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7 Best Salesforce Alternatives & Competitors 2023

Name: Freshsales
Item: Freshsales
Rating: 4.4
Author: Jen Sako

Written By

JS

Jen Sako

Jul 19, 2023

2 minute read

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Salesforce CRM is a time-tested sales pipeline and customer management software solution with a ton of advanced features. However, the system can be hard to set up and use, and many companies don’t need or want to pay for Salesforce’s full suite of capabilities. Luckily, there are easier-to-use options with similar features for a lower price. To help, we looked at the main Salesforce competitors and determined the top alternatives, including an overall winner.

Here are the six best Salesforce alternatives for salespeople:

Freshsales: Best overall alternative for sales features and usability (free starting price)
Zoho CRM: Best alternative for digital marketing and customization (free starting price)
Pipedrive: Best Salesforce alternative option with a la carte upgrades (14-day free trial)
HubSpot CRM: Best free alternative software with paid tier options (free starting price)
Dynamics 365 Sales: Best alternative for advanced sales features (30-day free trial)
EngageBay: Best Salesforce alternative for contact activity tracking (free starting price)
Insightly CRM: Best alternative for project management and sales (free starting price)

If you're still unsure whether or not Salesforce is right for you, check out our independent Salesforce CRM review. Otherwise, continue reading for a breakdown of the top Salesforce alternatives, which revealed Freshsales as the overall winner and the best for ease of use. Below, see how we assessed each CRM, including their use cases, pricing, and key features.

Note: All per-user prices are with a one-year commitment unless noted.

Freshsales: Best Overall Salesforce Alternative

Helps you manage your business with the best mix of robust sales features and overall usability.

Price Range: Free to $69 per user, per month (21-day free trial)

Overall Rating

4.4

Cost

4.7

Core Features

4.1

Customizations

4.5

Advanced Features

4.3

Ease of Use

4.4

Customer Support

3.0

Pros

Easy to customize
Advanced AI features
Free tools for 3 users

Cons

Clunky reporting tools
Missing some marketing features
Limited lead generation capabilities

Freshsales is a top-rated CRM offering a free tier as well as paid tiers with sales, lead generation, and collaboration features. Its free plan, offered to up to three users, includes contact management, a live chat tool, and a built-in phone dialer. Upgrade to one of its premium options for advanced sales and collaboration features like robust reporting dashboards and an AI assistant that helps with sales forecasting, auto-reminders, and lead engagement.

Although Freshsales is rated as our top Salesforce alternative, it's missing some advanced marketing features. For a CRM option with a good mix of sales and marketing features, check out Zoho CRM.

Freshsales Pricing

Free Version: Supports up to 3 users
Growth: $15 per user, per month
Pro: $39 per user, per month
Enterprise: $69 per user, per month
Free Trial: 21 days
Integration with Freshworks' free marketing and service platform tiers

Freshsales Key Features

AI Assistant: Compiles insights on customers and prospects for targeted engagement.
Free Chat & Facebook Messenger: Engage customers where they spend their time.
Web Forms: Build customized forms to embed on your website and capture more leads.
Journey Builder: Automatically manage your customers through the sales process.

Zoho CRM: Best for Digital Marketing Features

Offers powerful marketing tools and customizations to engage with leads and customers online.

Price Range: Free to $52 per user, per month (15- to 30-day free trial)

Overall Rating

4.3

Cost

4.9

Core Features

4.5

Customizations

4.8

Advanced Features

4.3

Ease of Use

3.3

Customer Support

3.3

Pros

Generous free plan
Highly customizable
Good value for small businesses

Cons

Steep learning curve
Limited AI support
Limited third-party apps

Zoho CRM is a customizable CRM offering digital marketing features, including social media tools. Manage multiple social media profiles and create coherent branding across Facebook and Twitter while also monitoring online engagement in real time with its social tab feature. Follow posts and conversations from your leads and prospects and track them in your social dashboard. You can also sync with Zoho Social for tighter social media and brand management.

Zoho CRM is an advanced alternative with marketing and sales features, but its interface can be hard to use. If you're looking for a robust yet easy-to-use alternative, check out Freshsales, which also integrates with Freshmarketer.

Zoho CRM Pricing

Free Version: Supports up to 3 users
Standard: $14 per user, per month
Professional: $23 per user, per month
Enterprise: $40 per user, per month
Ultimate: $52 per user, per month
Free Trial: 15 to 30 days
Additional sales, marketing, and service add-ons can be purchased

Zoho CRM Key Features

Multichannel Lead Management: Engage with your lead across multiple platforms.
Automation: Segment and assign leads, then create workflows to drive conversion.
Collaboration: Communicate with your team via group calls, messaging, and more.
Mobile App: Connect from the road and scan business cards for instant lead gen.

For a deeper understanding of Zoho CRM and how it compares with Salesforce, check out our Zoho CRM vs Salesforce review. Otherwise, visit their site below:

Pipedrive: Best for Add-On Upgrades

Provides intuitive pipelines and a la carte tools like LeadBooster, Smart Docs, and Campaigns.

Price Range: $14 to $99 per user, per month (14-day free trial)

Overall Rating

4.1

Cost

3.9

Core Features

4.4

Customizations

4.6

Advanced Features

3.4

Ease of Use

3.8

Customer Support

4.3

Pros

Easy-to-use interface
A-la-carte upgrades
Advanced mobile app

Cons

Missing some marketing features
No free tier available
Can create duplicate contacts

Pipedrive is a well-known CRM with highly visual and intuitive pipelines paired with core sales features. Its defining feature set, however, is its add-on upgrades, which you can purchase a la carte, allowing you to choose the sales and marketing tools you want. Leverage its Campaigns add-on to track marketing efforts across channels, like Salesforce’s campaign management does. Then, use its LeadBooster add-on to generate leads and engage with them via chat tools.

While Pipedrive is great if you need a visual tool with add-on upgrades, it's missing some core features in its basic tiers. For more out-of-the-box sales features, try Freshsales, which also offers advanced add-ons.

Pipedrive CRM Pricing

Essential: $14 per user, per month
Advanced: $29 per user, per month
Professional: $49 per user, per month
Power: $64 per user, per month
Enterprise: $99 per user, per month
Free Trial: 14 days
Pay for a la carte add-ons for sales, marketing, and more
Access to Pipedrive Marketplace

Pipedrive CRM Key Features

Visual Pipeline: Track your sales processes with its clear and intuitive pipelines.
Chat Tools: Source leads from conversations with a chatbot tool or via live chat.
Task Sync: Create to-do lists and schedule emails alongside your project activities.
Web Forms: Build and customize online forms to capture leads from website traffic.

To further compare the two CRMs, read our Pipedrive vs Salesforce review. You can also check out their site below:

HubSpot CRM: Best Free Salesforce Alternative

Offers a free forever plan packed with sales and marketing tools, plus the ability to upgrade.

Price Range: Free to $1,200+ per month (Sales Hub)

Overall Rating

3.9

Cost

3.5

Core Features

4.5

Customizations

4.7

Advanced Features

2.9

Ease of Use

3.8

Customer Support

4.0

Pros

Robust free plan
Simple to get started
Good task management

Cons

Higher tiers are pricey
Lead scoring is an upgrade
Live support is an add-on

HubSpot CRM is our best free CRM software, known for its visual pipelines, powerful sales tools, and integration with HubSpot’s free marketing and service tiers. Track your deals with its pipeline management tool and automate your processes with its customizable workflows. Identify high-intent leads with predictive lead scoring and assign them to the right reps through automated lead rotation. You can also upgrade to higher tiers for advanced reporting features.

HubSpot might offer robust free tools, but its paid tiers might be pricey for smaller teams and individual users. For a better-priced alternative, try Zoho CRM, which offers a good mix of marketing and sales features and a robust free version.

HubSpot CRM Pricing

Free Version: Supports unlimited users
Sales Hub Starter: $18+ per month for 2 users
Sales Hub Professional: $450+ per month for 5 users
Sales Hub Enterprise: $1,200+ per month for 10 users
Additional users can be purchased for an extra fee
Access to free tiers of its marketing and service platforms

HubSpot CRM Key Features

Custom Dashboard: Present multiple reports and show where deals sit in the pipeline.
Free Plan: Use its robust free tier for unlimited users, with no credit card necessary.
Email Sync: Connect to Gmail or Outlook to schedule emails, log responses, and more.
Notifications: Get company insights and track email opens and other prospect activity.

To break down the difference between the two platforms, check out our HubSpot CRM vs Salesforce review.

Dynamics 365 Sales: Best for Advanced Features

Helps you personalize customer experiences with its sophisticated sales and reporting tools.

Price Range: $40 to $162 per user, per month (30-day free trial)

Overall Rating

3.7

Cost

2.7

Core Features

4.5

Customizations

3.7

Advanced Features

4.4

Ease of Use

3.4

Customer Support

4.3

Pros

Business card scanner
Integrates with Microsoft Office
Includes LinkedIn Sales Navigator

Cons

Doesn't integrate with G Suite
Missing some marketing features
Entry tier is basic

Dynamics 365 Sales is a high-powered CRM offered by Microsoft that’s flush with advanced sales features and AI-powered tools, and syncs with Microsoft Office seamlessly via single sign-on. Analyze sales pipelines automatically and project how your revenue changes from the top to the bottom of the funnel with its forecasting management tool. Use its AI-driven forecasting insights to identify pipeline risks and view predictions for a new lead in real-time.

Dynamics 365 Sales is a solid enterprise alternative to Salesforce, but it can be pricey for some and only integrates with Microsoft Office. For a powerful option that is more affordable and integrates with G Suite and others, visit Freshsales.

Dynamics 365 Sales Pricing

Microsoft Viva Sales: $46 per user, per month
Dynamics 365 Sales Professional: $65 per user, per month
Dynamics 365 Sales Enterprise: $95 per user, per month
Dynamics 365 Sales Premium: $135 per user, per month
Microsoft Relationship Sales: $162 per user, per month
Free Trial: 30 days

Dynamics 365 Sales Key Features

Microsoft Office Integration: Sync with the Microsoft Suite for extended functionality.
Contextual Insights: Utilize predictive forecasting, lead scoring, and sales intelligence.
Call Transcriptions: Log phone conversations and analyze them based on keywords.
Built-in Phone Dialer: Connect with contacts via phone or email directly from the CRM.

EngageBay: Best for Activity Tracking

Allows you to monitor each contact’s activities and behavior from multiple touch points.

Price Range: Free to $110.39 per user, per month

Overall Rating

3.7

Cost

4.0

Core Features

3.6

Customizations

4.2

Advanced Features

2.9

Ease of Use

3.4

Customer Support

4.3

Pros

Robust user support
Native social suite
Biennial pricing discount

Cons

Limited reporting tools
Automation requires upgrade
No built-in AI

EngageBay All-in-One is a user-friendly platform that offers contact management tools to help you gain a holistic view of your contacts’ activities. Access your contacts’ social media profiles, points of engagement, and lead scores on a single page that your team can update in real time. Then, use this data to create customer engagement reports so you can tailor follow-up activities for them and determine the right moment for making a sales pitch or a service call.

While EngageBay provides a great activity tracking tool, automations are only offered at higher tiers. If you’re looking for a CRM that offers sales and marketing automation across all tiers, try HubSpot CRM, which is one of our best website visitor tracking software.

EngageBay Pricing

All-in-One Free Version: Supports up to 15 users
All-in-One Basic: $13.79 per user, per month
All-in-One Growth: $59.79 per user, per month
All-in-One Pro: $110.39 per user, per month

EngageBay Key Features

Activity Timeline: Automatically record your actions each time you engage with leads.
Customer Journey: Map out a customer’s buying journey from awareness to advocacy.
Smart Scheduling: Automate online appointments and sync them with your calendars.
Social Listening: Know your prospects’ needs based on their posts, likes, and shares.

Insightly: Best for Project Management

Helps you stay on top of your sales processes and ongoing client projects simultaneously.

Price Range: Free to $99 per user, per month (14-day free trial)

Overall Rating

3.7

Cost

4.4

Core Features

4.4

Customizations

4.7

Advanced Features

1.2

Ease of Use

3.5

Customer Support

2.7

Pros

Intuitively designed
Project management tools
Wide variety of integrations

Cons

Can be pricey
Customer support costs extra
Free plan is limited

Insightly CRM is a collaborative platform that offers comprehensive project management tools for managing post-sales customer relationships. Create corresponding projects automatically once a deal closes and manage them in a separate pipeline. Share meeting notes, appointment reminders, and client information within your team so you can meet your deliverables on time. Then, delegate ongoing tasks or launch marketing campaigns with its workflow automation.

Insightly may be great for project management, but you need to upgrade to higher tiers for sales and marketing automation. For a robust mix of sales and marketing tools across tiers, look into Zoho CRM, which integrates with Zoho Projects.

Insightly Pricing

Free Version: Supports up to 2 users
Plus: $29 per user, per month
Professional: $49 per user, per month
Enterprise: $99 per user, per month
Free Trial: 14 days

Insightly Key Features

Integrated Project Management: Track your tasks, deliverables, and pipeline progress.
Email Management: Create campaigns, send bulk emails, and calculate delivery rates.
Lead Management: Identify, score, and assign your leads to sales reps automatically.
Workflow Automations: Complete tasks and activities with trigger-based processes.

For a deep dive into how Insightly CRM fares in comparison to Salesforce, check out our Insightly CRM vs Salesforce review.

Top 4 Salesforce Alternatives Features

The best alternative CRM for Salesforce offer these tools:

Take data from your key CRM metrics, turn them into actionable resources, and visualize them through numbers, charts, or graphs with standard reporting tools and dashboards.

How We Evaluated Zoho CRM Alternatives & Competitors

Salesforce is a top CRM software with advanced sales tools and superb reporting capabilities. But despite these features, such a weighty system may not be worth the price tag or complexity for smaller businesses. To help identify the best Salesforce alternatives for you, we used six weighted scoring categories to assign each top option a quantitative score out of five, including primary use cases for each. Check out specific evaluation criteria below:

Evaluation Criteria

In our assessment of the best Salesforce alternatives, we placed the most weight on cost, core features, level of customization, and advanced features. We also looked into each CRM’s ease of use and available customer support.

Methodology weights

Cost 25%

Core Features 25%

Customizations 15%

Advanced Features 15%

Ease of Use 10%

Customer Support 10%

Bottom Line: Best Salesforce Alternatives & Competitors

Salesforce is often thought of as the standard of CRM software, but it won’t fully serve every type and size of business. It doesn’t make financial sense to pay for features you can’t use, and customizing every detail is daunting for many offices. Take some time to figure out a checklist of needs and a few wish items, then use our list to find the best solution for you. Otherwise, read our independent review of the top CRMs for salespeople and teams to expand your options.

JS

Jen Sako

Jen is a Pittsburgh-based contributing writer for Selling Signals specializing in CRM software buyer's guides. As a freelancer, she also writes about hospitality and tourism sales, including sales and marketing tech and travel content. When she isn't on assignment, Jen catches up on her many newsletter subscriptions, watches no-code tutorials, and spends time with her family.

7 Best Salesforce Alternatives & Competitors 2023

Top 4 Salesforce Alternatives Features

How We Evaluated Zoho CRM Alternatives & Competitors

Evaluation Criteria

Bottom Line: Best Salesforce Alternatives & Competitors

Jen Sako

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