BASIC vs HubSpot
Free to start, expensive to grow — or a flat £3/user/month from day one.
HubSpot is one of the most popular CRM platforms in the world, and for good reason. Their free CRM tier is genuinely useful and has helped millions of businesses get started with contact management and basic sales tools without paying a penny.
The challenge comes when you need to grow. HubSpot's pricing escalates quickly once you need features like custom reporting, workflow automation, or more than a handful of users. The jump from free to paid tiers can be dramatic — Starter begins at $20/month but Professional starts at $500/month for Marketing Hub, and Enterprise costs thousands.
BASIC offers a different model: one flat price of £3/user/month, everything included. No free tier with limitations, but no sticker shock either. You know exactly what you're paying from day one, and every user gets full access to every feature.
Feature comparison
| Feature | BASIC | HubSpot |
|---|---|---|
| CRM | ||
| Deal pipeline | ||
| Email marketing | Yes — Marketing Hub | |
| Project management | Built-in | Limited (tasks only) |
| Field service | Built-in | |
| Invoicing | Built-in | Commerce Hub (paid) |
| API access | Included | Included (rate limits vary by tier) |
| Pricing transparency | £3/user/month — one plan | Free tier, then $20–$3,600+/month across Hubs |
| Contact limits | Unlimited | Tier-dependent (marketing contacts cost extra) |
| Custom fields | ||
| Reporting | Built-in dashboards & CSV export | Basic in free tier, advanced in paid tiers |
| Mobile access |
Pricing comparison
£3/user/month — everything included. Unlimited contacts, full API access, all features. No tiers, no surprises.
Free CRM tier with limitations. Starter from $20/month. Professional from $500/month (Marketing Hub). Enterprise from $1,200+/month. Costs increase with contacts and add-ons.
Cost at scale
BASIC is £3/user/month — always. Here's what that looks like as your team grows compared to HubSpot.
| Team size | BASIC / month | HubSpot / month | You save |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 user | £3 | $0 (free) | HubSpot free — but limited |
| 5 users | £15 | $90 | £900/yr |
| 10 users | £30 | $500+ | £5,640+/yr |
| 25 users | £75 | $1,000+ | £11,100+/yr |
| 50 users | £150 | $2,500+ | £28,200+/yr |
| 100 users | £300 | $5,000+ | £56,400+/yr |
A 10-person team on BASIC costs just £30/month.
That's £360/year for full CRM, project management, field service, and invoicing. No per-feature charges. No tier upgrades. No surprise invoices.
£3/user/month — forever.
£0
Setup fees
£0
Training costs
£0
Consultant fees
Enterprise software often costs 5–20x its sticker price once you factor in implementation consultants, training programmes, admin hires, and ongoing customisation. BASIC has none of that. Sign up and start working in minutes.
Pros & cons
BASIC
Strengths
- Completely transparent pricing — £3/user/month
- Unlimited contacts included
- CRM, projects, field service, and invoicing in one tool
- No feature gating across tiers
- No contracts or annual commitments
- Simple setup with no learning curve
Limitations
- No email marketing features
- No free tier available
- Smaller ecosystem of integrations
- No built-in workflow automation
HubSpot
Strengths
- Generous free CRM tier to get started
- Powerful marketing automation tools
- Excellent email marketing and landing pages
- Large integration marketplace
- Strong brand recognition and community
Limitations
- Pricing escalates dramatically as you grow
- Marketing contacts pricing adds unexpected costs
- Many features locked behind expensive tiers
- Can be complex to navigate across multiple Hubs
- Annual contracts required on some plans
The verdict
HubSpot is an excellent choice if email marketing and marketing automation are central to your business. Their free CRM is a great starting point, and their marketing tools are best-in-class. If you're a marketing-led business with the budget for Professional or Enterprise tiers, HubSpot delivers real value.
However, if you're a small team that needs a straightforward business platform — CRM, project management, field service, and invoicing — without worrying about which Hub to buy or how many marketing contacts you can afford, BASIC keeps things simple. One price, all features, no surprises.
The decision often comes down to this: do you need advanced marketing automation, or do you need an all-in-one business tool at a price that stays the same as your team grows?
Ready to try the simpler alternative to HubSpot?
Try BASIC free — no credit card required. £3/user/month when you're ready.