Onboarding vs. implementation: the best way to start with HubSpot

Signing a HubSpot contract is a big step. But the bigger question comes right after: how do you actually get started? 

You’ll need to decide between HubSpot’s own onboarding program or working with a Solutions Partner. And if you go the partner route, do you want partner-led onboarding or a full implementation?

These sound similar, but the difference shapes how quickly your team sees value, how much internal lift is required, and how well HubSpot gets set up to support your long-term goals.

Onboarding: the starter track

HubSpot onboarding is designed to build confidence with the platform. 

When you buy onboarding directly from HubSpot, you get a templated 90-day plan. You’ll sit in weekly sessions with a HubSpot specialist, learn how the tools work, and receive resources to configure them yourself. 

It’s standardized, repeatable, and delivered the same way across all new customers.

Working with a Solutions Partner doesn’t change the basic structure, but it often adds personalization. 

A partner can tailor the experience to your industry or business model, and you’ll likely get more flexibility in pacing and support. 

Still, onboarding is best viewed as a guided tour. You’ll be shown around, but you’ll be responsible for unpacking the boxes and wiring up the details inside HubSpot.

The upside is cost. Onboarding comes at a lower price point than implementation. 

The trade-off is responsibility: your team carries the weight of the actual build.

Implementation: building the foundation

An implementation is a different investment entirely. 

Instead of teaching you how HubSpot works, a Solutions Partner designs and configures HubSpot so it works for your business from the start. 

That means importing existing data, integrating the rest of your tech stack, setting up automation, and creating the foundation your team can immediately put to use.

Most implementations follow three phases. 

First comes scoping - understanding your business processes, goals, and current systems. 

Next is the implementation itself, where the partner builds HubSpot according to the agreed design. 

Finally, the training phase ensures your team knows how to use the system that’s been built for them. 

You don’t just walk away with knowledge; you walk away with a fully configured CRM and a playbook for how to run it.

Implementations require a larger budget than onboarding, but they also accelerate the time-to-value. 

Instead of spending months learning and configuring in parallel, you start with a working system, plus the strategic guidance of a HubSpot expert.

How onboarding & implementation compare

The clearest difference between onboarding and implementation is scope and speed. 

Onboarding runs for 90 days and focuses on teaching. 

Implementation can last a month or extend over a year depending on complexity, but it leaves you with a fully operational HubSpot instance.

Onboarding is like a realtor showing you a new house. You’ll learn how to turn on the water, how the locks work, and where the attic stairs are. 

An implementation is like hiring a professional organizer who unpacks your boxes, sets up each room, and then walks you through how everything is arranged. 

Both get you inside the house, but only one leaves you ready to live in it.

Another difference lies in expertise. 

Onboarding requires you to have HubSpot administrators or technical staff on your side who can follow instructions and configure the platform. 

Implementation requires no such internal bandwidth; the partner handles the work and trains your team after the build is complete. 

Unless you already have HubSpot admin-level experience in-house, implementation often makes more sense.

Making the right choice

The decision isn’t about which option is “better,” but which option matches your team’s capacity and goals. 

If you have internal technical expertise, onboarding can be a cost-effective way to learn HubSpot and configure it yourselves. 

But if your team is made up of marketers and sales reps who need to hit the ground running, implementation is the path that delivers both speed and confidence.

In short

Onboarding is about learning. 

Implementation is about doing. 

Both options will get you into HubSpot, but only one ensures the system is built to deliver value from day one.

Consider your RevOps strategy before you sign

Choosing between onboarding and implementation is essentially a RevOps decision. 

Revenue operations is about aligning marketing, sales, and customer success around shared processes, data, and tools. The way you start with HubSpot will either accelerate that alignment or create silos you’ll need to untangle later.

Onboarding gives you the knowledge to use HubSpot but leaves the heavy lifting to your internal team. If you already have an in-house RevOps function that can architect data flows, manage integrations, and enforce process alignment, onboarding may be enough. 

But if RevOps is something you’re still building toward, implementation ensures you get a system designed for cross-functional alignment from day one.

For a deeper dive into whether you should grow RevOps in-house or lean on outside expertise, see our perspective: In-house or RevOps agency?

Looking for a HubSpot partner? 

Starting HubSpot the right way can mean the difference between a long, painful rollout and a fast, confident launch.

RevBlack helps SaaS and PE-backed teams implement HubSpot with Salesforce as the source of truth. From data migration to automation design, we build HubSpot to match your business and enable your team to maximize it.

Explore more plays in our Knowledge Bank or reach out to us if you need help deciding which path is the best fit for your business. 

‍