The short answer
It depends on the plan. Starter at $97 a month includes 3 sub-accounts. Unlimited at $297 and Agency Pro at $497 include unlimited sub-accounts, and Agency Pro adds automated sub-account creation through SaaS Mode. Contacts and users are unlimited on every plan, so the number of sub-accounts is the main difference between Starter and Unlimited.
What a sub-account is
A sub-account, also called an account or a location in HighLevel's help center, is the workspace where one business runs its CRM, funnels, websites, booking calendars and messaging. The agency view sits above it and holds system-wide settings and billing. The usual setup is one sub-account per client business, and a business owner using HighLevel for a single company works inside one sub-account. Each has its own contacts, phone numbers, pipelines and automations.
Limits by plan
HighLevel's pricing FAQ calls Starter a fit for a single business owner or a new agency, and says Unlimited lets you add as many clients as you want without your software costs increasing. That holds for the subscription itself. Usage and the add-ons HighLevel prices per sub-account still grow with every client you add, which is why a count of clients alone does not give you the full monthly bill.
- Starter: 3 sub-accounts, $97 a month or $970 a year
- Unlimited: unlimited sub-accounts, $297 a month or $2,970 a year, rebilling at cost
- Agency Pro: unlimited sub-accounts plus automated creation and SaaS Mode, $497 a month or $4,970 a year
- Enterprise: custom pricing through HighLevel's sales team
What each extra sub-account can cost
On Unlimited and Agency Pro the plan fee does not change with the number of sub-accounts, but several products are priced per sub-account: AI Employee Growth at $50 a month or Unlimited at $97, WhatsApp at $10, online listings at $30, the Branded Client Portal App at $49 and SEO at $79. Each client also needs its own phone number, from $1.15 a month for a local US number, plus A2P registration if it will text. Unlimited lets you rebill phone and email usage to clients at cost; Agency Pro adds a markup.
When Starter's 3 is enough
Three sub-accounts covers one business with room for a test or staging account, or a freelancer with two clients. A fourth client means upgrading to Unlimited, which is prorated if you do it mid-cycle. Starter also cannot rebill usage to clients, since rebilling starts on Unlimited, so on Starter every client's texts and emails land on your wallet. If you expect more clients within a few months, compare Starter plus a likely upgrade against starting on Unlimited.
More answers in HighLevel questions. For costs, see GoHighLevel pricing or run the cost calculator.