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HubSpot vs PlanetScale

HubSpot logo

HubSpot

Software

Grow better with HubSpot

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
PlanetScale logo

PlanetScale

Software

The MySQL-compatible serverless database

From
$15/month
Rated
-
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; PlanetScale eBS High Availability requires 3-node configuration with replication overhead
  • They diverge on capability: HubSpot covers CRM, PlanetScale covers Database Branching.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which HubSpot and PlanetScale actually diverge.

Attributes where HubSpot and PlanetScale differ
AttributeHubSpotPlanetScale
Starting priceFree$15/month
Pricing modelfreemiumsubscription
Free tierYesNo
PlatformsWeb, Mobile, CloudCloud-hosted (AWS, GCP, Azure)
Founded20062018

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

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 PlanetScale

  • Database Branching
  • Non-blocking Schema Changes
  • Insights
  • Horizontal Scaling
  • Connection Pooling
  • Query Caching
  • Automatic Backups
  • Global Replication

Both cover

  • SOC2
  • GDPR

What people use each for

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

HubSpot

  • Small businesses and startups using CRM, email marketing, sales pipeline, and customer service in single platformnot PlanetScale
  • Organisations requiring integration with 2,000+ third-party applicationsnot PlanetScale
  • Teams leveraging AI agents for prospecting, service automation, and data analysisnot PlanetScale

PlanetScale

  • MySQL database hosting with automatic failover and replicationnot HubSpot
  • Vitess-based sharding for horizontal scaling across large datasetsnot HubSpot
  • Cloud provider flexibility across AWS, GCP, Azure with 60+ regionsnot HubSpot
  • Cost-effective database clusters using ARM64 architecture optionsnot 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

PlanetScale

  • EBS High Availability requires 3-node configuration with replication overhead
  • EBS Non-HA single-node option lacks redundancy and automatic failover
  • Pricing varies by cloud provider and region, requiring queries for specific rates
  • ARM64 architecture only available on EBS tier, not Metal deployments

Pricing, plan by plan

HubSpot

Free

No published plan breakdown. See the HubSpot review.

PlanetScale

$15/month

No published plan breakdown. See the PlanetScale review.

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 PlanetScale if

  • You need database branching.
  • You work on Cloud-hosted (AWS, GCP, Azure).
  • You also want non-blocking schema changes.
PlanetScale review

Questions people ask

Is HubSpot or PlanetScale better?
Neither clearly leads. HubSpot starts at Free and PlanetScale at $15/month, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, HubSpot or PlanetScale?
HubSpot has a free tier; the other does not. Paid plans start at Free for HubSpot and $15/month for PlanetScale.
Does HubSpot or PlanetScale run on more platforms?
HubSpot runs on Web, Mobile, Cloud. PlanetScale runs on Cloud-hosted (AWS, GCP, Azure).
Can I use HubSpot for free?
Yes. HubSpot has a free tier, so you can try it without paying. PlanetScale starts at $15/month.
What is HubSpot best used for?
HubSpot is most often used for small businesses and startups using crm, email marketing, sales pipeline, and customer service in single platform, organisations requiring integration with 2,000+ third-party applications, teams leveraging ai agents for prospecting, service automation, and data analysis. Of those, small businesses and startups using crm, email marketing, sales pipeline, and customer service in single platform and organisations requiring integration with 2,000+ third-party applications are not what PlanetScale is typically brought in for.
What can HubSpot do that PlanetScale cannot?
HubSpot covers CRM, Email marketing, Marketing automation, Sales pipeline. PlanetScale covers Database Branching, Non-blocking Schema Changes, Insights, Horizontal Scaling. Both handle SOC2, GDPR.
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