⚡ Quick Verdict:
- Pricing: Freshsales CRM starts at $9/user/month vs Salesmate at $23/user/month.
- Best for: Freshsales for small to medium-sized businesses wanting AI-powered CRM software, Salesmate for teams needing 700+ integrations and built-in calling.
- Key difference: Freshsales includes Freddy AI for lead scoring and a free plan for 3 users. Salesmate offers Sandy AI and a meeting scheduler.
- Our pick: Freshsales CRM for most users — better pricing, free plan available, and stronger AI features for sales teams.
Choosing the right CRM software is a big decision for any business.
Freshsales CRM vs Salesmate both promise to help you close more deals.
But they take very different paths to get there.
Freshsales is part of the Freshworks suite and focuses on AI-driven sales activities.
Salesmate stands out for flexibility and deep integrations with other apps.
This comparison breaks down both customer relationship management tools to help you decide.
Overview
This comparison covers pricing, features, and ease of use for sales teams.
We also break down who each CRM works best for.
Our writer spent time exploring Salesmate’s platform directly.
Observations on Freshsales come from documentation, G2 reviews, and Capterra ratings.
By the end, you’ll know which CRM software fits your business.
What is Freshsales CRM?
Freshsales CRM is an AI-powered platform from Freshworks for managing sales and marketing.
It helps sales teams track contacts, manage deals, and automate repetitive tasks.
The platform includes Freddy AI for lead scoring and deal predictions.
It is part of the Freshworks suite, which includes Freshdesk and Freshmarketer.
Freshworks claims over 67,000 customers worldwide use its products.
Freshsales launched in 2016 and is designed for medium sized businesses.
Freshsales CRM
An AI-powered CRM tool designed for sales teams. Track leads, manage deals, and automate sales activities. Free plan available for up to 3 users.
Freshsales CRM Pricing
Here’s what Freshsales costs in 2026. Let’s break it down.
| Plan | Price | Best For |
|---|---|---|
| Free | $0 | Up to 3 users with most features |
| Growth | $9/user/month | Small businesses starting with CRM |
| Pro | $39/user/month | Growing sales teams needing automation |
| Enterprise | $59/user/month | Large companies with advanced needs |
Pricing verified April 2026.
Free trial: Yes, 21 days for all paid tiers. No credit card required to sign up for the free plan.
Money-back guarantee: Freshsales offers a 21-day free trial instead of a refund policy. Cancel anytime before billing.
📌 Note: Freshsales pricing has dropped significantly over the years. It is now 2 to 3 times lower than older tiers, making it excellent value for small and medium-sized businesses.
⚠️ Warning: The free plan limits you to 3 users. Add-ons for extra features can raise the total cost. Check the plan details before you create a new account.
Key Benefits of Freshsales CRM
Here’s what makes Freshsales CRM worth considering:
- Freddy AI Co-Pilot: Scores leads, predicts deal risks, and suggests next best actions. It improves conversion rates by analyzing customer behavior and profile data.
- 360-Degree Customer View: Centralizes customer data with a full timeline of every touchpoint. You see emails, calls, chats, and notes in one place.
- Visual Sales Pipeline: Uses Kanban boards to track deal progress and spot bottlenecks. Drag and drop deals through each stage.
- Built-in Communication: Includes phone, email, chat, and SMS in a unified inbox. Connects with WhatsApp Business and Facebook Messenger too.
- Sales Automation: Automates repetitive tasks like data entry and follow ups. This frees up sales reps to focus on selling.
- Reports and AI Insights: Provides about a dozen predefined sales reports that are fully customizable. Track team performance and sales forecasting easily.
- Mobile App: Works on iOS and Android with offline access and call logging. Useful for sales reps who travel often.
What Our Team Noticed
Note: We have not had extensive hands-on time with Freshsales CRM yet. The information above is based on Freshworks documentation, Capterra reviews, and G2 ratings. Users score it an average of 4.5/5 on review platforms, and Freshsales is considered an excellent value for medium sized businesses. According to G2 reviews, the intuitive interface is frequently praised, though some users report cluttered navigation and slow loading times.
Freshsales CRM Pros & Cons
✅ Pros
- Free plan for up to 3 users with most features included
- Freddy AI scores leads and predicts deal risks automatically
- 21-day free trial across all paid plans
- 360-degree customer view with full interaction timeline
- 24/5 support across all plans via phone, chat, and email
❌ Cons
- Cluttered navigation and slow loading times in some areas
- Only around 385 integrations, fewer than competitors
- Limited native connectors with non-Freshworks third-party tools
- Lacks some functionality found in HubSpot or Salesforce
What is Salesmate?
Salesmate is an all-in-one cloud-based CRM for managing the full sales process.
It helps sales reps generate leads, close more deals, and build lasting customer relationships.
The platform includes Sandy AI for routine tasks and lead qualification.
Salesmate works for businesses of all sizes, from startups to Fortune 500 companies.
It is designed to streamline sales processes and replace many disjointed systems.
Salesmate is rated “Great” with 4.1 out of 5 on Trustpilot.
Salesmate
A flexible CRM with 700+ integrations including Google Apps and Microsoft Apps. Built-in calling and meeting scheduler help sales reps save time. 15-day free trial with no credit card required.
Salesmate Pricing
Here’s what Salesmate costs in 2026. Let’s break it down.
| Plan | Price | Best For |
|---|---|---|
| Basic | $23/user/month | Small teams starting with CRM software |
| Pro | $39/user/month | Growing teams needing automation journeys |
| Business | $63/user/month | Larger sales teams with advanced needs |
Pricing verified April 2026.
Free trial: Yes, 15 days free with no credit card required. You can try the platform fully without financial commitment.
Money-back guarantee: No formal refund policy listed. Cancel anytime, and Salesmate sometimes runs Black Friday promotions with 10% off annual plans.
📌 Note: Salesmate offers tiered subscription plans from Basic to Enterprise. The free trial today gives you full access to test all features. Custom Enterprise pricing is available on request.
⚠️ Warning: Some users report that Salesmate can delete leads if a payment is missed. Always back up your customer data before any billing changes.
Key Benefits of Salesmate
Here’s what makes Salesmate worth considering:
- Sandy AI Automation: Automates administrative work like drafting emails and summarizing calls. It also handles intelligent lead qualification for sales reps.
- 700+ App Integrations: Connects with Zapier, Google Apps, Microsoft Apps, and Slack. Salesmate’s platform fits into almost any tech stack.
- Meeting Scheduler: Lets prospects book meetings online without back-and-forth emails. This saves time for sales reps every week.
- Built-in Calling: Includes call recording, voicemail drops, and call logging. Track all phone interactions inside the CRM.
- Visual Sales Pipeline: Track deals through each stage with a clear pipeline view. Manage sales activities and pipeline management in one place.
- Automation Journeys: Supports multi-channel drip campaigns and follow ups. Automate repetitive tasks across email, SMS, and other channels.
- Mobile CRM: Full access to customer data and activities from your phone. Useful for sales reps working in the field.
What Our Team Noticed
Our writer signed up for Salesmate and spent time exploring the platform. Here’s what stood out from that hands-on time:
Salesmate Pros & Cons
✅ Pros
- Connects with over 700 apps including Google and Microsoft tools
- Built-in calling with call recording and voicemail drops
- Customer service is often praised as exceptional and quick to help
- Meeting scheduler lets prospects book meetings online directly
- Fully customizable workflow for unique sales strategies
❌ Cons
- Higher starting price at $23/user/month vs cheaper alternatives
- Bugs reported in email template editor and automation journeys
- Marketing automation is weaker than dedicated marketing tools
- Reports of deleted leads if a payment is missed
Feature Comparison
Ready to dive into a detailed comparison of Freshsales CRM vs Salesmate?
We’ll explore the key features to help you find the right CRM for your business.
| Feature | Freshsales CRM | Salesmate |
|---|---|---|
| Starting Price | $9/user/month | $23/user/month |
| Free Plan | ✅ (3 users) | ❌ |
| Free Trial | 21 days | 15 days |
| AI Lead Scoring | ✅ Freddy AI | ✅ Sandy AI |
| Built-in Calling | ✅ | ✅ |
| Meeting Scheduler | ✅ | ✅ |
| Integrations | ~385 apps | 700+ apps |
| Mobile App | ✅ iOS & Android | ✅ iOS & Android |
| Marketing Automation | ✅ Via Freshmarketer | ⚠️ Limited |
| Best For | Small to medium-sized businesses | Custom sales workflows |
1. AI and Sales Automation
Freshsales CRM: Freddy AI handles lead scoring, deal risk predictions, and next-best-action suggestions. It analyzes customer behavior and profile data to improve conversion rates. Freshsales automates repetitive tasks like data entry and follow ups, which frees up sales reps to focus on selling. Smart AI agents also handle initial chats and route conversations to the right team member.
Salesmate: Sandy AI drafts emails, summarizes calls, and qualifies leads automatically. The platform supports automation journeys for multi-channel drip campaigns. Salesmate’s automation focuses on saving time across email, SMS, and follow ups. Users get useful insights from AI-generated call summaries that capture every important detail without manual notes.
2. Pipeline Management
Freshsales CRM: Uses a visual Kanban board to track deal progress. You can drag and drop deals through each stage and identify bottlenecks fast. The pipeline integrates with Freddy AI to flag deals at risk.
Salesmate: Provides a visual sales pipeline to track deals and manage sales activities. Users can fully customize stages to fit their sales process. Contact and deal intelligence pulls in emails, calls, and notes for each deal.
3. Communication and Calling
Freshsales CRM: Includes built-in phone, email, chat, and SMS in a unified inbox. It also offers omnichannel communication through WhatsApp, Facebook Messenger, and LINE. Sales teams handle every customer interaction from one screen.
Salesmate: Built-in calling features include call recording and voicemail drops. The system automatically logs calls against contacts and tracks email tracking inside the CRM. Salesmate users absolutely love how the phone setup works inside Gmail too.
4. Integrations
Freshsales CRM: Offers around 385 integrations with Google, Microsoft 365, Slack, and Zoom. It connects tightly with other Freshworks products like Freshdesk and Freshmarketer. Native connectors with non-Freshworks tools are limited compared to bigger CRM platforms.
Salesmate: Integrates with over 700 apps, including Google Apps, Microsoft Apps, and Slack. Zapier integrations expand the list to thousands of other apps. Salesmate connects all the necessary apis for most modern workflows.
⚠️ Warning: If your business depends on niche third-party tools, Salesmate’s wider integration list is a huge plus. Freshsales may require add ons or workarounds for some apps.
5. Email Tracking and Sequences
Freshsales CRM: Lets you send personalized bulk emails and monitor opens, clicks, and replies. Sales sequences automate multi-step outreach with timed follow ups. The platform also includes one-click phone calling and event tracking.
Salesmate: Email templates speed up routine sending, though the editor has reported bugs. Email tracking shows opens and clicks for each prospect. Automation journeys handle the heavy lifting for nurture campaigns.
6. Reporting and Analytics
Freshsales CRM: Provides about a dozen predefined sales reports that are fully customizable. AI insights help with sales forecasting and tracking sales performance. Reports cover deals, team activity, and revenue projections. Sales managers can drill down into individual rep performance and spot coaching opportunities quickly.
Salesmate: Offers reporting and dashboards with actionable insights. The reports help spot trends and improve sales performance over time. Users can build custom views without writing any code. Real-time dashboards keep the whole team aligned on revenue goals and pipeline health.
7. Customization and Workflow
Freshsales CRM: Web forms let you capture leads from your website directly. Smart AI agents handle initial chats and route leads to the right rep. Customization options work well for medium sized businesses with standard sales activities.
Salesmate: Fully customizable for unique business processes. Users can build personalized forms and embed them on websites or share via links. Salesmate is often recommended for its ability to customize the sales process to fit different business needs.
8. Customer Support
Freshsales CRM: Provides 24/5 support across all plans via phone, chat, and email. The support team helps with onboarding for new account setup. Knowledge base and tutorials cover most common questions. Many businesses appreciate that even the free plan includes access to email support without extra costs.
Salesmate: Customer service is often praised in user reviews. The support team is quick to help and provided effective solutions for common issues. This makes the human side of Salesmate stand out. Live chat, email, and a help center are all available, and onboarding specialists assist new accounts during setup.
Pricing & Cost
Let’s compare the pricing plans side by side.
| Plan | Freshsales CRM | Salesmate |
|---|---|---|
| Free | $0 (up to 3 users) | ❌ (15-day trial only) |
| Entry-Level | Growth: $9/user/month | Basic: $23/user/month |
| Mid-Tier | Pro: $39/user/month | Pro: $39/user/month |
| Top-Level | Enterprise: $59/user/month | Business: $63/user/month |
Freshsales CRM: Pricing is excellent value for small and medium-sized businesses. The Growth plan at $9/user/month is roughly $14/user cheaper than Salesmate’s entry tier. Plus, the free plan for 3 users lets you test before paying.
Salesmate: Higher starting price reflects the wider integration list and customization. The 15-day free trial today works well for serious testing. Salesmate aims to save money long-term by replacing several other apps.
Different Scenarios
| If You Need… | Choose | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Tight budget | Freshsales CRM | $14/user cheaper monthly |
| Free plan to start | Freshsales CRM | Free for up to 3 users |
| 700+ integrations | Salesmate | Wider Zapier integrations |
| Built-in AI lead scoring | Freshsales CRM | Freddy AI included |
| Custom sales process | Salesmate | Fully customizable workflow |
| Beginner-friendly setup | Freshsales CRM | Intuitive interface for new users |
| Built-in calling features | Salesmate | Call recording and voicemail drops |
💰 Your Budget
Freshsales wins on price by a wide margin. The free plan and $9/user/month entry tier save money for small teams.
🔌 Your Tech Stack
Salesmate connects with 700+ apps including Google Apps and Microsoft Apps. If your business depends on niche tools, Salesmate offers numerous workarounds and direct connectors.
📝 Your Sales Process
Salesmate is fully customizable for unique workflows. Freshsales offers a more standardized setup that fits most sales teams out of the box.
🎓 Your Experience Level
Beginners may find Freshsales easier to learn, with an intuitive interface. Salesmate has more depth but takes longer to train users on all the features.
🆓 Free Trials and Demos
Freshsales offers a 21-day free trial plus a free plan for 3 users. Salesmate gives you 15 days free with no credit card required, letting you test the platform fully.
🛟 Support Options
Freshsales provides 24/5 support via phone, chat, and email across all plans. Salesmate’s support team is praised for being quick and helpful, with several other companies noting strong service.
🏢 Industry Fit
Salesmate is used by sectors like SaaS, real estate company teams, and healthcare. Freshsales fits general medium sized businesses needing AI-driven CRM software for their sales reps.
Switching Guide
Already using one of these CRM tools? Here’s what to expect if you switch.
🔄 Switching from Freshsales CRM to Salesmate?
✅ What you’ll gain:
- Access to 700+ integrations including more Zapier integrations
- Built-in calling with call recording and voicemail drops
- More flexibility to customize the sales process
❌ What you’ll lose:
- The free plan for up to 3 users
- Tight integration with other Freshworks products
- Lower entry-level pricing at $9/user/month
📋 How to switch:
- Export your contacts and deals from Freshsales as a CSV file
- Sign up for the Salesmate 15-day free trial today
- Import your customer data and rebuild your pipeline stages
🔄 Switching from Salesmate to Freshsales CRM?
✅ What you’ll gain:
- Save money with $9/user/month entry pricing
- Freddy AI for lead scoring and deal predictions
- Free plan for up to 3 users to test before scaling
❌ What you’ll lose:
- 700+ app integrations and broader Zapier support
- Sandy AI’s email drafting and call summarization
- Deep workflow customization for unique sales processes
📋 How to switch:
- Export your contacts and deal data from Salesmate as CSV
- Create a new account on Freshsales (free or 21-day trial)
- Import data and connect Freshsales to your other apps
What Our Review Didn’t Cover
This comparison focused on small to medium-sized businesses and standard sales workflows. We did not test enterprise-level deployments with 100+ users or evaluate custom Enterprise pricing for either tool. Our observations are based on the 2026 versions, and add ons may change pricing significantly. If you are a real estate company or run extensive research into call center workflows, your priorities may differ from what we’ve described here.
We also did not deeply test advanced reporting for very large data sets or stress-test the platforms with millions of contacts. Both Freshsales CRM and Salesmate are designed for SMBs, and performance at extreme scale was outside our review scope. Industry-specific compliance needs, such as HIPAA for healthcare or specialized financial reporting, were not part of our hands-on assessment either. Teams in regulated industries should verify these capabilities directly with each vendor before signing a contract.
Multi-language support beyond English, regional data residency for businesses in the EU or APAC, and partner network depth were also areas we touched on only briefly. If your team operates in multiple regions, ask each vendor about local hosting, GDPR compliance details, and translated support hours. The same applies to long-term roadmap commitments — both companies have shipped meaningful updates over the past year, but planned features can shift, and what looks like a gap today may be filled within a quarter.
Final Verdict
| Category | Winner |
|---|---|
| 💰 Pricing | Freshsales CRM |
| 🤖 AI Features | Freshsales CRM |
| 🔌 Integrations | Salesmate |
| 📞 Built-in Calling | Salesmate |
| 🎯 Lead Scoring | Freshsales CRM |
| 👶 Ease of Use | Freshsales CRM |
| 🛠️ Customization | Salesmate |
| 🛟 Customer Support | Tie |
| 🏆 Overall Winner | Freshsales CRM |
🏆 WINNER: FRESHSALES CRM
Freshsales CRM wins 5 out of 8 categories.
Best for: Small to medium-sized businesses, AI-driven sales activities, teams on a tight budget
Freshsales CRM and Salesmate are two very different products at different price points. Freshsales focuses on AI-powered sales automation and excellent value for small and medium-sized businesses. Salesmate focuses on flexibility, deep integrations, and built-in calling for sales reps who live on the phone.
Salesmate is a strong choice for teams that need 700+ integrations and want to fully customize their sales process. Its meeting scheduler and Sandy AI handle repetitive tasks well. The 15-day free trial gives you enough time to test before paying. Salesmate’s platform also stands out for its mobile CRM, which gives full access to data and analytics from anywhere.
However, if you need affordable CRM software with strong AI features and a free plan to start, Freshsales is the better choice. Freddy AI handles lead scoring well, and the $9/user/month entry tier is hard to beat for budget-conscious teams. The 21-day free trial and free plan for 3 users let you test thoroughly before committing.
For most small and medium-sized businesses comparing crm software in 2026, Freshsales delivers stronger value. The combination of Freddy AI, omnichannel communication, and tight integration with other Freshworks products makes it a smart pick for sales teams that want to grow without overspending. Salesmate remains a solid alternative for teams with specific customization needs or heavy phone-based sales workflows.
More of Freshsales CRM Compared
Here’s how Freshsales CRM stacks up against other top competitors:
Freshsales wins on: Lower entry pricing at $9/user/month, free plan for 3 users, simpler interface for small teams.
HubSpot wins on: Larger marketplace with more integrations, stronger marketing automation tools, rich free CRM tier with more features.
Freshsales wins on: Cleaner intuitive interface, Freddy AI for built-in lead scoring, tighter integration with Freshmarketer for marketing.
Zoho CRM wins on: Wider Zoho One suite with finance and HR apps, lower top-end pricing, more developer customization options.
Freshsales CRM vs Pipedrive
Freshsales wins on: Free plan availability, built-in phone, email, chat, and SMS in unified inbox, AI features included on lower plans.
Pipedrive wins on: Stronger pure-pipeline focus, simpler onboarding for tiny sales teams, cleaner deal-tracking visuals.
Freshsales wins on: Much lower pricing, faster setup for new account creation, easier learning curve for small businesses.
Salesforce wins on: Larger AppExchange, deeper enterprise customization, broader market acceptance for large companies.
More of Salesmate Compared
Here’s how Salesmate stacks up against other CRM competitors:
Salesmate wins on: Lower paid plan pricing, more affordable built-in calling, better fit for sales-heavy teams without big marketing budgets.
HubSpot wins on: Free CRM tier with more features, stronger marketing automation, larger user community for support.
Salesmate vs ActiveCampaign
Salesmate wins on: Stronger pure CRM features, built-in calling and meeting scheduler, customizable pipeline management.
ActiveCampaign wins on: Better email marketing depth, more advanced automation triggers, stronger e-commerce integrations.
Salesmate vs Keap
Salesmate wins on: Wider 700+ app integrations, more flexible pipeline customization, lower entry-tier pricing.
Keap wins on: Deeper sales and marketing automation in one bundle, stronger payment processing tools, dedicated coaching for new users.
Salesmate wins on: Built-in calling and voicemail drops, dedicated CRM-first feature set, Sandy AI for sales automation.
Monday CRM wins on: Stronger project management features, more visual workflow boards, better cross-team task management beyond sales.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Freshsales a CRM?
Yes, Freshsales is a customer relationship management tool from Freshworks. It is designed for sales teams to manage contacts, deals, and customer interactions in one platform. Freshsales also includes built-in phone, email, chat, and SMS for full communication.
What is Salesmate used for?
Salesmate CRM is used to manage the full sales process, from lead capture to deal closure. Many users describe it as a robust crm solution that helps automate sales activities, track deals, and book meetings. Sales teams rely on it to build lasting customer relationships and close more deals.
Which is the best CRM software for small businesses?
For most small businesses on a tight budget, Freshsales CRM offers excellent value with its $9/user/month entry plan and free plan for 3 users. Salesmate is a better fit if you need 700+ integrations and a fully customizable sales pipeline. Both work well for businesses of all sizes, depending on your priorities.
How does Freshsales CRM and Salesmate compare for sales forecasting?
Freshsales offers about a dozen predefined sales reports plus AI insights from Freddy AI for sales forecasting. Salesmate provides actionable dashboards and reporting to track sales performance over time. Both handle pipeline forecasting well, but Freshsales has more built-in AI predictions.
Does Freshsales offer a free trial?
Yes, Freshsales offers a 21-day free trial across all paid plans. You can also create accounts on the free plan for up to 3 users with no credit card required. The free plan includes most CRM features, making it easy to test before you commit.
Why does the Salesmate site sometimes show a verifying screen?
Like many SaaS apps, Salesmate uses Cloudflare to keep the site secure. You may see a verification successful waiting message with a ray id and a brief “checking your browser before you respond” notice. The site loads site properly within a few seconds, after the connection check is complete and you finish waiting.
Do users absolutely love Salesmate?
Many users absolutely love Salesmate for its flexibility and customer support, with reviews noting strong fit for various options across industries. Some highlight that the platform does offer numerous workarounds for niche workflows, while others find at least six others on the team needed extra training. Salesmate ranks as the third or fourth crm in many small business shortlists, with alternative options like Freshsales often considered alongside it.
How do these CRMs handle data security?
Both Freshsales and Salesmate use standard encryption to protect customer data, accounts, and connection details. Their dashboards are perfectly laid out for sales reps to find what they need, and both vendors provide alternative options if a feature is missing. Always review each vendor’s security documentation before storing sensitive prospect data.
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