Selling Signals content and product recommendations are editorially independent. We may make money when you click on links to our partners. Learn More.
Insightly and Salesforce are both trusted and highly-regarded CRMs, but for different reasons. Small-to-medium businesses (SMBs) gravitate toward Insightly’s affordable prices, accessible UI, and rich project management features. Enterprises like Salesforce’s highly-customizable platform, powerful analytics engine, and ample app integrations. Evaluating the differences between these two CRM options will help you decide if either one is the best fit for your business.
Here are the situations in which each of these CRMs excels:
Insightly: Best for SMBs seeking an affordable and accessible CRM with project management tools and kanban-style organization (free to $99 per user, per month)
Salesforce: Best for large companies wanting a comprehensive CRM with deep analytics and myriad customization opportunities ($25 to $330 per user, per month)
Insightly and Salesforce are both great choices overall, but neither may fit what you’re seeking for your business. Should that be the case, we recommend you expand your search by reading our articles on the best overall CRMs and the best industry-specific CRM solutions. Otherwise, continue below for our review of Insightly vs Salesforce.
Insightly vs Salesforce at a Glance
Price Range (Annual)
Free to $99 per user, per month
$25 to $330 per user, per month
Core Features
Focus on data organization through project management
Focus on providing deeper client insights and analytics
Ease of Use
Suitable for users of varying CRM experience
Designed with the CRM power user in mind
Reporting
Best for quick and easy reporting on deals and tasks
Ideal for generating any type of CRM report
Workflow Automation
Primarily automates tasks related to the pipeline
Automates nearly every sales and administrative task
Mobile App
Collects data via call logging and business card scanning
Caches data for offline access, imbued with AI
App Integrations
Over 250 apps available
Over 7,000 apps available
Customer Service
All plans include live chat support
All plans come with support during local business hours
Insightly and Salesforce are both capable CRMs, providing companies with tools for organizing sales data, streamlining workflow, and working remotely. However, as our breakdown will show, their approaches to these objectives vary. In evaluating the similarities and differences between Insightly and Salesforce, we honed in on five criteria businesses weigh most when shopping for a CRM: cost, core features, usability, integrations and customization, and support.
Evaluation Criteria
First, we picked the five main factors when considering a CRM and weighted them based on significance to salespeople and teams. We then split the five categories into key subcriteria, using them to score both CRMs and determine the winner of each category.
Pricing:
25%
Features:
25%
Ease of Use:
20%
App Integrations & Customization:
15%
User Support:
15%
Pricing Overview
This includes starting costs (per user), free plans and trials, add-ons, and monthly/yearly billing options.
Meanwhile, we separated three core CRM features into their own categories: reporting, workflow automation, and mobile app. (Salesforce swept all three categories.) We chose to emphasize these particular areas because companies typically seek CRM software that will help them optimize their processes and make actionable decisions.
Winner: Insightly is the more economical choice overall – particularly for small and mid-size companies on a limited budget.
Insightly is an affordable option for cost-conscious small and mid-size businesses. There’s also a free version, but it’s barebones and has a two-seat limit. For expanded functionality, choose one of Insightly’s three paid tiers, which range from $29 to $99 per user, per month. All plans include contact and project management tools; upgrades yield advanced automation and business intelligence. The best no-strings-attached way to try Insightly is to sign up for a free 14-day trial.
Salesforce’s high costs are geared toward medium-to-large businesses that can handle the expense. However, the entry-level Salesforce Essentials plan is slightly less than Insightly’s base tier at $25 per user, per month, but there’s a 10-seat maximum. Standard with all Salesforce plans are sales cycle management and custom reports; upgrades include deeper analytics plus unlimited workflows. The only way to use Salesforce for free is via a 14- or 30-day trial.
Winner: Salesforce gets the edge here for its advanced sales features – specifically its rich analytics and sales forecasting.
Insightly stands out for its integrated project management tools. Creating projects in Insightly is as simple as converting won opportunities, eliminating the need to manually re-enter sales data. From there, users can track milestones, client activity, and deadlines in one central location. Insightly also has Insightly Voice, a built-in telephony service for call logging and call analysis, but it costs an extra $35 per month and isn’t available for its entry-level Insightly Plus plan.
Salesforce, on the other hand, is one of the most loaded CRMs on the market. Each plan comes with a wealth of contact, lead, and deal management tools, including 360-degree views of client and lead data so no detail is overlooked. That’s in addition to Salesforce’s rich analytics and sales forecasting, areas in which Insightly is lacking. Telephony can be added to any Salesforce plan from just $5 per month for features like call logging, forwarding, and caller ID.
Winner: Insightly offers plenty of functionality for veteran CRM users while its visual UI won’t totally alienate newbies.
Insightly will suit users who are already familiar with CRMs, but the barrier to entry is low enough that newbies won’t be too intimidated by its array of features. A colorful and visual UI, combined with a fairly simple setup, makes Insightly a more palatable option for businesses that neither have the time or resources to devote to in-depth training sessions. However, Insightly falls short when it comes to app integrations, which some users say are prone to breaking.
Salesforce’s customizable, complex UI will appeal to CRM power users, but even they won’t be spared the hours it’ll take to properly set up and learn it. And proper setup here is key, as any implementation missteps can translate to future errors. That’s the trade-off for being one of the most feature-rich CRM platforms on the market, but despite its steep learning curve, fans of Salesforce also acknowledge that there are endless sales possibilities on the other side.
Winner: Salesforce’s powerful reporting engine allows businesses to generate any type of CRM report so they can see key information at a glance.
Insightly includes nine legacy reports that focus on opportunities and activities. These templates are a quick and simple way to run reports, so they’re extremely limited in their parameters. However, all plans include the option to generate unlimited custom reports using drag-and-drop filters. Custom dashboard cards can be created using Insightly data on the Professional and Enterprise plans; however, lower tiers only feature Insightly’s fixed standard dashboards.
Salesforce also includes pre-made and custom reports with all of its plans – and extends the ability to create custom dashboards to even its cheapest options. Better yet, Salesforce’s higher-tier plans offer more variables and deeper analytics than Insightly’s comparable tiers. Features like cross-filtering and bucketing will help businesses better manage their data while also granting them greater freedom in generating CRM reports most relevant to their goals.
Winner: Salesforce is capable of automating nearly every sales and admin task without any coding required.
All Insightly plans come with templated sequences called activity sets, which are used for creating automated tasks or events related to the sales pipeline. However, Insightly’s Professional and Enterprise plans allow for broader workflow sequences and more specific triggers, with a maximum of 50 rules permitted per object type. For more flexibility, developers can create custom actions in multiple coding languages via lambda functions (Enterprise only).
Salesforce’s point-and-click Lightning Flow Automation tool grants users the ability to automate nearly every sales function – no outside coding required. It can even automate internal administrative tasks such as expense reports, performance reviews, and employee onboarding. Salesforce Essentials and Professional both include a maximum of five workflow rules, while Enterprise and Unlimited don’t impose a cap on the amount of rules allowed.
Winner: Salesforce’s mobile app not only has offline access (crucial for field workers who lack a stable connection), it also features AI-powered analytics.
Insightly has a free mobile app for iOS and Android that serves as a companion to its parent software. In addition to offering the project management tools present in the main CRM, the Insightly mobile app can also collect new contact data via a built-in business card scanner, record audio notes up to 60 minutes long, and log phone calls with no additional cost required. While Insightly’s mobile app is quite solid, it lacks offline access to data – a huge omission.
Salesforce’s free mobile app, also available on iOS and Android, does have offline access. It can cache data for up to seven items at once, including dashboards and opportunities. The Salesforce mobile app also includes AI-powered insights from Einstein Analytics – a feature that’ll be expanded upon in the near future with the introduction of the Einstein Voice Assistant, which will work with Siri and Google Assistant to help call up data and streamline tasks.
Winner: Salesforce boasts over 7,000 apps in its Salesforce AppExchange, compared to the 1,000+ offered by Insightly.
Insightly AppConnect offers more than 1,000 CRM app integrations – including native connections to Xero, PandaDoc, QuickBooks, and Mailchimp. Businesses that require integrations outside of those provided by Insightly can use a connector such as Zapier or develop custom apps if they subscribe to Insightly’s Enterprise tier.
The Salesforce AppExchange features over 7,000 apps, spanning a range of use cases and a variety of industries, from finance and real estate. Notable integrations include DocuSign, Slack, Asana, and Eventbrite. Companies that need a tailor-made app can build one on the Salesforce Web Services API, which is included with Salesforce Enterprise and Ultimate but costs an extra $25 per user, per month with Salesforce Professional.
Winner: Salesforce provides a greater range of free amenities – from email and live chat support to community forums and certification programs.
Insightly offers a rudimentary support plan with all of its subscriptions that includes access to Insightly’s knowledge base and email-based assistance. To avail of phone support, faster turnaround times, and onboarding help, a standalone support plan is required and starts at $1,500 per year. Insightly support has a solid reputation overall, but it does come at quite a cost.
Every Salesforce plan comes with standard email and live chat support, as well as access to community forums, a knowledge base, and Salesforce Trailhead certification programs. There are also premium support plans available that add amenities such as 24/7 support, one-on-one coaching, and advanced diagnostics. Pricing for Salesforce’s premium support plans are available upon request.
Insightly andSalesforce certainly have their fans; each CRM has received a substantial amount of kudos from a wide range of business owners and sales professionals. Despite that, neither CRM is a one-size-fits-all solution. There’s a possibility that you may not get what you need from either Insightly or Salesforce.
Who Shouldn’t Use Insightly
The following businesses would want to consider options beyond Insightly:
Companies Needing Sufficient (Free) Support: Insightly support is fantastic, but unless you’re willing to pay a handsome sum for it, you’ll be left wanting.
Small Businesses Looking for a Scalable Free CRM: Insightly’s free platform only allows two users and is extremely light on features, so it’s easy to outgrow it.
Data-Driven Enterprises That Need Ample Reporting: Insightly’s reporting engine is by no means bad, but there are other CRMs that offer more in this area.
If your business belongs to any of these categories, don’t opt for Salesforce right away. Check out our independent Insightly review for a detailed analysis of when it may or may not be suitable for your needs. Then, take a look at who shouldn’t choose Salesforce below.
Who Shouldn’t Use Salesforce
Salesforce won’t be suitable for these organizations or situations:
Sales Teams New to CRMs: Salesforce is not very beginner-friendly. If your sales team is largely new to CRMs, choose something that’s more accessible for first-time users.
Small Businesses, Startups, and Solopreneurs: The expense and complexity of Salesforce will be too much for a sole proprietor, startup, or small business or to handle.
Businesses Without In-House Tech Support: Salesforce is prone to crashes. Without a tech team to help solve those issues, you’ll lose a lot of time – and possibly more.
Before deciding against Salesforce, check out our review of Salesforce CRM. There, you'll find an independent breakdown of the CRM as well as a roundup of user reviews.
3 Best Alternatives to Insightly & Salesforce
Insightlyand Salesforce are both capable CRMs, but they might not be the best fit for your business. Whether you’re seeking advanced features at a lower price, or want a free CRM that’s ready to scale with your company, you do have other options to consider. Below is our list of the three best alternatives to Insightly and Salesforce. One of these may be the CRM you need:
HubSpot CRM
Freshsales
Pipedrive
HubSpot CRM is our top-rated free CRM software that’s scalable and easy to upgrade with premium features should the need arise. Its free-for-life version offers robust sales and marketing tools and hosts unlimited users. However, premium upgrades may be too expensive for smaller teams. If you’re looking for a software with more affordable paid tiers, check out Freshsales, which is our best overall CRM.
Freshsales is rated as our top general CRM for salespeople and is renowned for its AI-powered tools and high-level customization capabilities. Its Growth plan offered free for up to three users includes robust contact management tools and access to Freddy AI. Freshsales is an excellent sales-focused CRM but you need to upgrade to higher tiers for multiple sales pipelines. If you need to manage visual pipelines even in the lowest tier, try Pipedrive.
Pipedrive is a user-friendly CRM known for its highly-visual and customizable sales pipeline. It offers an affordable option for teams that are mostly unfamiliar with CRM software for $14.90 per month as a starting price. Along with its 24/7 chat support, it's straightforward and easy to implement if you're needing a CRM quickly. However, if you’re looking for a CRM with stronger automation capabilities and AI-powered tools, we recommend looking into Freshsales.
We've also written articles on the best Insightly alternatives and the best Salesforce alternatives, which discuss other CRM options' features, pricing, and use cases. Check them out to learn more about your choices beyond Insightly and Salesforce.
Bottom Line: Insightly vs Salesforce
On paper, Salesforce may be the “winner” thanks to its outstanding feature set, high level of customization, and better user support access. But Insightly is an excellent CRM in its own right, with a price point and user interface that’ll appeal to small businesses new to CRMs. Of course, the best CRM for you should suit your sales needs and be within your budget. Based on your unique criteria, the best CRM may be Insightly, Salesforce, or another platform altogether.
Get the Latest Articles Delivered to Your Inbox
Related Articles
Check out our recent and related articles on the topic
Discover the best Google CRM software and integrations. Explore the top CRM solutions for businesses of all sizes and find the perfect fit for your organization.