HubSpot Account Hierarchy: Business Units vs. Teams

Did you know that these days, businesses with a multi-size & multi-location setup actively use Hubspot in over 130 countries? 

What’s more interesting is the fact that these companies own multiple brands spreading over a multitude of business units in the Hubspot native UI. 

As a result, over 75% of the worldwide users from such businesses notice an overall increase in their company’s revenue, owing to the seamless blend of technology, deliverability, and features in the said platform.

Having said that, managing multiple brands under one company can get messy—different teams, different marketing strategies, and different customer bases. 

If you're using HubSpot, you’ve probably wondered along the lines of this common dilemma: Should I keep everything under one account with HubSpot Business Units, or should I create separate HubSpot accounts for each brand?

The answer is yes, and no, altogether. 

Why? It’s because, depending on your business requirements and customer persona, you may not need to use the business unit feature. In other words, it’s more of a one-size-does n’t-fit-all all analogy, but we’ll get to it in detail in this post later.

Both approaches have pros and cons, and the best choice depends on your company’s size, structure, and goals. In this guide, we’ll break down everything you need to know about HubSpot Business Units, how they compare to separate accounts, and how to decide which setup works best for your business.

Understanding HubSpot Business Units

If your company operates multiple brands, divisions, or international markets, keeping everything organized in HubSpot can be a challenge. That’s where business units in HubSpot come in—a feature available exclusively in the Marketing Hub Enterprise plan.

Think of Business Units as mini-HubSpot accounts within your main account. Each unit operates independently with its own:

• Branding (domains, email templates, landing pages)
• Content (blogs, CTAs, social media)
• Teams and permissions
• Reporting and analytics

But unlike separate accounts, all data lives in one centralized CRM. This means you can easily share contacts, run cross-brand campaigns, and compare performance across different business units.

Also Read:

• Custom Vs Default Hubspot Properties: What Do You Need To Configure First?
• Complete Guide To Creating Your First Set of Hubspot Marketing Dashboards
• How To Import & Clean Your Data Before a Major Hubspot CRM Migration?
• Mastering Lead Scoring In Hubspot For a Supercharged Sales Funnel

Who Should Use HubSpot Business Units?

This setup works best for:

• Large companies with multiple brands – If you manage several distinct brands under one parent company, Business Units keep them organized without siloing data.
• Global or regional teams – Different regions often need localized content, languages, and marketing strategies. Business Units let each team operate independently while maintaining oversight.
• Companies with shared customer bases – If your brands cross-sell or upsell to the same customers, having everything in one CRM avoids duplicate contacts and messy integrations.

Key Benefits of Using HubSpot Business Units

Although there are tons of benefits out there, the actual relevancy comes down to whether they’re applicable to your business or not. 

And you’ll only experience that after you have, or you’re already using the business units feature in one form or another.

Nonetheless, here are some of the key pros of using Hubspot business units for day to day workflow, tasks, processes, client management, outreach, and such other activities:

1. Centralized Data Without Silos

One of the biggest headaches of managing multiple brands is fragmented data. If each brand has its own HubSpot account, you’ll end up with duplicate contacts, inconsistent reporting, and no easy way to track customer interactions across brands.

With HubSpot Business Units, all data stays in one place. You can:

• Run reports comparing performance across brands.
• Share contacts between teams (with proper permissions).
• Avoid paying for the same contact multiple times (a major cost saver).

2. Independent Branding with Shared Resources

Each Business Unit can have its own:

• Website domains
• Email senders and templates
• Landing pages and forms
• Blog and social media accounts

But behind the scenes, you can still share assets like images, workflows, and templates across units—saving time and maintaining brand consistency where needed.

3. Granular Team Permissions

Not every team member needs access to every brand. With HubSpot Business Units settings, you can control who sees what. For example:

• A marketer for Brand A won’t see data from Brand B.
• Managers can have cross-unit visibility for reporting.
• Admins retain full control over all Business Units.

This is especially useful for franchises, agencies, or companies with strict compliance requirements (like healthcare or finance).

4. Cost Efficiency at Scale

HubSpot’s pricing scales with contacts. If you have multiple brands sharing a customer base, paying for separate accounts means you’ll be charged twice (or more) for the same contacts.

With Business Units:

• You get 10,000 contacts in the Enterprise plan (vs. 2,000 in Professional).
• Adding more contacts is cheaper (just $100/month for an extra 10,000).
• No need to buy multiple seats for the same users across accounts.

For companies with 4+ brands, Business Units are almost always cheaper than separate accounts.

The Downsides of HubSpot Business Units

While powerful, this setup isn’t perfect. Here are some challenges to consider:

1. Risk of Cross-Brand Campaign Mistakes

Since contacts are shared, a poorly filtered email campaign could accidentally go to the wrong audience. This is especially risky in regions with strict data laws (like GDPR in Europe).

How to avoid this:

• Use filters and segmentation aggressively.
• Set up approval workflows for cross-brand campaigns.
• Train teams on proper audience selection.

2. Manual User and Role Management

Unlike separate accounts where permissions are isolated, Business Units require manual setup. Every new user must be assigned to the right unit, and roles must be configured carefully.

Solution:

• Document permissions in a spreadsheet.
• Assign a dedicated admin to manage access.
• Use naming conventions to avoid confusion.

3. Single Billing (Which Can Be a Problem)

All Business Units roll up to one invoice. If your brands have separate budgets, you’ll need to manually split costs—something finance teams may dislike.

Workaround:

• Use HubSpot’s custom reporting to track usage per brand.
• Allocate costs internally based on contact volume or user seats.

4. Limited Asset Sharing Between Units

While some assets (like files and templates) can be reused, others (like landing pages or workflows) can’t be easily moved between Business Units.

Fix:

• Store shared assets in a centralized library.
• Use HubSpot’s CMS Hub for reusable global content.

HubSpot Business Units vs. Separate Accounts: Which is Better?

The right choice depends on your business model.

Here’s a quick comparison:

When to Choose Business Units

• You have 4+ brands under one company.
• Your brands share customers (e.g., cross-selling).
• You need unified reporting across teams.
• You want cost efficiency at scale.

When to Choose Separate Accounts

• You have 2-3 brands with no overlap in customers.
• Each brand has its own budget and team.
• You prefer complete autonomy for each brand.

Setting Up HubSpot Business Units for Success

If it’s your first time exploring Hubspot business units settings, a lot could go wrong. 

Just to stay on the safe side and align with the “time saving” factor, here are some common steps that you may want to consider.

1. Planning Your Business Unit Structure

Before clicking "Create Business Unit," take time to define a clear hierarchy. Rushing this step leads to confusion, duplicate work, and permission headaches later.

Define the Purpose of Each Business Unit

Ask yourself:

• Are these units divided by brand, region, product line, or function?
  • Example: A global apparel company might have:
    • Business Unit 1: "Brand A – North America"
    • Business Unit 2: "Brand B – Europe"
    • Business Unit 3: "Corporate – Global Operations"
• Will some assets (like templates or workflows) be shared?
  • Global branding guidelines might require standardized email templates, while regional teams need localized landing pages.
• How will teams collaborate across units?
  • Should marketing teams from different units share prospect lists?
  • Will sales teams need visibility into other units' pipelines?

Map Out Access Levels

Not everyone should have access to everything. Consider:

• Admins: Full access across all Business Units (usually IT or operations).
• Brand Managers: Edit access only to their assigned Business Unit.
• Regional Sales Teams: Read-only access to cross-unit reports but no editing rights.

Pro Tip: Sketch a permissions flowchart before setting anything up in HubSpot.

2. Naming Conventions: The Backbone of Organization

A messy naming system leads to mistakes—like sending a Brand A campaign to Brand B’s audience. Avoid this with a standardized labeling strategy.

Business Units & Teams

• Prefixes help:
  • "BU – Brand A – Marketing"
  • "BU – Brand B – Sales"
• Include regions if applicable:
  • "BU – Brand A – US"
  • "BU – Brand A – EMEA"

Assets (Templates, Workflows, Lists)

• Always include the Business Unit name:
  • "Email Template – Brand A – Welcome Series"
  • "Landing Page – Brand B – Product Launch"
• Use status tags for clarity:
  • "Draft – Blog Post – Brand A"
  • "Approved – CTA – Brand B"

Why This Matters:

• Prevents accidental use of wrong-brand assets.
• Makes searching and filtering easier.
• Helps onboarding new team members faster.

3. Permission Management: Avoiding Security & Workflow Disasters

Unlike separate HubSpot accounts, Business Units require manual user assignment. Without clear documentation, permissions become a free-for-all.

Create a "Permissions Matrix"

A simple spreadsheet should outline:

Approval Workflows for Cross-Unit Actions

If teams collaborate across Business Units, implement mandatory approvals for:

• Sending emails to shared contact lists.
• Using another unit’s templates.
• Editing global assets.

Example: A marketer in Brand A wants to use Brand B’s discount campaign template. The system should require Brand B’s manager to approve first.

4. Training Teams to Avoid Costly Mistakes

Even the best setup fails if users don’t follow protocols. Training should cover:

Segmentation & Audience Targeting

• How to filter lists by Business Unit:
  • "Always apply a Business Unit filter before exporting contacts."
• When to use global vs. unit-specific assets:
  • "Global assets = company-wide announcements. Unit assets = brand-specific promotions."

Compliance & Data Privacy

• GDPR, CCPA, and other regulations:
  • "Contacts in the EU must opt in separately for each Business Unit."
• Unsubscribes & preferences:
  • "If a contact unsubscribes from Brand A, does that apply to Brand B? Document the rules."

Real-World Consequences of Poor Training:

• A hotel chain accidentally sends a luxury resort promo to budget-tier customers.
• A healthcare provider mixes up patient communications between regions, violating HIPAA.

5. Monitoring Performance & Optimizing Over Time

Setting up Business Units isn’t a "one-and-done" task. Continuous monitoring ensures alignment with business goals.

Custom Dashboards for Each Unit

• Track KPIs unique to each brand/region:
  • Brand A’s dashboard: E-commerce conversion rates.
  • Brand B’s dashboard: Lead-to-customer time.
• Cross-Unit Comparisons:
  • "How does Brand A’s email open rate compare to Brand B’s?"

Quarterly Audits

• User Access Reviews:
  • "Does the former Brand B manager still have admin rights?"
• Asset Cleanup:
  • "Are there outdated workflows clogging the system?"
• Cost Allocation Checks:
  • "Is Brand C using 50% of contacts but only paying for 20% of costs?"

Are HubSpot Business Units Worth It?

For enterprise-level companies managing multiple brands, HubSpot Business Units are a game-changer. They eliminate data silos, reduce costs, and provide flexibility—without sacrificing brand independence.

But if your brands operate completely separately, with no shared customers or teams, separate HubSpot accounts might be simpler.

Still Unsure? Ask Yourself These Questions:

• Do my brands share customers or campaigns? → Business Units.
• Do I need cross-brand reporting? → Business Units.
• Are my brands fully independent with separate budgets? → Separate accounts.
• Is my team small and simple? → Separate accounts.

Need Help Setting Up HubSpot Business Units?

If you’re still on the fence or need help configuring HubSpot Business Units settings, let’s chat! 

At Pixcell, we’ve helped dozens of companies streamline their multi-brand HubSpot setups—and we can do the same for you.

Book a call today, and let’s figure out the best HubSpot structure for your business. 

Frequently Asked Questions

1. What’s the Difference Between HubSpot Business Units and Separate HubSpot Accounts?

HubSpot Business Units function as semi-independent divisions within a single HubSpot Enterprise account, while separate HubSpot accounts are entirely distinct instances with no shared data or settings.

When to Use Business Units

• Shared CRM Data Needed? If your brands or regions frequently cross-sell, share customer lists, or require consolidated reporting, Business Units keep everything in one place.
• Cost Efficiency a Priority? Enterprise plans offer better contact pricing—10,000 contacts for $3,200/month vs. 2,000 for $800/month (Professional). For 4+ brands, Business Units are cheaper.
• Centralized Management Important? Admins can oversee all units without switching logins.

When Separate Accounts Make Sense

• No Customer Overlap: If brands operate in completely different markets (e.g., a medical device company and a restaurant chain).
• Strict Financial Separation: If each brand must have its own billing and budget tracking.
• Minimal Collaboration: If teams never need shared workflows or reporting.

2: How Do I Prevent Data Leaks Between Business Units?

Without safeguards, a marketer in Brand A could email Brand B’s contacts—damaging trust or violating GDPR.

Here are some of the best strategies for preventing early

1. Strict Contact Segmentation
   • Always filter lists by Business Unit before sending.
   • Use HubSpot’s “Teams” feature to restrict list visibility.
   • Example: A filter like “Contact owner is in Brand A’s team” prevents cross-unit emails.
2. Approval Workflows
   • Require manager sign-off for campaigns targeting shared lists.
   • Use HubSpot’s automated approvals for emails with cross-unit filters.
3. Permission Layers
   • Limit “edit” access to unit-specific assets (e.g., Brand B’s team can’t publish Brand A’s landing pages).
   • Assign “View Only” roles for cross-unit reporting.
4. Training and Documentation
   • Conduct quarterly drills on list segmentation.
   • Maintain a “Do Not Email” spreadsheet for high-risk contacts (e.g., VIPs who only opted into one brand).
5. Audit Trails
   • Use HubSpot’s activity logs to track who accessed which lists.
   • Set up alerts for large list exports (e.g., “Notify admin if >1,000 contacts are downloaded”).

3: Can I Share Assets (Like Templates or Workflows) Between Business Units?

HubSpot allows some sharing, but with limitations.

What You Can Share

• Files and Images: Upload to the global “Design Manager” for all units to access.
• Custom Reports: Admins can clone dashboards across units.
• CRM Data: Contacts, companies, and deals are visible (with permissions).

What You Can’t Share (Without Workarounds)

• Workflows: Must be rebuilt manually in each unit.
  • Workaround: Document steps in a shared Google Doc, then replicate.
• Landing Pages/Emails: No direct copying between units.
  • Workaround: Save as templates, then reapply styles per brand.
• Blogs: Fully isolated.