Last month, I sat across from Sarah (a marketing agency owner) running a tight 7-person team. She slid her laptop toward me and showed her HubSpot renewal invoice which is $14,280 for the year.
“I started at $20 a month,” she said, looking genuinely confused. “How did we get here?”
That moment stuck with me. Because Sarah’s story isn’t unique , it’s the pattern I’ve seen with dozens of agencies I’ve worked with over the past three years.
Here’s what I found after testing both platforms extensively: GoHighLevel costs $97-$497/month flat , it also includes a 14 days free trial . HubSpot starts with a free tier but costs can scale into the thousands per month depending on contact count, hubs used and seats . For most agencies managing 3+ clients, switching to GoHighLevel saves $6,000-$18,000 annually.
I’m going to show you the real numbers , no marketing fluff , so you can decide which platform actually saves you money in 2026.
Why These Pricing Models Are Completely Different
Let me tell you what nobody explains upfront:
These platforms price things in completely opposite ways. And understanding this difference is crucial before you commit to choose one.
GoHighLevel’s Flat-Rate Promise
When I signed up for GoHighLevel in early 2024, I paid $297/month. I had 500 contacts. Six months later? I had 8,000 contacts. My bill? Still $297/month.
That’s the model: you pay for platform access, not your growth. Whether you have 100 contacts or 100,000, your base cost doesn’t change. It’s like paying a gym membership , you don’t pay more just because you go more often.
This predictability is huge for budgeting. I know exactly what I’m paying next month, next quarter, next year. No surprises. No “your bill just doubled because you got 1,000 new leads.”
HubSpot’s Growth Tax
HubSpot works differently and this is where things get tricky. I watched my test account cost escalate like this:
- Month 1: $0 (Free CRM, 800 contacts)
- Month 7: $890/month (hit 2,000 contacts, needed automation)
- Month 14: $1,621/month (grew to 5,000 contacts)
See the pattern? As your contact list, seats and feature needs grow . HubSpot costs typically increase. It’s a brilliant business for HubSpot but brutal for your budget.
What GoHighLevel Actually Costs (The Complete Truth)
I’ve been using GoHighLevel for 18 months across multiple client accounts. Here’s every penny you’ll spend , nothing hidden.
The Base Plans
Starter ($97/month): I started here when I had 2 coaching clients. You get unlimited contacts, email/SMS marketing, funnels, CRM and calendars. Perfect if you’re solo with 1-3 clients.
Honestly? I was shocked at how much you get at this price point. I’d been paying $180/month just for ActiveCampaign with fewer features.
Unlimited ($297/month): This is where I live now with 8 active clients. You get everything above, plus unlimited sub-accounts and white-labeling (huge for agencies).
SaaS Pro ($497/month): For agencies reselling software under their own brand. I tested this for 3 months , it’s overkill unless you’re managing 20+ clients or building a full software company.
GoHighLevel does not offer a free-forever plan; only a limited trial.
The Variable Costs (Usage-Based Costs (SMS, Email, Calls)
These are not tier-based penalties, but pass-through usage costs tied to Twilio and email providers.
Here’s what surprised me initially and what I actually spend monthly:
| Service | My Usage | Monthly Cost |
| SMS messages | 3,500 texts | $28 |
| Email sending | 25,000 emails | $17 |
| Phone numbers | 5 tracking numbers | $6 |
| Outbound calls | ~200 minutes | $3 |
| Total Variables | ~$54/month |
So my real monthly cost? $297 + $54 = $351. That’s with active campaigns running for 8 clients.
Here’s the thing about these variable costs: they’re actually variable. In slower months, I’ve spent as little as $30. In busy launch months, I’ve hit $120. But even at $120, I’m nowhere near HubSpot’s base pricing.
What HubSpot Actually Costs (Where It Gets Expensive)
I ran a HubSpot account for 11 months to test this thoroughly. The sticker shock is real and it comes in waves.
The “Free Forever” Tier
HubSpot Free is legitimately useful , I’ll give them that. You get basic CRM, email tracking, meeting scheduler, and forms.
I used it for my first 4 months in business, and it worked. But here’s the catch: I outgrew it fast. No automation, no sequences, no custom reporting. The moment I needed to set up a simple email sequence? Upgrade required.
For real business operations where you need things to run automatically while you sleep? You’ll need to upgrade.
If you’re curious about where software tools are heading next, read our Emergent AI Review: Is ‘Vibe Coding’ the Future or Just Hype?
Where Costs Explode: Professional Tier
This is where I got burned. Marketing Hub Professional starts at $890/month for 2,000 contacts.
Pricing shown reflects typical monthly costs reported by users and public pricing examples; exact pricing varies by contract, billing term, seats, and region.
But watch what happens as you grow:
| Contact Count | Monthly Cost |
| 2,000 contacts | $890 |
| 5,000 contacts | $1,171 |
| 10,000 contacts | $2,015 |
| 25,000 contacts | $4,265 |
That’s just the Marketing Hub. Need a Sales Hub? Add $450/month. Service Hub? Another $450.
The Mandatory Onboarding Fee Nobody Mentions
Here’s what they don’t advertise upfront: when you upgrade to Professional, HubSpot charges a $1,500-$3,000 one-time onboarding fee. Non-negotiable. I paid $2,200.
Commonly required for Professional and Enterprise plans, though exact onboarding terms depend on contract negotiation.
What do you get for that money? A few training calls and basic setup help. Nothing you couldn’t figure out yourself with YouTube tutorials, honestly. But they’ve structured it so you can’t access Professional features without paying.
The Real Head-to-Head Comparison
Let me show you what I calculated for different business sizes based on my actual testing:
| Business Type | GoHighLevel | HubSpot | Annual Savings |
| Solo (500 contacts) | $106/mo | $0 (Free) | -$1,272 ❌ |
| Small (2,000 contacts) | $297/mo | $890/mo | $7,116 ✅ |
| Medium (5,000 contacts) | $350/mo | $1,621/mo | $15,252 ✅ |
| Agency (10,000 contacts) | $450/mo | $2,915/mo | $29,580 ✅ |
Savings estimates assume equivalent functionality across platforms and exclude optional HubSpot discounts or negotiated contracts.
My personal case: Running an agency with 8,000 contacts, I’m saving $22,680/year with GoHighLevel versus what I was paying HubSpot.
The Tools You Stop Paying For
This is where the savings get even crazier. GoHighLevel replaced 7 separate tools I was paying for:
| Tool I Cancelled | Previous Cost | GoHighLevel Replacement |
| ClickFunnels | $147/mo | Built-in funnel builder ✅ |
| Calendly | $16/mo | Booking calendar ✅ |
| ActiveCampaign | $49/mo | Email automation ✅ |
| Twilio | $50/mo | SMS (pay-per-use) ✅ |
| Zapier | $49/mo | Native automations ✅ |
| WordPress hosting | $30/mo | Website builder ✅ |
| CallRail | $45/mo | Call tracking ✅ |
| TOTAL | $386/mo | $0 extra |
That’s $4,632/year. I’m not spending anymore on separate tools.
The consolidation alone would’ve made it worth switching. But the fact that I also save on the base CRM cost? That’s what made this a no-brainer.
When HubSpot Actually Makes Sense (Being Honest)
Look, I’m not here to bash HubSpot. After testing both extensively, there are legitimate scenarios where it wins:
1. You’re Just Starting (Under 1,000 Contacts)
HubSpot Free is genuinely useful. Free beats $97/month if you’re bootstrapping and every dollar counts.
I actually recommend HubSpot Free to friends just starting out. Get to 1,000 contacts, validate your business model, then reassess.
2. You’re Already Deep in HubSpot
If you’ve invested $10,000+ in setup and your team is fully trained? The switching cost might not be worth it.
I consulted with one agency that decided to stay with HubSpot—they had 50+ custom integrations, custom reporting dashboards, and a team of 15 people trained on the platform. For them, switching would’ve cost $25,000+ in lost productivity and retraining.
3. You Need Enterprise-Level Reporting
HubSpot’s analytics are objectively better. Multi-touch attribution, custom objects, advanced dashboards, revenue reporting across multiple touchpoints.
If you’re a 50+ person company with complex reporting needs and multiple stakeholders needing different dashboard views, HubSpot’s Enterprise tier pulls ahead.
But for the 75% of agencies and service businesses I’ve worked with? GoHighLevel saves significant money while delivering everything you actually need.
The Migration: What It Actually Cost Me
Switching platforms sounds scary. Trust me, I delayed it for 3 months because I was nervous. Here’s what it actually looked like:
My DIY Migration:
- Exported HubSpot data: 2 hours (CSV downloads)
- Imported to GoHighLevel: 1 hour (drag-and-drop upload)
- Rebuilt 3 main funnels: 8 hours (honestly, I made them better)
- Set up automations: 6 hours (recreating email sequences)
- Total time: 17 hours
- Out-of-pocket cost: $0 (excluding my own time).
I did this over a weekend. Was it fun? No. Was it complicated? Not really. GoHighLevel has solid tutorials, and their support team answered my questions within an hour.
Break-even calculation:
I was saving $1,200/month switching from HubSpot ($1,550) to GoHighLevel ($350). Even valuing my 17 hours at $100/hour ($1,700 of my time), I broke even in under 6 weeks.
If you want professional help, I’ve seen migration agencies charge $500-$2,000 for full migration. Even at $2,000, you still break even in 1-2 months with typical savings.
My Recommendation After 18 Months
Here’s my honest take after living in both platforms:
Choose GoHighLevel if:
- You’re managing 2+ clients as an agency
- You have 2,000-50,000 contacts
- You’re currently paying for 3+ separate tools
- You want predictable, flat monthly costs
- You need white-labeling capabilities
Choose HubSpot if:
- You’re under 1,000 contacts with basic needs (Free tier)
- You’re a 50+ person enterprise needing advanced reporting
- You’ve already invested heavily in HubSpot ecosystem
- You have dedicated ops people who can maximize the platform
For everyone else reading this? GoHighLevel likely saves you $6,000-$18,000/year. The math is pretty clear.
Final Verdict
Pricing reflects publicly available information and real-world usage as of 2026. Actual costs vary by contract, billing terms, and business requirements.”
After testing both platforms with real money and real clients, here’s what I found: most agencies and service businesses save $6,000-$18,000 annually choosing GoHighLevel over HubSpot.
For me personally? I’m saving $22,680/year while consolidating 7 tools into one platform. That’s not theoretical , that’s actual money back in my business.
The question isn’t which platform is “better.” It’s what makes financial sense for you. Run your numbers and choose accordingly. What would you do with an extra $12,000 this year?