Introduction
Small businesses often struggle to choose between Monday and HubSpot because both tools are marketed as “easy, modern, and powerful.” In practice, they serve very different purposes.
- HubSpot is a traditional, relationship-first CRM built around contacts, conversations, and sales pipelines.
- Monday is a visual work management platform that can be configured as a CRM but was originally designed for project and workflow tracking.
This comparison evaluates both tools strictly from a small business perspective — focusing on usability, setup effort, collaboration, automation, and value for money.
If you’re a consultant, choosing the right tool matters — our guide to the best CRM for consultants covers the main options in detail.
How small businesses actually use these tools
Most small businesses need a system that helps them:
- Track clients and leads
- Remember conversations
- Assign follow-ups
- Coordinate small teams
- Avoid complicated dashboards
With that in mind, here’s how Monday and HubSpot stack up.
Ease of use
HubSpot
HubSpot is designed to be intuitive from day one. A new user can:
- Add contacts
- Log emails
- Create tasks
- Track deals
…with minimal training.
The interface is linear and predictable, which works well for founders, freelancers, and lean teams who don’t want to become software administrators.
Strength: low friction, fast adoption.
Monday
Monday is visually appealing and very flexible — but flexibility comes with configuration effort.
You typically start with boards, columns, and automations. While powerful, this requires planning:
- How will you structure clients?
- What columns do you need?
- How will tasks relate to deals?
For teams that like visual systems, Monday feels natural. For solo founders, it can feel overengineered.
Strength: visual clarity for team workflows.
Trade-off: slower initial setup.
CRM capabilities
HubSpot as a CRM
HubSpot is a purpose-built CRM. It includes:
- Contact records
- Company records
- Deal pipelines
- Email tracking
- Activity timelines
Everything is structured around relationships, which is ideal for small service businesses, consultants, and agencies.
Monday as a CRM
Monday is not a native CRM — it becomes one through customization.
You can build boards for:
- Leads
- Clients
- Deals
- Projects
This works well if your business blends client work + project delivery in one system. However, you don’t get the same depth of native CRM features that HubSpot offers out of the box.
Automation and workflows
HubSpot
HubSpot offers simple automation that is easy to understand:
- Task reminders
- Deal stage updates
- Basic email workflows
For most small businesses, this is sufficient without becoming overwhelming.
Monday
Monday shines in automation for tasks and processes, such as:
- Moving items between stages
- Assigning work automatically
- Sending notifications
If your business is process-heavy (e.g., creative agencies, operations teams), Monday can be very powerful.
Collaboration
HubSpot
HubSpot is best when:
- One or two people manage client relationships
- You prioritize communication history over task boards
- You care about email context and timelines
It is less “visual team board” and more “relationship dashboard.”
Monday
Monday excels when:
- You have multiple team members
- Work is collaborative
- You need shared boards, status tracking, and clear ownership
If your team lives inside Kanban-style systems, Monday feels natural.
Pricing for small businesses
HubSpot
HubSpot’s free plan is a major advantage for small businesses starting out.
You get core CRM functionality at no cost. Paid plans add automation, reporting, and advanced tools — but pricing rises as you scale.
Best for:
- Solo founders
- Early-stage startups
- Consultants
- Small service teams
Monday
Monday is generally paid from day one, with pricing based on users and features.
It can be cost-effective for teams that already rely on project management tools, because Monday can replace multiple apps.
However, for a solo founder who just needs a CRM, Monday may feel unnecessarily expensive.
When HubSpot makes sense for small businesses
Choose HubSpot if you:
- Want a simple, ready-to-use CRM
- Care more about client relationships than task boards
- Prefer minimal setup
- Are a solo founder or small team
- Need email tracking and history
When Monday makes sense for small businesses
Choose Monday if you:
- Run a collaborative team
- Manage projects alongside clients
- Want visual workflows
- Need one system for tasks + clients
- Value customization over simplicity
Final recommendation
For most small businesses in 2026, HubSpot is the better default choice because it is purpose-built as a CRM, easier to adopt, and free to start.
Monday is a strong alternative only if your business is highly project-driven and you already rely on visual workflows.
If you want a broader perspective on other tools, see our guide to the best CRM software for small businesses in 2026.
If you are a consultant or service professional, you can also see our guide to the best CRM for consultants for more targeted recommendations.
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