17 tools to consider instead of Salesforce, with who each one suits, where it falls short and a source for every price. No scores or star ratings.
Updated 27 Sep 2026 · Next review 26 Dec 202617 tools · 24 min read
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Disclosure: We make startbuddi, so we've put it first and been upfront about where it falls short. There are no scores or star ratings here. Every price and feature below comes from the tool's own website or our own test account, and each one links to its source.
TL;DRThe short answer
Small service businesses that want contacts, deals, an inbox and invoices in one place?startbuddi.
Growing teams that want CRM, marketing, sales and service tools from one vendor?HubSpot.
Small sales teams that want a low-cost CRM with room to add Zoho apps?Zoho CRM.
Sales teams that manage deals in a visual pipeline?Pipedrive.
Sales teams that want built-in phone, email and chat inside the CRM?Freshsales.
Teams already on monday.com who want deals and contacts on the same boards?monday CRM.
Find your fit · 2 questions
Which alternative suits you?
1. Do you need a free plan?
2. Which sounds most like you?
Answer both to see a suggestion. It only uses the facts on this page.
Growing businesses that want sales, accounting, stock and HR in one suite
$7.25 USD, per user per month, billed yearly (Standard, first-year discount)
Yes
Prices are list prices as each company publishes them, never converted. startbuddi's price is shown in your currency where we can.
The alternatives
01
startbuddi
Our productBest for small service businesses that want contacts, deals, an inbox and invoices in one place
Best for
Small service businesses that want contacts, deals, an inbox and invoices in one place
Starting price
Free plan. Paid from $29 a month Starter plan, our pricing
Free plan
Yes
Platforms
Web
Customers keeps every contact, company and deal on one record, with WhatsApp, email, SMS, website chat, Instagram and Facebook messages in one shared inbox. Paid invoices move deals to won, and Chip drafts replies and follow-ups from the record.
Strengths
Contacts, companies, deals and conversations share one record
Shared inbox for WhatsApp, email, SMS, website chat, Instagram and Facebook
Best for growing teams that want CRM, marketing, sales and service tools from one vendor
Best for
Growing teams that want CRM, marketing, sales and service tools from one vendor
Starting price
$20 USD, per seat per month (Starter Customer Platform, regular price)
Free plan
Yes
Platforms
Web
HubSpot offers a free CRM and paid hubs for marketing, sales, service, content and data. Free tools cover up to 2 users and 1,000 contacts; Starter plans add automation and remove HubSpot branding.
Strengths
Free tools with no time limit
Starter Customer Platform bundles marketing, sales, service, content and data hubs
Sales Starter includes up to 15 pipelines and 1,000 meeting links
Landing pages and website pages in Content Hub
Limitations
Free tools are limited to 2 users and 1,000 contacts
Paid tiers are priced per seat
Professional plans are a large step up: Sales Hub Professional is $90 per seat per month billed annually plus a required $1,500 onboarding fee
Best for small sales teams that want a low-cost CRM with room to add Zoho apps
Best for
Small sales teams that want a low-cost CRM with room to add Zoho apps
Starting price
₹800 per user per month, billed annually (Standard)
Free plan
Yes
Platforms
Web, mobile apps
Zoho CRM manages leads, contacts and deals with workflows, reports and a mobile app. A Free edition covers 3 users, and paid editions add email integration, multiple pipelines, forecasting and, higher up, AI agents and CPQ.
Strengths
Free forever for 3 users, with workflow automation, standard reports and mobile apps
Standard adds mass email, built-in calling, multiple sales pipelines and forecasting
No contracts; billed monthly or yearly, with up to 34% off yearly
Free trial on paid editions
Limitations
The Free edition is limited to 3 users
AI agents, CPQ and unlimited reports start on the Professional edition
Approval processes and custom functions are on the Enterprise edition
Best for sales teams that manage deals in a visual pipeline
Best for
Sales teams that manage deals in a visual pipeline
Starting price
$14 USD, per seat per month, billed annually (Lite)
Free plan
Trial only
Platforms
Web, iOS, Android
Pipedrive is a sales CRM built around a visual deal pipeline, with activity tracking, reports and, on higher plans, email sync and automations. Every plan has a 14-day free trial with no credit card.
Strengths
14-day free trial with full access and no credit card
Native Android and iOS apps
Add-ons for lead capture, projects, email campaigns and documents
500+ integrations in the marketplace
Limitations
No free plan
Lite has no automations and no two-way email sync; both start on Growth ($39 per seat)
Lite is capped at 2,500 leads and deals per seat and 30 custom fields
Best for sales teams that want built-in phone, email and chat inside the CRM
Best for
Sales teams that want built-in phone, email and chat inside the CRM
Starting price
$9 USD, per user per month, billed annually (Growth)
Free plan
Trial only
Platforms
Web, mobile app
Freshsales is Freshworks' CRM for managing contacts and deals with built-in email, phone, chat and messaging channels. Freddy AI adds contact scoring and deal insights on higher plans, and a 21-day trial needs no credit card.
Strengths
Built-in email, phone, chat, WhatsApp and SMS
Multiple sales pipelines, product catalogue and forecasting
Growth includes Kanban view, lifecycle stages, custom fields and basic workflows
21-day trial with no credit card
Limitations
Contact scoring, deal insights and sales sequences start on Pro ($39 per user per month billed annually)
Custom modules, sandbox and audit logs are only on Enterprise ($59 per user per month billed annually)
The Freddy AI Agent is a paid add-on at $49 per 100 sessions
Best for teams already on monday.com who want deals and contacts on the same boards
Best for
Teams already on monday.com who want deals and contacts on the same boards
Starting price
$12 USD, per seat per month, billed annually (Basic; minimum 3 seats)
Free plan
Trial only
Platforms
Web; mobile apps
monday CRM is a sales CRM built on monday.com boards, with contacts, deals, dashboards, quotes and invoices, automations and AI agents. Plans are sold per seat with a three-seat minimum and a 14-day trial.
Strengths
Customisable boards for contacts and deals
Quotes and invoices included from Basic (20 a month)
Standard adds AI agents and 250 custom automations a month
Pro adds mass emails and email sequences
Limitations
No free plan and a minimum of 3 seats
Basic is limited to 1,000 active contacts and deals, 1 dashboard and 5 columns per board
Mass email and sequences start on Pro ($28 per seat a month billed annually)
Best for google Workspace users who want a CRM that works inside Gmail
Best for
Google Workspace users who want a CRM that works inside Gmail
Starting price
$23 USD, per seat per month, paid annually ($29 billed monthly)
Free plan
Trial only
Platforms
Web, iOS, Android, Gmail (Chrome extension)
Copper is a CRM for service businesses that is recommended for Google Workspace and works inside Gmail. It covers contacts, deals, pipelines and project delivery. Every plan has a free trial with no credit card needed.
Strengths
Works inside Gmail through a Chrome extension
Pipelines, task automation and project management on the Basic plan
Mobile apps log calls and SMS
Free trial with no credit card required
Limitations
No free plan
Basic plan caps contacts at 2,500
Workflow automation, bulk email and reporting start on Professional ($59 per seat per month paid annually)
Best for small and mid-sized teams wanting a CRM that turns won deals into projects
Best for
Small and mid-sized teams wanting a CRM that turns won deals into projects
Starting price
$29 USD, per user per month, billed annually (CRM Plus)
Free plan
Trial only
Platforms
Web, iOS, Android
Insightly is a CRM with pipeline management, email sync and a project module for delivering work after a deal closes. It also sells marketing automation, service and integration products separately. A 14-day free trial is offered without a credit card.
Strengths
Won opportunities can be converted to projects inside the CRM
Two-way email sync and native iOS and Android apps
Plus plan allows 100,000 records
Integrations with Microsoft, Shopify and DocuSign are listed
Limitations
No free plan
Workflow automation starts on Professional ($49 per user per month billed annually)
Custom objects are Enterprise only ($99 per user per month); prices are billed annually
Best for small sales teams that want a CRM with forms, chat and email built in
Best for
Small sales teams that want a CRM with forms, chat and email built in
Starting price
$13 USD, per user per month, billed monthly (Foundation)
Free plan
Trial only
Platforms
Web
Nutshell is a CRM for small sales teams with pipelines, email and calendar sync, web chat, forms and landing pages on every plan. Advanced email marketing, SMS and proposals are paid add-ons.
Strengths
Unlimited contacts and storage on every plan
Web chat, AI chatbot, form builder and landing pages included
No seat minimums or maximums
Free live support on every plan
Limitations
No free plan, only a 14-day trial
Sales automation and advanced reporting start on Pro at $42 per user per month
Email marketing ($49 a month), SMS and WhatsApp ($16 per user a month) and proposals are add-ons
Best for small teams that want a simple CRM for contacts and a sales pipeline
Best for
Small teams that want a simple CRM for contacts and a sales pipeline
Starting price
$18 USD, per user per month, billed annually (Starter)
Free plan
Yes
Platforms
Web
Capsule is a CRM for small businesses covering contacts, sales pipelines and project boards. The free plan allows 2 users and 250 contacts; paid plans add email templates, reporting and, from Growth, workflow automations.
Strengths
Free plan for up to 2 users and 250 contacts
14-day free trial of paid plans with no card
Direct integrations with tools such as Xero and Zendesk from Starter
AI features such as summaries and contact enrichment on Growth
Limitations
Workflow automations and multiple pipelines start on the Growth plan
Free plan limited to 5 custom fields and 1 sales pipeline
Marketing tools are a separate add-on, from $11 per month
Best for small businesses that want a simple contact manager with one flat price
Best for
Small businesses that want a simple contact manager with one flat price
Starting price
$15 USD, per user per month, plus applicable tax
Free plan
Trial only
Platforms
Web
Less Annoying CRM is a simple CRM for small businesses with contacts, pipelines, tasks, calendar and email logging. It has a single plan at one price with no tiers or contracts.
Strengths
One plan with every feature: 'No tiers. No contracts.'
Unlimited contacts, pipelines and custom fields
Calendar sync with Google or Outlook and email logging
Free support
Limitations
No free plan, only a 30-day free trial
Its FAQ suggests staying below about 50,000 contacts in total
Best for inside sales teams that call, email and text leads from one CRM
Best for
Inside sales teams that call, email and text leads from one CRM
Starting price
$9 USD, per user per month, billed annually (Solo plan)
Free plan
Trial only
Platforms
Web, iOS, Android
Close is a sales CRM with built-in calling, email and SMS in one inbox, plus an AI sales agent called Chloe. Plans run from Solo for one person up to Scale, with automated workflows and a power dialer on Growth and above. It offers a 14-day free trial with no credit card.
Strengths
Built-in calling, email and SMS from the Essentials plan
Power dialer on Growth and a predictive dialer on Scale
Every plan includes monthly AI credits for Chloe
iOS and Android apps for calls, texts and reports
Limitations
No free plan, only a 14-day trial
Automated workflows are not included on Solo or Essentials; they start on Growth ($99 per user per month, billed annually)
Solo is limited to 1 user and 10,000 leads
Calling and SMS are charged by usage on top of the plan price
Best for small teams wanting sales, marketing and helpdesk tools in one low-cost CRM
Best for
Small teams wanting sales, marketing and helpdesk tools in one low-cost CRM
Starting price
$8.99 USD, per user per month, billed every 2 years (Starter)
Free plan
Yes
Platforms
Web, Chrome extension
Agile CRM combines contact and deal management, email campaigns, marketing automation and a helpdesk in one product. The free plan covers up to 10 users and 1,000 contacts, and paid plans are priced per user with higher limits on contacts, workflows, integrations and API calls.
Strengths
Free plan for up to 10 users, no credit card required
Sales, marketing and service (helpdesk) tools in one product
Appointment scheduling, email tracking and two-way telephony listed on the pricing grid
Starter includes 10,000 contacts, 5 campaign workflows and 5 automation rules
Limitations
The free plan allows 1,000 contacts, 1 campaign workflow, 1 automation rule and 1 integration
The lowest Starter price ($8.99) needs a 2-year commitment; monthly billing is $14.99 per user
Unlimited contacts, workflows and automation rules only come with Enterprise ($47.99 per user per month on the 2-year rate)
Best for small teams that want CRM, tasks, chat and calls in one account
Best for
Small teams that want CRM, tasks, chat and calls in one account
Starting price
$49 USD, per month for 5 users, billed annually ($69 billed monthly)
Free plan
Yes
Platforms
Web, mobile app, desktop app
Bitrix24 combines a CRM, tasks and projects, chat and video calls, and online documents in one account. Plans are priced per organisation with a set user count, from 5 users on Basic to 100 on Professional.
Strengths
Free plan for up to 2 users with basic CRM, tasks, calendars, chat and video calls
Basic plan adds sales pipelines, online payments and email, WhatsApp and telephony connections
Standard adds web forms, invoices, e-signature and unlimited projects for 50 users
Mobile and desktop apps
Limitations
Free plan has no sales pipelines, automation or email integration
Sales automation, email marketing and booking start on Professional ($199 per month billed annually)
Best for small teams wanting a simple CRM that works inside their inbox and browser
Best for
Small teams wanting a simple CRM that works inside their inbox and browser
Starting price
$24.90 USD, per licence per month, billed annually
Free plan
Trial only
Platforms
Web, iOS, Android; browser extension
Nimble is a CRM for small teams with contact lists, a Today dashboard, deals and reports, workflow boards, email tracking, sequences and email marketing. The Prospector browser extension lets you capture contacts while browsing.
Strengths
One plan, so every licence gets the same features
Group email tracking, sequences, templates and email campaigns
Web forms and web chat for collecting leads
Apps for iOS and Android and a browser extension
Limitations
No free plan; 14-day free trial only
Only one plan, with no cheaper tier for very small needs
Best for service businesses that want CRM, email automation and payments in one
Best for
Service businesses that want CRM, email automation and payments in one
Starting price
$299 USD, per month, billed monthly
Free plan
Trial only
Platforms
Web, mobile app
Keap sells one plan with its whole platform: CRM, an automation builder, email and text marketing, sales pipeline, landing pages, payments, appointments and reporting. Price scales with users and contacts, and implementation services are required.
Strengths
One plan includes the full feature set
Automation builder with 52+ ready-made automations
Invoices, quotes and payment processing built in
Text marketing tiers with a toll-free number
Limitations
No free plan and a high entry price
Implementation services are required on top of the subscription
Text marketing is available in the US, Australia, Canada, the UK and New Zealand
Best for growing businesses that want sales, accounting, stock and HR in one suite
Best for
Growing businesses that want sales, accounting, stock and HR in one suite
Starting price
$7.25 USD, per user per month, billed yearly (Standard, first-year discount)
Free plan
Yes
Platforms
Web (Odoo Online); Odoo.sh and on-premise on the Custom plan
Odoo is a suite of business apps covering CRM, sales, accounting, inventory, manufacturing, HR, marketing, projects and websites. The Standard plan includes all apps for one per-user price, and the One App Free plan gives one app to unlimited users.
Strengths
One App Free plan: one app with unlimited users
Standard includes all apps, from CRM and accounting to inventory, POS and website
Unlimited support, hosting and maintenance included in all plans
Open-source Community edition available
Limitations
Studio, multi-company, external API and on-premise or Odoo.sh hosting need the Custom plan (US$13.40 per user per month on the first-year yearly rate)
Implementation services, custom code maintenance and in-app credits (SMS, lead generation) are not included
General advice that applies to most moves. Check what your new tool can import before you start.
Export
Contacts and companies
Deals or projects, with their stages
Notes, tasks and files
Rebuild
Only the automations you really use
The reports you check every week
Email templates
Run both
A short overlap while your team switches
Then cancel the old plan
Keep an archived export
Check your contract first
Many paid plans bill yearly. Check your renewal date so you don't pay for months you won't use.
How we chose these tools
Built for or usable by small businesses and small teams
A published product page and pricing page we could check
Actively maintained, with a working sign-up or trial
Covers the core job this list is about, not just a feature of it
A mix of free, low-cost and established options
About this list
Where the facts come from
Every price, plan and feature comes from the tool's own website, pricing page or docs, or from our own test account. Each tool links to its sources and shows the date we checked them.
What we leave out
No scores, star ratings or review counts. If we can't confirm a fact from an official source, we leave it out and mark it "not published".
When it's reviewed
Last updated 27 Sep 2026. Next review due 26 Dec 2026. We review every list at least every 90 days.
Spotted something out of date?
Prices and plans change. Tell us and we'll check it again.
Try startbuddi free.
Start on the free plan with a copy of your contacts and see if it fits how you work.
