HubSpot for Startups: Is It Worth the $? (+ How To Get The Best ROI)

HubSpot for Startups offers early-stage companies up to 75% off HubSpot's software in the first year, with continued discounts for years two and three. The program includes access to their full suite of marketing, sales, and service tools.

Who Qualifies for HubSpot for Startups?

HubSpot isn't handing out massive discounts to just anyone — you need to be a new customer. That means no previous paid subscriptions to HubSpot's Basic, Professional, or Enterprise plans.

If you’ve been using the free version, you’re still in the game (phew!).

Next, your discount depends on two things: your funding stage and your affiliations. Here’s how it breaks down:

• If you've raised under $2M, and you’re part of an approved VC, accelerator, or incubator, you can get up to 75% off (50% year one, 25% year two).
• If you’ve raised over $2M but haven’t hit Series B, you could still qualify for 50% off for two years, plus 25% off every year after that.
• If you haven’t raised funding but belong to an approved startup network like Lean Labs' accelerator, you’ll get 30% off in year one and 15% off in year two.

Not part of an approved partner program? No problem. Get in touch to get into our accelerator program and secure your 30% off!

How To Apply for HubSpot for Startups

The application is straightforward, but don’t wing it. If you’re going for the higher discount tiers, you’ll need proof of funding and a clear connection to one of HubSpot’s approved partners.

1. Confirm Your Tier – Check where your startup fits based on funding and affiliations.
2. Gather Your Docs – If applying for a 50%+ discount, have your funding proof ready.
3. Submit Through a Partner – Apply through your accelerator, VC, or startup organization’s portal. (Great news! Lean Labs offers an accelerator for exactly this purpose. Get in touch today if you're interested!)
4. Wait for Review – HubSpot typically gets back within 5–7 business days. They may ask for more documentation.

Once approved, HubSpot doesn’t just hand you the tools and walk away. Their startup program includes onboarding, playbooks, and strategy guides to help you get up and running fast.

Remember, HubSpot for Startups isn’t just a one-time discount—it’s a long-term investment in your startup’s ability to scale. HubSpot replaces multiple tools, saving you an average of $200–$300 per month while centralizing sales, marketing, and customer data.

Here’s what that actually looks like:

• A single platform that grows with you: eliminate silos between marketing and sales.
• Better customer insights: track every touchpoint in one place.
• Faster execution: use pre-built templates, automation, and startup-specific resources to speed up your sales cycle.

For many startups, this means thousands in savings while getting a growth system that scales from 10 customers to 10,000 without breaking

All in all, HubSpot is an incredibly powerful tool with all the features startups need to grow and succeed. However, every tool is only as good as how it’s used. Let’s now take a look at the best way to get the best bang for your buck as a startup.

1. Team Up with an Experienced Solutions Partner

The most critical tip you need to get the best ROI from your HubSpot investment is to select the right HubSpot Solutions Partner. 

Your HubSpot Solutions Partner is your right-hand partner in everything and anything HubSpot. The best partners go beyond technical expertise — look for a solutions partner who understands startup dynamics and growth patterns. They should demonstrate experience with rapid scaling, lean methodologies, and agile implementation approaches.

You’ll also want to check the certification levels of potential partners when choosing. HubSpot's tiered partner program recognizes agencies based on performance and expertise. Partners advance from Solutions through Gold and Platinum levels by delivering successful client outcomes. Diamond partners, like Lean Labs, demonstrate advanced platform mastery and are top-tier options for startups. The Elite status is reserved for top global performers in the HubSpot community. 

When selecting your partner, you may also want to request detailed case studies showing measurable impacts on metrics like customer acquisition costs, lifetime value, and revenue growth. 

The best partners provide comprehensive onboarding plans, ongoing support structures, and clear communication channels. Look for partners offering customized training paths for different team roles and skill levels. Support packages should include regular check-ins, performance reviews, and optimization recommendations.

When evaluating timeline and ROI projections, ensure they're based on concrete metrics and industry benchmarks. Partners should provide detailed implementation schedules, milestone markers, and expected value realization points.

Lean Labs has refined our approach through years of startup partnerships. We focus on rapid value creation while building foundations for scale, combining technical expertise with strategic growth planning. If you’re interested in learning more about our HubSpot onboarding and implementation options, see how we crush it on HubSpot!

2. Focus on Core Automation First

HubSpot is filled with a ton of advanced features and functionality. It’s easy to get overwhelmed and end up getting… nowhere. That’s why the next tip for getting the best ROI from your HubSpot tools is to focus on core automation first.

Effective automation starts with understanding your customer journey. Start by building lead scoring models that track meaningful behaviors like product page visits, pricing downloads, and demo requests. 

Related Read: 3-Step Proven Startup Growth Strategy (+ Examples)

Then, you’ll want to create segment-specific nurture flows that adapt to prospect behavior. For example, hot leads might receive case studies and ROI calculators, while colder prospects get quick-start guides and pricing comparisons. You can set up workflows to automate lead assignment and follow-up sequences based on qualification criteria.

Finally, design reporting dashboards that track key conversion points, pipeline velocity, and revenue attribution. Include trend analysis and forecasting capabilities to make it easier to make better decisions using real-time data. 

3. Develop Scalable Processes

As a startup, you know that scaling is the name of the game. If you want the best results from HubSpot, you need to set up your solution from day one to support rapid expansion. 

The first tip for keeping your HubSpot environment scalable is to document your processes. Include detailed workflows for content creation, lead management, sales processes, and customer onboarding. Build templates for common communications like sales emails, follow-up sequences, and customer support responses.

Related Read: Setting a Marketing Budget for a Tech Startup (+ How To Make It Profitable)

You can also simplify things by standardizing your workflow architecture with modular components that can be repurposed and scaled. Implement a structured training program covering platform basics, advanced features, and role-specific applications. Include regular certification requirements and skill assessments to maintain team expertise.

Finally, include automated checks for data consistency and performance in all your quality control processes. Establish clear escalation paths for issues and schedule regular review cycles to set you up for success in optimizing processes over time. 

4. Customize Your Ecosystem

You’ll never get the best results with a cookie-cutter tool. That’s why, if you want to maximize your HubSpot results, you need to tailor your architecture to match your existing workflows and business processes, not the other way around.

Work with your solutions partner to create custom properties that capture industry-specific data points and buying signals. Design pipelines that reflect your unique sales process and customer journey stages.

Build role-specific dashboards providing actionable insights for each team:

• Marketing dashboards tracking campaign performance and lead quality
• Sales dashboards showing pipeline health and conversion rates
• Service dashboards monitoring customer satisfaction and support efficiency

You should also develop branded templates for landing pages, emails, and forms that maintain consistency without slowing you down. 

5. Crush it with Integrations

Last but not least, if you want optimal results from your tools, you need them to play nicely together. As a result you need to work with your solutions partner to ensure your integrations are dialed in. 

Strategic integration planning starts with mapping your entire tech stack and data flows. You can’t do everything at once, so you’ll need to prioritize your work. Prioritize integrations based on:

• Revenue impact
• Operational efficiency gains
• Data accuracy requirements
• User experience improvements

Map your fields and set up clear validation rules to make your data transmission clean and simplified. You’ll also want to implement error logging and alerting systems to catch integration issues early.

Related Read: Maximize ROI: 7 Surprising B2B Marketing Growth Hacks

Monitor integration health through automated checks and regular audits. Track sync success rates, data quality metrics, and system performance impacts. Remember to document integration architectures, including:

• API endpoints and authentication methods
• Data transformation rules
• Error handling procedures
• Backup and recovery processes

Your solutions partner should provide ongoing integration maintenance and optimization, helping you keep your tech stack aligned with your business processes as you scale. 

HubSpot for Startups: Get the Most From Your HubSpot Account

Through this post, you’ve likely seen the value of HubSpot for Startups. This program gives startup founders and CMOs the opportunity to access some seriously powerful marketing, sales, and service tools at startup-friendly pricing. With strategic implementation and proper processes, the platform becomes a catalyst for sustainable growth.

Lean Labs specializes in helping tech startups and scaleups maximize their HubSpot investment. Our proven implementation methodology ensures you leverage the platform's full capabilities from day one. As HubSpot Diamond Partners, we understand how to build scalable foundations that support rapid growth.

Ready to accelerate your startup's growth? Schedule a consultation for your custom HubSpot implementation roadmap.