Hermit CRM vs HubSpot
Prices and features checked on .
The short answer
Choose HubSpot if a team shares the CRM, or if you want marketing, sales and service in one hosted platform. Choose Hermit CRM if you sell on your own, want your pipeline as plain files on your own computer, and want AI tools such as Claude Code to work on it directly. Hermit CRM is free; HubSpot is free for up to 2 users, and its paid plans are priced per seat.
Side by side
| Hermit CRM | HubSpot | |
|---|---|---|
| Price for one person | Free and open source. There is no paid plan. | Free for up to 2 users. Sales Hub Starter from $7 a seat a month billed yearly, or $20 billed monthly. Professional from $90 a seat a month billed yearly, plus a one-time $1,500 onboarding fee. |
| Where your data lives | In a folder on your own computer. | In HubSpot's cloud. |
| Data format | Markdown files with YAML front matter: one per company, contact and conversation. Readable without the app. | Records in HubSpot's database. Export to CSV or Excel. |
| Works offline | Yes. It runs on your computer. Mail import, enrichment and Ask Hermit need the internet. | No. It is a hosted service. |
| Team use | No. It is built for one person. | Yes. Seats, teams, roles and permissions. |
| AI tools | Your AI tool reads the files, runs the CLI or connects to the local MCP server. No API key, no OAuth. Ask Hermit uses the AI command line tool you already have. | An API and an official MCP server. Built-in AI features use HubSpot Credits, a monthly allowance per plan. |
| Email and calendar | BCC or forward mail to a Gmail address you choose, and it is logged on the right contact. Past meetings come from your calendar's ICS link. No inbox sync. | Gmail and Outlook inbox connection, email tracking and BCC logging. |
| History and undo | Every change is a git commit, so every earlier version is kept and can be restored. | Property history on each record. |
| Source code | Open source, Apache License 2.0. | Closed source. |
| Runs on | macOS and Linux, in your browser. No Windows and no mobile app. | Browser, iOS and Android. |
| Setup | Download it and let your AI coding tool install it. It needs Python 3.11 and git and installs them when they are missing. | Sign up in the browser. |
| Maturity and support | Alpha software. No warranty and no support. | A mature product. Support depends on the plan. |
When HubSpot is the better choice
- More than one person works the pipeline.
- You want marketing email, forms, landing pages and the CRM from one vendor.
- You want inbox sync, email tracking and a mobile app without setting anything up.
- You need a vendor that supports you when something breaks.
- You work on Windows.
When Hermit CRM is the better choice
- You do your own sales, as a founder or freelancer, and nobody else needs access.
- You want your companies, contacts and conversations in files you can open, search and back up yourself.
- You work with Claude Code, Codex or another AI agent and want it to read and update your pipeline without an API key.
- You want every change recorded and reversible.
- You would rather not pay per seat, or move up a plan to keep a feature.
Hermit CRM is a free, open-source CRM for founders, freelancers and anyone doing their own sales. It runs on your Mac or Linux computer and keeps every company, contact and conversation as a Markdown file in a git folder on your own disk. A local web app gives you a pipeline board, a calendar of next steps, message drafts and reports. AI tools such as Claude Code, Codex or Claude Desktop can read and update the pipeline through the files, a small CLI or the built-in MCP server. It is alpha software under the Apache License 2.0, with no warranty and no support.
Moving from HubSpot to Hermit CRM
- In HubSpot, export your companies and contacts as CSV or Excel files.
- In Hermit CRM, choose Import a spreadsheet on the home page and upload each file. It recognises HubSpot's column names, shows a preview, and writes nothing until you confirm.
- Set up BCC capture in Settings, so new mail is logged from then on. Email history and notes stay in HubSpot.
Questions
Is Hermit CRM a free alternative to HubSpot?
For one person, yes. Hermit CRM is free and open source and has no seats to count. It does not replace HubSpot's marketing tools, and it is not built for teams.
Can I move my data from HubSpot to Hermit CRM?
Companies and contacts, yes: export them from HubSpot as CSV or Excel and import the files in Hermit CRM, which recognises HubSpot's column names. Email history does not come across.
Does Hermit CRM have AI like HubSpot?
Hermit CRM has no AI of its own and no credits. It uses the AI tool you already have: Ask Hermit sends your question to Claude, Codex, Gemini or another command line tool on your computer, and agents can read the files or use the MCP server.
Is HubSpot's free CRM enough for a solo founder?
Often, yes, if you are happy with your data in HubSpot's cloud. The free plan covers up to 2 users. Hermit CRM is the choice when you want the data on your own computer, in plain files your AI tools can read.