HubSpot Calling vs Aircall: The right call for you

Choosing the right phone solution can transform your sales and support operations. Here's what we learned from our recent Adelaide HubSpot User Group session.

Phone calls aren't going anywhere. Even with chatbots, social media messaging, and email automation, human support is still important for complex or sensitive issues. According to Forrester, 69% of customers still prefer it. 

At our recent Adelaide HubSpot User Group webinar with our CEO Ryan Jones and Aircall’s Lilli Watkins, they looked at two popular options: HubSpot and Aircall. Here's what they shared about each solution and how you can choose the right one for your business.

Why phone calls still matters in 2025

With all the digital communication channels available to us with ease, why does making a phone call remain so important?

A phone call offers something digital channels can't: genuine human connection that builds trust and drives faster resolutions.

The question isn't whether you need a calling solution; it's which one fits your team's needs.

HubSpot Calling: The integrated approach

HubSpot launched its calling feature a few years ago. It has been a game-changer for many businesses using HubSpot.

What HubSpot Calling offers

Seamless CRM integration: Every call automatically logs against the contact record, complete with duration, direction, and outcome. No more manual data entry or forgotten follow-ups.

AI-powered insights: With HubSpot's Breeze AI, you get automatic call transcriptions, summaries, and speaker identification. 

One standout feature is the ability to track specific terms. This means you can set up an alert every time someone mentions "competitor" or "budget" in a call.

Built-in coaching tools: Sales managers can see detailed analytics on talk time ratios. They can also review call recordings. Additionally, they can create playlists of the best and worst calls for training.

Nothing quite like telling a salesperson they spoke 94% of the time on a sales call to drive home the importance of listening.

The HubSpot Calling experience

With HubSpot, making calls is a straightforward process. Click the phone icon anywhere in your portal, search for a contact, and dial. The system automatically logs all calls and selects the appropriate outbound number. This is particularly useful for Australian businesses making international calls or vice versa.

The mobile experience is good, but HubSpot has faced challenges with making phone calls using your mobile in the past. The current version is much more reliable.]

Pricing and limitations

HubSpot includes calling minutes in many of its plans:

• Starter plans: 500 minutes per month (shared across all users and hubs)
• Professional plans: 3,000 minutes per month

For many, this allocation provides excellent value, especially when bundled with other HubSpot features.

Aircall: The specialist's choice

Aircall is a comprehensive communication platform designed for businesses with significant calling needs, whereas HubSpot Calling effectively manages basic functionalities.

Aircall's strengths

Advanced call routing:

• Smart flows allow sophisticated inbound call management
• Set up time-based rules, multi-level IVRs (Interactive Voice Response)
• Intelligent routing based on contact properties or team availability

Power dialer for outbound: For teams making a high volume of calls, this feature is a game changer. You can make a list in HubSpot. Then, you can use the power dialer to contact prospects. This tool helps you call automatically and logs your calls.

Multi-channel communication: Unlike HubSpot's calling-only approach, Aircall handles voice, SMS, MMS, and WhatsApp from a single platform. This integration is great when you want to deal with your customers using different communication channels.

Real-time coaching: Managers can listen to live calls. They can give whispered coaching  that the customer cannot hear. They can also join calls for warm transfers. This level of real-time support is invaluable for customer service teams looking to improve.

The Aircall experience

The platform offers both a dashboard for administrators and a workspace for agents. Setting up integrations with HubSpot takes minutes, and the bi-directional contact sync ensures data consistency.

One great feature is the contact insight cards. They show important HubSpot data during calls. This includes deals, tickets, and contact history. It's like having a personal assistant whispering context in your ear.

Aircall pricing

Aircall offers transparent pricing starting from its Essentials plan, with professional features available at higher tiers. They charge based on user licenses plus consumption for SMS and AI features. The minimum commitment is three licenses, making it more suitable for teams rather than solo operators.

Making the right choice for your business

We have created a comparison framework to help you choose the best platform for you and your team’s needs. Ultimately, the decision is yours. Both solutions provide far better alternatives to standard mobile or desk phones for communicating with customers, clients, and prospects.

Choose HubSpot Calling if you:

• Have a moderate volume (under 3,000 minutes monthly)
• Want simple, integrated functionality without additional complexity
• Are already heavily invested in HubSpot
• Need basic call logging and transcription
• Have a small team (1-5 people making calls)

Choose Aircall if you:

• Have high-volume needs (sales teams, support centres)
• Need advanced call routing and IVR capabilities
• Want multi-channel communication (SMS, WhatsApp, voice)
• Requires real-time coaching and management features
• Have distributed or remote teams needing sophisticated call management
• Need integration with multiple systems beyond HubSpot

The key to choosing the right phone solution is taking a strategic approach rather than rushing into a decision. No matter which platform you choose, we suggest you:

Start with a trial

Each platform provides a trial period for users to explore its features. Test them with real calls and real data to understand the experience.

Consider your growth trajectory

When anticipating significant growth in your operations, consider the effort involved in migrating from HubSpot's built-in calling features to a dedicated, specialised solution down the line. Aircall or HubSpot may just be the right fit for your business now and in the future.

Think beyond voice when it comes to your customer service

If SMS or WhatsApp communication is important for your customer base, this weighs heavily in Aircall's favour.

Training requirements

If your team is already familiar with HubSpot, minimal training will be required to use HubSpot Calling. While Aircall has more features, it requires more comprehensive onboarding.

Making the right call (... pun intended)

Both HubSpot Calling and Aircall solve real business problems, but they serve different needs. HubSpot Calling excels at simplicity and integration, making it perfect for businesses wanting reliable phone options without complexity. 

Aircall is great if making phone calls is important for your business. It has advanced features that improve customer communication for your team.

The key is matching the solution to your actual needs, not just the features that sound impressive in demos. Consider your call volume, team size, growth plans, and how central making phone calls are to your business success.

Ready to supercharge your calling operations?

If you're ready to improve your calling operations, start by auditing your current approach:

• How many calls does your team make monthly?
• What's your current call-to-conversion rate?
• How much time do you spend on manual call logging?
• Do you need multi-channel communication?

Answer these questions honestly, and the right solution will become clear. If not, we're only a phone call away!

Whether you choose HubSpot Calling or Aircall, the key is implementation that matches your team's workflow. As partners for HubSpot and Aircall, we have extensive experience using both platforms. Get in touch with us to discuss which solution fits your business best.