In this post you\u2019ll find:<\/p>\n
- \n
- A list of the top 7 Salesforce alternatives<\/strong> \ud83e\udd47<\/li>\n
- Ranked by their review scores \u2b50\u2b50\u2b50\u2b50\u2b50<\/li>\n
- With their respective pros and cons \ud83d\udc4d\ud83d\udc4e<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
That way you don\u2019t only find out which ones are best, but also which one is best for your small or medium-sized business specifically<\/strong>.<\/p>\n
At the end, I\u2019ll wrap up with a short summary of the pros and cons of each alternative<\/a> + lay out the 4 essential steps to move from Salesforce to a competitor<\/a>.<\/p>\n
\nRanking Salesforce alternatives: methodology<\/h2>\n
To compile this ranking, I went through a list of around 600 possible CRMs to make a pre-selection. Then I tested every one of the 7 selected Salesforce competitors first hand and researched which of them offer which features and detailed this for you below.<\/p>\n
I\u2019ve calculated global review ratings<\/strong> for each of those Salesforce competitors.<\/p>\n
These global review ratings were obtained by combining three ratings in one:<\/p>\n
- \n
- Overall product rating, from the #1 B2B software review site (G2)<\/li>\n
- Mobile app rating, from the #1 mobile app store (Google Play)<\/li>\n
- Email plugin rating, from the #1 email plugin marketplace (Google Workspace Marketplace)<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
That way you know you\u2019ll choose a Salesforce competitor that performs on all fronts. \ud83d\udcaa<\/p>\n
\nThe 7 best Salesforce competitors ranked<\/h2>\n
Don\u2019t want to read the whole comparison? \ud83e\udd13<\/p>\n
The top 7 best Salesforce competitors and alternatives in 2026 are:<\/p>\n
- \n
- Salesflare: 9.7\/10<\/strong><\/a> \ud83c\udfc6<\/li>\n
- HubSpot CRM & Sales Hub: 8.6\/10<\/strong><\/a><\/li>\n
- ActiveCampaign: 8.5\/10<\/strong><\/a><\/li>\n
- Freshworks CRM: 8.3\/10<\/strong><\/a><\/li>\n
- Insightly CRM: 8.3\/10<\/strong><\/a><\/li>\n
- Zoho CRM Plus: 7.7\/10<\/strong><\/a><\/li>\n
- Pipedrive: 6.6\/10<\/strong><\/a><\/li>\n<\/ol>\n
Want to dig into the details? Read on! \ud83d\udc47<\/p>\n
\n1. Salesflare [9.7\/10]<\/a> \ud83c\udfc6<\/h3>\n
<\/source> <\/source><\/picture> ![\"Salesflare](\"https:\/\/images.storychief.com\/account_481\/salesflare-new-homepage_f7ae91fcb03f8da6bca69d08cb24e93d_800.jpg\")
<\/picture><\/figure>\nIf you\u2019re a small or medium-sized B2B business and need an alternative to Salesforce that your team will actually use<\/strong>, Salesflare<\/a> may be right for you.<\/p>\n
Salesflare is a dedicated sales CRM that was built from the ground up to help your sales team build better relationships and sell more, while requiring very little of that dreaded data input<\/strong>.<\/p>\n
It\u2019s made to pull all the data together from where it already is (email, calendar, phone, social media, company databases, email signatures, email & web tracking, \u2026) and uses that to help you follow up your leads in a better way<\/strong>.<\/p>\n
The flip side is that some companies are not used to sharing this much information<\/strong> within the team, although this has been changing dramatically in recent years, and Salesflare has introduced a new permissions system for companies who want to limit some of that newly created transparency.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe customer service is just great. Whenever I have a question, they are here to help. Also, the software is very easy to use and manage. I\u2019ve used Salesforce before and using Salesflare is like breathing in fresh air.\u201d writes Natalia K.<\/a>, founder of a large conference and community, about Salesflare.<\/p>\n
Testing it out<\/h4>\n
When you start using Salesflare, the first thing you\u2019ll notice is how effortlessly it integrates into your existing workflow. From the moment you connect your email, Salesflare begins to automatically pull in data, creating detailed profiles for your contacts without requiring any manual input. The automated data entry feels like a breath of fresh air, especially if you\u2019ve struggled with keeping your CRM up to date in the past.<\/p>\n
The platform is designed to take the burden of data management off your shoulders. Salesflare tracks your emails, meetings, and even web visits, logging these interactions in a timeline that gives you a clear, chronological view of your relationship with each contact. This automation doesn\u2019t just save time\u2014it ensures that your data is always current and reliable.<\/p>\n
Another standout feature is the ease with which you can manage your sales pipeline. The drag-and-drop interface is intuitive, allowing you to move deals through stages with a simple click. The system also provides smart reminders and follow-up suggestions, helping you stay on top of your sales activities without feeling overwhelmed.<\/p>\n
Overall, Salesflare offers a streamlined, efficient experience that makes CRM management feel almost effortless. It\u2019s clear that the platform was built with busy sales teams in mind, providing the tools you need to stay organized and focused on what matters most: building relationships and closing deals.<\/p>\n
Scoring<\/h4>\n
Salesflare\u2019s G2 review scoring:<\/p>\n
- \n
- Ease of Use: 9.5<\/li>\n
- Ease of Setup: 9.5<\/li>\n
- Meets Requirements: 9.3<\/li>\n
- Quality of Support: 9.7<\/li>\n
- Ease of Doing Business With: 9.9<\/li>\n
- Ease of Admin: 9.5<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
Salesflare\u2019s review ratings:<\/p>\n
- \n
- Overall (G2): 9.6\/10<\/li>\n
- Mobile app (Google Play): 4.8\/5 \u2192 9.6\/10<\/li>\n
- Email plugin (Google Workspace): 5\/5 \u2192 10\/10<\/li>\n
- FINAL REVIEW SCORE: 9.7\/10<\/strong><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
Pricing<\/h4>\n
Price of the Pro plan:<\/p>\n
- \n
- $49\/user\/month<\/strong> (billed annually)<\/li>\n
- $64\/user\/month<\/strong> (billed monthly)<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
Try Salesflare<\/h4>\n
If you don\u2019t sell B2B (aka to other businesses) and don\u2019t do active sales, one of the below CRMs might then be a better fit for you. But, if you do actively sell B2B, give Salesflare a try<\/a>.<\/p>\n
It only takes a few minutes to\u00a0start a Salesflare trial<\/a><\/u><\/strong> and follow up your leads in a better way.\ud83d\udc48<\/strong><\/p>\n
I guarantee you won\u2019t find any better CRM for your small or medium-sized business! \ud83d\udc4c
\n\n\n \n \n \n \n ![\"Salesflare](\"https:\/\/lib.salesflare.com\/images\/salesflare-awards-transparent-2024-800.png\")
\n <\/picture>\n <\/a>\n \n Some of the awards Salesflare has received for its ease of use, ease of implementation, and quality of support.\n <\/figcaption>\n <\/figure> \n \n \n\n
\n2. HubSpot CRM & Sales Hub [8.6\/10]<\/a><\/h3>\n
<\/source> <\/source> ![](\"https:\/\/images.storychief.com\/account_481\/hubspot-homepage_359b97163ae375e19fe8fe786e8206e3_800.PNG\")
<\/picture><\/figure>\nHubSpot is a marketing automation platform <\/strong>turned everything<\/em> platform. It was founded in 2005 to make marketing automation easier.<\/p>\n
Nowadays, HubSpot\u2019s main selling point is offering an all-in-one solution<\/strong>, including marketing, sales, service and operations. If you don\u2019t like using different apps and integrating them (by using tools like Zapier and native integrations), then HubSpot might be the Salesforce competitor you\u2019re looking for (here\u2019s a full HubSpot vs Salesforce comparison<\/a>).<\/p>\n
The flip side is that HubSpot\u2019s software is extremely expensive<\/strong>. Yes, its small business CRM is free, but it\u2019s only comparable to the others in this list if you buy it together with the Sales Hub. And if you want to actually reap the benefits<\/a> of the all-in-one platform, you need to pay up for the other Hubs too.<\/p>\n
On top of that, you\u2019ll find that the different tools in the platform do not compare<\/strong> to their more polished, feature-rich and usually cheaper competitors.<\/p>\n
Actually, if you have some ideas of what functionality you need (a CRM, lead forms, landing pages, automated emails or maybe newsletters, \u2026), hit us up on the chat and we\u2019ll help you come up with the perfect sales-marketing stack<\/strong>. I guarantee that it\u2019ll be better and cheaper\u2026 and easy to integrate.<\/p>\n
\u201cI am using HubSpot for 2 years, and the features are much more useful than Salesforce\u2019s. I have used Dynamics 365, Salesforce, Zoho and Leadsquared in my previous organizations. But I must say HubSpot is way better than all of them. Each and every customisation and running a sequence is so easy that you don\u2019t have to check with any of your technical experts\u201d writes Arya C.<\/a>, a user, about HubSpot.<\/p>\n
Testing it out<\/h4>\n
When I tested HubSpot CRM & Sales Hub, the first thing that caught my attention was the clean and intuitive interface. It was clear that HubSpot has invested heavily in user experience design. Navigating through the platform felt natural, and I quickly found myself comfortable with the layout and functionality.<\/p>\n
The all-in-one nature of HubSpot was both a blessing and a curse. On the one hand, I appreciated having marketing, sales, and service tools under one roof, making it easier to manage various aspects of customer engagement without constantly switching between different apps. However, the sheer number of features became overwhelming at times. There were so many options that I found myself needing to take breaks to fully understand and utilize everything effectively.<\/p>\n
The free CRM was quite functional for basic needs, but once I ventured into the Sales Hub and beyond, the pricing started to add up quickly. It felt like every additional feature was locked behind a paywall, and the costs escalated as I explored the more advanced functionalities. While the integration across the HubSpot ecosystem was seamless, the total expense made me question whether it was worth it compared to other specialized tools that might offer similar functionality at a lower price.<\/p>\n
Scoring<\/h4>\n
HubSpot\u2019s G2 review scoring:<\/p>\n
- \n
- Ease of Use: 8.6<\/li>\n
- Ease of Setup: 8.3<\/li>\n
- Meets Requirements: 8.5<\/li>\n
- Quality of Support: 8.5<\/li>\n
- Ease of Doing Business With: 8.7<\/li>\n
- Ease of Admin: 8.6<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
HubSpot\u2019s review ratings:<\/p>\n
- \n
- Overall (G2): 8.5\/10<\/li>\n
- Mobile app (Google Play): 4.6\/5 \u2192 9.2\/10<\/li>\n
- Email plugin (Google Workspace): 4.0\/5 \u2192 8.0\/10<\/li>\n
- FINAL REVIEW SCORE: 8.6\/10<\/strong><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
Pricing<\/h4>\n
Price of the Pro plan (HubSpot Sales Hub Professional):<\/p>\n
$260\/month<\/strong><\/p>\n
- \n
- \n
- (billed annually, with max. 2500 contacts & 6 users included)<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
- Ease of Use: 8.7<\/li>\n
- Ease of Setup: 8.5<\/li>\n
- Meets Requirements: 9.1<\/li>\n
- Quality of Support: 9.1<\/li>\n
- Ease of Doing Business With: 9.2<\/li>\n
- Ease of Admin: 8.7<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
ActiveCampaign\u2019s review ratings:<\/p>\n
- \n
- Overall (G2): 8.9\/10<\/li>\n
- Mobile app (Google Play): 4.3\/5 \u2192 8.6\/10<\/li>\n
- Email plugin (Google Workspace): 4.0\/5 \u2192 8.0\/10<\/li>\n
- FINAL REVIEW SCORE: 8.5\/10<\/strong><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
Pricing<\/h4>\n
Price of the Pro plan (ActiveCampaign Pro plan with the \u201cEnhanced CRM\u201d add-in that includes \u201cPipelines & sales engagement\u201d):<\/p>\n
- \n
- $260\/month<\/strong> (billed annually, with max. 2500 contacts & 6 users included)<\/span><\/li>\n
- $294\/month<\/strong> (billed monthly with annual commitment, with max. 2500 contacts & 6 users included)<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
\n4. Freshworks CRM [8.3\/10]<\/a><\/h3>\n
<\/source> <\/source> ![](\"https:\/\/images.storychief.com\/account_481\/freshworks-homepage_d148c8bb7ca06ddbbe3d58293632ce33_800.PNG\")
<\/picture><\/figure>\nFreshworks CRM is a sales CRM from Freshworks, the company behind \/ initially called Freshdesk. Freshworks was founded in 2010 to provide a better, cheaper solution for customer service<\/strong> teams.<\/p>\n
Freshworks\u2019 main selling point is its feature depth<\/strong>. It has also managed to offer this range of functionality through an easier to use interface than its competitors\/predecessors from the same city (Chennai, India), Zoho. Similarly to Zoho as well, it very often positions itself as the cheaper Salesforce competitor.<\/p>\n
The flip side here is that the software does feel quite bulky<\/strong> and that the functionality feels like its built too fast to be really well thought through. If complex<\/strong> software frustrates you, it probably isn\u2019t for you.<\/p>\n
If you\u2019re in for its most basic plan, the price-functionality ratio is comparable to the more normally priced alternatives to Salesforce in this list. The pricing however ramps up very quickly<\/strong> from there as you need more functionality (or more than 1 pipeline, 5 sequences, \u2026).<\/p>\n
Salesflare<\/a> doesn\u2019t often get compared to Freshworks CRM, but when it happens, it\u2019s people weighing getting something that their team will love to use, against something that checks off a few more of the boxes on their specs list.<\/p>\n
Testing it out<\/h4>\n
When I tested Freshworks CRM, the breadth of features was immediately apparent. From sales tracking to customer support, the platform aimed to cover all bases, which was impressive. The interface was generally user-friendly, but there were moments when the depth of functionality made it feel a bit overwhelming. It was clear that Freshworks tried to cram a lot into their CRM, which was both a strength and a weakness.<\/p>\n
I appreciated the flexibility offered by the multiple pipelines and the customization options available for tracking sales. However, as I continued to explore the platform, it started to feel somewhat bulky. The speed at which I could accomplish tasks slowed down as I dug deeper into the various features, and I occasionally found myself wading through more options than I needed.<\/p>\n
The integration with Freshdesk and other Freshworks products was seamless, which added value if you\u2019re already using those tools. But if not, the complexity might outweigh the benefits. The CRM\u2019s potential was vast, but it required a significant time investment to tailor it to specific needs. Overall, Freshworks CRM would be ideal for teams that need a wide range of features and have the patience to configure the platform to fit their workflows.<\/p>\n
Scoring<\/h4>\n
Freshworks CRM\u2019s G2 review scoring:<\/p>\n
- \n
- Ease of Use: 9.1<\/li>\n
- Ease of Setup: 8.9<\/li>\n
- Meets Requirements: 8.9<\/li>\n
- Quality of Support: 9.0<\/li>\n
- Ease of Doing Business With: 9.1<\/li>\n
- Ease of Admin: 9.4<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
Freshworks CRM\u2019s review ratings:<\/p>\n
- \n
- Overall (G2): 9.0\/10<\/li>\n
- Mobile app (Google Play): 3.8\/5 \u2192 7.6\/10<\/li>\n
- Email plugin (Google Workspace): 4.2\/5 \u2192 8.4\/10<\/li>\n
- FINAL REVIEW SCORE: 8.3\/10<\/strong><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
Pricing<\/h4>\n
Price of the Pro plan (Freshsales Pro):<\/p>\n
- \n
- $39\/user\/month<\/strong> (billed annually)<\/li>\n
- $47\/user\/month<\/strong> (billed monthly)<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
\n5. Insightly CRM [8.3\/10]<\/a><\/h3>\n
<\/source> <\/source> ![](\"https:\/\/images.storychief.com\/account_481\/insightly-homepage_5cae906cdc73f198f87e9a6ae60dbe7c_800.JPG\")
<\/picture><\/figure>\nInsightly CRM is the CRM platform of Insightly, founded in 2009 in Perth, Australia. It was started with the purpose of bringing a better CRM to small businesses and startups<\/a>.<\/p>\n
Starting as a simple solution, over the years Insightly has been building more and more functionality and it now offers a CRM, a marketing platform, a service platform, and an integrations platform. This means that the experience got a little more complex, but you can now get everything in one place<\/strong>.<\/p>\n
The main feeling I have when working with Insightly is that it\u2019s relatively old school<\/strong>, clicking through lists and lists of data<\/strong>, with relatively little focus on communication and on actually managing relationships.<\/p>\n
While it\u2019s probably a smart upgrade from a spreadsheet, it doesn\u2019t feel on par anymore with some other Salesforce alternatives in this list.<\/p>\n
When people compare Salesflare<\/a> to Insightly, it\u2019s also usually by companies looking for a central database<\/strong> and not necessarily a CRM to better follow up their leads and relationships.<\/p>\n
Testing it out<\/h4>\n
Testing Insightly CRM felt like stepping into a more traditional CRM environment. The platform had a no-frills approach, focusing on core CRM functionalities without too many bells and whistles. This simplicity was refreshing in some ways, but it also highlighted the system\u2019s limitations compared to more modern alternatives.<\/p>\n
The interface was straightforward, and I quickly understood how to navigate through contacts, leads, and opportunities. However, the user experience felt somewhat dated, and I found myself clicking through lists of data more often than engaging with dynamic tools that enhance relationship management. The CRM did its job as a central database, but it lacked the intuitive features that make other CRMs more engaging and efficient.<\/p>\n
One of the positives was the ease of integration with Google Workspace, which made it simple to connect emails and calendars. However, the CRM\u2019s focus on being a central repository meant it was less about relationship building and more about managing data. For businesses looking for a basic, reliable CRM that doesn\u2019t require too much learning or customization, Insightly could be a solid choice. But for those seeking more advanced features or a modern interface, it might feel too basic.<\/p>\n
Scoring<\/h4>\n
Insightly CRM\u2019s G2 review scoring:<\/p>\n
- \n
- Ease of Use: 8.3<\/li>\n
- Ease of Setup: 8.2<\/li>\n
- Meets Requirements: 8.1<\/li>\n
- Quality of Support: 7.8<\/li>\n
- Ease of Doing Business With: 8.5<\/li>\n
- Ease of Admin: 8.4<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
Insightly CRM\u2019s review ratings:<\/p>\n
- \n
- Overall (G2): 8.2\/10<\/li>\n
- Mobile app (Google Play): 3.9\/5 \u2192 7.8\/10<\/li>\n
- Email plugin (Google Workspace): 4.5\/5 \u2192 9.0\/10<\/li>\n
- FINAL REVIEW SCORE: 8.3\/10<\/strong><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
Pricing<\/h4>\n
Price of the Pro plan (Insightly Professional):<\/p>\n
- \n
- $49\/user\/month<\/strong> (only billed annually)<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
\n6. Zoho CRM Plus [7.7\/10]<\/a><\/h3>\n
<\/source> <\/source> ![](\"https:\/\/images.storychief.com\/account_481\/zoho-homepage_4912880cf89f3fccb59863650c808225_800.PNG\")
<\/picture><\/figure>\nZoho Corporation is a software development company, founded in 1996 (coincidentally in the same city as Freshworks above), which is behind an extremely wide range of software products<\/strong>.<\/p>\n
It launched a small business CRM product in 2005, which has historically been positioning itself as a cheaper alternative<\/strong> to Salesforce. And that\u2019s immediately its biggest strength.<\/p>\n
The pinnacle of its offering is Zoho One, which gives you access to 40+ of its \u201cbusiness apps\u201d for $105\/user\/month (or $45 if you get it for ALL your employees). Talk about cheap!<\/p>\n
The flip side is that Zoho\u2019s products don\u2019t feel user friendly<\/strong>. While the engineering team does churn out a lot features for a low price, the user experience is generally lacking.<\/p>\n
Still, if you can\u2019t resist a good deal, Zoho has a whole lot to offer you. Or, if you\u2019ve already tried Zoho and didn\u2019t love it<\/strong>, give Salesflare a try<\/a>.<\/p>\n
Testing it out<\/h4>\n
Zoho CRM Plus presented a mixed experience during my test. The platform offers an impressive array of features at a very competitive price, which immediately stood out. However, as I started using it, the interface felt cluttered, and the user experience was less intuitive than I had hoped. It was clear that Zoho prioritized functionality over ease of use, which made the initial setup and navigation a bit challenging.<\/p>\n
The strength of Zoho CRM Plus lies in its integration across a wide suite of Zoho applications. If your business already uses other Zoho products, this CRM can centralize your operations effectively. But, if you\u2019re coming from a different ecosystem, the transition might be jarring due to the interface\u2019s complexity and the learning curve involved.<\/p>\n
I also noticed that while Zoho CRM Plus is feature-rich, not all features are as polished or user-friendly as they could be. Some tools felt like they were added to check a box rather than to provide a seamless user experience. Despite these shortcomings, the platform offers excellent value for money, especially for businesses that need a broad range of functionalities and are willing to invest time in mastering the system.<\/p>\n
Scoring<\/h4>\n
Zoho CRM\u2019s review scoring:<\/p>\n
- \n
- Ease of Use: 8.1<\/li>\n
- Ease of Setup: 7.6<\/li>\n
- Meets Requirements: 8.2<\/li>\n
- Quality of Support: 7.4<\/li>\n
- Ease of Doing Business With: 7.9<\/li>\n
- Ease of Admin: 7.8<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
Zoho CRM\u2019s review ratings:<\/p>\n
- \n
- Overall (G2): 7.8\/10<\/li>\n
- Mobile app (Google Play): 4.2\/5 \u2192 8.4\/10<\/li>\n
- Email plugin (Google Workspace): 3.5\/5 \u2192 7.0\/10<\/li>\n
- FINAL REVIEW SCORE: 7.7\/10<\/strong><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
Pricing<\/h4>\n
Price of the Pro plan (Zoho CRM Plus):<\/p>\n
- \n
- $57\/user\/month<\/strong> (billed annually)<\/li>\n
- $69\/user\/month<\/strong> (billed monthly)<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
\n7. Pipedrive [6.6\/10]<\/a><\/h3>\n
<\/source> <\/source> ![](\"https:\/\/images.storychief.com\/account_481\/pipedrive-homepage_e79ef31b376c107844e7c89d4a98fe43_800.PNG\")
<\/picture><\/figure>\nPipedrive is a dedicated sales CRM<\/strong>. It was founded in 2011 in Estonia as a small business alternative to enterprise CRMs like Salesforce, which are built more for enterprise needs than they are for sales teams.<\/p>\n
Pipedrive\u2019s power is its simple and well considered user experience<\/strong>, especially when it comes to its older functionality. It makes data input and keeping track of activities easier, albeit still very manual.<\/p>\n
Its main weakness is that it has become a bit stale<\/strong>, with a more limited mobile app, lacking basic automation (e.g. of data input), a wonky email integration<\/a>, and a set of more recent functionality that is not as thoughtfully built anymore.<\/p>\n
At some point in time, we positioned Salesflare as \u201cPipedrive without the typing\u201d<\/strong> (check this TechCrunch video<\/a> for instance). We did this because like Salesflare, Pipedrive is built for sales teams, is easy to use, and easy to set up.<\/p>\n
- $69\/user\/month<\/strong> (billed monthly)<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
- $57\/user\/month<\/strong> (billed annually)<\/li>\n
- $49\/user\/month<\/strong> (only billed annually)<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
- $47\/user\/month<\/strong> (billed monthly)<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
- $39\/user\/month<\/strong> (billed annually)<\/li>\n
- $294\/month<\/strong> (billed monthly with annual commitment, with max. 2500 contacts & 6 users included)<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
- $260\/month<\/strong> (billed annually, with max. 2500 contacts & 6 users included)<\/span><\/li>\n
$294\/month<\/strong><\/p>\n
- (billed monthly with annual commitment, with max. 2500 contacts & 6 users included)<\/ul>\n
+ an extra required fee of $1500 for onboarding<\/strong><\/p>\n
\n3. ActiveCampaign [8.5\/10]<\/a><\/h3>\n
<\/source> <\/source> ![](\"https:\/\/images.storychief.com\/account_481\/activecampaign-homepage_38cf5e3c7d96e490139efcb2c22281b4_800.PNG\")
<\/picture><\/figure>\nActiveCampaign is an email marketing\/automation platform, founded in 2003. It now brands itself as a customer experience automation (CXA)<\/strong> platform, to cover its expanding range of functionality.<\/p>\n
ActiveCampaign added a small business CRM module to its offering in 2014, as a sales focused add-on to the rest of the platform. This integration<\/strong> between email automation and CRM is probably its main forte.<\/p>\n
Setting up ActiveCampaign is not a light task and its software may become overwhelming<\/strong>, while the CRM aspect itself on the other hand will not be as feature rich<\/strong> compared to the other Salesforce competitors in this list.<\/p>\n
When people compare ActiveCampaign to Salesflare, which also offers automated emails and email sequences, my advice is usually simple: if you\u2019re an ecommerce company or B2C company, or you need very complex or very high volume email automation, ActiveCampaign is probably what you\u2019re looking for. If you\u2019re a B2B company with an active sales team and the need to automate more personal emails, then go with Salesflare<\/a>.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe drag and drop email editor and automation features are far more advanced and simpler to use than other providers we\u2019ve used. The CRM feature is a great add-on for companies looking to consolidate their email communications and CRM in one place.\u201d writes Matt L.<\/a>, marketing director at a software company, about ActiveCampaign.<\/p>\n
Testing it out<\/h4>\n
During my test of ActiveCampaign, I was immediately struck by how well it integrates email marketing with its CRM capabilities. The platform\u2019s strength lies in its automation features, which are robust and highly customizable. Setting up automated email sequences was straightforward, and I appreciated the level of detail I could achieve with triggers, actions, and conditions.<\/p>\n
However, as I dug deeper into the CRM side, I noticed that it felt somewhat secondary compared to the email marketing functionalities. The CRM features were adequate, but not as polished or comprehensive as those of some competitors. Managing deals and tracking sales activities required more manual effort than I had hoped, and I found myself wishing for more automation in these areas, similar to what I experienced with the email marketing tools.<\/p>\n
The learning curve was steeper than I expected. ActiveCampaign is powerful, but with that power comes complexity. It took some time to get used to the interface and figure out how to make the most of the CRM features without getting lost in the myriad of options available. Despite these challenges, ActiveCampaign\u2019s strength in automation makes it a compelling choice for businesses that heavily rely on email marketing and want to integrate it with a CRM system.<\/p>\n
Scoring<\/h4>\n
ActiveCampaign\u2019s G2 review scoring:<\/p>\n
- \n
- \n
- $64\/user\/month<\/strong> (billed monthly)<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
- $49\/user\/month<\/strong> (billed annually)<\/li>\n
- HubSpot CRM & Sales Hub: 8.6\/10<\/strong><\/a><\/li>\n
- Salesflare: 9.7\/10<\/strong><\/a> \ud83c\udfc6<\/li>\n
![\"Salesflare](\"https:\/\/lib.salesflare.com\/images\/salesflare-awards-transparent-2024-800.avif)
<\/picture><\/figure>\n