HubSpot vs Salesforce for Enterprise Marketing + Video Demos

As certified partners of both HubSpot and Salesforce, our consultants at MarCloud see the strengths and trade-offs of both tools up close, across dozens of implementations. We like to think this gives us an objective view of HubSpot vs Salesforce - one that I’ll share with you today.

In this article, we’re looking through a marketing lens because ultimately, this is where MarCloud supports clients: boosting marketing ROI using best practice implementation, integration, data management, marketing execution, campaign attribution, and AI-powered productivity. 

I’ll give you a balanced, side-by-side view of how each platform performs across key areas like automation, usability, pricing, and support, with video demos to help you see the tools in action.

If you reach the end still wrinkling your forehead, send a message. I’m happy to chat about your specific business needs and offer some personalised pointers.

With HubSpot, you’re buying a single product - Marketing Hub. The features and capabilities you can access depend on your plan. This makes a video demo simple: 

Salesforce Marketing Cloud demos

Salesforce Marketing Cloud, on the other hand, is the umbrella name for Salesforce’s four core marketing products:

• Marketing Cloud Engagement (generally B2C, excels in email, mobile, advertising)

• Marketing Cloud Account Engagement (formerly Pardot) (generally B2B marketing)

• Marketing Cloud Growth (best for small businesses)

• Marketing Cloud Advanced (newest enterprise product)

The product you need depends on your business type, sales cycle, and other factors. We’ve explained and compared some of the different Marketing Cloud products in other articles:

• Marketing Cloud Growth vs Advanced

• Marketing Cloud Account Engagement (Pardot) vs Engagement

Here are the short video walkthroughs for all four platforms:

At this stage, don’t stress too much about which product is the best fit. First, let’s help you compare HubSpot and Salesforce for enterprise marketing overall. If Salesforce seems like the right choice, you can move on to comparing Marketing Cloud tools.

Further down, you’ll find detailed overviews of the core things to consider when choosing between HubSpot and Salesforce. But here’s a snapshot of how the two compare across essential marketing and CRM capabilities:

HubSpot is praised for its clean interface and fast learning curve. Marketing teams can usually jump in without technical support, using drag-and-drop editors and pre-built assets to launch campaigns quickly.

Salesforce platforms, on the other hand, offer greater depth, but with that comes complexity. Tasks like configuring journeys or dashboards might need input from a developer or admin. That’s not necessarily a drawback for large teams with technical resources, but it can slow things down for leaner setups, unless you have Partner support.

The real difference shows when new team members join: with a bit of onboarding and a play around, HubSpot users are typically up and running in a week, whereas Salesforce can take longer to learn, but offers deeper capabilities once the user is fully trained.

When it comes to tailoring the platform to your business, Salesforce has the upper hand. Its flexibility is impressive: custom objects, page layouts, user roles, and automation rules can all be designed from scratch. It’s built for sophisticated marketing activities and unlimited possibilities.

HubSpot is no loser here either. You can customise properties, build workflows, and design deal pipelines that match your internal process, just with a slightly more rigid structure. For many businesses, that structure is helpful, keeping things consistent and reducing tech debt, but for businesses with unique processes, it can be limiting.

Both tools support deep integration.

Salesforce’s AppExchange has over 4,000 apps, allowing for integration with everything from data tools to platforms like Google Ads. It’s developer-friendly and can be used across complex enterprise stacks.

HubSpot’s equivalent, the App Marketplace, contains more than 1,000 integrations, including Slack, Microsoft Teams, and Stripe. It also offers native integrations with Salesforce CRM, which is ideal if you’re considering using HubSpot Marketing Hub alongside Sales Cloud.

For most enterprise teams, the choice comes down to your existing tech stack: Salesforce plays well in custom, multi-system environments. HubSpot excels when you want an all-in-one tool that still talks to your other platforms.

It goes without saying that ease of implementation and onboarding are major considerations. 

Salesforce implementation can be complex. To ensure a smooth start that doesn’t result in issues later down the track, it usually requires a certified partner or dedicated admin to get set up correctly, especially for Marketing Cloud Engagement, Account Engagement, and Advanced. Trailhead, Salesforce’s learning platform, is excellent, but most teams still benefit from outside help.

HubSpot, by contrast, positions itself as plug-and-play. Onboarding can often be done internally, especially with support from HubSpot Academy and detailed guides. For enterprise plans, HubSpot also offers dedicated onboarding consultants.

As a consultancy working with both platforms, MarCloud supports both types of onboarding. We help clients map their processes and choose the best-fit solution.

The pricing structures for both platforms are entirely different.

• HubSpot: Pricing is transparent and tiered by feature set. Costs rise as you unlock more advanced tools, but there’s a free CRM and entry-level plans that are ideal for growing teams. Budget predictability is a plus.

• Salesforce: Pricing is modular, which makes it highly flexible but also harder to estimate. You’ll likely pay per user, product, studio or feature, and for any add-ons or integrations you need. For example, Marketing Cloud Engagement is the product, while Journey Builder is a paid module within MCE. This structure ensures you only pay for what you use, but it can become expensive without careful planning.

For businesses with clear budgets and fixed use cases, HubSpot may offer better short-term value. For those needing long-term scalability and deep integration with other enterprise systems, Salesforce is worth the investment.

Here’s a rough guide to help align platform fit with company size and profile:

Can I use HubSpot with Salesforce CRM?

Yes, many companies do. HubSpot Marketing Hub integrates with Salesforce CRM to sync contacts, leads, and campaign data. MarCloud offers HubSpot to Salesforce integration services, where we take care of all the mapping and processes for you.

Which is better for lead generation?

Both tools can support high-performing lead generation. HubSpot is faster to launch; Salesforce offers more advanced automation. Which is best depends on your business size, processes, budget, and technical capabilities. 

How hard is it to switch platforms?

Migration depends on data complexity, existing automations, and your internal resources. It’s usually not a small task. Ideally, you’ll commit to one platform for the long haul. If you find yourself itching to migrate, though, get in touch. Working with an experienced partner will help minimise risk and get you up and running with your new software sooner.

Which platform scales better?

Salesforce, due to its modularity. But HubSpot has expanded its enterprise features significantly.

Do I need a partner to implement either tool?

For Salesforce, usually, yes. For HubSpot, not always, but it helps deliver ROI sooner.

When it comes to ‘HubSpot vs Salesforce, ’ the real question is: what does your team need to do better?

Do you need rapid setup, user-friendly tools, and a clear all-in-one experience? If so, HubSpot is worth a close look. Be mindful of choosing speed and a quick solution over long-term needs and scaling.

Do you need enterprise-grade power, deep integration, and long-term flexibility? Salesforce might be the better match. Be sure to factor in partner support for implementation, support, and training in your new system.

Or maybe, like many of our clients, you benefit from using both, with HubSpot powering marketing and Salesforce handling CRM. This is a win-win situation!

If you’re still unsure, get in touch and we’ll help you explore both, side-by-side and based on your business needs. With certified specialists and experience in both platforms, we can work as an extension of your team, helping with implementation, ongoing technical support, and campaign management, so you can focus on creativity.