What is the difference between HubSpot CRM and Folk?

HubSpot CRM is best for Small to mid-size businesses that want CRM + marketing in one platform, while Folk is best for Small teams and agencies managing relationships, not just sales pipelines. HubSpot CRM starts at Free and Folk starts at $20/user/mo.

Is HubSpot CRM or Folk cheaper?

HubSpot CRM starts at Free and is free. Folk starts at $20/user/mo with a free tier.

Is there a free alternative to Folk?

Both HubSpot CRM and Folk offer free tiers.

HubSpot CRM vs Folk

HubSpot CRM is Free CRM with marketing, sales, and service tools built in, while Folk is Lightweight CRM for relationship management with a spreadsheet-like interface. The biggest difference up front: HubSpot CRM is free, while Folk starts at $20/user/mo. HubSpot CRM is built for small to mid-size businesses that want crm + marketing in one platform, whereas Folk targets small teams and agencies managing relationships, not just sales pipelines.

At a glance

	HubSpot CRM	Folk
Best for	Small to mid-size businesses that want CRM + marketing in one platform	Small teams and agencies managing relationships, not just sales pipelines
Starting price	Free	$20/user/mo
Free tier	✓	✓
Open source	—	—
Free tier available	✓	✓
Open source	—	—
Automations	✓	—
Chrome Extension	—	✓
Contact Capture	—	✓
Contact Management	✓	—
Deal Pipelines	✓	—
Email Tracking	✓	—
Mail Merge	—	✓
Marketing Hub	✓	—
Pipelines	—	✓
Tags	—	✓

HubSpot CRM

Strengths

Generous free tier with real functionality
All-in-one: CRM, marketing, sales, service
Easy to set up and use
Excellent content and educational resources

Weaknesses

Paid tiers are very expensive
Can lock you into the HubSpot ecosystem
Advanced features require premium plans
Reporting limitations on free/starter plans

Try HubSpot CRM → Full review

Folk

Strengths

Spreadsheet-like simplicity
Works for any type of relationship, not just sales
Chrome extension for quick contact capture
Good email integration

Weaknesses

Limited pipeline and deal management
Less powerful automation than HubSpot
Smaller integration ecosystem
No free tier beyond trial

Try Folk → Full review

The bottom line

Pricing: HubSpot CRM is completely free, which makes it the obvious pick if budget is the top concern. Folk starts at $20/user/mo, but Free for up to 200 contacts. That cost buys you a more polished or feature-rich experience, so it comes down to whether the extras justify the spend.

Feature gaps: HubSpot CRM offers Automations, Contact Management and Deal Pipelines that Folk lacks. Folk brings Chrome Extension, Contact Capture and Mail Merge that HubSpot CRM does not have.

Team fit: HubSpot CRM is geared toward mid-size teams teams, while Folk is aimed at small teams teams. Pick the one that matches where your team is today and where it is headed — migrating tools later is always painful.

Where each tool shines: HubSpot CRM's biggest strengths are: generous free tier with real functionality. all-in-one: crm, marketing, sales, service. Folk's biggest strengths are: spreadsheet-like simplicity. works for any type of relationship, not just sales.

Watch out for: With HubSpot CRM, users commonly note that paid tiers are very expensive. With Folk, the main complaint is that limited pipeline and deal management.

Choose HubSpot CRM if...

You need a tool built for small to mid-size businesses that want crm + marketing in one platform
Budget is a hard constraint — HubSpot CRM is free, Folk is not
You specifically need Automations and Contact Management
You care about all-in-one: crm, marketing, sales, service
Your team size fits the mid-size teams profile HubSpot CRM is designed for

Choose Folk if...

You need a tool built for small teams and agencies managing relationships, not just sales pipelines
You specifically need Chrome Extension and Contact Capture
You care about works for any type of relationship, not just sales
Your team size fits the small teams profile Folk is designed for
The free tier works for you: free for up to 200 contacts