, marketing, and customer service.
  • Hubspot vs Keap: Keap (formerly Infusionsoft) specializes in CRM and marketing automation, particularly for small businesses looking to streamline sales processes and contact management. Hubspot offers a wider range of marketing, sales, and service features, often with more robust automation and reporting.
  • Hubspot vs ActiveCampaign: ActiveCampaign excels in email marketing and marketing automation, with advanced segmentation and conditional logic. However, Hubspot provides a more extensive all-in-one platform that encompasses lead generation, social media management, and a broader range of automation triggers and actions.
  • Hubspot vs Clickfunnels: ClickFunnels is dedicated to creating high-converting sales funnels, focusing on landing pages and sales processes. Hubspot, on the other hand, is a broader marketing and sales automation platform, offering comprehensive tools beyond just funnel building, including CRM, content management, and SEO.
  • Hubspot vs Folk: Folk is a simpler CRM solution that excels in straightforward contact management and organization. It is suitable for small teams that prioritize ease of use. Hubspot offers more robust contact management, detailed analytics, and a wider array of marketing and sales features, albeit with a steeper learning curve.
  • Hubspot vs Instantly: Instantly specializes in cold email outreach and lead generation automation. Hubspot provides a much broader suite of tools, including a full CRM, comprehensive email marketing with advanced design capabilities, social media integration, and more extensive automation workflows.
  • Hubspot vs ClickUp: ClickUp is primarily a project management tool with extensive customization and collaboration features. It allows users to manage tasks, documents, and goals. While it offers some CRM functionalities through custom fields, Hubspot is a dedicated CRM system designed to manage customer relationships and streamline sales processes comprehensively.
  • Hubspot vs Monday CRM: Monday.com is a work operating system focused on project management, collaboration, and workflow automation. In contrast, Hubspot is a fully integrated CRM offering deep sales, marketing, and customer service automation. It is designed to drive revenue and scale with businesses.
  • Hubspot vs Capsule CRM: Capsule CRM is a simpler, user-friendly contact manager and sales tracker, ideal for small businesses needing organized customer information and clear pipeline views. Hubspot offers a more robust, feature-rich CRM with advanced sales pipelines, comprehensive marketing automation, and extensive integrations.
  • Hubspot vs Freshsales CRM: Freshsales CRM is a sales-focused CRM emphasizing AI-powered lead scoring and sales automation for efficient deal management. Hubspot provides a more extensive all-in-one platform with robust marketing automation features integrated alongside sales and service tools, making it suitable for more complex sales cycles.
  • Hubspot vs Salesforce: Salesforce is a powerful, highly customizable enterprise-grade CRM with robust reporting and forecasting capabilities, ideal for large organizations with complex needs. Hubspot offers a more user-friendly interface and a well-rounded set of marketing and sales tools, particularly appealing to SMBs, with a more accessible pricing model.
  • Hubspot vs Zendesk: Zendesk is a specialized customer service and support platform, excelling in omnichannel support, ticketing, and advanced AI capabilities for issue resolution. Hubspot Service Hub offers integrated customer support tools as part of its broader CRM suite, providing seamless data flow between marketing, sales, and service teams, but with less emphasis on advanced AI than Zendesk.

More of Insightly

Here’s a brief comparison of Insightly with these software solutions:

  • Insightly vs Gohighlevel: Insightly combines CRM with project management, while GoHighLevel is a comprehensive platform for sales, marketing, and agency automation, offering broader tools for lead generation.
  • Insightly vs Pipedrive: Insightly focuses on CRM with integrated project management; Pipedrive specializes in visual sales pipeline management, often preferred by sales-centric teams.
  • Insightly vs Keap: Insightly offers a robust CRM with project tracking; Keap provides powerful marketing automation, email campaigns, and comprehensive sales features.
  • Insightly vs ActiveCampaign: Insightly merges CRM with project management capabilities; ActiveCampaign excels in advanced marketing automation, email sequencing, and lead scoring.
  • Insightly vs Clickfunnels: Insightly is a CRM with project management; ClickFunnels is primarily a sales funnel builder for creating landing pages and automating sales processes.
  • Insightly vs Folk: Insightly is a comprehensive CRM with project management capabilities; Folk is a more streamlined, collaborative contact management tool.
  • Insightly vs Instantly: Insightly offers a robust CRM and project management solution; Instantly focuses on automated cold email outreach and lead generation.
  • Insightly vs Clickup: Insightly integrates CRM and project management; ClickUp is a versatile work management platform that can be configured for CRM tasks.
  • Insightly vs Monday: Insightly combines CRM with project management; Monday CRM is a highly customizable work operating system, adaptable for various CRM needs.
  • Insightly vs Capsule CRM: Insightly is a more feature-rich CRM with project management, while Capsule CRM is a simpler, straightforward contact and sales opportunity tracker.
  • Insightly vs Freshsales: Insightly offers a robust CRM with project management; Freshsales CRM provides advanced sales automation, AI insights, and multichannel communication.
  • Insightly vs Salesforce: Insightly is a comprehensive CRM with integrated project management; Salesforce is an enterprise-grade, highly customizable, and expansive CRM solution.
  • Insightly vs Zendesk: Insightly is a CRM with project management features; Zendesk primarily focuses on customer support and service ticketing.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is HubSpot better for email marketing than Insightly?

Yes, HubSpot is generally considered superior for email marketing. Its marketing platform offers advanced features and better integration with its CRM. HubSpot’s marketing automation features are more robust, giving you more control over your campaigns.

Which CRM is easier to get up and running?

HubSpot is typically easier to set up and use. Its user-friendly interface and extensive resources make it simpler to learn. If your sales team needs a quick implementation, HubSpot is a better option.

Is Insightly good for sales automation?

While Insightly has sales automation capabilities, HubSpot excels in this area. HubSpot’s tools are more comprehensive, streamlining your sales process effectively. However, if your focus is project-based sales, Insightly may be a good choice.

When did HubSpot start focusing on CRM?

HubSpot started as a marketing automation platform and later moved into the CRM space. This history gives it a strong foundation in contact management and marketing integration, which is a key advantage.

Which CRM should I choose if I’m looking for a powerful CRM?

If you’re looking for a powerful all-in-one CRM, HubSpot is the better choice. Its comprehensive features, strong integrations, and robust marketing automation features make it a top contender. If your company is project-heavy and needs a CRM to match it, Insightly is a good choice.