Attio, EngageBay, and HubSpot CRM take three distinct approaches to the same broad market. Attio is an AI-native CRM built for revenue teams that want deep…
Best for: Businesses that want a free, unlimited-user CRM core with a proven path to scale into full marketing, sales, and service automation.
At a Glance
Attio
EngageBay
HubSpot CRM
Primary category
CRM
CRM
CRM
Rating
Not documented
Not documented
Not documented
Pricing model
Freemium
Freemium
Freemium
Starting price
Free (paid plans from €29/user/month billed annually)
Free (up to 250 contacts); paid plans from $14.99/user/month
Free
Free plan
Yes
Yes
Yes
Free trial
Not documented
Not documented
Not documented
Platforms
Web, iOS, Android
Web, iOS, Android
Web, iOS, Android
Team collaboration
Not documented
Not documented
Not documented
AI features
Yes
Yes
Yes
Public API
Yes
Yes
Yes
Standout Differences
All-in-one versus specialist CRM
EngageBay bundles email marketing, landing pages, sales pipelines, and a helpdesk into a single subscription, while Attio focuses specifically on CRM and sales automation without marketing or support tooling.
EngageBay, Attio
Positioned directly against HubSpot on price
EngageBay is marketed and reviewed specifically as a more affordable HubSpot alternative, bundling marketing, sales, and service tools that HubSpot unbundles into separate paid Hubs.
EngageBay, HubSpot CRM
AI-native automation depth
Attio's configurable AI agents, Workflows, and Sequences go further than EngageBay's AI-assisted email writing and lead scoring, or HubSpot's Enterprise-only predictive lead scoring.
Attio
Free plan design differs by intent
HubSpot CRM's free plan has no user cap at all, Attio's free plan caps out at 3 seats aimed at small teams testing its automation, and EngageBay's free plan caps contacts at 250 rather than users.
Attio, EngageBay, HubSpot CRM
Feature-by-Feature
Free Plan and Core CRM
Feature
Attio
EngageBay
HubSpot CRM
Usable free plan
Available
Available
Available
Native email and calendar sync
Available
Not documented
Available
Marketing and Support Tools
Feature
Attio
EngageBay
HubSpot CRM
Built-in helpdesk and live chat
Not documented
Available
Available
Built-in email marketing and landing pages
Not documented
Available
Limited
SMS marketing
Not documented
Available
Not documented
AI and Governance
Feature
Attio
EngageBay
HubSpot CRM
AI-native workflow or agent automation
Available
Available
Limited
SSO
Available
Available
Available
Pricing Compared
Starting price reflects the lowest paid tier, not the full cost for every team size or usage level.
Attio
Free — €0/user/month Monthly or Annual
Plus — €36/user/month (€29 billed annually) Monthly or Annual
Pro — €86/user/month (€69 billed annually) Monthly or Annual
Enterprise — Custom Annual
EngageBay
Free — $0 N/A
Basic — $14.99/user/month (from $12.74 biennial) Monthly, Annual, or Biennial
Growth — $64.99/user/month (from $55.24 biennial) Monthly, Annual, or Biennial
Pro — $119.99/user/month (from $101.99 biennial) Monthly, Annual, or Biennial
HubSpot CRM
Free — Free N/A
Starter — From $20/seat/month (from $15/seat/month billed annually) monthly or annual
Professional — From $100/seat/month monthly or annual
Enterprise — From $150/seat/month monthly or annual
Pros & Cons
Attio
Pros
Deep automation and configurable AI agent capabilities
Real-time data sync and flexible, customizable object modeling
Usable free plan for small teams (up to 3 seats)
Wide integration ecosystem with 50+ connected apps
Cons
Pro and Enterprise tiers get expensive on a per-seat basis at scale
Some advanced AI and automation features are limited to paid tiers
Newer entrant than legacy CRMs, so its third-party ecosystem is still maturing
EngageBay
Pros
Genuinely free plan for up to 250 contacts, not just a time-limited trial
Combines marketing, sales, and support in one platform at a fraction of HubSpot's cost
Individual modules are generally less deep than category specialists like ActiveCampaign or Pipedrive
Per-user pricing can add up for larger sales and marketing teams
Some advanced features like SSO and custom reporting are gated to the top Pro tier
Contact limits per plan require frequent upgrades for fast-growing lists
HubSpot CRM
Pros
Genuinely free for unlimited users, not a time-limited trial
No data migration needed when upgrading to paid Hubs
Clean, intuitive interface with a shallow learning curve
Deep integration ecosystem and extensive documentation
Mobile apps and browser extensions support reps working outside the CRM
Cons
Free tier has limited automation and customization
Paid tiers get expensive quickly once multiple seats are added
Some reporting and forecasting features require Professional or higher
Contact limits and storage caps can force an upgrade for larger databases
Less configurable than Salesforce for complex, custom sales processes
Use Cases
Choose Attio: Revenue and sales operations teams that want an AI-native CRM with configurable agents, real-time sync, and flexible data modeling.
Choose EngageBay: Small businesses that want marketing automation, sales CRM, and helpdesk tools bundled into one platform at a fraction of HubSpot's cost.
Choose HubSpot CRM: Businesses that want a free, unlimited-user CRM core with a proven path to scale into full marketing, sales, and service automation.
Attio
Startup GTM & sales process building — Early-stage teams use Attio's flexible data model to build a CRM around their specific sales process.
Enterprise revenue operations automation — Larger sales organizations use Attio's Workflows and AI agents to automate pipeline management at scale.
EngageBay
All-in-one small business CRM — Small businesses replace separate email marketing, CRM, and helpdesk subscriptions with a single connected platform.
Affordable HubSpot alternative — Growing companies that outgrow free tools but find HubSpot's hub-based pricing too expensive switch to EngageBay for similar functionality at lower cost.
Combined sales and support workflows — Sales and support teams use EngageBay's shared contact database to see deal history and support tickets in one view.
HubSpot CRM
Replacing spreadsheets for deal tracking — Small sales teams move from spreadsheets to a shared pipeline with reminders and email tracking at no cost.
Centralizing customer records for growing teams — Mid-sized teams use the free CRM as the single source of truth before layering on paid marketing or service automation.
Sales rep productivity — Individual reps track email opens, schedule meetings, and manage follow-up tasks directly from their inbox.
Frequently Asked Questions
Which of Attio, EngageBay, and HubSpot CRM is cheapest for a small business needing marketing tools too?
EngageBay is explicitly positioned as a lower-cost alternative to HubSpot, bundling email marketing, landing pages, sales pipelines, and a helpdesk into paid tiers starting well below equivalent HubSpot Hub pricing.
Which CRM is most AI-native?
Attio is built around AI from the ground up, with configurable AI agents for research and lead scoring, natural-language search and record creation, and automated Workflows and Sequences as core features.
Does HubSpot CRM's free plan really have no user limit?
Yes, HubSpot CRM's free tier supports unlimited users, which the company has offered since launching the free CRM in 2014 as a lead magnet for its paid Hubs.
Which tool includes a built-in helpdesk or live chat?
EngageBay includes live chat and helpdesk ticketing even on its free plan. HubSpot CRM's free tier includes basic live chat, with deeper support automation available through the paid Service Hub.
Which is best for a team that only needs CRM and sales automation, not marketing?
Attio is the most focused of the three on CRM and sales automation specifically, without bundling marketing campaign tools the way EngageBay does.
Can I add SMS marketing with any of these?
EngageBay includes SMS marketing from its Basic tier upward. SMS marketing is not documented as a feature of Attio or HubSpot CRM.