HubSpot vs Zendesk
Last updated: 2026-07-11
HubSpot and Zendesk both offer customer support, but from different angles. HubSpot's Service Hub is part of an all-in-one CRM platform — marketing, sales, and service in one. Zendesk is a dedicated support platform — ticketing, help centre, and SLA management built for support teams.
Feature Comparison
| Feature | popular HubSpot | best Zendesk |
|---|---|---|
| Price from | $0/mo (Free CRM) | $19/agent/mo |
| Free trial | Free CRM forever (limited features) | 14-day free trial |
| Best for | Growing businesses needing sales + marketing in one | Ticket-based customer support at scale |
| Free plan | Free CRM (1,000 contacts, basic features) | ✗ |
| Starting paid price | $20/mo (Starter), $890/mo (Professional) | — |
| CRM | Built-in (free tier available) | — |
| Email marketing | Marketing Hub | — |
| Marketing automation | Professional plan+ | — |
| Sales pipeline | ✓ | — |
| Live chat | Free tier available | ✓ |
| API access | ✓ | ✓ |
| Integrations | 1,500+ apps | 1,200+ apps |
| Support | Email + chat + phone (plan dependent) | Email + chat + phone |
| Starting price | — | $19/agent/mo (Support), $55/agent/mo (Suite Team) |
| Ticketing | — | ✓ |
| Phone support | — | Add-on / Suite |
| Help centre | — | ✓ |
| SLA management | — | ✓ |
HubSpot Pros & Cons
Pros
- Free CRM forever — contacts, deals, tasks, email tracking
- All-in-one platform — marketing, sales, service in one system
- Excellent onboarding and educational resources (HubSpot Academy)
- Strong automation capabilities on higher tiers
- Large integration ecosystem (1,500+ apps)
- Best-in-class inbound marketing tools
Cons
- Expensive at scale — Marketing Hub Professional starts at $890/mo
- Free CRM has limited contacts (1,000) and minimal automation
- Each hub (Marketing, Sales, Service) priced separately
- Onboarding fees for enterprise plans ($3,000+)
- Custom reporting requires expensive plans
Zendesk Pros & Cons
Pros
- Industry-standard ticketing system
- Unified inbox — email, chat, phone, social in one place
- Strong SLA management and reporting
- Large app marketplace (1,200+ apps)
- Good for scaling support teams
- Customisable help centre / knowledge base
Cons
- Expensive at scale — Suite Team $55/agent/mo, Professional $89/agent/mo
- No free plan (14-day trial only)
- Setup and customisation can be complex
- Voice add-ons are expensive
- Reporting features gated behind higher tiers
Final Verdict
If you want customer support integrated with your CRM and marketing, HubSpot Service Hub is the better choice — especially the free tier (ticketing, live chat, feedback). If you need a dedicated, best-in-class support platform with advanced ticketing, SLA management, and 1,200+ integrations, Zendesk is the industry standard.
Our pick: HubSpot (all-in-one) / Zendesk (dedicated support)
Frequently Asked Questions
Is HubSpot Service Hub really free?
HubSpot Service Hub has a free tier that includes ticketing, live chat, chatbots, email support, and feedback. It's limited in reporting and automation. Paid tiers start at $20/mo (Starter) and scale to $1,300/mo (Professional).
Which is better for large support teams: HubSpot or Zendesk?
Zendesk is better for large support teams (10+ agents). Its ticketing system, SLA management, escalation workflows, and reporting are more mature than HubSpot's. For small teams (1-5 agents) that also need CRM and marketing, HubSpot is more cost-effective.
Can Zendesk replace HubSpot?
No. Zendesk is a support tool only — it doesn't include CRM, marketing automation, or sales tools. If you use Zendesk, you'll need a separate CRM (like HubSpot or Salesforce). HubSpot is the all-in-one option.