If you've logged into HubSpot recently and found yourself staring at a dropdown full of seat types wondering what on earth you're supposed to pick, you're not alone. Since March 2024, HubSpot moved to a seat-based pricing model, and while it's genuinely a better system once you understand it, the initial "wait, what?" moment is real.
Let's break down every HubSpot seat type in plain English.
Before March 2024, HubSpot's pricing was tied to features and minimum user counts. If you wanted Sales Hub Professional, you had to buy a minimum of five seats whether you needed them or not. Not exactly ideal if you're a lean team.
The new seat-based model flips that logic. Now you only pay for the access people actually need. Some users get edit access, some just need to see the data, and some need the full advanced toolkit. Hence: seats.
HubSpot currently offers four seat types: View-Only, Core, paid hub seats (Sales Hub and Service Hub), and Partner seats. Here's what each one does.
What is a HubSpot View-Only seat? A View-Only seat lets a user log into HubSpot and see all the data in the hubs you've purchased - but they can't edit, create, or send anything.
No editing contacts, no sending emails, no building workflows. Just read access.
This is perfect for the MD who wants to glance at the pipeline on a Friday afternoon, or the finance lead who needs to see deal values but has no business fiddling with sequences. View-Only seats are free and unlimited on paid portals, which is genuinely useful.
Worth noting: a handful of tools are completely off-limits to View-Only users, including social post creation and forms. So if someone needs to occasionally post or fill something in, View-Only isn't the right fit.
What is a HubSpot Core seat? A Core seat is HubSpot's standard working seat. It gives a user full edit access across all the hubs you've subscribed to, plus access to HubSpot's AI tools and the Smart CRM.
Think of it as the "I actually work in here regularly" seat. Marketers, ops teams, admins, and anyone creating, editing, or managing things day-to-day should be on a Core seat.
For Starter subscriptions, Core is the only paid seat type available. One Core seat is included at Starter level, and you can add more as you grow.
What is a HubSpot Sales Hub or Service Hub seat? These are role-specific paid seats available on Professional and Enterprise plans. They unlock advanced features within Sales Hub or Service Hub that go beyond what a Core seat provides.
For Sales Hub seats, that means features like sequences, advanced forecasting, and deal management tools built specifically for sales reps. For Service Hub seats, it's the deeper support tooling designed for customer success managers and support teams. Commerce Hub Professional and Enterprise also have their own equivalent paid seat.
Here's the key distinction worth remembering: a Core seat gets someone into the platform and its general tools. A Sales Hub or Service Hub seat is what unlocks the powerful, role-specific features at Professional or Enterprise level.
If your sales reps need sequences and deal management at scale, they need a Sales Hub seat - not just a Core one.
What is a HubSpot Partner seat? A Partner seat is a free seat available to certified HubSpot partner agencies. It gives partner users access to manage the account without taking up a paid seat from your allocation.
If you work with a HubSpot agency, this is how they access your portal without costing you anything extra.
Here's a quick way to work out who in your team needs what
If your HubSpot account existed before March 2024, you may still be on the legacy pricing model. HubSpot has been migrating existing customers in phases, with a commitment that pricing stays the same at migration and any renewal increase will be no more than 5%. When migration happens, your users get automatically assigned seat types based on their previous access levels.
That said, it's worth checking your Users and Teams settings after migration to make sure everyone's been assigned correctly. Automated assignments aren't always perfect, and a misplaced seat means someone either can't do their job or you're paying for access someone doesn't need.
The seat-based model is a fairer way to price HubSpot once you get your head around it. You're not paying for users who only pop in once a month to look at a report. You're paying for the people doing the actual work, and giving them the right level of access to do it.
The bit that catches most people out is the difference between Core and paid hub seats at Pro and Enterprise level. Core gets you in the door. Sales Hub and Service Hub seats get you the advanced toolkit.
If you're not sure how to structure your team's seats - or whether you're paying for more than you need - it's worth doing a proper seat audit. Start with who actually logs in regularly, what they do when they get there, and work backwards from that.
What is the difference between a HubSpot View seat and a Core seat? A View-Only seat gives read-only access to HubSpot data - the user can see everything but can't edit, create, or send anything. A Core seat gives full edit access across all subscribed hubs. View-Only seats are free; Core seats are paid.
Are HubSpot View-Only seats really free? Yes. View-Only seats are free and unlimited on paid HubSpot portals. There's no cap on how many View-Only users you can add.
Do I need a Sales Hub seat if I already have a Core seat? It depends on your plan. On Starter, a Core seat covers everything available. On Professional or Enterprise, a Sales Hub seat is required to unlock advanced sales features like sequences and advanced forecasting. Core alone won't give access to those tools.
What happens to my seats when HubSpot migrates me to the new pricing model? HubSpot automatically assigns seat types based on your existing user permissions. Your pricing stays the same at migration, and any increase at renewal is capped at 5%. It's worth reviewing your Users and Teams settings afterwards to make sure the assignments are correct.
How many HubSpot seat types are there? HubSpot currently has four seat types: View-Only (free), Core (paid), paid hub seats for Sales Hub and Service Hub (available on Pro and Enterprise plans), and Partner seats (free for certified HubSpot partners).
Can I mix seat types in my HubSpot portal? Yes. Most portals will have a mix - typically some View-Only seats for stakeholders who just need visibility, Core seats for the people actively working in the platform, and Sales Hub or Service Hub seats for specialist users on Pro or Enterprise plans.
Need help working out the right seat structure for your team, or not sure if you're getting the most from your HubSpot investment? That's exactly the kind of thing we do at Warbble. Drop us a message or book a Zoom call here