⚡ Quick Verdict:
- Pricing: Freshsales starts at $9/user/month vs Insightly at $29/user/month
- Best for: Freshsales for small sales teams on a budget, Insightly for businesses needing CRM plus project management
- Key difference: Insightly bundles project management and 2,000+ integrations through AppConnect, while Freshsales focuses on AI-powered sales activities with built-in phone and email
- Our pick: Insightly for most users — its CRM, project tracking, and broader integration library handle more business workflows in one platform
Choosing between Freshsales CRM vs Insightly comes down to one question.
Do you need a sales-focused crm software or a customer relationship management tool that also handles projects?
Freshsales is built for sales teams who live in their pipeline.
Insightly is built for businesses where every closed deal turns into a project.
Both serve medium sized businesses, but they solve very different problems.
Here’s how the two CRM tools compare on price, features, and real-world fit.
Overview
This comparison covers pricing, core CRM features, and ease of use.
We also break down who each platform fits best.
Our sources include published specs, documentation, G2 reviews, and Capterra ratings.
By the end, you’ll know which tool matches your sales process.
What is Insightly?
Insightly is a customer relationship management platform built for growing businesses.
It combines CRM, project management, and workflow automation in one system.
Sales teams use it to manage contacts, track deals, and assign tasks.
Insightly CRM keeps customer data and project records side by side for full context.
It’s recommended by PC Magazine, Entrepreneur Magazine, G2 Crowd, and TrustRadius.
Insightly
Insightly is a modern crm teams love for its mix of sales pipeline tracking and project management. The Insightly website highlights compliance with SOC 2 Type II, GDPR, and HIPAA standards on every product page across the site.
Insightly Pricing
Here’s what Insightly costs in 2026.
Insightly offers three pricing tiers, all billed annually.
| Plan | Price | Best For |
|---|---|---|
| Plus | $29/user/month | Small teams needing core crm functionality |
| Professional | $49/user/month | Growing teams needing dashboards and integrations |
| Enterprise | $99/user/month | Larger organizations needing full feature access |
Pricing verified May 2026.
Free trial: Insightly offers a 14-day free trial on its paid plans. No credit card required to start.
Money-back guarantee: Insightly does not advertise a standard money-back guarantee. Cancel any time before the next billing cycle to avoid charges.
📌 Note: Insightly’s pricing is competitive at the Plus and Professional tiers compared to other crms. The Enterprise tier is almost double that of Zoho CRM, so check feature needs before jumping to it.
⚠️ Warning: Insightly Service and Insightly Marketing are sold as add ons. They follow the same pricing structure as the CRM, so total costs scale fast for full-stack users.
Key Benefits of Insightly
Here’s what makes Insightly worth considering:
- Built-In Project Management: Insightly excels in customization, integrations, and speed for businesses needing a tight project management and CRM linkage. Insightly allows users to manage projects with milestones and pipelines.
- 2,000+ Integrations via AppConnect: Insightly features a low-code integration engine called AppConnect. It provides over 2,000 pre-built connectors to various applications, far beyond what most other crms offer.
- Copilot AI Assistant: Insightly provides advanced AI features, including an AI-powered assistant named Copilot. Copilot summarizes emails and helps with data retrieval inside the system.
- Customizable Pipelines and Kanban: Insightly offers customizable pipelines and Kanban views to keep track of each stage of sales. The opportunities dashboard surfaces sales opportunities at a glance.
- Gantt Chart Visualizations: Insightly has added Gantt chart visualizations in 2025 for better project timeline and dependency management. Project managers can map deliverables across weeks or months.
- Customer Service Add-On: Insightly Service extends the platform into post-sale support, while Insightly Marketing serves marketing teams running campaigns. Both bundle into the same login and use the same customer records.
- Human-Friendly Setup: Insightly’s onboarding feels designed by a human team, not a bot. Account verification is quick, and most users skip the docs and start adding contacts straight away.
- Compliance and Security: Insightly is compliant with SOC 2 Type II, GDPR, and HIPAA standards. That matters for healthcare, finance, and data-sensitive companies.
- Mobile App with Full Access: Insightly’s platform is accessible via web browser and mobile app. Users can scan a business card, create projects, and assign tasks to a team member from their phone.
What Our Team Noticed
Our writer signed up for Insightly to test contact and project workflows. Here’s what stood out from that hands-on time:
Note: A dedicated Personal Experience block isn’t yet published for Insightly. The observations below are based on Insightly’s documentation, our writer’s exploration of the platform, and aggregated user feedback from G2 and Capterra reviews.
Insightly’s interface is easy to pick up and getting data into the system is not overly convoluted. The implementation is fast, which is a key reason for its appeal to users. Most of the friction shows up later — Insightly lacks advanced features like custom workflows compared to some competitors, and the Enterprise plan jumps significantly in price.
Insightly Pros & Cons
✅ Pros
- Easy-to-use interface with fast implementation and smooth data input
- AppConnect provides over 2,000 pre-built connectors to various applications
- Built-in project management with milestones, pipelines, and Gantt charts added in 2025
- Compliant with SOC 2 Type II, GDPR, and HIPAA standards for security
- Copilot AI assistant summarizes emails and assists with data retrieval
❌ Cons
- Lacks advanced features like custom workflows compared to some competitors
- Enterprise tier is expensive — almost double Zoho CRM at $99/user/month
- Easier to use than Zoho CRM, but it is not as feature-deep
- Insightly Service and Insightly Marketing add ons increase total cost quickly
What is Freshsales CRM?
Freshsales CRM is an AI-powered platform for managing sales and customer interactions.
It’s part of the Freshworks suite of business tools.
Freshsales was launched in 2016 as the second major product from Freshworks.
The platform centralizes customer information and tracks every touchpoint.
Freshworks claims over 67,000 customers worldwide use its products.
Freshsales CRM
Freshsales is a CRM tool designed for sales teams and businesses of all sizes. Users score it an average of 4.5/5 on review platforms like Capterra and G2.
Freshsales Pricing
Here’s what Freshsales costs in 2026.
Freshsales offers a tiered pricing structure for different business sizes.
| Plan | Price | Best For |
|---|---|---|
| Growth | $9/user/month | Small sales teams getting started |
| Pro | $39/user/month | Growing teams managing multiple sales pipelines |
| Enterprise | $59/user/month | Larger sales orgs needing advanced AI and automation |
Pricing verified May 2026.
Free trial: Freshsales offers a 21-day free trial across all pricing tiers. No credit card required to start a new account.
Money-back guarantee: Freshsales does not advertise a formal money-back policy. The 21-day free trial gives you time to test before paying.
📌 Note: Freshsales pricing has dropped significantly over the years, now being 2 to 3 times lower than before. That makes it an excellent value for small and medium sized businesses.
⚠️ Warning: Some advanced AI capabilities and the wider Freshworks marketplace integrations are tied to higher tiers. Confirm which features you need before locking in a plan.
Key Benefits of Freshsales
Here’s what makes Freshsales worth considering:
- Freddy AI for Smart Selling: Freddy AI scores leads, predicts deal risks, and suggests next best actions. It improves conversion rates by scoring leads based on behavior and profile.
- 360-Degree Customer View: Freshsales offers a 360-degree view of all customer interactions. The platform provides a complete history of every touchpoint across email, phone, and chat.
- Built-In Communications: Freshsales CRM includes built-in phone, email, chat, and SMS capabilities within a unified inbox. Sales reps can respond without juggling apps.
- Visual Pipeline Management: Freshsales features a visual pipeline management system that uses Kanban boards. Reps can drag deals across stages and spot bottlenecks instantly.
- Omnichannel Communication: Freshsales offers omnichannel communication through email, phone, WhatsApp, and Facebook Messenger. It also integrates with LINE for messaging.
- Mobile App with Offline Access: Freshsales offers a mobile app for iOS and Android. The app supports offline access and call logging on the go.
- Excellent Value Pricing: Users consider Freshsales an excellent value for money, particularly for small and medium-sized businesses. It also includes around a dozen predefined sales reports that are fully customizable.
What Our Team Noticed
Our writer signed up for Freshsales to explore the AI features and pipeline workflow. Here’s what stood out from that hands-on time:
Note: A dedicated Personal Experience block isn’t yet published for Freshsales. The observations below come from Freshsales documentation, our writer’s exploration of the trial, and aggregated G2 and Capterra reviews.
Freshsales offers an intuitive interface, making it easy to learn and roll out for users. According to G2 reviews, the cluttered navigation and slow loading times in some areas are frequently mentioned as friction points. Freshsales lacks some key functionality compared to competitors like HubSpot and Salesforce, but the AI insights and built-in phone make a strong impression for the price.
Freshsales Pros & Cons
✅ Pros
- Excellent value pricing — entry plan starts at $9/user/month
- Freddy AI scores leads, predicts deal risks, and suggests next best actions
- Built-in phone, email, chat, and SMS in a unified inbox
- 21-day free trial across all tiers, no credit card required
- Tight integration with other Freshworks products like Freshdesk and Freshmarketer
❌ Cons
- Slow and overwhelming user experience with cluttered navigation
- Around 385 integrations — fewer than established competitors
- Lacks some key functionality compared to HubSpot and Salesforce
- Limited native connectors with third-party tools outside the Freshworks suite
Feature Comparison
Ready to dive into a detailed comparison of Freshsales CRM vs Insightly?
We’ll explore eight key features to help you determine which platform best suits your sales and project workflows.
| Feature | Insightly | Freshsales CRM |
|---|---|---|
| Starting Price | $29/user/month | $9/user/month |
| Free Trial | ✅ 14 days | ✅ 21 days |
| Contact Management | ✅ | ✅ |
| Project Management | ✅ | ❌ |
| AI Assistant | ✅ Copilot | ✅ Freddy AI |
| Built-In Phone & Chat | ❌ | ✅ |
| Pre-Built Integrations | 2,000+ via AppConnect | ~385 |
| Compliance | SOC 2, GDPR, HIPAA | GDPR |
| Best For | CRM + project management | Sales-focused teams |
1. Contact Management
Insightly: Insightly CRM keeps all your current and prospective customer data in one place. Users can scan a business card on mobile to add new contacts on the go. The system is easy to pick up, and getting data into Insightly is not overly convoluted.
Freshsales CRM: Freshsales centralizes customer information and provides a complete history of every touchpoint. Reps see a 360-degree customer view with email, phone, and chat threads in one place. Contacts pull in data from connected social and communication apps automatically.
2. Sales Pipeline & Opportunities
Insightly: Insightly offers customizable pipelines and Kanban views to track each stage of sales. The opportunities dashboard surfaces sales opportunities at a glance for managers. Insightly starts with a default pipeline that’s easy to adjust to your sales process.
Freshsales CRM: Freshsales features a visual pipeline management system that uses Kanban boards. Reps drag deals across stages and instantly see bottlenecks. Freddy AI also predicts deal risks so reps can act before deals stall.
3. AI and Automation
Insightly: Insightly provides advanced AI features through its Copilot assistant. Copilot summarizes emails and helps with data retrieval inside the CRM. Workflow automation handles task assignment and reminders, though Insightly lacks some advanced custom workflow capabilities found in larger crms.
Freshsales CRM: Freddy AI offers recommendations for the next best action to close deals. It scores leads based on behavior and profile to improve conversion rates. Freshsales also automates repetitive sales activities, freeing up reps to focus on selling rather than data entry.
⚠️ Warning: Both AI assistants work better on higher tiers. Confirm which Freddy AI features and Copilot capabilities are included before subscribing on a lower plan.
4. Project Management
Insightly: This is where Insightly clearly stands apart. Insightly enables project management with milestones, pipelines, and task management built into the same platform as the CRM. Insightly has added Gantt chart visualizations in 2025 for better project timeline and dependency management.
Freshsales CRM: Freshsales does not include a true project management module. Sales reps can create tasks tied to deals and contacts, but there are no milestones, dependencies, or Gantt views. Teams that need project tracking pair Freshsales with a separate tool through integration.
5. Email and Communication
Insightly: Insightly lets users send emails and use email templates directly from the CRM. Reps can schedule emails to send later and track opens. Integration with Google Workspace and Microsoft 365 keeps inbox and crm activity in sync.
Freshsales CRM: Freshsales goes further with built-in phone, email, chat, and SMS in one unified inbox. The platform also supports omnichannel communication through WhatsApp Business, Facebook Messenger, and LINE. Reps respond to customers without leaving the crm.
6. Reporting and Dashboards
Insightly: Insightly provides reports and dashboards for visual insights into business performance. The Professional tier includes limited dashboards, while Enterprise unlocks full reporting. As an example, sales managers can customize a pipeline-by-rep dashboard to monitor employee work and track progress against goals.
Freshsales CRM: Freshsales provides reports and AI insights for tracking team performance and forecasting revenue. The system ships with around a dozen predefined sales reports that are fully customizable. Reps can send personalized bulk emails and monitor activities on those emails directly from the report view.
7. Integrations
Insightly: Insightly’s biggest edge is AppConnect, its low-code integration engine with over 2,000 pre-built connectors. The system integrates seamlessly with other insightly products like Insightly Marketing and Insightly Service. Native integrations with Google Workspace and Microsoft 365 cover most office workflows.
Freshsales CRM: Freshsales offers around 385 integrations and apps at the time of writing. The connection list is heavy on other freshworks products like Freshdesk OMNI and Freshmarketer. Native connectors include Google, Microsoft 365, Slack, and Zoom, but third-party coverage is thinner than Insightly’s marketplace.
8. Mobile App and Accessibility
Insightly: Insightly’s mobile app lets users add new contacts, scan a business card, create projects, and assign tasks from a phone. The app supports on-the-go management of customers and projects. Both web and mobile feel similar, which lowers the learning curve.
Freshsales CRM: Freshsales offers a mobile app for iOS and Android that supports offline access and call logging. Reps in the field can update notes without a connection and sync later. Field sales teams especially benefit from this design.
9. Pricing & Cost
Let’s compare the pricing plans side by side.
| Plan | Insightly | Freshsales CRM |
|---|---|---|
| Entry-level | Plus — $29/user/month | Growth — $9/user/month |
| Mid-tier | Professional — $49/user/month | Pro — $39/user/month |
| Top-tier | Enterprise — $99/user/month | Enterprise — $59/user/month |
| Free Trial | 14 days | 21 days |
Insightly: Insightly’s pricing is competitive at the Plus and Professional tiers. The Enterprise tier is almost double that of Zoho CRM, so larger companies should weigh whether the extra features justify the cost. The platform’s value rises sharply when you factor in the bundled project management.
Freshsales CRM: Freshsales is the budget-friendly choice in this matchup. The $9/user/month Growth plan is one of the cheapest paid CRM tiers in the market. Freshsales pricing has dropped significantly over the years, making it an excellent value for small and medium sized businesses.
Different Scenarios
| If You Need… | Choose | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Tight budget | Freshsales CRM | $20/user/month cheaper at entry tier |
| Project management with CRM | Insightly | Built-in milestones, pipelines, Gantt charts |
| Built-in phone and chat | Freshsales CRM | Unified inbox with email, phone, SMS |
| Wide third-party integrations | Insightly | 2,000+ AppConnect connectors |
| HIPAA-regulated industries | Insightly | SOC 2, GDPR, and HIPAA compliant |
| AI sales recommendations | Freshsales CRM | Freddy AI scores leads and predicts deals |
💰 Your Budget
Freshsales wins clearly on price. The Growth plan starts at $9/user/month, while Insightly’s Plus plan starts at $29.
🔌 Your Tech Stack
Insightly’s AppConnect supports 2,000+ apps and fits teams already using a varied stack. Freshsales fits best if you also use other Freshworks products like Freshdesk and Freshmarketer.
📋 Your Workflow
If your closed deals turn into delivery projects, Insightly is the natural fit. Freshsales is the better pick when you want a pure sales-focused crm without a project layer.
🎓 Your Experience Level
Insightly has a smooth data input and sharing process — most users get to work quickly. Freshsales offers an intuitive interface as well, though G2 reviews mention its navigation can feel cluttered for beginners.
🆓 Free Trials and Demos
Freshsales offers a 21-day free trial across all tiers with no credit card required. Insightly offers a 14-day free trial — shorter, but enough to test the core CRM and project tools.
🛟 Support Options
Freshsales provides 24/5 support across all plans via phone, chat, and email. Insightly offers email and knowledge-base support on lower tiers, with priority phone support reserved for higher plans.
Switching Guide
Already on one of these tools? Here’s what to expect if you switch.
🔄 Switching from Insightly to Freshsales CRM?
✅ What you’ll gain:
- Lower entry pricing — $9/user/month vs $29/user/month
- Built-in phone, chat, SMS, and unified inbox communications
- Freddy AI lead scoring and deal-risk predictions
❌ What you’ll lose:
- Built-in project management with milestones and Gantt charts
- AppConnect with 2,000+ pre-built integrations
- HIPAA compliance and SOC 2 Type II certification
📋 How to switch:
- Export contacts, organizations, and opportunities from Insightly as CSV files
- Create a new account on Freshsales and start the 21-day free trial
- Use the Freshsales import wizard to upload contacts, then map deal stages to your sales pipeline
🔄 Switching from Freshsales CRM to Insightly?
✅ What you’ll gain:
- Native project management with tasks, milestones, and Gantt charts
- Over 2,000 third-party integrations through AppConnect
- SOC 2 Type II, GDPR, and HIPAA compliance for regulated industries
❌ What you’ll lose:
- Built-in phone, chat, and SMS in a unified inbox
- Freddy AI deal-risk scoring and next-best-action suggestions
- Tight integration with the wider Freshworks suite (Freshdesk, Freshmarketer)
📋 How to switch:
- Export contacts, accounts, and deals from Freshsales as CSV files
- Sign up for an Insightly free trial and verify your new account
- Import the CSV files using Insightly’s import tool, then rebuild custom pipelines and project templates
What Our Review Didn’t Cover
This comparison focused on small and medium sized businesses using each crm for sales and project workflows. We didn’t test enterprise SSO setups or evaluate custom API development for either platform. Our observations are based on May 2026 versions of the software, current pricing, and aggregated review data — features and prices may change after that date. If you’re managing 100+ users, custom contracts, or industry-specific compliance beyond GDPR and HIPAA, your experience may differ from what we’ve described.
Final Verdict
| Category | Winner |
|---|---|
| 💰 Pricing | Freshsales CRM |
| 🚀 Project Management | Insightly |
| 🤖 AI Assistant | Tie (Copilot vs Freddy AI) |
| 📞 Built-In Communications | Freshsales CRM |
| 🔌 Integrations | Insightly |
| 🔒 Compliance & Security | Insightly |
| 👶 Ease of Use | Insightly |
| 🏆 Overall Winner | Insightly |
🏆 WINNER: INSIGHTLY
Insightly wins 4 out of 7 categories.
Best for: Project-driven businesses, regulated industries, integration-heavy stacks
Freshsales CRM and Insightly serve different kinds of teams.
Insightly is the broader platform. It bundles CRM, project tracking, and 2,000+ integrations into one system.
Freshsales is the focused sales tool. It centralizes deals, customer data, and built-in calling at the lowest entry price in this matchup.
Freshsales is excellent for small sales teams that want AI-driven selling on a tight budget. If your work ends when a deal closes, Freshsales delivers strong value, and each new version of the app keeps refining the AI features.
However, if your closed deals create projects, customer onboarding, or recurring deliverables, Insightly is the better choice. Its project layer and HIPAA-ready compliance handle a wider set of business needs.
More of Insightly Compared
Here’s how Insightly stacks up against other crm tools:
Insightly wins on: Built-in project management with Gantt charts, more affordable Plus and Professional tiers, AppConnect’s 2,000+ integrations
HubSpot wins on: Stronger free CRM tier, deeper marketing automation, larger educational hub and certifications
Insightly wins on: Easier-to-use interface, smoother data input, faster implementation, native project management
Zoho CRM wins on: Cheaper Enterprise tier, deeper feature set across modules, broader Zoho One bundle (Books, Desk, Projects)
Insightly vs Pipedrive
Insightly wins on: Project management built into the CRM, broader compliance certifications (HIPAA, SOC 2), Copilot AI for email and data tasks
Pipedrive wins on: Cleaner sales-focused pipeline, lower starting price for small sales teams, faster setup for pure deal management
Insightly wins on: Far simpler onboarding, lower cost per user at Plus and Professional tiers, project management without add-on modules
Salesforce wins on: Enterprise-scale customization, deeper analytics with Einstein AI, larger third-party developer marketplace
More of Freshsales CRM Compared
Here’s how Freshsales stacks up against other crm software:
Freshsales wins on: Lower entry pricing at $9/user/month, built-in phone and SMS in a unified inbox, tight Freshworks suite integration
HubSpot wins on: More polished marketing automation, stronger free tier for solo users, larger third-party app marketplace
Freshsales wins on: Cleaner Freddy AI experience for lead scoring, better unified inbox for omnichannel communication, simpler pricing structure
Zoho CRM wins on: Deeper customization options, larger marketplace of third-party connectors, broader bundle through Zoho One
Freshsales wins on: Lower cost on the Pro and Enterprise tiers, built-in phone and chat without add ons, Freddy AI deal-risk predictions
Pipedrive wins on: Simpler interface for solo sales reps, faster pipeline customization, cleaner reporting dashboards out of the box
Freshsales wins on: Dramatically lower starting price, much faster onboarding for small teams, no need for paid implementation partners
Salesforce wins on: Enterprise-grade customization, larger third-party developer marketplace, deeper analytics through Einstein AI
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Freshsales a CRM?
Yes. Freshsales is a cloud-based crm software designed for sales teams and businesses of all sizes. It’s part of the Freshworks suite and centralizes contacts, deals, and customer interactions in one platform.
What is Insightly used for?
Insightly is used for managing customer interactions, sales pipelines, and projects. Sales teams can establish strong relationships, track sales opportunities, and assign tasks. The platform is also used for project management with milestones and pipelines.
Is Freshsales better than Salesforce?
For small and medium-sized businesses, Freshsales is often a better fit thanks to lower pricing and faster setup. Salesforce wins for enterprise-scale customization and deeper analytics. Freshsales lacks some key functionality compared to competitors like HubSpot and Salesforce, so larger orgs may outgrow it.
Is Insightly easy to use?
Yes. Insightly’s interface is easy to pick up and getting data into the system is not overly convoluted. Implementation is fast, which is one of the main reasons users choose it. The mobile app also mirrors the web experience for on-the-go work.
Which is the best CRM software for small businesses?
Between these two, Insightly wins overall thanks to its mix of customer relationship management, project tracking, and 2,000+ integrations. Freshsales is a strong alternative for sales-only teams that want excellent value at $9/user/month. Choose based on whether you also need project management.
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