Our independent reviews and recommendations are funded in part by affiliate commissions, at no extra cost to our readers. Click to Learn More
The biggest name in the CRM world is Salesforce, which is about as close to a household name as a piece of specialized online business software can get. Still, Salesforce isn't the only game in town, and while the market leader might be the right choice for some, there are many Salesforce alternatives to choose from.
While we wouldn't rule out choosing Salesforce if you're running a larger enterprise, the best Salesforce alternative for smaller or growing businesses is HubSpot CRM. This is a feature-rich, user friendly CRM platform with an ace up its sleeve – you can get started with HubSpot for free. The free version of HubSpot can't match everything offered by Salesforce, but its premium plans introduce further features to help it compete.
Choosing a CRM platform is all about finding the right fit – something that offers the features you need, and the customizability every business requires. Our advice is to always seek out a personalized quote for the needs and scale of your business – and you can do this using our simple, no-obligation CRM quotes form. That way, you can make sure you're investing in a CRM solution that's fit for your purposes and budget.
Customer Relationship Management is a key part of any business strategy. With the right CRM platform, companies can keep better track of their customers, convert leads into recurring customers, and retain current customers with the right attention. If you're having trouble deciding which CRM platform to use, this article will help by running through the highlights of the biggest competitors to Salesforce, as well as taking a brief look at Salesforce itself.
Verdict |
Free Trial Version |
Cheapest paid plan
Price quoted is per user, per month
| |||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
BEST FOR SALES | BEST FOR MARKETING | ||||||||
Salesforce | HubSpot | Zendesk | Freshworks CRM | Microsoft Dynamics | Zoho CRM | SugarCRM | Apptivo | Sendinblue | amoCRM |
A market leading CRM for good reason and a great all-rounder – with tailored pricing plans available, it should always be considered first. | A strong CRM system with an attractive free tier and great marketing features | An inexpensive, simple CRM tool that offers the best service features available | A highly intuitive CRM that is packed with plenty of features and even has a free plan option | A robust CRM platform that embeds brilliantly with Microsoft products | Flexible, friendly and effective, Zoho also starts at low price plans and has a great free trial | A great all-round CRM with a great, easy to understand dashboard | Stripped-down, but a solid CRM platform | A decent choice for email marketing that falls behind in some other areas | Intuitive and simple, amoCRM is a CRM suite that impresses |
$25 | $50 | $89 | $29 | $80+ | $12 | $40 | $8 | $25 | $15 |
Top Alternatives to Salesforce CRM
It's tempting to think that all CRM platforms must be the same, since they all have similar goals in mind – but nothing could be further from the truth. Each platform has its own focus and specialization, as well as various supporting services that will create a unique fit for each company. Here's a quick rundown of the Salesforce alternatives we'll be looking at in this article:
- HubSpot — A “freemium” CRM that offers its basic-tier CRM platform for free, and features stellar marketing tools for your business
- Zendesk — A CRM with an open API and a strong customer service support system
- Freshworks CRM — A highly intuitive, feature-packed CRM that helps greatly with organized multi-tasking
- Microsoft Dynamics — A top choice if integration with existing Microsoft business services and platforms is key
- Zoho — A CRM from the makers of Zoho Docs with numerous features, and AI integrations at higher service levels
- SugarCRM — A flexible, intuitive CRM platform with loads of customization options
- Apptivo — A CRM that specializes in the needs of small and medium-sized businesses
- Sendinblue — A simple, straightforward email marketing-focused CRM platform
- amoCRM — A streamlined, sales-focused option for businesses that need a simple solution
- TeamGram — An inexpensive, frequently updated CRM for small businesses or startups
Verdict |
Data cap in basic plan |
Email integrations |
Social media integrations |
Marketing campaigns |
API |
Email Support |
Live chat support |
Phone support |
Free Trial Version |
Cheapest paid plan
Price quoted is per user, per month
|
Most expensive plan
Price quoted is per user, per month
| ||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
BEST FOR SALES | BEST FOR MARKETING | ||||||||||||
Salesforce | HubSpot | Zendesk | Freshworks CRM | Microsoft Dynamics | Zoho CRM | SugarCRM | Apptivo | Sendinblue | amoCRM | ||||
A market leading CRM for good reason and a great all-rounder – with tailored pricing plans available, it should always be considered first. | A strong CRM system with an attractive free tier and great marketing features | An inexpensive, simple CRM tool that offers the best service features available | A highly intuitive CRM that is packed with plenty of features and even has a free plan option | A robust CRM platform that embeds brilliantly with Microsoft products | Flexible, friendly and effective, Zoho also starts at low price plans and has a great free trial | A great all-round CRM with a great, easy to understand dashboard | Stripped-down, but a solid CRM platform | A decent choice for email marketing that falls behind in some other areas | Intuitive and simple, amoCRM is a CRM suite that impresses | ||||
612MB/user | 5 documents | Unlimited | Unlimited | 10GB + 5GB/20 users | 1GB base + 512MB/user | 150GB/user | 3GB/user | Unlimited | 200MB/user | ||||
Open | Limited | Open | Open | Limited | Limited | Open | Limited | Open | Open | ||||
$25 | $50 | $89 | $29 | $80+ | $12 | $40 | $8 | $25 | $15 | ||||
$300 | $1,200 | $149 | $79 | $255 | $100 | $150 | $20 | $POA | $45 |
HubSpot CRM
The key appeal of HubSpot is also its biggest differentiation from Salesforce: it starts by offering the basic HubSpot CRM for free, with virtually no limits on users or features for the basic CRM for following up on leads, opportunities, and tracking your customer database. The company prides itself on offering a product that takes “minutes to learn,” and provides a dashboard with an at-a-glance view for all ongoing deals. It also integrates with Gmail and Outlook to easily pull in email data, for better visibility of customer interactions within your organization.
HubSpot Features
For any business that needs to go beyond the basic CRM, HubSpot offers additional CRM-related platforms – called ‘hubs' – for one-to-one marketing, sales (beyond the basic CRM), and customer service. All of these hubs have free tiers; however, the added features that most businesses would want require a monthly subscription.
HubSpot Pricing
HubSpot pricing varies pretty dramatically based on which hubs you're interested in taking advantage of, with each adhering to three pricing plans: Starter, Professional, and Enterprise. If you're interested in marketing, sales, and service hubs, the price is going to be pretty hefty, particularly for the enterprise-level plans. That's the benefit of HubSpot, though: you can mix and match depending on your needs to save a bit of money.
Why HubSpot Is a Better Alternative
HubSpot is a better alternative to Salesforce because of the marketing features available. In fact, Hubspot is the best CRM available for marketing features, according to our research. HubSpot's marketing hub offers ad management and retargeting, conversational chatbots, and landing pages, and that's all found in the Starter plan. Simpy put, if you're looking for a CRM with marketing capabilities, HubSpot is your absolute best bet.
Check out our guide HubSpot Pricing for more, or see our full HubSpot vs Salesforce guide

Pros
- Free option available
- Simple user interface
- Integrates with Gmail and Outlook
Cons
- Training is largely online
- Not great for larger companies
- Limited features compared to Salesforce
Zendesk
Zendesk is well known for its customer support ticket software, which is used on many popular websites. While Zendesk wasn't initially a full CRM solution, the company now offers a flexible, CRM-centric developer platform, Zendesk Sunshine, which operates with an open API that welcomes third-party or custom integrations. While Salesforce has argued that Zendesk is an ‘incomplete CRM solution,‘ this is no longer the case, plus any missing abilities can be supplemented thanks to its flexible API. If you need a full CRM and Zendesk is already a big part of your workflow, you have two options: integrate Zendesk with a dedicated CRM, such as Agile CRM, Zoho, or even Salesforce itself; or subscribe to Zendesk's Enterprise tier, and make sure it offers all the CRM features you'll need.
Zendesk Features
Zendesk's features include a customer database view, and support tickets that are flexible enough to be used for tasks or for other CRM-like features, such as opportunities or leads. Each support ticket is a flexible space for taking notes, assigning responsible agents, and sharing that data with others within the organization.
Zendesk Pricing
Zendesk offers three different pricing plans for its platform CRM: Lite, Professional, and Enterprise. The Lite plan is offered for free and comes with bare-bones style CRM for starters. The Professional plan is $19 per agent per month, while the Enterprise plan jumps up to $59 per agent per month.
Why Zendesk Is a Better Alternative
Zendesk is a better alternative to Salesforce because of its inherent flexibility. Between the open API, the many third-party integrations, and the unlimited data throughout every plan, Zendesk is perfect for experts that know how to get the most out of a flexible platform. Rookies to CRM software, on the other hand, might want to try an easier to use platform.
To learn more about Zendesk, read our Zendesk CRM review

Pros
- Open API for unlimited customizability
- 24/7 live support options
- Unlimited data with basic plan
Cons
- Highest tiers are expensive
- A bit more complicated to use
- Few enterprise-level features
Freshworks CRM
Freshworks CRM is a Customer Relationship Management software by Freshworks that makes it easy for businesses of all sizes to attract, manage, close, and nurture their leads. With a highly intuitive UI and a powerful feature set including built-in phone and email, AI-based lead scoring, visual deal pipeline, intelligent workflow automation, and customizable visual reports and dashboards, it gives businesses everything they need to manage their sales without having to juggle multiple tools.
Freshworks CRM Features
An advanced ticketing system is central to Freshworks CRM's system, so while it might not be the best fit for sales and marketing functions, it's perfect for customer support teams. Freshworks CRM utilizes AI to predict what sort of support a customer might need with canned responses, and even proactively spot frustrated customers.
Freshworks CRM Pricing
Freshworks CRM offers five different pricing plans: Sprout, Blossom, Garden, Estate, and Forest. The cutely-named plans increase in price, starting with Sprout as the free plan. Blossom comes in at $15 per agent per month, Garden at $35 per agent per month, Estate at $49 per agent per month, and the Forest plan rounding it out at $99 per agent per month.
Why Freshworks CRM Is a Better Alternative
You just can't beat Freshworks CRM when it comes to support. The platform is built to excel at managing tickets, which is where it really shines. Admittedly, it's lacking a bit in sales and marketing functionality, but if you're looking for a CRM to build out your customer support, Freshworks CRM is the way to go.

Pros
- Packed with a great catalogue of features
- Highly intuitive user interface, easy for beginners
- Free tier available
Cons
- Reporting tools are a bit limited
- Some key features exclusive to expensive plans
Microsoft Dynamics
Microsoft's newest mission is to bring its software to every platform with seamless integration between its various products, and the company's CRM, Microsoft Dynamics, is no exception. If your company already lives and breathes the Microsoft platform, with products such as Office 365 and Outlook for email, then the Dynamics CRM can make a lot of sense. Dynamics is also a good platform if you've been wanting to try out Microsoft HoloLens as a business tool, since it integrates with that as well. Dynamics feels very much like a tool that is ideal for large enterprises and active medium-sized businesses, but may be overkill for smaller companies.
Microsoft Dynamics Features
Microsoft offers some unique tools that go beyond the CRM within the Dynamics umbrella of services. These include platforms for finance, operations, and talent recruiting, as well as services we've seen elsewhere, such as customer service and marketing platforms. It's incredibly robust as far as features are concerned, which is why its such a great option.
Microsoft Dynamics Pricing
The Microsoft Dynamics pricing scheme is certainly different than what you might be used to. Like HubSpot, it offers a wide range of specific options, so that you can mix and match exactly what you're looking for. It can get pretty expensive if you're looking to add every piece of it, which includes field service, customer service, marketing, sales, finances, operations, commerce, and human resources, but hopefully you're only looking for a few of these.
Why Microsoft Dynamics Is a Better Alternative
Microsoft Dynamics is similarly robust when it comes to comparisons with Salesforce, but the biggest edge it has over everyone's favorite CRM is that it's from Microsoft. This means that it integrates flawlessly with Office, Outlook, and many other Microsoft systems. So if your company is already set up with Microsoft, then the Dynamics platform is the way to go.
Interested in Microsoft Dynamics? Head to our Microsoft Dynamics review

Pros
- Integrates with Microsoft products
- Features on par with Salesforce catalog
- Robust, 24/5 support options
Cons
- Decidedly expensive
- Limited API, particularly compared to Salesforce
- No free plan
Zoho CRM
Anyone looking for a platform with the breadth of services of Salesforce without being Salesforce should take a hard look at Zoho CRM. Zoho doesn't offer quite the number of services that Salesforce does. Nevertheless, it still offers great functionality beyond a basic CRM, including one-to-one marketing and e-commerce. Zoho offers a free service with fewer features for up to three users, and then the prices go up from there based on your company's needs.
Zoho CRM Features
Zoho CRM's mid-range pricing tiers include an artificial intelligence feature called Zia, which can “offer predictions on trends, anomalies, conversions and deals closing.” It can also analyze your emails for tone, offer suggestions for speeding up workflows, and search your records for data via voice commands.
Zoho CRM Pricing
Zoho CRM offers five different pricing plans: Free, Standard, Professional, Enterprise, and Ultimate. Zoho's free plan is pretty limited, allowing only three total users, but it's a great way to test out the platform before purchasing. Each additional plan increases in price – $12 per user per month, $20 per user per month, $35 per user per month, and $45 per user per month, respectively – so you can find one that works for your budget.
Why Zoho CRM Is a Better Alternative
Zoho CRM is an incredibly robust platform in terms of features, so much so that it typically rivals Salesforce when it comes to how thorough you can be. Plus, with the vast network of Zoho products, you can integrate widely across your business.
To learn more, read our Zoho pricing guide

Pros
- Free 15-day trial
- Lots of G Suite Integrations
- Supports 20 different languages
- Free trial available
Cons
- No data backups in free plan
- Shorter than average trial period
SugarCRM
SugarCRM isn't the biggest name in the business, but it prides itself on being able to hang with the big boys. It has a simple, easy to understand interface, with deep customization options — making it incredibly flexible and adaptable. Sugar also has no hidden fees, offering three standard pricing plans ranging from $40 to $150 per user, per month.
SugarCRM Features
SugarCRM has a range of tools to facilitate collaboration between different business functions, and works seamlessly across mobiles and tablets – making it great for mobile workers. SugarCRM is easy to integrate with your existing IT infrastructure, offering SaaS and on-premise installations.
SugarCRM Pricing
SugarCRM's pricing model is similar to that of HubSpot, with different options for service, marketing, and sales. Additionally, you can combine all of them in two different plans, Professional and Enterprise, which cater to small and large companies depending on your needs.
Why SugarCRM Is a Better Alternative
Customizability is the name of the game when it comes to SugarCRM. With a widely flexible platform designed for particular needs, this platform can be molded to suit whatever metrics and functionality you need. Plus, with a stylish, easy to use interface, you can't go wrong with SugarCRM when it comes to customizability.

Pros
- Incredibly customizable for specific needs
- On-premise installations available
- No hidden fees
Cons
- No free plan available
- A bit expensive compared to the rest of the industry
- Less well-known brand
Apptivo
Apptivo focuses on serving small to medium-sized businesses, and is a great option for beginners because of its simplicity. Most people should find Apptivo very straightforward to use. It will lack some of the more advanced features that other services have, but it's a good option for novices finding their way around the world of CRM software.
Apptivo Features
Its primary categories are tasks, emails, calendar, notes, and call logs. There's also a section for follow-ups, and a “Work Queue” that houses contacts, customers, leads, and opportunities, all in tandem with a social-style news feed towards the top. Apptivo also offers features beyond the core CRM, such as tools for invoicing, project management, expense reports, email marketing campaigns, and procurement.
Apptivo Pricing
Apptivo offers four different pricing plans: Starter, Premium, Ultimate, and Enterprise. The Starter plan is offered for free, with limited features and only three users allowed. The Premium plan is $8 per user per month, while Ultimate is $20 per user per month. The Enterprise plan is customized for your company, so you need to contact a sales rep to get specific pricing.
Why Apptivo Is a Better Alternative
The only reason you'd opt for Apptivo over one of the providers above is if you're looking for a truly stripped-down CRM that exudes ease of use and saves you a bit of money. All core features are available for very low prices, but if you need anything more than the basics, you're definitely going to want to look elsewhere.
See our guide to the Best CRM Software for Small Business for more

Pros
- Offers core features for low price
- Incredible easy to use, even for beginners
- Comprehensive calendar tools
Cons
- Fewer features than standard CRMs
- Completely customized integrations are complicated
- Not good for large companies
Sendinblue
Sendinblue has an almost laser-focus on email marketing. It allows businesses to create campaigns quickly and easily, as well as having generous email send limits for maximum impact. It's not the best option if you're looking for an all-in-one CRM to manage customer complaints, marketing, sales, and so on but if you need an email marketing solution above all else, it's not a bad option.
Sendinblue Features
As we mentioned, Sendinblue is very focused around email marketing. It has all the features you'd expect for an email marketing platform including an email builder, advanced reporting tools, and a plethora of automation functions.
Sendinblue Pricing
Sendinblue has four pricing plans, including a completely free plan which allows you to send up to 300 emails per day. The Lite plan costs $25 per month and allows you to send 100,000 emails per day, as well as adding some of the more advanced features businesses expect when it comes tracking their email performance. The Premium plan is $65 per month and would be a great fit for any business with an active email marketing presence. The Enterprise plan is only available with custom pricing and, as a result, custom benefits.
Why Sendinblue is a Better Alternative
Is Sendinblue a better all-round CRM than Salesforce? Not at all. But, if you're a small business whose main requirement is a platform for email marketing, then Sendinblue will be less complicated and far better value than Salesforce.
Simply put, if you need a platform to send emails to customers above everything else, Sendinblue is well-worth looking at. It has all the features you need to start creating business, simply by pressing send.

Pros
- Very simple pricing plans
- A strong email marketing choice
- Offers SMS marketing support
Cons
- Not the best for customer support functions
- Lacks some features
amoCRM
amoCRM is an efficient, streamlined service, with an API that allows for third-party integrations which can address needs specific to your business. The service's sales-oriented, easy-to-adapt interface make this a solid choice for businesses that need a CRM, but don't want to face a significant learning curve.
amoCRM Features
The amoCRM software's main feature is a dashboard that segments the sales pipeline into different columns. This lets users drag and drop individual lead profiles in order to track where they are in the pipeline, from initial contact to deal closed.
amoCRM Pricing
amoCRM comes with just three service plans: Base, Advanced, and Enterprise. The Advanced option offers the most features for the least cost at $25 per user per month; the Base plan will cost you $15 per user per month, while the Enterprise plan will cost you $45 per user per month.
Why amoCRM Is a Better Alternative
As with most lesser known CRM software providers, amoCRM is attractive because of its notable customizability across a wide range of metrics and functionalities. The number of third party integrations also make this CRM a better alternative, although its worth taking a look at specifically which ones are available before making a decision for yourself.
For the nitty-gritty on this CRM vendor, head over to our full amoCRM review.

Pros
- Strong sales pipeline
- Simple learning curve
- Lots of third-party integrations
Cons
- Primarily focused on sales
- Limited storage space
Salesforce
And then there's Salesforce, a popular choice among businesses of many different sizes. The key with Salesforce is the absolute breadth of its services beyond the basic CRM platform, including services for running ecommerce, one-to-one marketing, customer service, and many others.
Salesforce also has a robust application programming interface (API), allowing developers to create custom apps for Salesforce and integrate your Salesforce data with programs you might already be using.
While Salesforce might have more services than a small or medium-sized business might need, it can still be a useful platform for companies of any size. Plus, as the CRM platform in widest use, it's much easier to find support and tutorials on how to get the most from your subscription.
Check out our full guide to Salesforce Pricing for more

Pros
- Tailored pricing plans
- Wide feature set
- Frequently updated
- Robust support & training
Cons
- No free plan
- On the more expensive end of the industry
- Basic plan caps data at 612 MB/user
Free Salesforce Alternatives
Many customer relationship management platforms offer free versions, but there are downsides to be aware of. Most are limited by the number of users, or require you to pay for upgrades beyond the core service. Our top-choice Salesforce alternative, HubSpot, has a genuinely impressive free CRM tier. However, to unlock the very best of HubSpot, it's likely you'll need to upgrade to the premium plans.
A free taster is still a great option for testing the various features and interfaces of multiple CRM platforms, or experimenting with a platform to see if it's right for you.
The reality, however, is that a free option is not a long term solution. Free CRM software, even from reputable companies, can be open to changes and downgrades, and offer far fewer options for customization and added features.
What to look for in a great Salesforce CRM alternative
Not all Salesforce competitors are created equal, which is why having a keen eye for features is key to picking the right one. The following are a few key features to look out for when deciding on a Salesforce alternative.
Reporting
One of the major benefits of any CRM software is its ability to provide analytics on a wide range of metrics within your business. From conversion rates to customer attrition, a good CRM platform will have reporting tools designed to let you know exactly what's working for your business, and more importantly, what isn't.
Customization
If you're looking for CRM software that can do exactly what you want it to do, customizability is going to a big consideration for you. Salesforce has a robust feature offering, but doesn't offer features like an open API or a wide range of flexible options. Basically, if you've got niche CRM needs, make sure to take a look at customizability.
Automation
The whole point of CRM software is to save you a little time, which is why automation features are so necessary in a good provider. After all, what's the point of installing business software if it isn't going to take care of the small projects for you? Finding the right software means discovering exactly what each provider can do for your automation needs, so make sure not to overlook that.
Ease of Use
Whether you're an expert or a beginner, having an easy to use platform can make a huge difference when it comes to improvements in productivity. Salesforce, in particular, is quite complicated for beginners due to its robust feature catalogue and reporting tools. If you're giving CRM software a go for the first time, ease of use needs to be at the top of your list.
Support
Speaking of beginners, having a little help from an expert support team can go a long way when adapting to new software, which is why noting the customer service options is invaluable to understanding a provider. From 24/7 service to sporadic ticket systems, providers run the gamut as far as customer support goes, so if you're just starting out, it's certainly worth noting.
Pricing
Let's be honest – of course you're looking at price when it comes to CRM software. From pricing plans to providers, there are hundreds of different price points to consider. Fortunately, compared to Salesforce, most CRM software is markedly more affordable, but the range is still pretty substantial. Not that we have to say it, but seriously: take a look at your pricing options before pulling the trigger on your new CRM software.
How We Rate CRM Software
Finding the best CRM software is about more than just looking at the logo. We at Tech.co take the ranking of business software like CRM very seriously, which is why we spend our time thoroughly researching each provider. This data is designed to help you get the most objective information about CRM providers, so you can make the right decision for your business.
There are a lot of aspects of CRM software to consider when it comes to our rankings, and that's why we take it so seriously. Our rankings take into consideration a wide range of metrics, including support options, key functionalities, depth of features, and of course, price. Additionally, we assign each provider a customer score, which is an aggregate of online reviews, competitor scores, and our own, independent research.
Choosing business software can be stressful. A simple installation could be the difference between a successful business and a fun memory, which is why we want to make sure you have all the information necessary to make the best decision for your company.
Conclusion – Should You Use Salesforce, or a Rival CRM Platform?
Deciding which CRM software is right for your business is really a judgement call based on your needs. This isn't just about pricing, but about the focus, interface, and features within the CRM platforms you're looking at. If you're a five-person sales business, for example, an enterprise-focused CRM is probably too much. At the same time, a CRM for small business might not offer the depth of customer interaction that you need.
Salesforce is an industry leader for a good reason – it's genuinely brilliant CRM software, and a huge global brand trusted by companies worldwide. But competitors are circling, and innovating fast to keep up. That can mean competition for customers, and some attractive pricing bundles you can seek quotes for.
A great way to find the CRM that's right for you is to use our helpful form to get a bespoke quote from multiple CRM platforms. This process takes into account your business' needs, and lets you compare the different services first. Click below to get started.
Tech.co is reader-supported. If you make a purchase through the links on our site, we may earn a commission from the retailers of the products we have reviewed. This helps Tech.co to provide free advice and reviews for our readers. It has no additional cost to you, and never affects the editorial independence of our reviews. Click to return to top of page