Are you are considering adding HubSpot to your tech stack but looking for a way to save that already stretched marketing and sales budget with a healthy HubSpot discount?
Don't worry, you're not alone.
Whether you are a startup or a large multinational, pricing is one of the biggest considerations when buying or renewing your HubSpot license.
Budgets are budgets after all.
So in this blog, we are going to give you some budget-friendly advice on how to get a discount on your HubSpot license and save hundreds, if not thousands of dollars, pounds, euros, rands, pesos, and well, you get my drift.
But before we get too far ahead of ourselves, a small disclaimer.
We have been using HubSpot since 2016 and have helped many businesses get started on HubSpot. This blog is going to share some of those personal experiences and things we've learnt from working with HubSpot and our clients over the years.
This is by no means to say that because it worked once, it will work again. As with any negotiation, context matters. So use the tips below as a guideline and work with your HubSpot sales rep or partner to get the best pricing available to you.
With that out of the way, let's talk about getting you those HubSpot discounts.
Need help deciding if HubSpot is right for your business? We can help with that:)
What kind of discounts can I get from HubSpot?
I was going to start this blog off with ‘Get up to 90% off your HubSpot License’ but that would be a little misleading because that kind of discount isn't available to everyone.
Broadly speaking, there are three categories of HubSpot discounts which range from 10% to a whopping 90%. To get your hands on that 90% discount, you need to fall into a special category of being a startup but more on that later.
For the rest of us, the range is closer to 10% - 40%. Here's what those categories look like:
Category 1 - The Standard HubSpot Discount (10%)
The standard discount is something that is available to essentially all prospective HubSpot clients. This discount usually applies to their most popular suite of products on annual payment terms, which means you pay for your entire 12-month subscription upfront.
Since most of their products require a 12-month commitment anyway, paying for the year upfront is certainly doable if cash flow allows.
You can check their pricing page for their latest offers.
Category 2 - The Negotiated HubSpot Discount (10%-40%)
For most businesses, this is where you want to be. As a benchmark, we typically aim for 20%-30% off for new clients. It is important to note that if you are looking at their starter packages, it will be tricky to get larger discounts.
So how do you get that elusive 20%, 30% or even 40% off?
1. Don't be afraid to ask
I know this might seem like the most glaringly obvious advice but the truth is that many people simply don't ask for a discount. Negotiation isn't for everyone, including me. I don't like confrontation; I don't want to turn it into something adversarial or seem aggressive, or cheap so I kind of shy away from it.
Nate, my brother and co-founder here at Uku, on the other hand, is fearless. He has no issue talking about money and asking for discounts. So when we need to discuss pricing for reasonably sized investments in software or hardware, I make sure Nate tags along.
If you aren't comfortable asking, then rope one of your colleagues or managers into the conversation. HubSpot's sales team are a nice bunch of people and they won't be hurt or offended if you simply ask what the best offer they can give you is.
Simply asking should be good enough to get you an extra 10% discount. This combined with the standard 10% discount for paying annually for the Professional Marketing Hub or the Professional CRM Suite, you're already up to 20% off.
2. Hubs, Bundles, Tiers & Terms
Perhaps the biggest opportunity to find and negotiate better discounts is to get creative with what your needs are. I am not going to go through their product offering in detail but here is a very quick overview of what these terms are referring to as if you were reading a restaurant menu:
- Hubs - Think food types; burgers, pizza, pasta, dessert. HubSpot's menu is separated by function, i.e. marketing, sales, customer service etc.
- Bundles - Think combos; 1 x cheeseburgers and fries, a drink and a dessert. HubSpot has set bundles but you can also create your own.
- Tiers - Think size; small, medium or large. HubSpot's menu offers free, starter, professional and enterprise.
- Terms - Think quantity; buy two get one free. Well, kind of. With HubSpot, terms can be payment terms (monthly, quarterly, bi-annual, annual) or contract length (1-2 years or more).
Ultimately you can use one, two, three or all four of these to structure your package in a way that best serves your needs. HubSpot loves it when you invest more deeply into their suite of products and are more willing to offer discounts to make it an attractive option for you.
Obviously, size matters here, so if you are signing up for an Enterprise bundle or the Marketing Professional Hub for two years, you'll be in a much better position to get larger discounts.
3. Time your purchase
Sales teams are driven by monthly and quarterly targets, and HubSpot is no different. This means that as those deadlines loom, a salesperson who has not yet hit their quota will be more willing to sweeten the deal for you.
Obviously, investing in HubSpot isn't something that should be rushed. But if you have spoken to them, know which product you need and have the luxury of being able to hold off a week or two or three, then timing your purchase could save you a very pretty penny indeed!
4. Work with a partner
Working with a certified HubSpot Solutions Partner is an excellent way to get on the inside track. This is typically not an option for everyone, but a HubSpot partner agency can help you figure out which HubSpot license is best suited to your needs and they can help negotiate the best deal for you.
HubSpot Partners work closely with HubSpot and often directly with the sales team. That means over time agencies, and sales reps build relationships and can work on getting you a better deal.
On top of that, working with a partner means that HubSpot will waive the $3 000 onboarding fee provided that the partner agency does your onboarding. Depending on your retainer, that could result in a pretty nice once-off saving.
Category 3 - The Startup & NPO HubSpot Discounts (30%-90%)
A few years ago, HubSpot introduced preferential discounts for startups and, more recently, nonprofits (US only) to help get access to their best tools and help them grow.
So if you fit into either of these categories, here's what you need to know:
1. HubSpot for Startups (30%-90%)
Just being a startup doesn't mean you automatically qualify for the discount. To qualify you need to be registered with one of HubSpot's 4 000+ startup partners (see the list here).
If your VC, incubator, accelerator or other startup program is registered, then you are in luck. The next step is to check which discount you qualify for:
- 90% for startups that have raised less than $2 million in funding.
- 50% for startups that have raised more than $2 million in funding but have not raised Series B or beyond.
- 30% for startups that have raised Series B funding.
2. HubSpot for Nonprofits (40%)
HubSpot is currently running this program as a pilot in the US and Canada, which unfortunately means if you are outside of those areas, the discount is not available to you. Fingers crossed, however, that the pilot is expanded rapidly.
With that being said here are some of the details:
- You need to be located and registered in the US or Canada.
- You can't be an existing HubSpot customer.
- Your mission needs to benefit the community by advancing social, racial, ethnic, cultural, gender, climate or educational justice.
- The discount only applies to Professional or Enterprise Tier products.
Let's summarise
As with any considered purchase, pricing is an important factor but certainly not the only one or perhaps even the most important. Your goals as an organisation and the particular problems you are trying to solve should be the main driver. Pricing should not be leading your decision-making process.
With that said, if HubSpot is within budget, then getting a good deal is the proverbial cherry on top. There are multiple ways to get better pricing from HubSpot by being willing to negotiate and getting creative about how best to structure your HubSpot package to suit both your organisational goals and needs and put some cash back into the proverbial coffers.