HubSpot is diving headfirst into AI. Through its Breeze platform, it's rolling out some genuinely useful tools for marketing, sales, and service teams that can automate tedious tasks and uncover new opportunities. But there's a catch, and it's causing a lot of confusion, and for some people, some seriously unexpected bills.
These new AI features run on a pay-as-you-go system called HubSpot credits. If you don't have a firm grasp on how they work, you can easily find yourself in a tight spot with your budget. The goal of this guide is to walk you through exactly what HubSpot credits are, how the billing works, and how you can use HubSpot's AI tools without getting a nasty surprise at the end of the month.
What are HubSpot credits?
The easiest way to think of HubSpot credits is like a special currency or tokens you spend to use certain AI features inside the platform. It's the new way HubSpot is charging for its more advanced AI tools, officially taking the place of the old "Breeze Intelligence credits" system.
Every paid HubSpot subscription (on the latest seats-based pricing) gets a monthly drop of free credits. It’s enough to give you a taste of what the AI can do. But let’s be real, if you plan on using these tools for anything more than a small test, you'll almost certainly need to buy more.
The whole model is based on a simple idea: you only pay for what you use. While that sounds great in theory, it can make your costs feel unpredictable if you're not keeping a close eye on every little action that eats up credits.
How the HubSpot credits system works: Pricing and billing
Getting a handle on the billing model is the single most important thing you can do to avoid surprise charges. It's not as simple as just buying more credits when you run low; the way HubSpot handles overages can affect your subscription for the long haul.
Included HubSpot credits and monthly resets
Your HubSpot plan determines how many free credits you start with each month. The higher the tier, the more you get.
| Highest Product Tier | Monthly Credits Included |
|---|---|
| Starter | 500 |
| Professional | 3,000 |
| Enterprise | 5,000 |
| Data Hub Professional | 5,000 |
| Data Hub Enterprise | 10,000 |
Here’s the first big "gotcha" that trips a lot of people up: your credits do not roll over. Any credits you don't use by the end of your billing cycle just disappear. This "use it or lose it" rule means you can't stockpile credits for a big campaign, which kind of pushes you to either use them consistently or buy more when a project pops up.
A screenshot of the HubSpot credits pricing page, showing the different tiers and costs.The cost of going over your HubSpot credits limit
Once you burn through your free monthly credits, you have to buy more. As of late 2025, they’re sold in packs of 1,000 for about $10 a month. But the real danger isn't the cost of a pack, it's how HubSpot deals with overages.
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Auto-Upgrades (The Default Setting): By default, if you buy an extra credit pack and then go over that new limit, HubSpot automatically bumps you up to the next credit tier. This isn't a one-time charge. That higher cost is baked into your bill for the rest of your contract.
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Pay-as-you-go Overages (The Safer Option): You can change a setting to pay for overages on a per-credit basis. This lets you handle a random spike in usage without getting locked into a pricier plan. The catch? You have to proactively switch this on, and you can only do it after you've already bought at least one extra credit pack.
Which HubSpot features use credits and what do they cost?
Different AI actions consume credits at different rates, usually based on how complex the task is. To have any hope of forecasting your spending, you need to know which actions cost what.
Here’s a quick look at the main features that use credits and why they can get expensive, fast.
| Feature | Action | Credits Consumed | Why It Can Get Pricey |
|---|---|---|---|
| Customer Agent | Handle one full text-based conversation | 100 | High-traffic support channels like live chat can tear through thousands of credits in a single day. |
| Data Enrichment | Enrich one company or contact record | 10 | Bulk-enriching a database of 10,000 contacts costs 100,000 credits. That's about $1,000. |
| Smart Properties | Populate one Smart Property for one record | 10 | Just like enrichment, one user applying this to a large list can trigger a massive, instant cost. |
| Buyer Intent | Create a new company record from intent signals | 10 | If you're tracking lots of topics, this can create hundreds of new records a day, each with a small cost. |
| AI Actions in Workflows | Execute one Breeze action (e.g., summarize record) | 10 | A workflow that accidentally enrolls thousands of records can become a money pit in minutes. |
| Prospecting Agent | Monitor one contact for a month | 100 | Turn this on for an entire sales territory, and it can easily become your biggest recurring credit expense. |
So, how does this play out in real life? Imagine you want to use a "Smart Property" to figure out the industry for 5,000 companies in your CRM. At 10 credits a pop, that one action will cost you 50,000 credits. If you're on the Enterprise plan with just 5,000 included credits, you’d have to buy a ton of extra capacity, which could easily trigger that auto-upgrade and lock you into a higher monthly fee for the rest of the year.
A better way than HubSpot credits: Predictable AI with total control
HubSpot's AI is powerful, no doubt. But its credit model adds a layer of financial risk and mental overhead that most businesses just don't want to deal with. The alternative isn't to give up on AI; it's to find a platform that was built for transparency and control from day one.
This is an area where a tool like eesel AI really shines. It's an AI platform made to connect directly with your existing helpdesk (like Zendesk or Freshdesk) and knowledge base, and it sidesteps the exact problems that rigid credit systems create.
A screenshot of the eel AI landing page, highlighting its features and predictable pricing.Transparent and predictable pricing
You shouldn't have to pull out a calculator for every AI action. eesel AI offers simple monthly or annual plans based on a clear metric: the total number of AI interactions. There are no per-resolution fees or weird credit math. Your bill won't suddenly double after a busy support month, which gives you the stability you need to actually budget for the year.
Plus, you can start on a flexible month-to-month plan and cancel whenever you want. This helps you avoid the long-term contract lock-in that makes HubSpot's auto-upgrade so stressful.
Test with confidence
One of the biggest issues with the HubSpot credit system is that there’s no safe way to test things at scale. One wrong click in your live account can literally cost you thousands.
eesel AI fixes this with a simulation mode. You can run the AI agent against thousands of your actual past support tickets in a safe, separate environment. This gives you a data-backed forecast of how it will perform and what it will cost before it ever talks to a real customer. You can tweak its instructions, add knowledge sources, and see exactly how your changes affect its performance without spending a dime.
You're in control of the automation
The danger of a HubSpot workflow going rogue and burning through your credits is very real. A poorly set up automation can drain your entire monthly allowance in minutes.
With eesel AI, you get selective automation. You have fine-grained control to decide exactly which types of questions the AI should handle and which it should pass to a human. You can start small by automating just one simple topic, like password resets, and watch how it does. As you get more comfortable and see that it's working, you can gradually let it handle more. This slow-and-steady approach is the key to managing costs and making sure your AI is actually helping.
This video explains how to turn off the auto-upgrade setting for HubSpot Credits to avoid unexpected charges.
Use AI without the budget anxiety
HubSpot credits give you access to some impressive AI features, but they also bring a real risk of spiraling costs if you're not careful. The system demands constant monitoring and doesn't leave much room for error.
To really succeed with AI, you need control, predictability, and a way to test without risk. Platforms that are built on these ideas are in a much better position to deliver real value without giving your finance team a heart attack.
Get started with predictable AI today
If you want the power of AI without the guesswork and hidden fees of systems like HubSpot credits, eesel AI offers a refreshingly straightforward and powerful alternative.
The setup is fully self-serve and takes just a few minutes. With powerful simulation tools and clear, predictable pricing, you can see what AI can do for your existing helpdesk today.
Frequently asked questions
HubSpot credits are a special currency used to access advanced AI features within the platform, replacing the older "Breeze Intelligence credits" system. You spend these tokens to utilize tools like AI agents, data enrichment, and smart properties.
No, any HubSpot credits you don't use by the end of your billing cycle will expire. They operate on a "use it or lose it" basis and cannot be accumulated for future use.
By default, HubSpot will automatically upgrade you to the next credit tier if you exceed your purchased credit packs, locking in that higher cost for the remainder of your contract. You can proactively switch to a pay-as-you-go option for overages, but only after initially buying an extra credit pack.
Features like Customer Agent conversations, Data Enrichment, Smart Properties, Buyer Intent, AI Actions in Workflows, and Prospecting Agents all consume HubSpot credits. Costs vary; for instance, enriching one contact costs 10 credits, while a full text-based customer agent conversation costs 100 credits.
The blog emphasizes careful monitoring of AI actions and understanding the credit consumption rates for each feature. It's crucial to be aware of the default auto-upgrade setting and consider switching to pay-as-you-go overages to prevent long-term financial commitments.
Yes, platforms like eesel AI offer a more predictable pricing model based on total AI interactions, without per-resolution fees or complex credit math. These alternatives often provide transparent costs and robust testing environments to avoid budget surprises.
