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Competitive Battle Card: HubSpot

Quick Reference

Competitor: HubSpot
Primary Market: SMB to Mid-Market (20-500 employees)
Founded: 2006
Market Cap: ~$25B
Customers: 200,000+
Key Strength: All-in-one platform, marketing+sales+service
Key Weakness: Jack of all trades, expensive at scale

Positioning Strategy

When You Win

  • Pure sales focus: Don't need marketing/service tools
  • B2B complexity: Multi-threaded enterprise deals
  • Customization needs: Specific workflow requirements
  • Data security: Strict compliance requirements
  • Scaling concerns: Growing beyond HubSpot's sweet spot

When They Win

  • All-in-one need: Want marketing+sales+service
  • SMB simplicity: Under 50 employees
  • Marketing-led: Marketing drives sales process
  • Content focus: Inbound methodology believers
  • Budget constraints: Startup/bootstrap mentality

Head-to-Head Comparison

Criteria Us HubSpot Our Advantage
Sales Focus 100% sales-built Marketing-first heritage Purpose-built for complex B2B
Customization Unlimited flexibility Limited custom fields Adapt to your process
B2B Features Advanced B2B selling SMB/B2C focused Multi-threading, account maps
Scalability Enterprise-ready SMB ceiling Grow without switching
Security SOC 2, HIPAA, GDPR Basic compliance Enterprise-grade security
API Limits Generous/unlimited Restrictive quotas Better integrations
Pricing Scale Linear pricing Exponential at scale 50% cheaper at 100+ users
Support Dedicated CSM Tiered support Personal attention

HubSpot Pain Points to Exploit

1. Expensive at Scale

Customer Pain: "HubSpot gets really expensive as we grow" - Probe: "What's your per-user cost at your target headcount?" - Our Solution: Predictable, linear pricing model - Proof: 50% less expensive at 100+ users

2. Limited Customization

Customer Pain: "Can't customize HubSpot for our process" - Probe: "Where does HubSpot force you to change your workflow?" - Our Solution: Unlimited custom fields and workflows - Proof: [Customer] replicated their exact process

3. Marketing Bloat

Customer Pain: "Paying for features we don't use" - Probe: "What percentage is marketing vs. sales usage?" - Our Solution: Pure sales platform, no bloat - Proof: 100% of features are sales-focused

4. B2B Limitations

Customer Pain: "HubSpot doesn't handle complex B2B sales" - Probe: "How do you track multi-threaded deals?" - Our Solution: Built for enterprise B2B selling - Proof: Account mapping, stakeholder tracking

5. API Restrictions

Customer Pain: "Hit API limits constantly" - Probe: "Which integrations are affected by limits?" - Our Solution: Generous API limits, no throttling - Proof: 10x higher API limits included

Common Objections & Responses

"HubSpot has everything in one place"

Response Framework: - Acknowledge: "All-in-one sounds appealing..." - Challenge: "But are you using all of it effectively?" - Reality: "Most use 30% of HubSpot's features" - Alternative: "Best-in-breed tools integrated seamlessly"

"We use HubSpot for marketing too"

Response Framework: - Separate: "Keep HubSpot for marketing if it works" - Integrate: "We have native HubSpot integration" - Improve: "Give sales a tool built for them" - Proof: "[Customer] uses both successfully"

"HubSpot is easier to use"

Response Framework: - Agree: "HubSpot is simple for simple use cases" - Differentiate: "But you need more than simple" - Evidence: "Your team needs [specific feature]" - Support: "We make powerful feel easy"

"We're invested in the HubSpot ecosystem"

Response Framework: - Understand: "How deep is the investment?" - Evaluate: "What's the ROI on that investment?" - Option: "Gradual migration is possible" - Success: "[Customer] migrated in phases successfully"

Competitive Wins - Talk Track

Win Story 1: B2B SaaS Scale-Up

Situation: 150-person SaaS hitting HubSpot ceiling Challenge: $30K/month for features they didn't need Solution: Pure sales platform at 50% the cost Result: Better functionality at half the price Quote: "Finally, a CRM that understands B2B sales"

Win Story 2: Professional Services

Situation: 75-person firm with complex proposals Challenge: HubSpot couldn't handle their workflow Solution: Custom deal stages and approval flows Result: 40% faster proposal to close time Quote: "Built for businesses like ours"

Win Story 3: Manufacturing Distributor

Situation: 200-person sales team, multiple product lines Challenge: HubSpot's limits breaking integrations Solution: Unlimited API calls, deep ERP integration Result: Real-time inventory in CRM Quote: "The integration capabilities are game-changing"

Discovery Questions

Uncover HubSpot Pain

  1. "What's your all-in HubSpot cost per user?"
  2. "Which HubSpot hubs are you actually using?"
  3. "Where does HubSpot limit your sales process?"
  4. "How often do you hit API limits?"
  5. "What happens when you need something custom?"

Qualify the Opportunity

  1. "What's driving you to look beyond HubSpot?"
  2. "Are you using HubSpot for marketing too?"
  3. "What's your growth trajectory for next 2 years?"
  4. "What B2B sales capabilities do you need?"
  5. "How important is customization flexibility?"

Pricing & Negotiation

HubSpot Pricing Reality

  • Starter: $50/user/month (very limited)
  • Professional: $100/user/month (most common)
  • Enterprise: $150+/user/month (still limited)
  • Hidden Costs: Contact tiers, add-ons, API limits
  • True Cost at Scale: $200-300/user/month

Our Pricing Strategy

  • Simple Tiers: $75-150/user/month
  • All Features Included: No contact limits
  • Unlimited API: No throttling or extra costs
  • Position: "More capability, less complexity, lower cost"

Migration Strategy

Migration Messaging

"Keep HubSpot for marketing, upgrade sales to a real sales platform"

Migration Approaches

  1. Full Migration: Complete move in 3 weeks
  2. Sales-Only: Keep marketing in HubSpot
  3. Phased: Start with one team, expand
  4. Hybrid: Sync both systems during transition

Migration Incentives

  • HubSpot data migration included
  • Integration maintenance for 6 months
  • Contract overlap coverage
  • Dedicated migration specialist

Trap-Setting Questions

Feature Traps

  • "How do you handle approval workflows?" (Limited)
  • "Can you create custom calculation fields?" (No)
  • "How do you manage channel partners?" (Can't)

Scale Traps

  • "What happens at 500 contacts?" (Price jumps)
  • "How many custom fields can you create?" (Limited)
  • "What's your plan at 100+ users?" (Expensive)

B2B Traps

  • "How do you track buying committees?" (Poorly)
  • "Can you do account-based selling?" (Not really)
  • "How's the Salesforce integration?" (Weak)

Key Differentiators to Emphasize

Sales Specialization

  • Built by salespeople for salespeople
  • Every feature optimized for B2B sales
  • No marketing distractions

Enterprise Capability

  • Unlimited customization
  • Advanced security and compliance
  • True scalability without limits

Superior Economics

  • 50% lower cost at scale
  • No hidden fees or limits
  • Predictable, transparent pricing

B2B Excellence

  • Account hierarchy and mapping
  • Opportunity team selling
  • Complex approval workflows

HubSpot Weaknesses to Exploit

Technical Limitations

  • API rate limits (40,000/day)
  • Custom field restrictions
  • Workflow limitations
  • Poor enterprise integration

Pricing Gotchas

  • Contact tier pricing
  • Add-on proliferation
  • Exponential scaling costs
  • Feature gatekeeping

B2B Gaps

  • No true account management
  • Weak territory management
  • Limited partner/channel features
  • Poor complex deal support

Competitive Intelligence

Recent HubSpot Changes

  • Pushing Operations Hub (more cost)
  • Limiting free tier features
  • Forcing Hub bundling
  • Acquiring competitors (PieSync)

Market Perception

  • Great for SMB marketing
  • Expensive for pure sales teams
  • Limited for complex B2B
  • Vendor lock-in concerns growing

When to Walk Away

Strong HubSpot Fits

  • Under 20 employees
  • Marketing-led growth
  • B2C or simple B2B
  • Inbound methodology devotees
  • Need website CMS

Battleground Scenarios

Scenario 1: "We're evaluating HubSpot too"

  • Lead with B2B capabilities
  • Emphasize customization
  • Show scaling costs
  • Provide migration path

Scenario 2: "Replacing HubSpot"

  • Understand why they're leaving
  • Amplify their pain points
  • Show superior alternative
  • Make migration easy

Scenario 3: "Keeping HubSpot for marketing"

  • Support hybrid approach
  • Show integration capability
  • Focus on sales superiority
  • Gradual migration plan

Last Updated: 2024 Q1
Win Rate vs. HubSpot: 58%
Most Common Win Scenario: Scaling B2B companies
Review Cycle: Quarterly