HubSpot has developed a reputation for being the Swiss Army knife of business software platforms. If you’re a business owner or marketer, odds are you’ve heard about its ability to conjure leads, convert sales, and even keep that one impossible-to-please client happy. But what happens when the prospect of unlocking HubSpot’s magic lands you at a crossroads? Should you hire a solo freelancer or a full-scale HubSpot Solutions Partner?
If your immediate reaction is somewhere between “Uh, what’s the difference?” and “Do I really need either?”, you’re in the right place. Think of this article as your trusty map through the wilderness of HubSpot support options—with a few signposts, some wit, and zero buzzword bingo.
Welcome to the World of HubSpot Support
It’s easy to assume that HubSpot is an out-of-the-box solution that will run itself while you sip cold brew and watch your pipeline fill. The reality is a touch more complex. HubSpot offers powerful marketing, sales, and service software all tied together with customer relationship management (CRM). But making the most of this toolkit requires experience, strategy, and the ability to resist toggling settings at random.
That’s where outside help enters the picture. Businesses typically consider hiring:
- Freelancers: Individuals with deep (sometimes niche) HubSpot knowledge, offering flexibility and à la carte solutions.
- Full-Service HubSpot Solutions Partners: Certified agencies with broad teams, deep bench strength, and a hotline to HubSpot itself.
Each approach has its fans. Each comes with pros and cons. Let’s break them down with fewer acronyms than a HubSpot onboarding session.
What Do HubSpot Freelancers Actually Do?
Imagine a HubSpot freelancer as the digital version of that handyman who can fix your leaky faucet, assemble your flat-pack furniture, and explain the plot of Tenet in under two minutes. They’re typically hired for:
- Website design and development within HubSpot
- Content creation and campaign setup
- Fixing that email nurture sequence you broke (no judgment)
- Specialized integrations, lead generation, and analytics
Why do some businesses love freelancers? For starters, freelancers are often more affordable and flexible. Pay by the hour or the project, hand over the brief, and get on with your life. Communication is direct, workflows are nimble, and they genuinely care about delivering results. Plus, having one point of contact can often mean quicker answers and accountability.
However, there are caveats. Freelancers, being only one person, may lack bandwidth for larger or urgent projects. If your project requires more than “installation and instruction manual,” you might end up managing multiple freelancers for design, integration, and analytics. Herding cats comes to mind.
Freelancers are exceptional for:
- One-off projects or quick wins
- Niche HubSpot needs
- Tight budgets with specific deliverables
But if your plan is to scale, automate, and integrate all the things, your one-person expert may eventually become overwhelmed (or unreachable when life intervenes).
Enter the Full-Service HubSpot Solutions Partner
Now, picture a Solutions Partner as the full-service car dealership, except you don’t leave feeling fleeced. These agencies are certified by HubSpot—not just any self-proclaimed “guru” can get this badge. Behind the façade is a team of strategists, developers, project managers, change management experts, and support staff who eat, sleep, and breathe CRM infrastructure.
What do they bring to the table?
- End-to-end strategy, onboarding, and optimization
- Broad expertise across HubSpot Marketing, Sales, Service, CMS, and Operations Hubs
- Project and change management (to keep your in-house team sane)
- Continuous training for your staff, even when someone in marketing inevitably quits to start a granola company
- Integration with your other platforms, whether it’s Salesforce, your billing system, or that niche app your procurement team loves
With agencies, there’s redundancy (someone is always covering your business), extended hours, and a collective pool of knowledge. They’ve seen it all—from businesses migrating their CRM after a merger to clients stuck in analysis paralysis (“Do I really need that report about reports?”). And thanks to their size, partners often get early access to HubSpot updates and deeper technical support.
But be ready for the following trade-offs: Solutions Partners are an investment. Compared to freelancers, the upfront commitment is bigger, often requiring contracts or retainers. With agencies, you may communicate with account managers who liaise with the technical team, so the relationship can feel a touch more formal (and, at times, slower if not managed well).
The Honest Scoop on Cost, Scope, and Service
Comparing the two options is a bit like comparing a food truck and a fine dining restaurant. Both can be outstanding, but each one suits a different appetite.
Freelancers:
- Lower rates, often hourly or project-based
- You’re their client. Their only client (sometimes). Expect rapid responses and personalized attention
- Efficiency for well-defined, small-scale needs
Full-Service Partners:
- Premium investment, typically via monthly retainers or multi-stage projects
- Teams of trained, certified professionals (and the occasional upstart with excessive enthusiasm for automation)
- Suitable for organizations looking for holistic transformation, ongoing campaign management, and 24/7 support
If you just want a blog built out, some templates created, or coaching on workflows, a freelancer (with the right credentials) may be ideal.
If you’re aiming to transform your business processes, unite sales and marketing, integrate multiple platforms, or just want someone to manage your CRM as your business scales, an agency is more like your business copilot.
What About Quality and Certification?
HubSpot’s certified Solutions Partners are required to keep their credentials up to date. That means ongoing training, early access to new HubSpot features, and commitment to high standards. Freelancers can also be certified—but there are no ongoing requirements, so due diligence is key.
If you’re thinking of hiring someone off a gig platform, make sure you ask about:
- Their certification status and ongoing training
- Relevant case studies or testimonials
- Experience with businesses of your size and sector
You don’t want to discover halfway through a lead scoring setup that they’ve only worked with B2C yoga studios, and you’re a B2B enterprise with 50 sales reps.
Build Smart, Grow Secure: The Long-Term Case for the Right HubSpot Help
Security and data management get more critical as your use of HubSpot grows. Agencies are likelier to be ISO 27001 certified (yes, that's industry jargon for “we take your data security seriously”). They’ll have protocols, documentation, and disaster plans that freelancers typically don’t.
And redundancy matters. If your only freelancer decides to move to a fiber-free mountain retreat, your business shouldn’t grind to a halt. Agencies have teams to cover vacations, sick leave, and the contractor equivalent of “gone fishing” days.
Go Big or Go Nimble? When Freelancers Outshine Full-Service Partners
If your wish list is short, clearly defined, and you have some technical background (or don't mind rolling up your sleeves), start with a freelancer. You’ll likely save money and, if you find a gem, can build a productive working relationship for years.
But if you’re looking for broad transformation, ongoing training, complex integration, and want to future-proof your investment—there’s simply no substitute for an experienced agency.
Even HubSpot themselves recommend agencies for businesses that want to achieve lasting change or have a global footprint.
Bringing It Together
Should you choose a freelancer or a full-service HubSpot Solutions Partner? The answer, as always, depends on your business goals, risk tolerance, and preferred working style. Freelancers excel at fast, tactical help when your needs are focused and your budget is lean. Solutions Partners shine when you’re ready to treat marketing, sales, and service not as an afterthought, but as pillars of ongoing growth.
But what truly matters is progress—getting HubSpot to work for you, not the other way around.
If you want a clear, strategic plan and long-term support that keeps your business growing (minus the tech headaches), consider Tactics MSP your next move. Reach out for a no-obligation conversation today and discover how our team of experts can make your HubSpot investment actually pay off.
