How should a startup choose a CRM?

A startup choosing its first CRM usually faces the same tension: pick something light that the team can adopt this week, or pick a platform that will still fit after the sales process grows more complicated. This thread-starter sets out the questions worth answering before you compare vendors.

Start with how you sell. A founder-led team with one pipeline needs contact and deal tracking, email logging and reminders. A team with several segments, partners or territories may need custom fields and objects, approvals and role-based access sooner than expected.

Next, look at total cost rather than the headline price. Seat types, onboarding fees, add-ons and per-edition limits can matter more than the entry price. HubSpot, for example, publishes a free tier and Sales Hub tiers with one-time onboarding fees on its higher plans, while Salesforce prices by edition and directs buyers to sales for detailed pricing.

Then check the limits that apply to the plan you would actually buy: how many pipelines, workflows and reports are included, and whether custom objects are available. In both products these limits depend on the plan or edition.

Finally, plan for switching. Migrating a CRM means mapping fields, moving history and rebuilding automation. A free start is attractive, but it is worth deciding early which limit would force you to change platforms, and what that would cost.

Reader replies are not open yet. For a structured side-by-side view, see the HubSpot vs Salesforce Sales Cloud comparison.