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HubSpot vs Pleo

HubSpot logo

HubSpot

All industries

Grow better with HubSpot

From
Free
Rated
-
Pleo logo

Pleo

Accounting & Finance

Smart company cards for forward-thinking teams

From
£9.5/month
Rated
-

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; Pleo card delays and transaction limits impact usability, with limited regional acceptance in some areas
  • They diverge on capability: HubSpot covers CRM, Pleo covers Company cards.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which HubSpot and Pleo actually diverge.

Attributes where HubSpot and Pleo differ
AttributeHubSpotPleo
Starting priceFree£9.5/month
Pricing modelfreemiumUnknown
Free tierYesNo
PlatformsWeb, Mobile, CloudiOS, Android, Web
CategoryAll industriesAccounting & Finance
Founded20062015

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 Pleo

  • Company cards
  • Receipt capture
  • Expense categorization
  • Spend limits
  • Accounting sync
  • Xero
  • QuickBooks
  • Sage

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 Pleo
  • Organisations requiring integration with 2,000+ third-party applicationsnot Pleo
  • Teams leveraging AI agents for prospecting, service automation, and data analysisnot Pleo

Pleo

  • Employee expensesnot HubSpot
  • Spending autonomynot HubSpot
  • Expense automationnot 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

Pleo

  • Card delays and transaction limits impact usability, with limited regional acceptance in some areas
  • Receipt capture OCR inaccuracies and upload lag/glitches complicate expense categorization
  • Limited expense categories and tags reduce flexibility for complex accounting structures
  • Transaction approval workflows have minimal customization options
  • Lacks in-built forecasting tools and reporting is basic, providing limited insights into trends

Pricing, plan by plan

HubSpot

Free

No published plan breakdown. See the HubSpot review.

Pleo

£9.5/month
  • Starter$9.5/month
    • Company cards
    • Real-time expense tracking
    • Automated reports
  • Essential$39/month
    • Reimbursements
    • Mileage and per diem
    • Vendor cards
  • Advanced$89/month
    • Cashback
    • Budgets
    • Multi-entity management
  • Beyond$179/month
    • Spending insights
    • Sub-wallets
    • Dedicated success manager

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.

Choose Pleo if

  • You need company cards.
  • You work on iOS, Android, Web.
  • You also want receipt capture.

Questions people ask

Is HubSpot or Pleo better?
Neither clearly leads. HubSpot starts at Free and Pleo at £9.5/month, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, HubSpot or Pleo?
HubSpot has a free tier; the other does not. Paid plans start at Free for HubSpot and £9.5/month for Pleo.
Does HubSpot or Pleo run on more platforms?
HubSpot runs on Web, Mobile, Cloud. Pleo runs on iOS, Android, Web.
Can I use HubSpot for free?
Yes. HubSpot has a free tier, so you can try it without paying. Pleo starts at £9.5/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 Pleo is typically brought in for.
What can HubSpot do that Pleo cannot?
HubSpot covers CRM, Email marketing, Marketing automation, Sales pipeline. Pleo covers Company cards, Receipt capture, Expense categorization, Spend limits.

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

Pleo: What are Pleo's pricing tiers?

Pleo offers four pricing tiers: Starter (GBP 9.50/month), Essential (GBP 39.00/month), Advanced (GBP 89.00/month), and Beyond (GBP 179.00/month). Annual billing provides equivalent of two free months.

Source
Pleo: Does Pleo have a free tier?

No, Pleo does not offer a free tier or permanent free plan. All plans require payment with a free trial available for evaluation.

Source
Pleo: What integrations does Pleo support for accounting?

Pleo integrates directly with Xero and QuickBooks, plus Sage 200, Sage 50, Microsoft Dynamics 365 Business Central, Datev, and Visma e-conomic. Zapier integrations are also available.

Source
Pleo: What platforms can access Pleo?

Pleo is accessible via iOS and Android mobile apps, and through a web interface. Physical and virtual cards are issued for spending.

Source
Pleo: Does Pleo support multiple currencies?

Yes, Pleo supports multi-currency spending and transactions. The platform is particularly strong for European teams with local payment methods.

Source

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