Choosing the right CRM platform is a game-changer for businesses that want to grow. It’s about more than just managing contacts; it’s about streamlining your sales, marketing, and customer service efforts in one place. The right choice can boost your team’s productivity and improve customer relationships.
This article will compare two major CRM players: HubSpot vs Monday.com. We will explore their unique features, pricing models, and strengths. By the end, you will have the information you need to decide which platform is the best fit for your business’s needs in 2026.
What is HubSpot?
HubSpot is a comprehensive, all-in-one platform built to help businesses grow by managing their entire customer journey. It offers a wide range of free tools for marketing, sales, and customer service, all built on a centralized CRM. Its main strength is its deep integration and automation across all these functions.
The platform works as a complete ecosystem, with different “hubs” for marketing, sales, and service that are all connected to the core CRM. HubSpot’s free CRM is a great starting point for small businesses, while its paid plans offer advanced features like powerful marketing automation, AI-powered insights, and a scalable solution for growing companies.
What is Monday.com?
Monday.com is a highly flexible Work OS (Operating System) that can be customized for many different purposes, including CRM. Its strength is its visual, customizable, and user-friendly interface that makes it easy for teams to manage projects, tasks, and customer relationships in a single, collaborative workspace.
The platform functions with highly visual boards that you can change to fit your exact workflow. While its CRM features are not as deep as a dedicated CRM like HubSpot, it shines in its ability to combine CRM tasks with project management and team collaboration. It is a perfect solution for teams that need a tool for both their sales pipeline and day-to-day operations.
Conclusion: HubSpot vs Monday.com
The choice between HubSpot and Monday.com depends on what your business values most. If you need a complete, all-in-one marketing and sales platform with deep automation and robust reporting, HubSpot is the superior choice. If your team needs a highly flexible, visual tool to manage sales, projects, and collaboration in one central place, Monday.com is the better option for your business in 2026.
FAQs
- What is the main difference between HubSpot and Monday.com as a CRM?
HubSpot is a CRM-first platform designed for marketing and sales teams. Monday.com is a work management tool that can be adapted to function as a CRM, but it is less focused on marketing and sales automation. - Which platform is better for small businesses?
HubSpot’s free CRM is an excellent starting point for very small businesses and startups. However, Monday.com’s per-user pricing can be more affordable for small teams that need a paid plan with a few core features. - Does HubSpot have a free plan?
Yes, HubSpot offers a powerful free plan that includes its CRM, contact management, deal pipelines, and basic reporting. Many of its other “hubs” also have free versions with limited features. - Can I create marketing campaigns with Monday.com?
While you can track and manage marketing tasks with Monday.com, it does not have the built-in marketing automation and email marketing tools that HubSpot offers. You would need to integrate with other apps to get this functionality. - Which one is easier to customize?
Monday.com is known for its high level of customization. Its boards can be designed and changed to fit any workflow, and you can create your own automations. HubSpot also has customization, but it is more structured and less flexible. - Do both platforms support integrations with other apps?
Yes, both platforms have a wide range of integrations. HubSpot has a vast app marketplace with hundreds of integrations. Monday.com also has many popular integrations, with a focus on project and team collaboration tools. - Which is better for reporting and analytics?
HubSpot is generally better for reporting and analytics, especially for sales and marketing. It provides detailed, customizable dashboards and a wide range of reports to track a customer’s journey and campaign performance. - Can I manage customer service with these platforms?
HubSpot has a dedicated Service Hub with tools like a help desk, live chat, and a knowledge base. You can use Monday.com to track customer service tickets, but it is not as comprehensive as HubSpot’s purpose-built tools. - Do they have mobile apps?
Yes, both HubSpot and Monday.com have mobile apps for iOS and Android. These apps allow you to manage your CRM and projects on the go, ensuring you can stay connected to your team and customers from anywhere. - Is one better for sales teams and the other for project teams?
HubSpot is a stronger choice for sales and marketing teams that need to automate a lot of their work. Monday.com is better for teams that need to blend their sales pipeline with project management and other internal workflows.
