Build vs HubSpot

All-in-one CRM, marketing, and sales platform — Should you build, vibe code, or buy?

Our Verdict
🛒 Buy
Mature ecosystem with extensive integrations. Building would take years.
Pricing
$0-$1200/mo
Founded
2006
HQ
Cambridge, MA
Vibe Time
8-12 weeks

What is HubSpot?

HubSpot is a all-in-one crm, marketing, and sales platform. The company is public (nyse: hubs). With 8,000+ employees, HubSpot serves teams looking for crm solutions.

Strengths & Weaknesses

Strengths

  • Free tier genuinely useful
  • Best-in-class onboarding
  • 1,500+ integrations
  • Unified platform
  • Strong mobile apps

Weaknesses

  • Pricing jumps at higher tiers
  • Per-seat costs add up
  • Some features locked
  • Limited customization on lower tiers

Who Should Use HubSpot?

Best For

Not Ideal For

Vibe Coding HubSpot

Using AI tools like Cursor and Claude, you can build a hubspot-like solution in 8-12 weeks for approximately $15k-40k.

What You Can Build

What's Harder to Replicate

Getting Started

Use this prompt with Cursor or Claude to scaffold your alternative:

Build a all-in-one crm, marketing, and sales platform with these core features:
- Contact management
- Deal pipeline
- Email integration

Tech stack: Next.js 14, TypeScript, Prisma, PostgreSQL, Tailwind, shadcn/ui
Include authentication, API routes, database schema, and a clean UI.

Open Source Alternatives

Before paying for HubSpot, consider these open source options:

Twenty ↗

Modern open-source CRM

Alternatives to HubSpot

Salesforce

Enterprise-grade, more complex

Pipedrive

Sales-focused, simpler

Zoho CRM

Budget-friendly

Freshsales

Modern UI, AI features

The Bottom Line

HubSpot is the right choice for most teams. The engineering effort to build an alternative would cost more than years of subscription fees. Focus your development resources on what makes your product unique.

Calculate Your Build vs Buy Costs →