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One question that our HubSpot experts always come across is “What’s the difference between HubSpot Managed Onboarding and Guided Onboarding?”
Choosing the right onboarding for HubSpot can feel like navigating a maze. You want to get the platform set up efficiently without wasting time or money, but you’re not sure which option is right for your business, let alone what each option includes.
After helping hundreds of clients successfully onboard HubSpot, we’ve seen how picking the wrong onboarding style can cause delays, frustration, and missed opportunities.
In this article, you’ll learn exactly what each onboarding type offers, how involved you need to be, and which option suits your business best. By the end, you’ll have the clarity and confidence to choose the onboarding path that gets your team up and running smoothly.
What is HubSpot Guided Onboarding?
HubSpot Guided Onboarding is designed for teams that want to learn the ropes and take control of their setup. It’s a coaching and training-focused service where you do the bulk of the work, but with expert guidance every step of the way.
Here’s what’s included in Guided Onboarding:
With Guided Onboarding, you’ll get help mapping out your customer journey, configuring technical setups, and building essential tools like workflows, email templates, and landing pages.
Comprehensive Guide: Creating a Customer Journey Map for Sales Enablement
You’ll also receive training on HubSpot’s sales and marketing tools, so your team feels confident managing the platform on their own.
This option is ideal if you have some experience with HubSpot or want to get hands-on from the start.
It’s a lighter, more budget-friendly approach that empowers your team to build and manage your HubSpot environment independently, while still having an expert coach available to answer questions and keep you on track.
What is HubSpot Managed Onboarding?
HubSpot Managed Onboarding is the hands-off, done-for-you option where the heavy lifting is taken care of by onboarding experts. This service combines full setup and configuration with coaching and training, so you get a ready-to-use HubSpot system plus the knowledge to maintain and grow it.
Here’s what’s included in HubSpot Managed Onboarding:
With Managed Onboarding, your onboarding partner handles everything from data migration and technical setup to creating workflows, customising dashboards, and integrating tools. While you stay involved in strategic decisions, the day-to-day setup is done for you, freeing up your time to focus on your business.
This approach suits businesses that want a fast, smooth launch without the headache of figuring out the technical details. It’s perfect if your team is busy or lacks in-house HubSpot expertise but still wants to be trained and empowered once the system is ready.
Key Differences Between Guided and Managed Onboarding
Choosing the right onboarding service comes down to how much involvement you want and what kind of support your team needs.
The table below highlights the main differences between Guided and Managed Onboarding, from who does the work, to time commitment, cost, and control.
This will help you see which option matches your business style and resources.
| Aspect | Guided Onboarding | Managed Onboarding |
| Your involvement | High – You do most of the setup | Low – Experts handle most setup |
| Training included | Yes | Yes |
| Control level | High – You’re in the driver’s seat | Moderate – You guide strategy, experts execute |
| Time commitment | Higher – More time needed from your team | Lower – Less time needed from your team |
| Cost | Generally more affordable | Higher price reflecting full service |
| Best for | Teams wanting to learn and manage HubSpot themselves | Teams wanting a fast, hands-off launch |
In terms of inclusions, here’s a table showing exactly what’s included within each package:
Who Should Choose Guided vs Managed Onboarding?
Deciding between Guided and Managed Onboarding depends largely on your team’s experience, time availability, and how involved you want to be.
Choose Guided Onboarding if:
- Your team has some HubSpot experience or is keen to learn hands-on.
- You want to save on costs by doing the bulk of the setup yourself.
- You have time to dedicate to building workflows, importing data, and configuring tools.
- You prefer to maintain full control over your HubSpot environment from day one.
- You want ongoing coaching and guidance to empower your team.
Choose Managed Onboarding if:
- You’re short on time or lack the in-house HubSpot expertise.
- You want a faster, smoother launch with minimal hassle.
- You prefer experts to handle technical setups, data migration, and integrations.
- You want a ready-to-use system plus training to maintain it moving forward.
- You’re willing to invest more for a hands-off, done-for-you approach.
Both options come with expert coaching and training to ensure your team is confident after onboarding. The key is matching your business needs and resources to the onboarding style that sets you up for success.
FAQs
Q: Is Managed Onboarding too expensive compared to Guided?
A: Managed Onboarding is typically priced higher because it includes full setup and done-for-you services. However, it can save you time and avoid costly mistakes by having experts handle the technical details. Guided Onboarding is more budget-friendly if you have the time and skills to manage the setup yourself.
Q: Will Guided Onboarding leave me unsupported?
A: Not at all. Guided Onboarding includes coaching, training, and ongoing guidance. You won’t be left to figure things out alone, but you’ll need to take a hands-on approach to the actual setup.
Q: Can I switch from Guided to Managed later if needed
A: No. Once you opt for an onboarding package, you will need to finalise that. However, once finalised, if you need extra support we do offer ongoing support.
Q: Will Managed Onboarding make me dependent on the provider?
A: Managed Onboarding includes thorough training so your team can maintain and grow your HubSpot system independently after the setup. The goal is to empower you, not create dependency.
Q: What if my team is small or new to HubSpot?
A: Managed Onboarding often suits less experienced teams because it takes the pressure off them to get everything done quickly and correctly. However, if your team is small, Guided Onboarding can be more budget friendly, while still providing your team with the necessary skills and coaching to utilise HubSpot effectively.
Q: What do I get in a HubSpot Optimisation? How is this different to Onboarding?
If you’ve heard about our HubSpot Optimisation package, this is completely separate from Onboarding. This is perfect for you if your team is already set up on HubSpot and you’re looking to optimise, clean up and perfect your team’s HubSpot experience.
Read more about HubSpot Optimisation here.
Q: What industries do you specialise in?
Industries that have considered customer journeys. This includes B2B and any B2C where a customer journey can be defined. This includes B2C industries like education, home services, solar and more.
So, What’s Next?
Picking between HubSpot Managed Onboarding and Guided Onboarding comes down to how much hands-on work you want to do and how much expert support you need.
- If you’re ready to dive in and learn while doing, Guided Onboarding gives you the coaching and tools to take full control.
- But if you’re busy or want a quicker, done-for-you setup without the tech headaches, Managed Onboarding offers a smoother path with experts doing the heavy lifting.
Either way, both options include training and support designed to get your team confident and set up for success. Knowing the difference helps you invest your time and money wisely, so your HubSpot journey starts strong and grows with your business.
Now that you understand these onboarding options, you can choose the one that fits your team’s needs and get the most out of HubSpot from day one.
Get in contact with us here to apply for a HubSpot Subscription discount and enquire about our onboarding services.
