Envoy CRM vs HubSpot
The CRM with everything, except the part that gets you press
HubSpot is the default answer to "what CRM should I use" for a lot of founders, and its free tier is a useful on-ramp. What it doesn't have, at any tier, is anything for press or media relations - pitch tracking, embargoes, press kits, coverage tracking. If launch coverage or ongoing media relations are part of your job, HubSpot leaves that half entirely to a second tool.
HubSpot's pricing
HubSpot's free tier isn't a bait-and-switch - but it's built to upsell: paid tiers run from around $20/user/month (Starter) up to $1,200+/month (Enterprise), billed per seat throughout.
| Feature | Envoy CRM | HubSpot |
|---|---|---|
| Sales pipeline (Kanban) | ✓ | ✓ |
| Contact & company CRM | ✓ | ✓ |
| Media contact management | ✓ | ✗ |
| Pitch & campaign tracking | ✓ | ✗ |
| Embargo management | ✓ | ✗ |
| Hosted press kits | ✓ | ✗ |
| Seat headroom before per-seat billing | ✓ | ✗ |
| AI credits included, no extra subscription (BYOK optional) | ✓ | ✗ |
| Free, self-hosted option | ✓ | ✗ |
Where HubSpot genuinely wins
HubSpot's ecosystem is a lot bigger than Envoy's, and Envoy isn't trying to match it: thousands of integrations, mature marketing automation, an enormous library of docs and templates. If that ecosystem is what you need, it's HubSpot's category to win, not Envoy's.
The bottom line
If your workflow stops at contacts and deals, HubSpot's free tier is hard to argue with. The moment press or media relations becomes part of the job - a launch, ongoing coverage, influencer outreach - HubSpot has nothing, and you're back to buying (and learning, and paying for) a second tool. Envoy CRM bundles both from the start.