Capsule CRM vs EngageBay vs HubSpot CRM

Capsule CRM, EngageBay, and HubSpot CRM all give small businesses a usable free tier, but their scope differs. Capsule stays narrowly focused on contacts,…

Capsule CRM

Freemium · From Free (paid plans from $18/user/month billed annually)

Best for: Small teams that want a simple, focused sales CRM with project tracking, without marketing or support bloat

EngageBay

Freemium · From Free (up to 250 contacts); paid plans from $14.99/user/month

Best for: Growing businesses that want marketing automation, sales, and helpdesk tools in one affordable platform

HubSpot CRM

Freemium · From Free

Best for: Businesses that want a genuinely free, unlimited-user CRM with the option to add Marketing, Sales, or Service Hub later without migrating data

At a Glance

 Capsule CRMEngageBayHubSpot CRM
Primary categoryCRMCRMCRM
RatingNot documentedNot documentedNot documented
Pricing modelFreemiumFreemiumFreemium
Starting priceFree (paid plans from $18/user/month billed annually)Free (up to 250 contacts); paid plans from $14.99/user/monthFree
Free planYesYesYes
Free trialNot documentedNot documentedNot documented
PlatformsWeb, iOS, AndroidWeb, iOS, AndroidWeb, iOS, Android
Team collaborationNot documentedNot documentedNot documented
AI featuresYesYesYes
Public APIYesYesYes

Standout Differences

HubSpot's free tier has no user cap

HubSpot CRM's Free plan supports unlimited users, while Capsule's free plan caps at 2 users and 250 contacts, and EngageBay's free plan caps at 250 contacts.

HubSpot CRM, Capsule CRM, EngageBay

EngageBay bundles marketing, sales, and support at a lower price

EngageBay combines email marketing automation, sales pipelines, and helpdesk ticketing with live chat in one platform, undercutting HubSpot's per-seat cost for equivalent functionality.

EngageBay

Capsule's AI tools arrive at the Growth tier

Capsule's AI-powered contact and business enrichment, record summaries, and beta meeting-prep tool become available starting on its Growth plan, alongside multiple pipelines and project boards.

Capsule CRM

HubSpot's upgrade path requires no data migration

Businesses that outgrow HubSpot's free CRM can add Marketing, Sales, or Service Hub without migrating existing CRM data, a continuity advantage neither Capsule nor EngageBay documents in the same way.

HubSpot CRM

EngageBay includes helpdesk and live chat even on lower tiers

EngageBay's live chat widget and ticketing system are included starting on its free plan, while Capsule has no built-in helpdesk and instead relies on a separate paid marketing add-on (Transpond) for adjacent functionality.

EngageBay, Capsule CRM

Feature-by-Feature

Access and Free Tier

FeatureCapsule CRMEngageBayHubSpot CRM
Free plan with no user capLimitedLimitedAvailable

Marketing and Support

FeatureCapsule CRMEngageBayHubSpot CRM
Marketing automationUnavailableAvailableLimited
Helpdesk and live chatUnavailableAvailableAvailable

Mobile and AI

FeatureCapsule CRMEngageBayHubSpot CRM
Native mobile appsNot documentedAvailableAvailable
AI-assisted featuresAvailableAvailableNot documented

Developer and Enterprise

FeatureCapsule CRMEngageBayHubSpot CRM
REST API accessAvailableLimitedNot documented
Single sign-onNot documentedAvailableNot documented

Pricing Compared

Starting price reflects the lowest paid tier, not the full cost for every team size or usage level.

Capsule CRM

Free — $0 N/A
Starter — $18/user/month Annual
Growth — $36/user/month Annual
Advanced — $60/user/month Annual
Ultimate — $75/user/month 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

Capsule CRM

Pros

  • Simple enough to set up without a dedicated CRM administrator
  • Usable permanent free plan for very small teams
  • Native integrations with common email, accounting, and marketing tools
  • AI enrichment and summary features included starting at a mid-tier price point

Cons

  • Free plan is capped at just 2 users and 250 contacts
  • Automations, multiple pipelines, and AI features require higher-priced tiers
  • Less depth in advanced enterprise features than large enterprise CRMs
  • Marketing functionality (Transpond) is a separate paid add-on rather than built in

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
  • Native iOS and Android mobile apps included
  • Biennial billing discount offers substantial long-term savings

Cons

  • 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 Capsule CRM: Small teams that want a simple, focused sales CRM with project tracking, without marketing or support bloat
Choose EngageBay: Growing businesses that want marketing automation, sales, and helpdesk tools in one affordable platform
Choose HubSpot CRM: Businesses that want a genuinely free, unlimited-user CRM with the option to add Marketing, Sales, or Service Hub later without migrating data

Capsule CRM

  • Small Business Sales Pipeline Management — Solo founders and small sales teams track deals through a visual pipeline without a complex setup.
  • Agency Client & Project Management — Agencies manage client relationships and post-sale project boards in one system.

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 the three has the most generous free plan?

HubSpot CRM, since its Free plan has no user cap, while Capsule's free tier is limited to 2 users and 250 contacts and EngageBay's free tier caps at 250 contacts.

Which one includes helpdesk or support tools out of the box?

EngageBay includes live chat and ticketing starting on its free plan, and HubSpot CRM's free tier includes live chat as well. Capsule CRM has no built-in helpdesk.

Does Capsule CRM include marketing automation?

No. Capsule's marketing capabilities live in a separate paid product called Transpond rather than being built into the core CRM.

Which is the more affordable option for a small, growing team?

Based on published pricing, EngageBay bundles marketing, sales, and support at a lower cost per user than adding equivalent paid HubSpot Hubs.

Which of the three has AI-powered features?

Capsule (AI enrichment, summaries, and meeting prep from the Growth tier) and EngageBay (AI email writing and predictive lead scoring). AI features are not documented for HubSpot CRM in this comparison.

Read the full Capsule CRM review · Read the full EngageBay review · Read the full HubSpot CRM review