Softwr

All industries · head to head

HubSpot vs Workday

HubSpot logo

HubSpot

All industries

Grow better with HubSpot

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
Workday logo

Workday

All industries

Enterprise cloud applications for finance and HR

From
On request
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; Workday high implementation costs equal to or exceeding annual software fees
  • They diverge on capability: HubSpot covers CRM, Workday covers Human capital management.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which HubSpot and Workday actually diverge.

Attributes where HubSpot and Workday differ
AttributeHubSpotWorkday
Starting priceFreeOn request
Pricing modelfreemiumquote
Free tierYesNo
PlatformsWeb, Mobile, CloudCloud/Web
Founded20062005

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

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
  • Social media
  • Gmail

Only in Workday

  • Human capital management
  • Financial management
  • Planning
  • Payroll
  • Time tracking
  • Talent management
  • Procurement
  • Microsoft

Both cover

  • Analytics
  • Slack
  • Salesforce
  • SOC2
  • ISO27001
  • 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 Workday
  • Organisations requiring integration with 2,000+ third-party applicationsnot Workday
  • Teams leveraging AI agents for prospecting, service automation, and data analysisnot Workday

Workday

  • HR managementnot HubSpot
  • Financial planningnot HubSpot
  • Workforce planningnot HubSpot
  • Compliancenot HubSpot
  • Analyticsnot 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

Workday

  • High implementation costs equal to or exceeding annual software fees
  • Long deployment timelines (12-18 months standard) before ROI
  • Steep per-employee pricing at enterprise scale ($408-504 PEPM)
  • Limited pre-built templates and customization; often requires extensive configuration
  • Requires significant IT and change management resources during implementation

Pricing, plan by plan

HubSpot

Free

No published plan breakdown. See the HubSpot review.

Workday

On request
  • Small Business$undefined/month
    • Core HR
    • Payroll
    • Time tracking
  • Medium Enterprise$undefined/month
    • Full HCM suite
    • Financial management
    • Advanced analytics
  • Large Enterprise$undefined/month
    • Complete platform
    • Custom configurations
    • Dedicated support

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 Workday if

  • You need human capital management.
  • You work on Cloud/Web.
  • You also want financial management.
Workday review

Questions people ask

Is HubSpot or Workday better?
Neither clearly leads. HubSpot starts at Free and Workday at On request, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, HubSpot or Workday?
HubSpot has a free tier; the other does not. Paid plans start at Free for HubSpot and On request for Workday.
Does HubSpot or Workday run on more platforms?
HubSpot runs on Web, Mobile, Cloud. Workday runs on Cloud/Web.
Can I use HubSpot for free?
Yes. HubSpot has a free tier, so you can try it without paying. Workday starts at On request.
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 Workday is typically brought in for.
What can HubSpot do that Workday cannot?
HubSpot covers CRM, Email marketing, Marketing automation, Sales pipeline. Workday covers Human capital management, Financial management, Planning, Payroll. Both handle Analytics, Slack, Salesforce, SOC2.

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

Workday: What is Workday GO and what market is it designed for?

Workday GO is a product designed for small and midsize organizations, bringing together HR and finance solutions with transparent pricing and fast activation in 30 to 60 days. It includes HCM, benefits, payroll, talent, and more at a lower price point than standard Workday.

Source
Workday: What is Workday Skills Cloud and how does it fit into HCM?

Workday Skills Cloud is an intelligent skills foundation built into Workday HCM. It is described as the world's most open intelligent skills foundation and fuels data-driven talent strategies across recruiting, learning, and workforce planning.

Source
Workday: Does Workday include payroll and benefits management?

Yes. Workday HCM includes benefits administration and payroll capabilities as part of its core suite. Global payroll processing is available across multiple countries and tax jurisdictions.

Source
Workday: What is the typical pricing model for Workday HCM?

Workday HCM uses per-employee (PEPM) annual subscription pricing. Companies at scale typically pay $34-42 PEPM. Enterprise organizations with 5,000+ employees typically pay $408-504 per employee annually. Pricing decreases with larger commitments and longer contract terms.

Source
Workday: How long does Workday implementation typically take?

Standard implementations are lengthy, often taking 12-18 months. Workday GO promises faster activation in 30-60 days. Implementation costs typically equal 100-150% of the first year's software subscription fees.

Source
ShareXLinkedInRedditWhatsAppEmail

Related pages

More on HubSpot

More on Workday

Keep looking

Other head to heads