HubSpot attribution models compared for B2B SaaS

For most B2B SaaS companies, W-shaped for deal reports and U-shaped for contact reports. W-shaped gives 30% each to the first touch, the touch that created the contact and the touch that created the deal, which matches how a B2B sale moves. U-shaped is the closest fit on Marketing Hub Professional, where deal and revenue attribution reports are not included. The model matters less than using one consistently.

The model definitions, credit splits and plan limits on this page come from HubSpot's knowledge base, read in October 2026. The recommendations are editorial judgments based on those rules, not findings from a study.

Which HubSpot attribution model is best for B2B SaaS?

The answer depends on the report and the plan. The table sets out all nine models.

"No limit stated" means HubSpot's attribution documentation does not restrict the model to a subset of reports. Report types themselves depend on the plan, covered below.

Which plan includes which report?

HubSpot splits attribution reporting into three report types, each with its own plan requirement. Attribution reporting as a whole needs Marketing Hub or Content Hub at Professional or Enterprise.

This is the main constraint on model choice. W-shaped and full path are only available in reports that need Enterprise, so a company on Professional chooses among the other seven for contact reports.

How do single-touch and multi-touch models compare?

Single-touch models are simple and clearly biased. Multi-touch models spread credit and are harder to explain.

In B2B SaaS, single-touch models tend to mislead in a predictable way. First touch overcredits whatever channel brings in new names, and last touch overcredits whatever the buyer did just before converting, which can be a branded search or a direct visit. Using both side by side shows the two ends of the funnel. Neither should be the only report.

When does W-shaped fit best?

When the question is which marketing produced deals. W-shaped gives 30% to the first touch, 30% to the touch that created the contact and 30% to the last touch before the deal was created. The remaining 10% is spread across the touches in between.

Those three points match the three handoffs in a B2B SaaS funnel: a stranger becomes known, a contact becomes a lead, and a lead becomes a deal. That is why W-shaped is a sensible default for deal create reports. Its limit is plan access, as it needs Marketing Hub Enterprise.

When does U-shaped fit best?

When the question is which marketing produced new contacts, or when the plan is Professional. U-shaped gives 40% to the first touch and 40% to the lead conversion, with 20% across the rest.

It captures the first two of the three handoffs. On Professional, where deal and revenue reports are not available, it is the closest match to how leads are found and converted.

When do the other models fit?

Each has a narrower use.

• Linear suits a neutral audit of every channel involved, for example when a team suspects one channel is being ignored.
• Time decay gives more credit to recent touches with a 7-day half-life. That suits sales that close in days or a few weeks. In a long B2B sale it pushes most credit toward the final weeks and away from the channels that started the deal.
• J-shaped puts 60% on the conversion and suits judging conversion offers, such as a demo page or a trial.
• Inverse J-shaped puts 60% on the first touch and suits judging awareness channels.
• Full path spreads credit across the whole sale, including deal creation and the last touch. It is limited to revenue reports, so it answers which channels were present across deals that closed.

What has to be true before any model is trusted?

The touches have to be in the CRM. A model only redistributes credit among recorded touches, so missing data skews every model the same way.

Three checks apply.

1. Every contact has a source. Ad clicks need a click ID stored on the record. In a 2026 audit of 104 Google Ads accounts, 91% had no click ID reaching the CRM (The 2026 B2B SaaS Google Ads Waste Report, GrowthSpree, June 2026).
2. Deals are linked to contacts. Deal and revenue reports can only credit touches by contacts associated with the deal.
3. Ad platforms are connected. HubSpot can only include ad interactions it records.

The setup is covered in how to send CRM stages to ad platforms, and the wider picture on the attribution page.

How do HubSpot's models compare with Google Ads attribution?

They answer different questions. Google Ads uses data-driven attribution by default, with last click as the alternative, and only credits Google's own ads. HubSpot's models can include touches from every channel it records.

The practical rule is to compare channels in the CRM and to use each ad platform's attribution only for decisions inside that platform. Adding up channel totals from several platforms usually counts the same deal more than once.

Which model should a B2B SaaS company start with?

For most B2B SaaS companies, W-shaped is the best default for deal create reports, because its three main credit points match the three handoffs in a B2B funnel. On Marketing Hub Professional, where deal and revenue reports are not available, U-shaped is the closest fit for contact create reports. First and last interaction are useful as two side views. Time decay suits only short sales. Whichever model is chosen, it should stay the same from month to month, so trends mean something.

FAQ

What is the W-shaped attribution model in HubSpot?

W-shaped gives 30% of the credit to the first interaction, 30% to the interaction that created the contact and 30% to the last interaction before the deal was created. The remaining 10% is spread across the other touches. HubSpot limits it to deal create and revenue reports.

Does HubSpot Marketing Hub Professional include revenue attribution?

No. HubSpot's documentation limits deal create and revenue attribution reports to Marketing Hub Enterprise. Professional includes contact create attribution reports, which credit the touches that led to a new contact. A company that needs deal or revenue credit inside HubSpot's attribution reports needs Enterprise.

What is full path attribution?

Full path attribution gives 22.5% each to the first interaction, lead creation, deal creation and the last interaction, with the remaining 10% spread across the touches in between. HubSpot limits it to revenue reports. It suits companies that want credit spread across the whole sale, from first touch to close.

Should a B2B SaaS company change its attribution model often?

No. Changing the model changes every channel's share of credit, so month-to-month trends break. A company should choose one model per report type, write it down and change it only on purpose, noting the change wherever the report is used, such as in a board pack.

Is time decay attribution good for B2B SaaS?

Usually not as the main model. HubSpot's time decay model gives more credit to recent touches, with a 7-day half-life. In a sale that lasts months, that pushes most of the credit toward the final weeks and away from the channels that first brought the buyer in.

Conclusion

HubSpot's nine models differ in where they place credit, and two of them, W-shaped and full path, are limited to reports that need Marketing Hub Enterprise. For most B2B SaaS companies, W-shaped is the best default for deal reports and U-shaped the best fit for contact reports on Professional. None of them can credit a touch the CRM never recorded, so tracking comes first.

Sources

• Understand attribution reporting. HubSpot Knowledge Base.
• About attribution models. Google Ads Help.
• The 2026 B2B SaaS Google Ads Waste Report: An Audit of 104 Accounts and $78.0M in Spend. GrowthSpree, June 2026.