For two people and 1,500 contacts, HubSpot has the lower documented starting cost, but its free CRM does not support 1,500 contacts and its advanced automation, SMS, invoicing, and payment tools can add products or fees. Keap costs more, yet its entry platform is built around follow-up, appointments, invoices, payments, and text marketing.
Pick HubSpot if you mainly need contact records, deals, forms, email connections, and a low-cost starting point. Pick Keap if one system must handle the customer process from inquiry through appointment, invoice, payment, and follow-up.
Key takeaways
- HubSpot Free supports two users and 1,000 contacts, so it does not fit a 1,500-contact account.
- HubSpot Starter is $20 per seat per month on regular monthly billing, making two seats $480 for a year before extra products, fees, and taxes.
- Keap starts at $320 per month or $3,195 per year, with two users and 1,500 contacts in the starting package.
- Keap includes broader documented automation, appointment, invoicing, payment, and US text tools at the entry level.
- Confirm contacts, seats, SMS, payment processing, implementation, cancellation, renewal, and export terms in writing before paying.
Which CRM fits a small service business's actual workflow?
The right choice depends on whether your business needs a contact database or a connected service process. Count your current contacts, users, monthly inquiries, appointments, invoices, payment method, email needs, and text-message needs before comparing plans.
A simple workflow may be inquiry, qualification, appointment, quote, invoice, payment, follow-up, and repeat service. HubSpot can organize much of the front half at no cost. Its free CRM includes contact and company records, deals, pipelines, tasks, email connections, forms, live chat, reporting, one personal meeting link, and limited payment and invoice tools.
Keap is the more complete documented fit when the same platform needs to automate follow-up, schedule appointments, create quotes and invoices, collect one-time or recurring payments, send reminders, and support US text marketing. Its starting package is built around 1,500 contacts and two users.
The tradeoff is direct. HubSpot gives a two-person business a much lower entry bill, especially if the team can stay within 1,000 contacts and accept limited automation. Keap asks for a larger commitment, but more of the service workflow is grouped into one platform.
Both are software services rather than hosting, so review each provider's current service terms and status information before placing a mission-critical customer process there.
What do Keap and HubSpot cost for two users and 1,500 contacts?
The fair comparison uses the same conditions: two users, 1,500 contacts, and the regular published price rather than a temporary promotion. The figures below were checked on November 10, 2026.
Keap's starting package includes two users and 1,500 contacts. Its annual price is $3,195 paid upfront, while monthly billing totals $3,840 over twelve months. Keap also presents implementation as required, with the package and price handled separately. Payment-processing fees, taxes, contact growth, and optional text tiers can increase the bill. See Keap's current plans.
HubSpot Free costs $0, has no time limit, and supports up to two users and 1,000 contacts, so it cannot hold a 1,500-contact database. The regular Starter price is $20 per seat per month on monthly billing, so two seats cost $480 for a year before payment-processing fees, SMS, taxes, optional products, or account-specific contact charges. See HubSpot's current plans.
HubSpot also shows a $7 annual Starter price per seat as a new-customer promotion, checked November 10, 2026. Use the regular price as your baseline, and for a serious purchase request a written HubSpot quote listing every required product, seat, contact category, add-on, transaction fee, and renewal price.
On base arithmetic, HubSpot Starter costs much less than Keap for two users. It is not a feature-equivalent comparison because Keap bundles more service functions into its entry platform.
What does HubSpot Free CRM include, and where does it stop?
If your immediate task is organizing leads and deals without a monthly CRM bill, HubSpot Free is the stronger starting point. It supports up to two users and 1,000 contacts without a credit card or time limit.
The free account includes contact and company records, deals, pipelines, tasks and activities, Gmail, Outlook, and Microsoft Exchange connections, forms, contact activity, one shared inbox, live chat with HubSpot branding, one personal meeting link, and basic reporting. It also includes limited invoices and payment tools when an eligible HubSpot Payments or Stripe account is connected.
Free automation is narrow. HubSpot allows one email-after-form-submission workflow per form, with one action per workflow. That can handle a basic response after someone submits a form, but it is not a full follow-up system for several customer stages.
Selected features carry HubSpot branding, free email templates are limited to three per account, and standard object records are limited to 1 million per account. Website, landing-page, blog, and content tools have their own branding and usage limits.
The most direct stopping point is contacts. A business with 1,500 contacts must move to a paid HubSpot product or choose another paid CRM, so confirm the contact, marketing-contact, seat, and product limits in the account quote.
Keap does not publish a permanent free CRM plan. Its separate 14-day trial does not require a credit card, but email sending is limited to 25 messages, and the trial cannot process payments or send or receive texts.
How do automation, booking, invoicing, payments, and SMS compare?
Map one real customer from first inquiry to repeat service. The question is not whether both platforms have CRM records. It is how much manual work remains after a lead enters the system.
Keap's entry platform includes visual workflow automation and templates, broadcast and automated email, appointment scheduling connected with Gmail or Outlook, sales pipelines, task automation, quotes that can convert into invoices, one-time and recurring invoices, checkout forms, one-time and recurring payments, billing automation, and past-due reminders.
It also includes US automated and broadcast text marketing. The included allowance is 500 text messages and 100 voice minutes, higher text tiers start at $24 per month, and overages are $0.015 per text and $0.01 per voice minute. Because automated text marketing is US-only, confirm that the account and consent process fit your customers. Prices checked November 10, 2026.
For a service business, this bundle can reduce the handoffs between a form, calendar, invoice tool, payment processor, and messaging service. It does not remove configuration, customer consent, processor approval, or the need to check that each step works for the account type you select.
HubSpot Free handles the CRM foundation well, with records, deals, pipelines, tasks, forms, email connections, meetings, a shared inbox, and limited payment and invoice tools. A connected HubSpot Payments or Stripe account is required for payment functions, and regional eligibility and approval can affect availability.
HubSpot Starter adds more automation, meeting scheduling, payments, e-signatures, multi-currency support, and a dedicated phone number. HubSpot's SMS tools are more modular: they require qualifying Marketing Hub Professional or Enterprise subscriptions, paid SMS add-ons, Twilio as the provider, explicit consent, business registration, and approval.
That difference matters if your main process is appointment booking followed by an invoice, payment request, reminder, and text follow-up. Keap has the broader bundle at the entry level. HubSpot gives you a lower-cost CRM base, but the full process may require a higher product tier, add-ons, connected accounts, and separate transaction charges.
Keap also includes Google review requests and referral automation. With HubSpot, the account quote must show which product supplies each function, so do not assume a free CRM record, a meeting link, or a payment tool carries the same automation depth as a paid service workflow.
What is the practical tradeoff between lower entry cost and a bundled service workflow?
HubSpot is the practical pick when the business needs a low-cost place to store contacts, manage deals, connect email, collect form submissions, and schedule basic meetings. It is especially suitable when the database is under 1,000 contacts and the team can handle some follow-up manually.
Keap is the practical pick when the business would otherwise combine a CRM with an email automation service, appointment scheduler, invoice tool, payment system, and SMS service. The larger commitment buys a more connected starting workflow, but only if the business will use those functions.
For two users and 1,500 contacts, the simple cost comparison favors HubSpot Starter at $40 per month for two regular-priced seats. The complete cost is less certain because HubSpot's contact categories, marketing contacts, paid SMS, product tiers, payment fees, and usage charges can change the bill. Prices checked November 10, 2026.
Keap's annual option lowers the effective monthly figure to $266.25, but it requires $3,195 upfront. Its required implementation is a separate purchase question, so get the implementation price, required services, refund treatment, and renewal price in the order form.
Which limits, add-ons, and costs can change the bill?
Contact growth is the first cost issue for Keap, because its pricing is contact-based and rises through contact tiers. Additional users cost $39 per month each. The starting allowance includes two users, 500 text messages, and 100 voice minutes, and extra texting and voice use can create overage charges. Prices checked November 10, 2026.
Keap payment processing carries processor fees. Implementation is presented as required, and its price is handled separately from the public starting plan. Ask Keap for the refund policy in writing, including treatment of implementation, add-ons, taxes, and prepaid annual service.
HubSpot combines product tiers, seats, contact or marketing-contact status, and usage-based features. Free CRM stops at 1,000 contacts, and paid plans may add charges for products, extra seats, marketing contacts, SMS, payment processing, or other usage. Professional starts at $1,300 per month with six seats, while Enterprise starts at $4,700 per month with eight seats. Additional Core Seats start at $45 per month for Professional and $75 per month for Enterprise.
HubSpot's SMS requires more than a CRM subscription, and its payment and invoice tools depend on a connected eligible payment account. Treat the regular $20 monthly seat price as the comparison baseline and get the renewal price in writing.
What should you check about cancellation, renewal, data export, and purchase terms?
Before purchase, save the order form and request the order-specific refund, cancellation, and renewal terms. Also save the implementation terms, contact limits, seat assignments, processor terms, SMS requirements, cancellation route, and renewal price.
Keap cancellation must be requested by phone at least 10 days before the next invoice date. Annual contracts can carry a $299 early-termination fee, and cancellation does not remove outstanding balances or agreed annual-contract or implementation charges. Request the implementation fee and whether it is mandatory in the written order before paying. Prices checked November 10, 2026.
HubSpot subscriptions generally renew automatically unless auto-renew is turned off before the current term ends. Fees are paid in advance, and the terms generally do not refund prepaid or unused subscription fees after early cancellation.
HubSpot provides documented customer-data export procedures during the subscription term. Ask what can be exported from both platforms, including contacts, custom fields, deal records, activities, invoices, payment records, forms, and automation history, then confirm the exported format works in the platform you may choose next.
Which topic should you read next: HubSpot CRM review or Keap review?
Read the HubSpot CRM Review: Free Plan Limits, Pricing and Who It Fits if your likely choice is the lower-cost CRM base. It follows the free contact limit, seats, paid product structure, automation boundaries, and payment tools in more detail.
Read the Keap Review: CRM and Email Automation for Small Business, Costs and Limits if your business needs a bundled process for follow-up, appointments, invoices, payments, and text marketing. It is the better next step when implementation, contact tiers, text allowances, and annual cancellation terms will decide the purchase.
If neither platform fits the full workflow, use the Best CRM for Small Business: Free Plans, Prices and Who Each Fits to compare other starting points. Before committing, map one customer process, count contacts and users, and get the final terms in writing. Prices checked November 10, 2026.
Frequently asked questions
What is the best free CRM software?
HubSpot Free is the best fit for a two-person business with no more than 1,000 contacts. It includes contact records, deals, pipelines, tasks, email connections, forms, meetings, reporting, and limited payment and invoice tools without a time limit or credit card.
Can two people use HubSpot Free?
Yes. HubSpot Free supports up to two users. Both users should still be checked against the account's feature, permission, and product limits before the business relies on the free account.
Can HubSpot Free handle 1,500 contacts?
No. HubSpot Free has a documented limit of 1,000 contacts. A business with 1,500 contacts must confirm a paid HubSpot contact allowance or choose a paid alternative such as Keap.
Is Keap cheaper than HubSpot?
No, not on the documented starting price. Keap starts at $320 per month or $3,195 per year, while two regular-priced HubSpot Starter seats total $40 per month before extra products and usage charges. Prices checked November 10, 2026.
Does Keap have a free plan?
Keap does not publish a permanent free plan. It has a 14-day trial without a credit card, but the trial limits email to 25 messages and does not support payments or texting.
Does Keap include SMS?
Keap includes 500 text messages and 100 voice minutes in its documented US starting package. Higher tiers begin at $24 per month, and overages are charged separately.
Does HubSpot include SMS?
HubSpot SMS requires qualifying Marketing Hub Professional or Enterprise subscriptions and paid SMS add-ons. It also requires consent, business registration, approval, and Twilio-based messaging.
Can HubSpot and Keap process payments?
Both platforms document payment and invoice functions, but availability depends on the connected payment account, approval, account type, and processor terms. Confirm whether HubSpot Payments or Stripe and the selected Keap processor are available for the business before paying.
Does Keap require implementation?
Keap presents implementation as required for its starting platform, with packages and pricing handled separately. Get the implementation price, required services, and refund treatment in the written order.
Can you cancel Keap or HubSpot early?
Keap cancellation must be requested by phone at least 10 days before the next invoice date, and annual contracts can carry a $299 early-termination fee. HubSpot generally continues charging through the current prepaid term and generally does not refund unused subscription fees.
Can customer data be exported from HubSpot?
HubSpot provides documented customer-data export procedures during the subscription term. Confirm which records and fields are included in the export before changing platforms.
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