Feeling trapped by Salesforce’s high prices and confusing features?
You’re not alone.
Many small businesses are ditching the big-name CRM and finding better value elsewhere.
In this post, we’ll break down the 15 best Salesforce alternatives that can save you money and headaches while boosting your sales.
Think of it as your guide to escaping Salesforce prison and finding CRM freedom!
What is the Best Salesforce Alternative?
It depends on what you need!
Some CRMs are great for small businesses with simple needs.
Others have powerful features for bigger teams.
We’ve got options for every budget, from free trials to paid plans. Ready to see our top picks? Let’s dive in!
1. Gohighlevel
Ever wished you could have all your marketing tools in one place?
That’s what GoHighLevel aims to do. It’s a platform designed to be an all-in-one solution for marketing agencies and businesses.
Think of it like a Swiss Army knife for your marketing needs.
You get CRM features, email marketing, landing page builders, and even a call-tracking system. It’s pretty powerful stuff.
Our Take
GoHighLevel is a solid choice for agencies and businesses that need a comprehensive marketing solution. The automation features are top-notch, and the white-labeling options are a big plus. However, the pricing may be a barrier for some, and the sheer number of features can feel overwhelming at first.
Key Benefits
- Automation powerhouse: GoHighLevel lets you automate pretty much anything, from email sequences to appointment scheduling. This frees up your time to focus on what matters most.
- White-label friendly: Want to offer these tools to your clients under your own brand? GoHighLevel makes it easy with white-labeling options.
- Built-in courses and training: They have a ton of resources to help you learn the platform and get the most out of it.
Pricing
- Starter: $97/seat per month.
- Unlimited: $297/seat per month.
Pros
Cons
2. Keap
Keap is a CRM designed with small businesses in mind.
It aims to simplify your sales and marketing efforts by bringing everything under one roof.
Think of it as your digital marketing assistant, helping you organize contacts, automate tasks, and close more deals.
Our Take
Keap is a fantastic option for small businesses to streamline their sales and marketing efforts. It’s user-friendly and packed with valuable features. However, it may not be best for larger companies with more complex needs.
Key Benefits
- Built-in email marketing: Send targeted emails to your audience.
- Easy-to-use automation: Automate tasks like sending follow-up messages and assigning leads.
- Sales pipeline management: Track your deals and identify opportunities.
- Ecommerce integrations: Connect Keap with your online store to manage orders and customers.
Pricing
Keap offers a free trial and a simple pricing structure to get you started.
- Starting at $299/month for 2 users and 1500 contacts.
Pros
Cons
3. ActiveCampaign
ActiveCampaign is a popular choice for businesses that want to take their email marketing and automation to the next level.
It’s more than just a CRM; it’s a full-fledged marketing automation platform with some really powerful features.
Think of it as your secret weapon for nurturing leads and building lasting customer relationships.
Our Take
ActiveCampaign is an excellent choice for businesses that want to leverage the true power of email marketing and automation. However, it may not be the best fit for beginners due to its complexity.
Key Benefits
- Advanced automation: Create complex workflows to nurture leads and automate tasks.
- Email marketing powerhouse: Send beautiful and effective email campaigns.
- Built-in CRM: Manage contacts and track interactions.
- Segmentation and personalization: Target specific groups of contacts with personalized messages.
Pricing
ActiveCampaign offers a 14-day free trial. Paid plans start at $29 monthly for up to 500 contacts and limited features. Here’s a look at their pricing tiers:
- Starter: $15/month for 1 user.
- Plus: $49/month for 1 user.
- Pro: $79/month for 3 user.
- Enterprise: $145/month for 5 user.
Pros
Cons
4. Freshsales CRM
Freshsales is a CRM designed to help businesses attract, manage, and close deals.
It’s known for its user-friendly interface and focus on improving sales productivity.
Think of it as a refreshing take on CRM, with a modern design and intuitive features.
Our Take
Freshsales CRM is a solid choice for businesses prioritizing ease of use and affordability. It’s a great way to use CRM without a steep learning curve.
Key Benefits
- User-friendly interface: Easy to navigate and learn.
- Built-in phone and email: Connect with customers directly from the platform.
- AI-powered insights: Get helpful suggestions and predictions.
- Affordable pricing: Offers a free plan and competitive paid plans.
Pricing
Freshsales CRM has a free forever plan for up to three users. Paid plans start at $15/ user per month. Here’s a look at their pricing tiers:
- Free: Basic CRM features for small teams.
- Growth: $9/user per month
- Pro: $39/user per month
- Enterprise: $59/user per month
Pros
Cons
5. Instantly
Instantly aims to streamline your outreach efforts by combining email automation, a robust deliverability network, and a built-in CRM.
It’s a good option for businesses that rely heavily on cold email outreach and want to improve their deliverability rates.
Our Take
Instantly is a valuable tool for businesses that want to ramp up their outreach efforts. However, it’s important to note that it’s primarily an outreach platform, not a complete CRM solution.
Key Benefits
- Multi-channel outreach: Connect with prospects through email, LinkedIn, Twitter, and more.
- Personalized messaging: Tailor your messages to each recipient.
- Automated follow-ups: Stay top-of-mind without lifting a finger.
- Detailed analytics: Track your progress and identify what’s working.
Pricing
- Growth: $37/month for 5000 emails
- Hypergrowth: $97/month for 100000 emails
- Light Speed: $358/month for 500000 emails
Pros
Cons
6. HubSpot
HubSpot is often the first name that comes to mind when people think of CRM.
It’s a powerful platform that offers a wide range of tools for marketing, sales, customer service, and operations.
Think of it as a comprehensive suite that can help you attract, engage, and delight customers throughout their entire journey.
Our Take
HubSpot is a powerful platform with many features, but you must consider your budget and needs before committing. It’s a good choice for businesses that want a comprehensive solution & are willing to invest in it.
Key Benefits
- Free CRM: Start with a free plan with basic CRM features.
- All-in-one platform: Access a marketing, sales, and service tools suite.
- Extensive community and resources: Benefit from a wealth of knowledge and support.
- Inbound marketing focus: Attract and engage leads with valuable content.
Pricing
- Marketing Hub Starter: $20/month/seat
- Starter Custom Platform: $20/month/seat
- Marketing Hub Professional: $890/month/seat
- Marketing Hub Enterprise: Custom Pricing.
Pros
Cons
7. HoneyBook
HoneyBook is a CRM specifically designed for small businesses and freelancers in the creative industry.
It helps you manage projects, book clients, send invoices, and get paid, all in one place.
Think of it as a client management platform tailored to the needs of creative professionals.
Our Take
HoneyBook is a valuable tool for freelancers and small businesses wanting to simplify client management processes.
Key Benefits
- Project management tools: Keep your projects organized and on track.
- Invoicing and payment processing: Get paid faster and easier.
- Client communication tools: Stay connected with your clients throughout the project lifecycle.
- Beautiful templates and branding: Create professional proposals and contracts.
Pricing
- Starter: $19/month
- Essential: $39/month
- Premium: $79/month
Pros
Cons
8. Zendesk
Zendesk is a well-known name in the customer service world, but they also offer a CRM called Zendesk Sell.
It’s designed to be a simple and intuitive sales CRM that helps teams close more deals.
Think of it as a streamlined tool that focuses on the essentials of sales management.
Our Take
Zendesk Sell is a good choice for businesses that want to combine their sales and support efforts. However, it may not be the best choice for companies with complex sales needs.
Key Benefits
- Integrated with Zendesk Support: Connect your sales and support teams.
- Focus on customer interactions: Track all customer communications in one place.
- Easy to use and navigate: User-friendly interface for efficient workflows.
- Built-in reporting and analytics: Track your progress and identify areas for improvement.
Pricing
- Suite Team: $55/user per month.
- Suite Growth: $89/user per month.
- Suite Professional: $115 per month.
- Suite Enterprise; Custom Pricing.
Pros
Cons
9. Creatio CRM
Creatio CRM is a low-code platform that offers a suite of CRM tools for sales, marketing, and service.
It’s designed to help businesses automate their processes and improve customer engagement.
Think of it as a flexible and powerful CRM that can adapt to your unique needs.
Our Take
Creatio CRM is a powerful solution for businesses that need a highly customizable CRM. However, it may not be the best fit for those new to CRM or with limited technical resources.
Key Benefits
- Low-code platform: Customize and automate your workflows without coding.
- Visual process designer: Easily map out and manage your sales processes.
- AI-powered features: Get insights and predictions to improve your sales performance.
- Scalable for growth: Adapt the platform as your business evolves.
Pricing
- Growth: $25/user per month.
- Enterprise: $55/user per month.
- Unlimited: $85/user per month.
Pros
Cons
10. Copper CRM
Copper is a CRM designed specifically for Google Workspace users.
It integrates seamlessly with Google apps like Gmail, Calendar, and Drive, making it a great choice for businesses that rely heavily on Google’s ecosystem.
Think of it as a CRM that lives within your Google Workspace, streamlining your workflows and improving productivity.
Our Take
Copper CRM is a very good choice for businesses that rely heavily on Google Workspace and want a simple and efficient CRM solution.
Key Benefits
- Deep Google Workspace integration: Works seamlessly with your favorite Google apps.
- Simple & intuitive interface: Easy to learn and use.
- Automated data entry: Saves you time and reduces manual effort.
- Focus on relationship building: Helps you nurture and strengthen customer relationships.
Pricing
- Starter: $12/seat per month
- Basic: $29/seat per month
- Professional: $69/seat per month
- Business: $134/seat per month
Pros
Cons
11. Nimble CRM
Want a CRM that helps you build stronger relationships?
Nimble CRM is a relationship-focused platform that enables you to connect with your contacts across different channels.
It pulls together information from various sources to give you a complete view of your contacts and their interactions with your business.
Our Take
HoneyBook is a valuable tool for freelancers and small businesses wanting to simplify client management processes.
Key Benefits
- Unified contact management: See all your contact information in one place.
- Social media integration: Connect with your contacts on social media.
- Relationship insights: Get a deeper understanding of your contacts and their needs.
- Email tracking and templates: Improve your email communication.
Pricing
Nimble CRM offers a 14-day free trial. Paid plans start at $29/ user per month. They also provide a “Nimble Business” plan that includes additional features for teams.
Pros
Cons
12. Monday CRM
Monday.com is a popular project management platform that also offers CRM functionality.
It’s a great choice for teams that want to manage their projects and customer relationships in one central hub.
Think of it as a visual and collaborative platform that brings your work and customer interactions together.
Our Take
Monday CRM is a good choice for businesses that want a visually appealing and easy-to-use CRM. However, it may not be best for those with complex sales needs or large teams.
Key Benefits
- Visually appealing interface: Easy to navigate and understand.
- Flexible and customizable: Adapt the platform to your specific needs.
- Collaboration features: Work seamlessly with your team.
- Integrations with popular apps: Connect with your favorite business tools.
Pricing
- Free: $0/ 2 seats per month
- Basic: $9/ seat per month
- Standard: $12/seat per month
- Pro: $19/ seat per month
- Enterprise: Custom pricing.
Pros
Cons
13. Bitrix24
Bitrix24 is like a digital office in a box. It has a CRM, plus tools for communication, collaboration, and task management.
It’s a great option for businesses that want to consolidate their tools and streamline their workflow.
Our Take
Bitrix24 gets a 7.5 because it offers incredible value for the price, especially with its free plan. The sheer number of features is impressive. However, it can be a bit overwhelming to navigate at first, and the mobile app could use some improvement.
Key Benefits
- All-in-one platform: Combines over 35 tools to streamline your workflow.
- Collaboration focus: Built-in chat, video conferencing, and social intranet.
- Free plan available: Includes CRM, task management, and website builder for up to 12 users.
Pricing
- Basic: $61 user per month.
- Standard: $124 users per month.
- Professional: $249 users per month.
- Enterprise: $499 users per month.
Pros
Cons
14. Zoho CRM
Zoho CRM is a well-established CRM that offers a wide range of features to help businesses manage their sales, marketing, and customer support activities.
Think of it as a comprehensive platform that can grow with your business, offering tools for everything from contact management to advanced analytics.
Our Take
Zoho CRM is a solid choice for businesses of all sizes that need a comprehensive and customizable CRM. Its wide range of features, integrations, and affordable pricing make it a popular option. However, it’s important to consider the potential learning curve and interface design compared to some newer CRMs.
Key Benefits
- Scalable for growth: Adapt the platform as your business expands.
- Project management features: Keep your projects organized and on track.
- Customizable dashboards and reports: Get the insights you need to make informed decisions.
- Integrations with popular apps: Connect with your favorite business tools.
Pricing
- Standard: $20/user per month
- Professional: $35/user per month
- Enterprise: $99/user per month
- Ultimate: $65/month
Pros
Cons
15. Close CRM
Close CRM aims to be a sales powerhouse by combining communication tools, automation, and a user-friendly interface.
It’s a good option for sales-driven teams that want to streamline their workflows and maximize their outreach efforts.
Our Take
Close CRM is a solid choice for sales teams that want a CRM with built-in communication tools and a focus on productivity. Its calling and email features are particularly strong. However, it’s important to consider the limited marketing automation capabilities and potentially higher cost for larger teams.
Key Benefits
- Built-in Calling: Close CRM includes a built-in power dialer and call tracking features, allowing you to make and receive calls directly within the platform.
- Email Automation: Automate your email outreach with sequences, templates, and tracking features to nurture leads and stay top-of-mind.
- Pipeline Management: Visualize and manage your sales pipeline with ease, track deals, and identify bottlenecks.
- Reporting and Analytics: Track your sales performance, identify trends, and make data-driven decisions with Close CRM’s reporting tools.
Pricing
Startup: $59/user per month
Professional: $109/user per month
Enterprise: $149/user per month
Pros
Cons
Buyers Guide
When doing our research to find the best Salesforce alternatives, we determined using these factors:
- Pricing: How much does each product cost? We looked at monthly and annual pricing, plus any free trials.
- Features: What are the best features of each product? We compared marketing automation, lead management, and other key business tools.
- Customer Data Management: How does each platform handle customer data? We looked at contact management, data security, and reporting capabilities.
- Customer Service Tools: What customer service tools are included? We evaluated features like help desk integration, live chat, and customer support options.
- Negatives: What was missing from each product? We considered any limitations or drawbacks.
- Support or Refund: Does the company offer a community, support, or refund policy? We checked for helpful resources and customer support options.
- Integrations: Does the CRM software integrate with other essential business apps? We looked for compatibility with popular tools and platforms.
- Ease of Use: How user-friendly is the CRM system? We considered the interface and learning curve.
- Scalability: Can the CRM platform grow with your business? We assessed whether it could handle increasing data and users.
- Mobile Access: Does the CRM offer a mobile app for accessing customer data on the go?
- Automation Capabilities: How well does the platform automate repetitive tasks? We looked for features like workflow automation and email marketing automation.
- Reporting and Analytics: What kind of reporting and business intelligence features are available? We assessed the ability to track key metrics and generate insights.
- Customization: Can you customize the CRM software to fit your specific business needs?
- Industry-Specific Features: Does the CRM offer specialized features for your industry?
- Deployment: Is the CRM system cloud-based, on-premise, or a hybrid?
- Reviews: What do other users say about the CRM? We checked online reviews and ratings.
Wrapping Up
That’s a wrap on our Salesforce alternatives!
We’ve covered a lot of ground today. Remember, the best CRM for you depends on your needs and budget. Don’t be afraid to try out a few different options.
Most offer free trials, so you can test them before you commit.
Want to boost customer satisfaction?
Need help streamlining your marketing and sales processes?
Looking for customer service software that integrates with your enterprise resource planning system?
Or maybe you want to explore sales automation tools? These Salesforce alternatives can help!
We’ve done the research, so you don’t have to.
Now it’s time to choose the CRM that will help your business grow. Good luck!
Frequently Asked Questions
Why should I consider Salesforce alternatives?
Salesforce can be expensive and complex, especially for small businesses. Alternatives often offer simpler interfaces, more affordable pricing, and features tailored to smaller teams.
What are the key features to look for in a Salesforce alternative?
Focus on features that align with your business needs, such as contact management, lead management, sales automation tools, marketing automation, and customer service tools.
Are there free Salesforce alternatives?
Yes! Several CRMs offer free plans with basic features, like HubSpot CRM and SuiteCRM. These are great options for small businesses or those just starting with CRM.
Can I import my data from Salesforce to another CRM?
Most CRM platforms offer data migration tools to help you import your existing Salesforce data. This ensures a smooth transition without losing valuable customer information.
What’s the best way to choose a Salesforce alternative?
Think about your budget, the features you need, and how many users will be using the system. Sign up for free trials and test out different options before making a decision.
