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CRM · head to head

HubSpot vs Plain

HubSpot logo

HubSpot

CRM

Grow better with HubSpot

From
Free
Free plan
Yes
Full reviewWebsite
Plain logo

Plain

Customer Support

AI support infrastructure built for B2B teams

From
$35/month
Free plan
No
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Only HubSpot has a free tier, so it costs nothing to try first.
  • Each has a real cost: HubSpot free tier limited to 2 users and 1,000 contacts; severely restricts growing teams; Plain foundation plan limited to 2,000 credits per month may be restrictive for high-volume teams
  • They diverge on capability: HubSpot covers CRM, Plain covers Multi-channel consolidation.
  • Prices and features above were last checked on 30 August 2026.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which HubSpot and Plain actually diverge.

Attributes where HubSpot and Plain differ
AttributeHubSpotPlain
Starting priceFree$35/month
Pricing modelsubscriptionTiered pricing per seat with credit system
Free tierYesNo
PlatformsWeb, Mobile, CloudWeb, API
CategoryCRMCustomer Support
Founded2006Unknown

Identical on both: user rating (Not yet rated).

What each one covers

Drawn from each product's published feature list. An absence here means we hold no record of it - not that the product lacks it.

Only in HubSpot

  • CRM
  • Email marketing
  • Marketing automation
  • Sales pipeline
  • Customer service
  • Content management
  • Analytics
  • Social media

Only in Plain

  • Multi-channel consolidation
  • AI agents
  • Workflow automation
  • Sidekick assistant
  • Insights engine
  • Linear and Jira integration
  • Help Center and Knowledge Base
  • API-first extensibility

What people use each for

The jobs each tool is most often brought in to do.

HubSpot

  • Marketing automation with email sending and lead generationnot Plain
  • CRM with deal pipeline managementnot Plain
  • Multi-user team collaborationnot Plain

Plain

  • Consolidating support from multiple channels into one inboxnot HubSpot
  • Automating support workflows with AI agentsnot HubSpot
  • Extracting insights and trends from customer conversationsnot HubSpot
  • Building custom support solutions with API accessnot HubSpot
  • Implementing AI-assisted customer support at scalenot HubSpot

Where each one falls short

Documented limitations, not opinions. Every one is a constraint you would hit in normal use.

HubSpot

  • Free tier limited to 2 users and 1,000 contacts; severely restricts growing teams
  • Many advanced features (automation workflows, custom objects, advanced reporting) gated to paid tiers
  • Starter plan at $7/month per seat scales quickly for larger teams (300+ users would cost significantly more)
  • Free tier removes credit card requirement but lacks most enterprise capabilities

Plain

  • Foundation plan limited to 2,000 credits per month may be restrictive for high-volume teams
  • Pricing increases significantly from Foundation to Horizon ($35 to $299 per month)
  • No published pricing for Frontier (custom) plan
  • Additional seat costs ($99 per seat) add up for larger teams
  • Credit-based system requires monitoring usage to avoid overages

Pricing, plan by plan

HubSpot

Free
  • FreeFree
    • Up to 2 users
    • Lead generation
    • Email sending
  • Starter$7/month
    • 500 HubSpot Credits
    • 1,000 marketing contacts
    • 5x contact tier limit email sends
  • Professional$800/month
    • 3 core seats included
    • 3,000 HubSpot Credits
    • 2,000 marketing contacts
  • Enterprise$3600/month
    • 5 core seats included
    • 5,000 HubSpot Credits
    • 10,000 marketing contacts

Plain

$35/month
  • Foundation$35/month
    • 2,000 credits per month
    • Slack and email channels
    • Ari AI agent
  • Horizon$299/month
    • 15,000 credits per month
    • All Foundation features
    • Microsoft Teams integration
  • Frontier$null/custom
    • Custom credit allowance
    • All Horizon features
    • Discord channels

Which should you pick?

Choose HubSpot if

  • You need crm.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You work on Web, Mobile, Cloud.
  • You also want email marketing.
HubSpot review

Choose Plain if

  • You need multi-channel consolidation.
  • You work on Web, API.
  • You also want ai agents.
Plain review

Questions people ask

Is HubSpot or Plain better?
Neither clearly leads. HubSpot starts at Free and Plain at $35/month, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, HubSpot or Plain?
HubSpot has a free tier; the other does not. Paid plans start at Free for HubSpot and $35/month for Plain.
Does HubSpot or Plain run on more platforms?
HubSpot runs on Web, Mobile, Cloud. Plain runs on Web, API.
Can I use HubSpot for free?
Yes. HubSpot has a free tier, so you can try it without paying. Plain starts at $35/month.
What is HubSpot best used for?
HubSpot is most often used for marketing automation with email sending and lead generation, crm with deal pipeline management, multi-user team collaboration. Of those, marketing automation with email sending and lead generation and crm with deal pipeline management are not what Plain is typically brought in for.
What can HubSpot do that Plain cannot?
HubSpot covers CRM, Email marketing, Marketing automation, Sales pipeline. Plain covers Multi-channel consolidation, AI agents, Workflow automation, Sidekick assistant.

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

HubSpot: How much does HubSpot Marketing Hub cost per user?

Free plan at $0/month for up to 2 users. Starter at $7/month per seat (annual), Professional at $800/month for 3 core seats with $45/month per additional seat, Enterprise at $3,600/month for 5 core seats with $75/month per additional seat.

Source
Plain: What is included in the Foundation plan?

The Foundation plan ($35/month per seat) includes 2,000 credits per month, support for Slack and email, Ari AI agent, Linear and Jira integrations, and Help Center access. Up to 5 seats are included.

Source
HubSpot: What are the onboarding costs for HubSpot Professional and Enterprise plans?

Professional plan requires a one-time onboarding fee of $3,000. Enterprise plan requires a one-time onboarding fee of $7,000.

Source
Plain: Can I use Plain with Microsoft Teams?

Yes, Microsoft Teams integration is available on the Horizon plan ($299/month) and higher.

Source
HubSpot: Is there a free plan for HubSpot Marketing Hub?

Yes, the free plan includes up to 2 users with lead generation, email sending, and success measurement capabilities at no cost with no credit card required.

Source
Plain: Is there a free trial for Plain?

Yes, Plain offers a 7-day free trial with no credit card required. You can also get 50% discount through their startup program.

Source
HubSpot: What is the cost of additional HubSpot Credits and marketing contacts?

HubSpot Credits cost $9 per 1,000 credits when purchased annually. Additional marketing contacts beyond plan limits can be purchased separately.

Source
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