How we make this list: we compare pricing pages, product documentation and public user reviews. Ratings come from G2, Capterra or Trustpilot, with the date we checked them.
Key takeaways
- Insightly's appeal is the bridge from sales to project delivery, so judge every alternative on that handoff, not just on pipeline features.
- HubSpot offers the strongest free CRM and marketing depth, while Pipedrive offers the simplest pipeline and Zoho CRM offers the deepest breadth at a low price.
- Entry prices cluster between $9 and $29 per user per month, but the practical entry tier is often higher, since entry plans omit features active teams need.
- Project delivery is thin in most pure sales CRMs, so services teams should shortlist Monday, Zoho CRM with Projects, or a dedicated delivery tool alongside the CRM.
Quick comparison
| Tool | Best for | Starting price | Free plan |
|---|
 HubSpot | Free CRM with marketing depth | $15 per seat/month (Starter, billed annually) | Yes (free CRM) |
 Pipedrive | Simple visual pipeline | $14 per seat/month (Lite, billed annually) | Free trial (14 days) |
 Zoho CRM | Budget breadth with Projects | $14 per user/month (Standard, billed annually) | Yes (up to 3 users) |
 Salesforce | Enterprise customization | $25 per user/month (Starter Suite) | Free trial (30 days) |
 Freshsales | AI-assisted CRM at low cost | $9 per user/month (Growth, billed annually) | Yes (up to 3 users) |
 Monday Sales CRM | Visual pipeline plus work management | $12 per user/month (minimum 3 seats) | Free trial |
 Copper | Teams entirely on Google Workspace | $29 per month (Basic) | Free trial (14 days) |
 Close | Sales teams that live on calls | $35 per user/month (Essentials) | Free trial (14 days) |
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The best Insightly alternatives
Starting price$15 per seat/month (Starter, billed annually)
Free planYes (free CRM)
HubSpot is the strongest alternative when sales and marketing must run on one platform. The free CRM covers contacts, deals and tickets for unlimited users in some listings, and Sales Hub starts at $15 per seat per month on annual billing. Marketing automation, landing pages and email campaigns integrate natively in a way most rivals cannot match without add-ons.
The gap for Insightly users is delivery: project management requires third-party tools, since HubSpot has no native project module to match Insightly's bridge. The practical entry tier is also higher than Starter for active teams, with Sales Hub Professional around $100 per user per month in one comparison. HubSpot fits inbound-focused teams that value marketing depth over delivery features.
What we like- Genuinely free CRM with contacts, deals and tickets
- Best marketing and sales integration
- Clear upgrade path
Watch out for- Project management needs third-party tools
- Professional tier costs far more than Starter
#2Pipedrive
Best for: Simple visual pipeline4.3/5 on
G2 (5,034 reviews, checked Oct 2026)
Visit pipedrive.com
Starting price$14 per seat/month (Lite, billed annually)
Free planFree trial (14 days)
Pipedrive strips CRM down to its core: a visual pipeline that sales teams learn in days rather than weeks. The Lite plan costs $14 per seat per month on annual billing, with Growth at $39 and Premium at $49, and automation depth grows with tier. For a straightforward sales process, that simplicity is the point.
Delivery handoff requires add-ons or integrations, since Pipedrive has no native project management, and one comparison warns that Lite is too limited for active teams, putting the practical entry at $39 per user per month. Pipedrive fits sales-driven small businesses that want speed and clarity, and that handle delivery elsewhere.
What we like- Clean visual pipeline
- Fast adoption
- Strong automation on higher tiers
Watch out for- No native project management
- Lite tier too limited for active teams
#3Zoho CRM
Best for: Budget breadth with Projects4.1/5 on
G2 (2,952 reviews, checked Oct 2026)
Visit zoho.com
Starting price$14 per user/month (Standard, billed annually)
Free planYes (up to 3 users)
Zoho CRM is the budget breadth pick, with Standard at $14 per user per month on annual billing, Professional at $23 and Enterprise at $40, plus a free plan for up to three users. Its edge for Insightly users is Zoho Projects integration, which gives the sales-to-delivery bridge that pure sales CRMs lack, inside the same ecosystem as Zoho Books and other Zoho apps.
The cost is complexity: the interface carries many modules, and teams that want a simple pipeline may find it heavy. Standard is genuinely functional for most teams, unlike some rivals whose entry tiers omit core features. Zoho CRM fits budget-conscious teams that want breadth, automation and a delivery handoff without enterprise prices.
What we like- Wide feature breadth
- Zoho Projects integration for delivery
- Free for three users
Watch out for- Interface complexity
- Too many modules for teams that want simplicity
#4Salesforce
Best for: Enterprise customization4.4/5 on
G2 (27,566 reviews, checked Oct 2026)
Visit salesforce.com
Starting price$25 per user/month (Starter Suite)
Free planFree trial (30 days)
Salesforce is the enterprise answer, with Sales Cloud from $25 per user per month on Starter Suite, rising to $100 for Pro Suite and $175 for Enterprise in one comparison, which warns that Pro Suite lacks key features for real use and puts the practical entry near $175. Configuration depth is unmatched: custom objects, workflows, approvals and reporting can model nearly any sales process.
That depth demands admin support and a learning curve that small teams often underestimate. Project delivery comes through integrations or Salesforce's own project tools rather than a native Insightly-style bridge. Salesforce fits midsize and enterprise companies with admin resources that need deep customization and plan to scale.
What we like- Deepest ecosystem and configurability
- Massive app marketplace
- Scales to any size
Watch out for- Steep learning curve
- Practical entry tier far above Starter
- Expensive at scale
#5Freshsales
Best for: AI-assisted CRM at low cost4.5/5 on
G2 (1,237 reviews, checked Oct 2026)
Visit freshworks.com
Starting price$9 per user/month (Growth, billed annually)
Free planYes (up to 3 users)
Freshsales, part of Freshworks, offers the lowest paid entry in this list at $9 per user per month on annual billing ($11 month to month), with a free plan for up to three users. Built-in phone, email and chat plus Freddy AI assistance give small teams a complete sales toolkit without buying separate tools, and the Growth tier is genuinely functional rather than a teaser.
Project delivery is thin, so services teams that need the Insightly bridge should pair it with a delivery tool or choose Monday or Zoho instead. Freshsales fits small teams that want AI-assisted sales CRM at mid-market price, with fast setup and minimal admin overhead.
What we like- Lowest paid entry here
- Built-in phone, email and chat
- Freddy AI assistance
Watch out for- Project delivery is thin
- Best as a pure sales CRM
#6Monday Sales CRM
Best for: Visual pipeline plus work management4.5/5 on
G2 (1,636 reviews, checked Oct 2026)
Visit monday.com
Starting price$12 per user/month (minimum 3 seats)
Free planFree trial
Monday Sales CRM appeals to visual teams because deals and work live on the same boards: a sale can flow into delivery tasks, timelines and workloads without switching systems. That work-management overlap is the closest thing here to Insightly's bridge, and it suits operations-heavy teams that manage projects alongside deals. Pricing starts at $12 per user per month with a three-seat minimum, rising to $28 for Pro.
CRM depth is shallower than dedicated tools like Salesforce or Zoho, and one comparison warns that Standard's automation cap hits fast, putting the practical entry at $28 per user per month. Monday fits small teams already using Monday for task management, and visual teams that value boards over traditional CRM forms.
What we like- Highly visual board-based pipeline
- Work management alongside CRM
- Ops-heavy workflows fit well
Watch out for- CRM depth shallower than dedicated CRMs
- Standard automation caps hit fast
#7Copper
Best for: Teams entirely on Google Workspace4.5/5 on
G2 (1,158 reviews, checked Oct 2026)
Visit copper.com
Starting price$29 per month (Basic)
Free planFree trial (14 days)
Copper is built for businesses that run entirely on Google Workspace, with CRM data living inside Gmail and Calendar so reps rarely retype anything. Basic costs $29 per month ($23 on annual billing in one comparison), with Professional at $69 ($59 annual) and Business at $134 ($99 annual). For a Google-native team, that inbox integration saves real daily effort.
Project management is weak, and value drops sharply outside Google Workspace, since the product's edge is its Google integration. Copper fits small businesses that live in Gmail and Calendar and want a CRM that meets them there, not teams needing delivery management or deep customization.
What we like- Native Gmail and Calendar integration
- No data entry from the inbox
- Simple for Google shops
Watch out for- Weak project management
- Limited value outside Google Workspace
#8Close
Best for: Sales teams that live on calls4.7/5 on
G2 (2,069 reviews, checked Oct 2026)
Visit close.com
Starting price$35 per user/month (Essentials)
Free planFree trial (14 days)
Close is the sales-execution CRM for teams that live on the phone, with built-in calling, SMS and email in one workflow and a power dialer on the Growth tier. Essentials costs $35 per user per month, but one comparison puts the practical entry at $99 per user per month for Growth, since that tier includes the dialer that outbound teams actually buy Close for.
There is no native project management, so delivery handoff needs an integration. Close fits outbound and inside-sales teams that prioritize call volume and speed over breadth, and that can justify the Growth tier for dialer features.
What we like- Built-in calling and power dialer on higher tiers
- Fast, sales-focused workflow
- Strong for outbound teams
Watch out for- Practical entry near $99 per user per month for dialer features
- No native project management
How we chose
We compared tools on entry price, practical entry tier, free plan quality, project delivery support and the limits reviewers cite most often. Sources included vendor pages and independent comparisons checked in 2026, including a cloud CRM comparison and an Insightly alternatives guide. Where prices conflicted across guides, the article uses the most recent vendor-listed figure and notes the conflict. We did not claim hands-on testing, and practical entry tiers reflect what active teams typically need, not the cheapest advertised plan.
What to check before you sign
Start with the delivery handoff, since that is why most teams chose Insightly. Map a deal from close to project kickoff in each shortlisted tool: who owns it, what tasks auto-create, and how completion is tracked. If the tool cannot show that path, budget for a separate delivery tool or choose Monday or Zoho CRM with Projects.
Next, price the practical tier, not the entry tier. Lite and Starter plans often omit automation, reporting or integrations that active teams need, and the real monthly cost can be double the headline rate. Trial the tier you would actually buy, with your real pipeline and data, not the cheapest plan.
Finally, test migration with real records. Import contacts, deals and project history, check custom fields and attachments, and confirm reporting still works. A CRM migration that loses history costs more in trust than any subscription saving.
Frequently asked questions
What is the best Insightly alternative?
It depends on your priority. HubSpot leads for free CRM and marketing depth, Pipedrive for pipeline simplicity, Zoho CRM for budget breadth with a delivery bridge, Monday for visual work management, and Salesforce for enterprise customization.
How much does CRM software cost?
Entry prices run from $9 per user per month at Freshsales to $14 at Pipedrive and Zoho CRM, $15 at HubSpot Starter, $25 at Salesforce Starter Suite, $29 at Copper Basic and $35 at Close Essentials. Practical entry tiers for active teams are often higher.
Is there a free CRM?
Yes. HubSpot offers a free CRM with contacts, deals and tickets, Zoho CRM is free for up to three users, Freshsales is free for up to three users, and Bigin offers a free forever plan for one user. Free plans suit tiny teams, while growing teams need paid tiers.
Does any alternative match Insightly's CRM plus project management?
Monday Sales CRM comes closest, since deals and work share boards, and Zoho CRM with Zoho Projects covers the bridge inside one ecosystem. Pure sales CRMs like Pipedrive, Freshsales and Close need a separate delivery tool.
Should a small team buy Salesforce?
Usually not at first. Salesforce's practical entry tier runs far above its $25 Starter Suite rate, and it needs admin support to configure well. Small teams get faster value from HubSpot, Pipedrive, Zoho CRM or Freshsales.
How hard is it to migrate from Insightly?
Migration difficulty depends on custom fields, project history and attachments. Most CRMs offer import tools, but project records and history rarely transfer cleanly. Run a pilot import with real data and reconcile before moving the full base.
Sources we checked (4)
- https://rankite.com/blog/best-cloud-crm-software
- https://dev.to/2gelbuy/best-crm-software-in-2026-by-size-and-budget-2nnk
- https://resources.rework.com/tools/crm/best-insightly-alternatives
- https://www.insightly.com/blog/agile-crm-alternatives/
Is your product missing or out of date?
We review this list regularly. Vendors can request a listing, send updated pricing or ask about featured placement.
Shihab Mia · Founder, Rankite
Shihab has 5+ years in B2B and SaaS SEO. He writes Rankite's software buying guides from pricing pages, documentation and public user reviews. More about Shihab.