Comparison
HubSpot, Salesforce and Microsoft Dynamics 365 are the CRM platforms most UK organisations shortlist. Each is strong, and each is the wrong choice for someone. This guide compares them on fit, cost and the effort it takes to run them well.
By Christopher Fagan, Managing Partner, PEF Consulting Partners
HubSpot suits marketing led and small to mid sized sales teams that want fast adoption and a platform that is easy to run. Salesforce suits larger or more complex sales and service operations that need deep configuration, a huge app ecosystem and room to scale. Dynamics 365 suits organisations invested in Microsoft 365, Teams and Azure, particularly where CRM must work closely with Business Central or Dynamics finance.
Per user per month, billed annually, excluding VAT. Prices change often, so check the current list before you budget.
| Platform | Entry | Mid tier | Upper tiers |
|---|---|---|---|
| Salesforce | Starter £20 | Pro Suite £80 | Core £156, Advanced £316, Max £440 |
| HubSpot Sales Hub | Free and Starter tiers | Professional about £81 per seat | Enterprise about £155 per seat |
| Dynamics 365 Sales | Professional £50.00 | Enterprise £80.70 | Premium £115.30 |
Salesforce introduced its Core, Advanced and Max editions in September 2026, so existing customers may still be on Enterprise or Unlimited. HubSpot also charges one off onboarding fees on Professional and Enterprise, indicatively around £1,310 and £3,050.
| Area | HubSpot | Salesforce | Dynamics 365 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Best for | Marketing led growth and fast adoption | Complex sales and service at scale | Microsoft centred organisations |
| Ease of use | Easiest to adopt and administer | Powerful but needs skilled administration | Familiar to Microsoft users; configuration needs specialists |
| Customisation | Good within the platform’s model | Very deep, with a large app marketplace | Deep, using the Power Platform |
| Marketing | Native and strong | Separate marketing products | Customer Insights for marketing |
| Finance integration | Through connectors | Through connectors and middleware | Native options with Business Central and Dynamics finance |
Related reading: CRM cost in the UK, ERP vs CRM, CRM implementation consultancy, Dynamics 365 pricing.
At entry and mid tiers HubSpot is often cheaper to run because it needs less administration. At scale, seat prices, onboarding and add ons narrow the gap, so compare five year cost for your user mix.
Salesforce is more configurable and scales to very complex operations. HubSpot is easier to adopt and run. Which is better depends on your complexity and the skills you have to run it.
It is a strong option, especially alongside Business Central or Dynamics finance, but test it against your processes like any other platform rather than choosing it by default.
From a few thousand pounds for a simple HubSpot onboarding to six figure programmes for complex Salesforce or Dynamics deployments with integrations.
We run independent CRM selections and can test all three against your processes before you commit to a platform or a partner.