Attio vs HubSpot for an early-stage startup
Free plans, seat prices and the costs that arrive at your first hire, read on both pricing pages in September 2026.
Choose Attio when your founders want a flexible CRM they shape themselves and a free plan for three. Choose HubSpot when you'll run inbound marketing soon and want the cheapest paid seat at $7.
The short answer
- Attio's Free plan covers up to 3 seats and 50,000 records; Plus costs $35 and Pro $79 a user a month billed annually, per attio.com/pricing, checked September 2026.
- HubSpot Sales Hub is free for up to 2 users, then $7, $90 and $150 a seat a month billed annually, per hubspot.com/pricing/sales, checked September 2026.
- HubSpot adds one-time onboarding fees of $1,500 on Professional and $3,500 on Enterprise.
- Attio Pro includes unlimited seats and 1,000,000 records; Plus stops at 10 seats.
Attio vs HubSpot at a glance
Per user, per month, billed annually unless marked.
| Dimension | Attio | HubSpot Sales Hub |
|---|---|---|
| Free plan | Up to 3 seats, 50,000 records | Up to 2 users |
| Entry paid seat | $35 (Plus, up to 10 seats); $44 billed monthly | $7 (Starter); $20 billed monthly |
| Mid seat | $79 (Pro, unlimited seats); $99 billed monthly | $90 (Professional) + $1,500 onboarding; $100 billed monthly |
| Top tier | Enterprise, custom pricing | $150 (Enterprise) + $3,500 onboarding |
Figures checked on attio.com/pricing and hubspot.com/pricing/sales, September 2026.
What each one does well, and where it costs you
Attio
- A free plan for up to 3 seats fits a founding team
- Free migration from 40+ CRMs on paid plans, per Attio's help centre in September 2026
- The first paid seat is $35 against HubSpot Starter's $7
- Plus stops at 10 seats, so a growing team moves to Pro at $79 a seat
HubSpot
- A $7 Starter seat, with onboarding included, is the cheapest paid start of the two
- Marketing tools sit in the same platform once you add Marketing Hub
- Professional adds a $1,500 one-time onboarding fee, checked September 2026
- The free plan covers 2 users against Attio's 3
How to choose before your first sales hire
Picture your team in 12 months. If you'll still be founders selling to a short list, Attio's free plan and flexible records carry you a long way. If you'll have a marketer running content and forms, HubSpot keeps those leads in the same place as your deals.
Then price the jump. Attio's first paid step is $35 a seat. HubSpot's is $7, but the step after that is $90 plus a $1,500 fee. You'll feel that second step when you want automation and reports.
Want other angles? See Attio vs folk vs Pipedrive for lighter CRMs, or Attio vs Pipedrive if your team is pipeline-first.
Questions founders ask
- Is Attio or HubSpot better for an early-stage startup?
- Attio suits a founder-led startup that wants a flexible data model and a free plan for up to 3 seats. HubSpot suits a startup that plans to run inbound marketing soon and wants a $7 Starter seat, checked September 2026. Both let you start at $0, so try each with your real pipeline for a week.
- What does each free plan include?
- Attio's Free plan covers up to 3 seats and 50,000 records, per attio.com/pricing in September 2026. HubSpot's free Sales Hub plan covers up to 2 users, per hubspot.com/pricing/sales. A three-founder team fits Attio's free plan without paying for a seat.
- How much does each cost once you pay?
- Attio Plus is $35 a user a month billed annually for up to 10 seats, and Pro is $79 with unlimited seats. HubSpot Sales Hub Starter is $7 a seat, Professional is $90 plus a $1,500 onboarding fee, and Enterprise is $150 plus $3,500. Prices checked September 2026.
- Can I move from HubSpot to Attio later?
- Yes. Attio's Migrate button brings companies, people, deals, notes, tasks and files from 40+ CRMs including HubSpot, at no charge, on Plus, Pro and Enterprise, per Attio's help centre in September 2026. Export your HubSpot email templates separately, since they are marketing assets.
- Is there a startup CRM with unlimited seats from the first plan?
- Yes. SalesCrew Core costs $299 a month with unlimited seats, so hiring doesn't change the bill. Every action in the app is also an MCP tool, so Claude or ChatGPT can work the pipeline with you. Disclosure: SalesCrew is our product.