Zendesk is a specialized customer support platform excelling in ticketing and omnichannel support, while HubSpot is an all-in-one CRM with integrated sales, marketing, and service tools. Zendesk costs $55-$165/month per agent for support alone, whereas HubSpot's Service Hub starts at $50/month with CRM bundled, making HubSpot better for businesses needing integrated tools and Zendesk superior for enterprises prioritizing advanced support features.
Zendesk vs HubSpot — Side-by-side comparison on A Versus B
Choose Zendesk if you need world-class customer support infrastructure, advanced ticketing workflows, omnichannel excellence, and have complex support operations that justify specialized tooling. Choose HubSpot if you're a small-to-mid-market business needing an integrated platform combining sales, marketing, and service without managing multiple vendor relationships, or if you want lower total cost of ownership with bundled functionality.
Multi-channel customer service platform with ticketing, live chat, and extensive integrations.
All-in-one CRM platform combining sales, marketing, service, and customer operations.
Structured comparison data for Zendesk vs HubSpot with 308 attributes.
Knowledge Base Articles (Typical Mid-Plan)
Monthly Cost Per Agent/User (Entry Level)
Monthly Cost Per Agent/User (Professional Tier)
Monthly Cost (50-person team, full suite)
Starting Price (per user/month, billed annually)
Professional Tier Price (per user/month)
Contact List Size Limit (Standard Pricing)
Professional/Standard Plan Monthly Price
CRM Contact Storage Limit (Free/Entry Tier)
AI Sentiment Analysis / Social Listening
Team Members Supported (Free/Standard Tier)
Starting Monthly Price (Single User/Starter Tier)
Price for 10-Person Support Team (Annual)
Customer Support Response Time (Paid Plans)
Zendesk vs HubSpot — Attribute Category Vocabulary
Taxonomy of attribute categories used to classify comparison data for Zendesk vs HubSpot.
HubSpot is typically better for startups because it offers a free CRM tier, faster implementation (2-4 weeks vs 4-8), integrated sales/marketing/service tools eliminating the need to manage multiple platforms, and a lower barrier to entry at $50/month. Zendesk is better only if your startup's core value depends on exceptional support quality and omnichannel capabilities.
How much will I spend annually with 20 support agents?
Zendesk Team plan (entry level): 20 agents × $55/month × 12 = $13,200/year. HubSpot Service Hub Starter: $50/month base + ~$50-80/month for 20 seats = approximately $7,200-10,800/year. HubSpot is 30-45% cheaper for this scenario, though Zendesk Professional tier with dedicated support may offer better features for high-volume teams.
Yes. HubSpot Service Hub can be used standalone for customer support without accessing CRM functionality, but you'll still have access to contact records. However, you cannot use just the sales or marketing tools separately without the CRM foundation—they're bundled products.
No. Zendesk focuses exclusively on customer support and service. To add sales pipeline management, you must purchase Zendesk Sell as a separate product at $25-65/month per user, essentially creating a multi-vendor technology stack. HubSpot includes sales, marketing, and service in one integrated platform.
Which has better AI and automation capabilities?
Both offer AI, but differently: Zendesk AI excels at support-specific tasks (sentiment analysis, auto-routing, ticket summarization). HubSpot AI focuses on lead scoring, content generation, and sales forecasting. For customer support automation, Zendesk is stronger. For sales pipeline prediction and marketing automation, HubSpot is superior. Choice depends on where you need AI most.