Best Freshsales Alternatives for Streamlining Your Sales Process

Flowlu Team

March 6, 2024

24 min read

Freshsales, by Freshworks, is a dynamic CRM solution designed for high-velocity sales teams. It offers a range of functionality including lead scoring, email tracking, and a robust AI-powered assistant. However, it may not be the perfect fit for every business due to certain limitations.

Why Do Businesses Look for Freshsales Alternatives?

Freshsales by Freshworks has been a popular choice for many, offering a suite of features designed to streamline sales processes and enhance customer interactions. However, with the tech landscape ever-evolving and businesses' needs growing more complex, a question arises: Is sticking with Freshsales still the best bet, or is it time to explore analogues? This deep dive aims to shed light on why companies are considering a switch, ensuring you're equipped with all the info you need to make an informed decision.

1. The Evolution of CRM Needs: As companies grow and markets change, the demand for more sophisticated, flexible, and scalable CRM solutions becomes apparent. Freshsales, with its user-friendly interface and array of features, has served many companies well. Yet, some find themselves bumping against its limitations, seeking functionalities that align more closely with their unique workflows and industry-specific needs.
2. Budget Constraints and ROI Considerations: While Freshsales by Freshworks offers competitive prices, the cost can still be a significant factor, especially for small businesses or startups keeping a tight rein on expenses. The quest for a CRM that offers a better balance between cost and functionality is a common journey for companies striving for efficiency and growth.
3. The Value of Responsive Customer Service: The quality of customer support can make or break the CRM experience. Businesses dissatisfied with the level of support received from Freshsales by Freshworks might look for alternatives known for their stellar customer service and support ecosystems.
4. The Quest for Advanced Functionality: As companies evolve, so do their CRM requirements. Advanced analytics, AI-driven insights, and automation functionality are becoming must-haves for companies looking to stay ahead. Alternatives that offer these next-gen features are increasingly appealing to those finding Freshsales by Freshworks a bit behind the curve.
5. Analytics and Reporting That Go the Extra Mile: In-depth analytics and customizable reports are crucial for businesses keen on making data-driven decisions. CRM equivalents that offer more comprehensive data analysis tools can be a significant draw for companies needing more from their CRM in this area.
6. User Experience and Accessibility: A CRM is only as good as its usability. An intuitive, accessible, and mobile-friendly platform can significantly enhance user adoption and productivity. Companies facing usability challenges with Freshsales might explore equivalents that prioritize a frictionless user experience.
7. The Mobile CRM: With the rise of remote work and on-the-go business management, mobile CRM capabilities are more important than ever. Equivalents that offer superior mobile apps or more robust mobile functionalities could be a game-changer for businesses prioritizing flexibility and mobility.
8. Collaboration and Communication: A CRM should serve as a collaboration hub, facilitating seamless communication and teamwork. Businesses finding Freshsales by Freshworks lacking in this aspect might seek out equivalents designed with team collaboration and communication at their core.

11 Top Freshsales Competitors & Alternatives in 2024

Before we explore similar apps, it's crucial to understand what makes a CRM solution the right fit for your business. It's not just about managing customer information; it's about enhancing customer relationships, streamlining sales processes, and ultimately driving growth. Consider factors such as ease of use, integration capabilities, customization, and cost-effectiveness.

#1: Flowlu

Flowlu provides an integrated business management solution that combines CRM with project management, finance, and powerful collaboration tools. It's designed to serve businesses of all sizes, offering a bird's eye view of operations and ensuring teams can work more efficiently and cohesively. The platform emphasizes automation and customization, aiming to streamline workflows and enhance productivity across different business functions.

Main Functionality:

• CRM Capabilities: Flowlu offers comprehensive CRM functionality, including contact and lead management, sales pipeline visualization, client portal, sales automation, email and telephony integrations, and customer interaction tracking.

• Project Management: Integrated PM tools enable task assignment, progress tracking, and time management, facilitating seamless project execution.

• Financial Tools: Flowlu includes invoicing, expense tracking, and financial reporting functionalities, providing a clear overview of a business's financial health.

• Collaboration: Team collaboration is supported through shared calendars, task commenting, and real-time notifications, ensuring everyone is aligned and informed.

• Automation: Workflow automation helps in reducing repetitive tasks, from lead capture to invoicing, thereby improving efficiency.

Pros:

• All-in-One Solution: Flowlu's broad range of features reduces the need for multiple separate tools, potentially lowering costs and simplifying operations.

• Customization: The platform presents significant customization options like custom fields and lists, white-label, dashboards, allowing businesses (marketing, law, tech, creative, etc) to tailor it to their specific processes and requirements. It also provides an API for custom integrations.

• User-Friendly Interface: Despite its extensive functionalities, Flowlu maintains a clean and intuitive interface, making it accessible for users of all technical levels.

Cons:

• Learning Curve: The wide array of features and capabilities might overwhelm new users initially, requiring some time to fully leverage the platform's potential.

Pricing:

Flowlu's pricing structure is designed to accommodate a range of business sizes and requirements, starting with a free tier that includes basic CRM and PM functionality for a limited number of users. Paid plans begin at $29/month for the Team plan, which expands the feature set and user limit, with more comprehensive plans offering advanced functionalities like automation, financial management, and custom fields. The platform also presents an Enterprise plan with custom prices, tailored to larger organizations with specific requirements.

In summary, Flowlu stands out as a versatile alternative to Freshsales by Freshworks, particularly for businesses seeking an integrated platform to manage various aspects of their operations alongside CRM and marketing projects. Its blend of project management, financial tools, and powerful collaboration functionality, combined with CRM capabilities, makes it a comprehensive and powerful solution for businesses looking to streamline their processes and enhance team productivity.

#2: Salesforce

Salesforce stands as the giant in the CRM world, known for its extensive customization capabilities , comprehensive features, and robust ecosystem. Ideal for businesses of all sizes, Salesforce presents unparalleled scalability and a vast array of integrations, making it a compelling alternative to Freshsales by Freshworks.

Main Functionality:

• Advanced analytics and reports.

• Customer information and account planning.

• Highly customizable to fit any business need and industry (tech, marketing, healthcare,etc.)

Pros:

• Extensive Customization: Salesforce presents unparalleled customization capabilities, allowing businesses to tailor the CRM to their specific requirements.

• Robust Ecosystem: A vast marketplace of applications and integrations (Salesforce AppExchange, API) enhances its functionality.

• Scalability: Ideal for businesses of all sizes, it grows with your business, handling increasing complexity with ease.

Cons:

• Complexity: The extensive features and customization options can be overwhelming for new users.

• Cost: It can be expensive, especially for small businesses or those requiring advanced features.

• Resource Intensive: To fully leverage its capabilities, businesses might need dedicated staff or consultants.

Pricing:

Salesforce presents several packages starting with the Essentials plan at $25/user/month (billed annually) to more advanced plans that can exceed $300/user/month for comprehensive enterprise features.

#3: HubSpot CRM

For businesses seeking an intuitive and easy-to-use CRM, HubSpot CRM is a standout choice. With its seamless integration with the HubSpot marketing suite, it presents a holistic approach to managing customer relationships, making it a great alternative for those prioritizing ease of use and comprehensive inbound marketing features.

Main Functionality:

• Free tier available with essential CRM and email functionalities.

• Inbuilt marketing, sales, and service hubs.

• Intuitive user interface and easy setup.

Pros:

• Ease of Use: Known for its user-friendly interface, making it accessible for users of all skill levels.

• Free Tier: Offers a robust free version that's feature-rich compared to other CRMs.

• All-in-One Platform: Integrates seamlessly with HubSpot's marketing, sales, and service hubs.

• Comprehensive Email Sync: It presents seamless connections with Gmail and Outlook, enabling email tracking and notifications directly within the CRM.

Cons:

• Costly Add-ons: The cost can escalate quickly as you add more advanced features and exceed the limits of the free plan.

• Limited Customization: While easy to use, it presents less customization than more complex CRMs like Salesforce.

• Integration Limitations: While it offers many integrations, some key options may require premium packages.

Pricing:

HubSpot CRM presents a free tier with basic features. Paid packages start at $45/month (billed annually) for the Starter plan, with more advanced plans increasing in price based on features and scale.

#4: Zoho CRM

Zoho CRM presents a budget-friendly alternative without compromising on features. It's designed for businesses looking for an all-in-one powerful CRM solution that provides excellent value for money. With a range of customization capabilities and AI-powered insights, Zoho CRM caters to the needs of small to medium-sized businesses efficiently.

Main Functionality:

• Affordable pricing with a generous free tier.

• AI-powered sales assistant.

• Extensive customization and automation capabilities for sales and marketing projects.

Pros:

• Affordability: Offers competitive pricing with a generous free tier for up to 3 users.

• AI Features: Zia, the AI sales assistant, provides valuable insights and automation.

• Customization and Automation: Offers a high degree of customization, automation capabilities and API.

Cons:

• User Interface: The interface can be less intuitive compared to competitors like HubSpot.

• Learning Curve: Due to its extensive features, new users might find it a bit overwhelming.

• Support: The quality of customer support can be inconsistent.

Pricing:

Zoho CRM's pricing starts with a free plan for up to 3 users. Paid packages begin at $14/user/month (billed annually) for the Standard plan, with more advanced features available in higher-tier plans.

#5: Pipedrive

Pipedrive is built with a laser focus on sales management. It's known for its visual sales pipeline, which provides a clear overview of sales and marketing processes, making it an excellent choice for sales teams looking for a straightforward and powerful CRM solution.

Main Functionality:

• Visual sales pipeline, email sync, API.

• Easy to use with minimal setup required.

• Strong focus on sales-related activities.

Pros:

• Sales Pipeline Management: Offers a visual and intuitive sales pipeline that simplifies tracking deals.

• Ease of Use: Focuses on user-friendliness and simplicity, ensuring a minimal learning curve.

• Customization: Allows for significant customization of pipelines, fields, and activities.

Cons:

• Limited Reports: While improving, its reports might not be as comprehensive as those of larger CRMs.

• Focused on Sales: Primarily geared towards sales, it might lack depth in other areas like marketing or service.

• Integrations: While it offers a range of integrations, some key software functionality might require workarounds or additional costs.

Pricing:

Pipedrive's pricing starts at $14.90/user/month (billed annually) for the Essential plan, with more advanced packages offering additional features.

#6: Insightly

Insightly stands out by combining CRM functionalities with project management features and email sync, making it ideal for companies that are project-driven. It offers a unique blend of powerful tools to manage customer interactions, marketing and projects in one platform.

Main Functionality:

• Integrated PM features.

• Customizable workflows and processes.

• Comprehensive mobile app.

Pros:

• Project Management Features: Insightly combines CRM functionalities with PM, offering a unified platform for customer, marketing and project data.

• Integration Capabilities: Insightly offers a range of integrations with popular apps and services. The software also provides API capabilities.

• Customization: Insightly provides a good level of customization to tailor the CRM to your company’s processes.

• Email Sync: This functionality enables the monitoring of communications, the planning of emails, and the assessment of how successful email marketing initiatives are.

Cons:

• Learning Curve: The combination of CRM and project management features can lead to a steeper learning curve.

• User Interface: Some users may find the Insightly’s interface less intuitive compared to more streamlined CRMs.

• Performance Issues: Users have reported occasional slowdowns and performance issues as the database size increases.

Pricing:

Insightly presents a no-cost package that accommodates up to two users. Insightly’ [aid plans start at $29/user/month (billed annually) for the Plus plan, with more features available in higher-tier packages.

#7: Agile CRM

Agile CRM is designed as an all-in-one powerful CRM solution, offering sales, marketing, and service functionalities within a single platform. It's a great choice for growing to medium-sized companies looking for a comprehensive and affordable CRM solution.

Main Functionality:

• Integrated sales, marketing, and service features.

• Affordable prices for small to medium companies.

• Easy-to-use interface with minimal learning curve.

Pros:

• All-in-One Solution: Offers sales, marketing, and service features within a single platform.

• Affordability: Provides a competitive pricing structure, making it accessible for growing to medium companies.

• Ease of Use: Designed to be user-friendly with a straightforward interface and setup process. It also presents an API for custom integrations.

Cons:

• Features Depth: While it offers a range of features, they may not be as deep or comprehensive as those in more specialized CRMs.

• Scalability: Larger companies might find it less scalable compared to more robust solutions like Salesforce.

• Customization Limitations: Some users may find the customization options to be limited compared to more flexible platforms.

Pricing:

Agile CRM provides a zero-charge edition accessible to a maximum of ten users. Paid packages start at $8.99/user/month (billed annually) for the Starter plan, with additional features in higher-tier plans.

#8: Copper

Copper is designed to integrate seamlessly with Google Workspace, making it an excellent choice for companies heavily reliant on Google products. Its intuitive interface and deep integration with Google Workspace streamline CRM processes, making it a strong contender for Google-centric organizations.

Main Functionality:

• Deep integration with Google Workspace.

• User-friendly interface with minimal setup.

• Automated data entry and workflows.

Pros:

• Google Workspace Integration: Offers deep integration with Google Workspace, allowing for a seamless workflow within Google apps.

• User-Friendly: Focuses on simplicity and ease of use, with minimal setup required.

• Automation: Automates repetitive tasks and data entry, enhancing productivity.

Cons:

• Limited Customization: While user-friendly, it might offer less customization than more complex CRMs.

• Dependence on Google: Businesses not heavily invested in Google Workspace might not find it as beneficial.

• Reports: Some users may find the reports and analytics features less comprehensive.

Pricing:

The initiation fee for Copper's Basic package is set at $25 per user per month, with an annual billing prerequisite, while more sophisticated functionalities are reserved for the elevated tiers of service packages.

#9: Streak

Streak transforms Gmail into a powerful CRM, offering a unique software for companies looking for simplicity and minimal disruption to their existing workflows. It's particularly suitable for growing businesses and solopreneurs who rely heavily on email communication.

Main Functionality:

• Built directly into Gmail.

• Simple and intuitive interface.

• Ideal for email-centric workflows.

Pros:

• Integration with Gmail: Operates directly within Gmail, providing a unique and streamlined experience for email-centric workflows.

• Simplicity: Offers a simple and intuitive interface, making it easy to adopt for Gmail users.

• Affordable: Provides a cost-effective CRM software, especially for growing teams and solopreneurs.

Cons:

• Limited Functionality: While effective within Gmail, it may lack the depth and breadth of standalone CRM solutions.

• Scalability: Might not be as scalable for larger companies with complex CRM requirements.

• Dependency on Gmail: Its effectiveness is tied to Gmail, limiting its appeal to companies using other email platforms.

Pricing:

Streak provides a complimentary edition that includes fundamental Customer Relationship Management functionalities. Paid packages start at $15/user/month (billed annually) for the Professional plan, with additional features in higher tiers.

#10: Apptivo

Apptivo offers a flexible and scalable CRM software, catering to the diverse needs of companies across various industries. With its broad range of features and customization options, Apptivo provides a tailored CRM experience, making it a versatile alternative to Freshsales by Freshworks.

Main Functionality:

• Highly customizable and scalable for sales and marketing projects.

• Comprehensive suite of integrated business apps.

• Strong focus on customer support and customization.

Pros:

• Customizability and Integrations: Offers a high degree of customization and a wide variety of integrations (including API), allowing companies to tailor the CRM to their specific requirements .

• Integrated Suite: Provides a comprehensive suite of business apps, offering a broad range of functionalities beyond CRM.

• Value for Money: Delivers a robust set of features at a competitive price point.

Cons:

• Complexity: The wide array of features and customization options can lead to a steeper learning curve.

• User Interface: Some users might find the interface less intuitive compared to more streamlined CRMs.

• Performance: With extensive customization and large datasets, some users may experience performance issues.

Pricing:

Apptivo's packages start at $10/user/month (billed annually) for the Premium plan, with more advanced features and higher tiers available for larger companies.

#11: Microsoft Dynamics 365

For larger enterprises looking for a CRM that seamlessly integrates with existing Microsoft products, Microsoft Dynamics 365 is a formidable choice. It offers advanced AI insights, comprehensive customization, and robust enterprise-grade capabilities.

Main Functionality:

• Deep integration with Microsoft products.

• Advanced AI and analytics capabilities.

• Suitable for complex, large-scale business processes.

Pros:

• Integration with Microsoft Products: Seamless integration with the Microsoft ecosystem enhances productivity.

• Enterprise-Level Capabilities: Offers robust features suited for complex, large-scale operations.

• Customization and Scalability: Highly customizable and scalable to fit a wide range of business requirements.

• Easily Accessible: Dynamics 365 can be accessed through web browsers on both Mac and Windows, ensuring broad compatibility. Microsoft provides a Dynamics 365 mobile app for Android and IOS devices, which includes offline capabilities.

Cons:

• Complexity: Can be complex to set up and use, requiring specialized knowledge or resources.

• Cost: Might be expensive for growing companies, especially when considering customization and integration needs.

• Resource Intensive: To maximize its capabilities, businesses often need a dedicated team or external consultants.

Pricing:

Dynamics 365 offers various modules and plans, with CRM-focused packages starting at $65/user/month for the Sales Professional plan. Prices can vary significantly based on the modules and customizations chosen.

Conclusion

Switching from Freshsales by Freshworks to an alternative CRM is not a decision to be taken lightly. It involves weighing the current and future needs of your business against the capabilities, costs, and potential benefits of other solutions. For those contemplating this significant shift, thorough research and due diligence are essential. Exploring user reviews, seeking demos, and comparing feature sets in detail can help ensure that the move is a step towards enhanced efficiency, growth, and customer satisfaction.

While Freshsales offers a solid foundation, the equivalents listed above provide a range of choices tailored to different business needs, sizes, and industries. Flowlu is considered one of the best alternatives to Freshsales, offering a comprehensive suite of tools that go beyond traditional CRM functionalities.

Flowlu positions itself as an all-in-one business management software, designed to cater to various aspects of business operations, including PM, invoicing, and financial tracking, in addition to customer relationship management. This holistic approach makes it a versatile choice for companies looking to consolidate multiple tools into a single platform.

As you ponder the possibility of transitioning to a new CRM platform, remember that the goal is not just to find a replacement for Freshsales but to discover a powerful software that propels your business forward in an ever-changing market landscape.