Compare/Head to head

folk vs HubSpot

Same facts, side by side: starting price, free tier, MCP, API and what each one is actually built for.

Starting price

folk

$24/member/mo 14 day free trial

folk is a lightweight AI CRM that combines LinkedIn capture, contact enrichment, sequences and pipelines. It suits small agencies and solo recruiters who want one simple place to track client prospects and candidates without the weight of a big CRM. Standard starts at $24 per member a month billed yearly, and there is a 2 week free trial with no credit card.

Where folk fits

  • Solo recruiters and small agencies tracking client prospects
  • Business development reps who source contacts from LinkedIn
  • Teams wanting CRM, enrichment and sequences in one tool
  • Users who want their CRM inside Claude or ChatGPT via MCP

HubSpot

$20/seat/mo Free tier

Free CRM plus paid Hubs for sales, marketing and service. Sales Hub Starter lists at $20/seat/mo, with a lower intro rate for new customers.

Where HubSpot fits

  • Revenue teams that want CRM, email and sequences in one login
  • Recruiters using HubSpot as a recruiting CRM and outreach hub
  • Teams connecting AI agents through HubSpot's MCP server
  • SMBs starting free before paying for a Hub

At a glance

DetailfolkHubSpot
Starting price$24/member/mo$20/seat/mo
Free tier–No✓Yes
Free trial14 day free trialNot on record
MCP server✓Yes✓Yes
Public API✓Yes✓Yes
Listed underCRM, LinkedIn, OutreachLead generation, Outreach, CRM
Capterra4.5 from 46 reviews4.5 from 4,485 reviews

Where they pull apart

folk

Stands out: folk bundles the LinkedIn extension, enrichment and email sequencing that a small desk would otherwise buy as three tools, inside a CRM that is quick to set up. Compared with HubSpot, the pricing is flat per member and the AI assistants for lead finding and scoring come in the entry plan.

Watch out: Email sequences, API access, custom objects and dashboards only arrive on Premium, which doubles the per member price. Enrichment and message volumes are capped per plan, so heavy outbound teams will hit limits.

Not the right fit for

  • High-volume cold email senders
  • Teams needing a full applicant tracking system
  • Buyers who want to pay by invoice rather than credit card

HubSpot

Stands out: A real free CRM for two users, plus a hosted MCP server at mcp.hubspot.com and a full public API.

Watch out: Professional and Enterprise carry required one-time onboarding fees ($1,500 and $3,500). The free CRM stops at two users.

Not the right fit for

  • Teams that need more than two users on the free CRM
  • Buyers who want to avoid onboarding fees on upper tiers

Pros and cons

folk

  • LinkedIn extension and enrichment in the entry plan
  • Simple per member pricing
  • Own MCP server and API
  • Sequences and API need Premium
  • Monthly caps on enrichments and messages
  • Credit card payment only

HubSpot

  • Free CRM for two users, no card
  • Hosted MCP server plus a full public API
  • Sales, marketing and service on one record
  • Free CRM stops at two users
  • Required onboarding fee on Professional
  • Sequences start on Professional, not Starter

What each one costs

folk

$24/member/mo

folk prices per member. Standard is $30 a month billed monthly or $24 a month billed yearly, and includes pipelines, email campaigns, contact enrichment, AI assistants, magic fields, the LinkedIn extension and email, calendar and WhatsApp sync, with 500 enrichments and 2,000 messages per member a month. Premium is $60 a month billed monthly or $48 billed yearly and adds custom objects and deals, email sequences, workspace roles, dashboards, API access and full interaction history, with 1,000 enrichments and 5,000 messages per member a month. Enterprise starts at $100 a month billed monthly or $80 billed yearly, with custom limits, security controls, custom integrations and a dedicated account manager. The free trial runs 2 weeks with premium features and no credit card, and only credit cards are accepted for payment. Confirm current terms on the vendor site.

Checked 4 Nov 2026

HubSpot

$20/seat/mo

Free CRM tools for up to two users, no card. Sales Hub Starter lists at $20/seat/mo, with a lower $7/seat/mo introductory rate currently shown for new customers. Professional starts at $90/seat/mo billed annually ($100 monthly) plus a $1,500 onboarding fee, and Enterprise starts at $150/seat/mo plus $3,500 onboarding. Confirm current terms on the vendor site.

Checked 4 Nov 2026

Common questions

Is folk cheaper than HubSpot?
HubSpot starts lower, at $20/seat/mo against $24/member/mo for folk. That is the entry plan on each side, so the real number depends on seats and the tier you land on.
Can you try folk or HubSpot for free?
HubSpot carries a free tier on our listing. folk offers a 14 day free trial.
Does folk or HubSpot have an MCP server?
folk and HubSpot ship a first party MCP server, so an AI assistant can work the product directly.

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Editorial listings, never paid rankings. Prices checked 4 Nov 2026. Confirm current terms on the vendor site. Spot an error?