The HighLevel Insider’s Guide
Everything we know about HighLevel in one document: what it costs, its grades, getting a refund, getting help and what else to look at. Read it here, or keep a copy.
HighLevel
The Insider’s Guide
Sales and marketing platform that agencies can resell to clients
Every plan, grade, refund rule and rival among CRM tools, read from HighLevel’s own pages.
Made by HighLevel LLC · checked Oct 5, 2026 · toolgpa.com
Contents
- 01WelcomeWhat it is, who it suits, its grades and the ten things to know first
- 02What it costsEvery plan, the free plan, ways to pay less and how prices have moved
- 03What it doesIts main features, where it runs, what it works with and who makes it
- 04Where it standsIts grades against its category, and whether to keep it or make your own
- 05The alternativesThe tools it is most often weighed against, side by side
- 06Quick answersThe questions people ask about it, each answered in a line or two
- 07About ToolGPAWho made this guide, what else is on the site, and how to cite it
ToolGPA put this guide together from HighLevel’s own pages, its app-store listings and our grades. Every fact in it is on HighLevel’s page too, where it is kept up to date. Checked Oct 5, 2026.
Part 01 · Overview
Welcome
What it is, who it suits, its grades and the ten things to know first
2.6
GPA, above 35 of the 48 other CRM tools we grade
HighLevel combines a CRM and sales pipelines with funnel and website builders, email and SMS campaigns, booking calendars, invoicing and workflow automation. It is aimed at marketing agencies and small businesses: each client or business gets its own sub-account, and every plan is a flat fee with unlimited users and contacts. Phone, messaging and some AI features are charged by usage on top of the subscription.
To get you started, here are 9 things to know about HighLevel, taken from its own pages and our grades.
No rating on record, and this is a platform you build on rather than open and use.
- 1
Best for agencies running marketing for many clients
HighLevel is the platform marketing agencies run clients on: CRM, funnels, websites, email and SMS campaigns, booking and automation, with a sub-account per client.
- 2
Paid plans start at $97 a month
As its pricing page puts it: $97 / month flat fee, unlimited users ($970 billed yearly).
- 3
You can try it first
14-day free trial on any plan; the card on file is charged when it ends unless you cancel
- 4
It runs on 6 platforms
Web, macOS, Windows, Linux, iOS and Android.
- 5
CRM and sales pipelines
Contacts, opportunities and pipelines with lead scoring and custom dashboards. Every plan allows unlimited contacts and unlimited users.
- 6
Unified conversations
SMS, Messenger, Instagram DMs, WhatsApp and live chat arrive in one conversation stream, alongside inbound and outbound calling.
- 7
Funnels, websites and forms
Builders for websites, funnels and landing pages, plus forms, surveys and quizzes for capturing leads into the CRM.
- 8
A 2.6 GPA, above 35 of 48
That is against the other CRM tools we grade, on value, the free plan, features, ease of use and platforms.
- 9
Keep it
To replace HighLevel you would be making email sent in volume that still reaches the inbox. That is not a weekend's work, with an AI app builder or without one.
HighLevel at a glance
- Pricing
- Free trial, from $97 / month flat fee, unlimited users ($970 billed yearly)
- Free plan
- No
- Free trial
- 14-day free trial on any plan; the card on file is charged when it ends unless you cancel
- Runs on
- Web, macOS, Windows, Linux, iOS, Android
- Made by
- HighLevel LLC, since 2018
- Category
- CRM Software
- Our grade
- 2.6 GPA, good
The report card
Best for agencies running marketing for many clients
HighLevel is the platform marketing agencies run clients on: CRM, funnels, websites, email and SMS campaigns, booking and automation, with a sub-account per client. Plans are flat fees with unlimited users, from $97 a month. But the trial charges your card when it ends, Starter stops at 3 sub-accounts, and calls, texts, email and premium AI are billed by usage on top.
| Subject | Grade | Comment |
|---|---|---|
| Value for money | C | Starter is a flat $97 a month with unlimited users and contacts, which only makes sense split across a team: solo it's dearer than almost any CRM here. Keap, a listed rival, is $299 flat. Calls, texts, email sending and premium AI are billed by usage on top of all of it. |
| Free plan and trial | D | No free plan, and the 14-day trial wants a card, which is charged when the trial ends unless you cancel first. Put the date in your diary. |
| Features | A | Contacts and pipelines with lead scoring, one stream for SMS, Messenger, Instagram, WhatsApp and live chat, builders for websites, funnels and forms, workflows, broadcasts, booking and invoicing. On top of that, a sub-account per client, and SaaS Mode on Agency Pro to resell it as your own. |
| Ease of use | C | No rating on record, and this is a platform you build on rather than open and use. Funnels, workflows, sub-accounts and phone numbers all have to be set up before anything happens. Every plan does come with 24/7 support, which you may want. |
| Platforms and integrations | A | Web, Mac, Windows, Linux, iPhone and Android, which is as many places as anything in this category runs. It connects to Google Workspace, Calendly, Mailchimp, Zoom, QuickBooks, Slack, Shopify and Stripe. API access starts on Unlimited at $297. |
An A is worth 4 points, a B 3, a C 2, a D 1 and an F nothing. The GPA is the average of the five.
Who HighLevel is for
- Fits if you're an agency managing several client accounts from one login
- Works for agencies that want to resell the software under their own brand, via SaaS Mode on Agency Pro at $497
Who it is not for
- Pricey if it's just you, at $97 a month before any usage charges
- Not for you if you forget to cancel trials, as the card on file is charged when the 14 days end
- Tight if you have more than three clients on Starter, since unlimited sub-accounts start at $297 a month
- Watch out: phone numbers, SMS, email sending, calling and premium AI are all billed by usage on top
- Pricey if you need HIPAA compliance or a white-label phone app, add-ons at $297 and $497 a month below Enterprise
Good to know
Good for
- Marketing agencies managing many client accounts from one login
- Small businesses replacing separate CRM, funnel, email and booking tools
- Agencies that want to resell software under their own brand
Worth knowing
- There is no free plan, and the 14-day trial charges the card on file when it ends unless you cancel.
- Starter is limited to 3 sub-accounts; unlimited sub-accounts start at $297 a month.
- Phone numbers, SMS, email sending, calling and premium AI usage are billed by usage on top of the plan price.
- Extras such as HIPAA compliance ($297 a month) and a white-label mobile app ($497 a month) are paid add-ons below Enterprise.
Part 02 · Pricing
What it costs
Every plan, the free plan, ways to pay less and how prices have moved
$97
A month to start
HighLevel is a paid product with a free trial, starting at $97 / month flat fee, unlimited users ($970 billed yearly).
Calls, texts, email sending and premium AI are billed by usage on top of all of it.
Starter
$97
per month, flat fee ($970 billed yearly)
3 sub-accounts with unlimited contacts, unlimited users, all core features and 24/7 support.
Unlimited
$297
per month, flat fee ($2,970 billed yearly)
Everything in Starter plus unlimited sub-accounts, phone and email rebilling without markup, and basic API access.
Agency Pro
$497
per month, flat fee ($4,970 billed yearly)
Adds SaaS Mode, automated sub-account creation, rebilling with markup, user and agent reporting, and advanced API access.
Enterprise
Custom
Custom terms for high-volume businesses and agencies, with a dedicated success manager, HIPAA compliance and a white-label mobile app included.
Trying it first
14-day free trial on any plan; the card on file is charged when it ends unless you cancel
Read from gohighlevel.com on Oct 5, 2026.
Ways to pay less
Annual discount
Pay for 10 months with yearly billing
The pricing page lists Starter at $970 a year against $97 a month, Unlimited at $2,970 against $297 and Agency Pro at $4,970 against $497, which works out to two months free.
Stated on gohighlevel.com
Part 03 · Features
What it does
Its main features, where it runs, what it works with and who makes it
6
Places it runs: Web, macOS, Windows, Linux, iOS and Android
Sales and marketing platform that agencies can resell to clients. Here is what it does, as its own site describes it, and what it covers: public API, AI features, booking links, sales pipeline, marketing automation, workflow automation, forms.
On top of that, a sub-account per client, and SaaS Mode on Agency Pro to resell it as your own.
- CRM and sales pipelines
- Contacts, opportunities and pipelines with lead scoring and custom dashboards. Every plan allows unlimited contacts and unlimited users.
- Unified conversations
- SMS, Messenger, Instagram DMs, WhatsApp and live chat arrive in one conversation stream, alongside inbound and outbound calling.
- Funnels, websites and forms
- Builders for websites, funnels and landing pages, plus forms, surveys and quizzes for capturing leads into the CRM.
- Workflows and campaigns
- Workflow automation drives follow-ups such as appointment reminders, missed-call text-back and review requests, and broadcasts go out by email, SMS or WhatsApp.
- AI tools
- Conversation AI, Voice AI, Content AI, Funnel AI and Reviews AI are listed as core features. Several carry usage-based charges, and AI Employee plans are paid add-ons.
- Sub-accounts and SaaS Mode
- Agencies run each client in a separate sub-account under their own branding. Agency Pro adds SaaS Mode for selling subscriptions and rebilling usage with a markup.
Where it runs
- Web
- macOS
- Windows
- Linux
- iOS
- Android
What it works with
- Google Workspace
- Calendly
- Mailchimp
- Zoom
- QuickBooks
- Slack
- Shopify
- Stripe
HighLevel is made by HighLevel LLC, and has been around since 2018.
Part 04 · Standing
Where it stands
Its grades against its category, and whether to keep it or make your own
35/48
Other CRM tools it is graded above
HighLevel's GPA of 2.6 is higher than 35 of the 48 other CRM tools we grade, and level with 4.
It stands best on features (A, above 45 of 48) and worst on free plan and trial (D, above 1).
Its paid plans start at $97 a month, against a middle price of $24 for the category: 44 of the 46 others that charge start lower.
On features, ease of use and platforms it scores 3.3 out of 4. 1 tool scores higher and costs less.
Each grade against the category
Every bar is all 49 CRM tools we grade, cut by the letter each got. HighLevel’s own letter is outlined.
- CValue for moneyAbove 18 of 48
- DFree plan and trialAbove 1 of 48
- AFeaturesAbove 45 of 48
- CEase of useAbove 1 of 48
- APlatforms and integrationsAbove 42 of 48
Price against what you get
Each dot is one of 47 CRM tools. Further left costs less; higher up scores better on features, ease of use and platforms. HighLevel is the marked dot.
What paid plans start at, a month (each step along is roughly double) →
Keep it, or make your own?
Whether this is something you could build for yourself with an AI app builder, and what you would give up.
Keep it
To replace HighLevel you would be making email sent in volume that still reaches the inbox. That is not a weekend's work, with an AI app builder or without one.
It is one of the better ones too: its GPA of 2.6 is higher than 35 of the 48 other CRM tools we grade. It costs $1,164 a year.
What you could make
- Sales pipeline and forms: an app builder makes these well.
What you could not
- Email sent in volume that still reaches the inbox.
- Connections to other products, each kept working as those products change.
- Booking pages that read and write other people's calendars and send the emails.
- Apps for macOS, Windows, Linux, iOS and Android that stay in step with each other.
- AI features, unless you pay a model provider for each request yourself.
- The depth: we grade its features A, which means it covers the whole job.
What this rests on. HighLevel’s listing: what it does, where it runs, what it plugs into and what it costs. It is a judgement about the kind of software this is. We have not built a replacement for it, and making your own means looking after it too. How we decide, and every tool’s verdict.
Part 05 · Alternatives
The alternatives
The tools it is most often weighed against, side by side
Keap, HubSpot, EngageBay, Ontraport and Salesmate
The 5 tools HighLevel is most often weighed against, with where each one differs from it.
- 2.2GPA
Keap
Free trial · from $299/mo
CRM with sales and marketing automation for small businesses.
- Only HighLevel lists macOS, Windows and Linux apps.
- Keap also covers invoicing.
- 3.2GPA
HubSpot
Free plan · from $20/mo
Free CRM at the center of a marketing, sales and service suite.
- HubSpot has a free plan. HighLevel does not, though it has a free trial.
- Only HighLevel lists macOS, Windows and Linux apps.
- Only HubSpot lists a browser extension.
- 2.4GPA
EngageBay
Free plan · from $13.79/mo
All-in-one marketing, sales and support CRM for small teams.
- EngageBay has a free plan. HighLevel does not, though it has a free trial.
- Only HighLevel lists macOS, Windows and Linux apps.
- 2.4GPA
Ontraport
Free trial
CRM with marketing automation, payments and membership sites.
- Only HighLevel lists macOS, Windows and Linux apps.
- Ontraport also covers shared inbox.
- 2.6GPA
Salesmate
Free trial · from $23/mo
CRM with sales, marketing automation and support tools in one.
- Only HighLevel lists macOS, Windows and Linux apps.
- Only Salesmate lists a browser extension.
Part 06 · Questions
Quick answers
The questions people ask about it, each answered in a line or two
12
Questions, each answered in a line or two
The short version of everything above, for when you only need the answer. Each one is told in full in its part of the guide.
Is HighLevel free?
No, HighLevel is a paid product, but you can try it first. 14-day free trial on any plan; the card on file is charged when it ends unless you cancel.
How much does HighLevel cost?
HighLevel lists 4 plans. Starter: $97 per month, flat fee ($970 billed yearly).
What platforms does HighLevel work on?
HighLevel is available on Web, macOS, Windows, Linux, iOS and Android.
Does HighLevel offer any discounts?
HighLevel publicly lists the following: Pay for 10 months with yearly billing.
Is HighLevel open source?
HighLevel is not described as open source on its own site, as read on Oct 5, 2026.
Does HighLevel have an API?
Yes. HighLevel offers a public API, according to its own site.
What does HighLevel integrate with?
HighLevel's listing names Google Workspace, Calendly, Mailchimp, Zoom, QuickBooks, Slack, Shopify and Stripe.
Who makes HighLevel?
HighLevel is made by HighLevel LLC. It dates from 2018.
What are the alternatives to HighLevel?
The closest alternatives to HighLevel in our directory are Keap, HubSpot, EngageBay, Ontraport and Salesmate.
How does HighLevel compare with other CRM tools?
HighLevel's GPA of 2.6 is higher than 35 of the 48 other CRM tools we grade, and level with 4.
Is HighLevel good value for money?
ToolGPA grades HighLevel C for value for money. Its paid plans start at $97 a month, against a middle price of $24 for the category: 44 of the 46 others that charge start lower.
Could I make my own version of HighLevel?
To replace HighLevel you would be making email sent in volume that still reaches the inbox.
Where this guide comes from
The prices, plans, platforms and features were read from HighLevel’s own pages on Oct 5, 2026, and the grades were given on Oct 10, 2026. Graded from this listing, whose facts were read from HighLevel's own pages on 5 October 2026. Also tested with a demo account on 2026-04-08.
Every tool we list gets five grades, A to F, each with its reason, and a GPA that averages them. How each is decided is at toolgpa.com/grades. This guide is ToolGPA’s own work; it is not made, paid for or approved by HighLevel LLC. Prices change, so check gohighlevel.com before you buy.
Part 07 · About
About ToolGPA
Who made this guide, what else is on the site, and how to cite it
3,189
Tools graded, in 94 categories
ToolGPA grades software the way a school report grades a pupil: five subjects, a letter for each with the reason written beside it, and a GPA that averages them. Prices, plans and platforms are read from each maker’s own pages and dated, so you always know how fresh a figure is.
Every grade, review and ranking on ToolGPA is our own judgement. No company can pay for a grade or change one. Every tool on the site has a guide like this one, free to download and pass on. It all lives at toolgpa.com.
3,189
tools graded
94
categories
426
price changes on record
579
apps priced in 12 countries
What else is on toolgpa.com
- HighLevel, kept up to dateEverything in this guide, with prices and grades as they are todaytoolgpa.com/tools/highlevel
- How grades are givenThe rules behind every letter and every GPAtoolgpa.com/grades
- Value chartsWhat each tool costs against what it scores, for every categorytoolgpa.com/charts
- CompareAny two tools side by side, plan by plantoolgpa.com/compare
- Price changesEvery price rise and cut on record, each with its sourcetoolgpa.com/price-changes
- Prices by countryWhat apps cost on the App Store in 12 countriestoolgpa.com/prices-by-country
- Pay lessEvery public discount: yearly billing, students, nonprofitstoolgpa.com/save
- Keep or makeWhich tools are worth paying for, and which you could build yourselftoolgpa.com/keep-or-make
Scan for the live page
Prices and grades as they are today
Quoting this guide?
Please name ToolGPA and link to the live page, so readers can check the figures for themselves:
ToolGPA, "HighLevel: The Insider's Guide", checked Oct 5, 2026. https://toolgpa.com/tools/highlevel
Know someone choosing between CRM tools?
Send them this guide: toolgpa.com/tools/highlevel/guide
ToolGPA elsewhere: youtube.com/@toolgpa
See our other guides
The best-graded CRM tools after HighLevel, each with an Insider's Guide of its own.
- CRM Software Insider's GuideEvery one of the 49 CRM tools we grade, compared
- HubSpot Insider's GuideFree CRM at the center of a marketing, sales and service suite3.2 GPA
- Bigin by Zoho CRM Insider's GuidePipeline-based CRM from Zoho for small businesses2.8 GPA
- Bitrix24 Insider's GuideFlat-priced CRM with tasks, chat, video calls and a site builder2.8 GPA
Choosing software? Every tool graded, every price dated.
Compare tools at toolgpa.com ›Everything in this guide is ToolGPA’s own summary of what HighLevel’s pages, its app-store listings and public reviews said on the dates shown. Grades are our judgement under the rules at toolgpa.com/grades. Every grade, review and ranking on ToolGPA is our own judgement. No company can pay for a grade or change one. HighLevel is a trademark of its owner, and this guide is not made, paid for or approved by HighLevel LLC. Prices and plans change: check gohighlevel.com before you buy.