Alternative to EngageBay: 9 more powerful CRMs to automate your sales
EngageBay has established itself as an all-in-one CRM suite designed for small and medium-sized businesses: lead management, sales automation, marketing automation, customer support... all at an attractive price, or even free at the outset. On paper, the promise is seductive: a simple, affordable and designed solution for centralizing customer relations.
But in the real world, things don't run so smoothly. As the business grows, some companies come up against limited functionality, sometimes rigid automation, a perfectible interface or a lack of depth on pipeline management, reporting or advanced marketing.
Many sales, marketing and pro teams are now looking for an alternative to EngageBay that is more intuitive, more powerful or better adapted to their organization. Whether it's for a more accessible alternative, a sales-oriented CRM, or a complete solution, there's no shortage of options.
👉 In this article, we've selected 9 reliable and proven alternatives to EngageBay, with a clear comparison of tools, features, pricing plans, and use cases to help you choose the best CRM solution for your business.
What is EngageBay?
EngageBay is an all-in-one CRM solution designed primarily for SMEs, startups and entrepreneurs who want to centralize their sales, marketing and customer support tools in a single interface. The aim is clear: to offer a more affordable alternative to suites like HubSpot, without multiplying subscriptions or tools.
In concrete terms, EngageBay brings together several key functionalities within a single suite:
- CRM for managing contacts, leads and opportunities ;
- sales automation to monitor the pipeline and automate certain sales tasks;
- marketing automation (emails, campaigns, forms, landing pages);
- Customer service with tickets and basic support;
- social and communication to keep in touch with prospects.
One of EngageBay's key selling points is its price positioning. The platform offers a free plan, followed by paid offers billed in euros per month, making it attractive for small teams or start-up businesses. At this price level, EngageBay is easy to get to grips with and offers a reassuring "all-in-one" logic.
EngageBay
Why consider an alternative to EngageBay?
Functionality and automation quickly reach their limits
EngageBay fulfills its role well for standard needs, but as soon as processes become more complex, the limits become apparent.
CRM functionalities remain fairly basic, and sales automation lacks the flexibility to adapt to advanced scenarios. Creating conditional automations, fine-tuning customer paths or managing specific rules by lead type can quickly become restrictive. For a growing company, this rigidity slows down process optimization and sometimes forces teams to multiply manual actions, to the detriment of sales performance.
Perfectible user experience and pipeline management
EngageBay's interface may be intuitive at the outset, but its weaknesses become apparent as the volume of data increases. With more leads, more opportunities and more collaborators, navigation becomes less fluid and pipeline management becomes less legible.
Pipeline management remains fairly linear, making it difficult to track :
- multiple sales cycles,
- or segmentation by team, offer or customer type.
For sales teams, this can make sales management less precise and slow down decision-making.
A solution that doesn't support team growth
EngageBay is often chosen for its attractive pricing plan and all-in-one suite promise. But as business grows, expectations change: more detailed reporting, better team collaboration, more advanced marketing automation, and more responsive support. Yet, even when upgrading to higher-end offerings, the solution struggles to keep pace with growth. For many companies, considering an alternative to EngageBay becomes a strategic decision, in order to rely on a tool that is more robust, more scalable and better aligned with their long-term objectives.
Comparative table of the 9 best alternatives to EngageBay
Our selection of alternatives to EngageBay
ActiveCampaign
ActiveCampaign stands out as a credible alternative to EngageBay for companies that want to structure their marketing and sales seriously. The tool is aimed above all at pro teams looking for a robust solution capable of handling complex customer journeys and advanced automation. Where EngageBay remains a generalist, ActiveCampaign stands out for its precision and performance-oriented logic.
The platform clearly goes further in customer relationship management and automation, at the cost of a slightly more demanding learning curve. But for businesses that want to optimize their lead management and pipeline, the efficiency gains are real.
⚒️ To better understand what ActiveCampaign offers on a day-to-day basis, here are the main features to bear in mind:
- advanced marketing automation with highly detailed conditional workflows ;
- integrated CRM to centralize contacts, customers and opportunities;
- customizable pipeline management according to sales cycle;
- sale automation to automate sales follow-up and reminders;
- advanced segmentation based on lead behavior and engagement;
- precise reporting and analytics for sales and marketing management;
- extensive ecosystem of integrations with business and social tools.
ActiveCampaign
Brevo
Brevo (ex-Sendinblue) is an interesting alternative to EngageBay for companies that place marketing and customer communication at the heart of their strategy. The solution is designed for SMEs that want a tool that is accessible, intuitive and quick to deploy, with a good balance between CRM, emailing and automation. Its pricing positioning, often based on usage rather than per user, appeals to teams on a tight budget.
Brevo stands out above all for its ease of use and multi-channel campaign-oriented approach. The CRM is simpler than some specialized suites, but it effectively covers the essential needs of lead management, customer follow-up and light sales automation.
⚒️ To give you a clear idea of what Brevo has to offer, here are the platform's main functionalities:
- integrated CRM to centralize contacts, customers and interactions ;
- high-performance email marketing with intuitive editor;
- marketing automation for simple scenarios and behavioral triggers;
- lead management and sales opportunity tracking;
- basic pipeline management to organize the sales cycle;
- SMS and messaging tools for multi-channel communication;
- clear interface designed for non-technical teams.
Brevo
Creatio CRM
Creatio is positioned as a more ambitious alternative to EngageBay, clearly focused on enterprise and advanced process management. The platform is aimed at organizations looking for a highly customizable CRM, capable of adapting to complex sales cycles and specific business needs. Here, we're talking less about immediate simplicity and more about strategic flexibility.
Creatio relies heavily on process automation and advanced customer relationship management. The tool requires more time to configure, but in return offers a level of customization difficult to achieve with more generalist solutions.
⚒️ To understand Creatio's added value, here are the key functionalities that set it apart:
- Modular CRM for sales, marketing and customer service;
- advanced process automation without code or low-code ;
- customized pipeline management according to business rules;
- large-scale lead and opportunity management;
- advanced reporting and analytics for performance management;
- collaborative management for sales and marketing teams;
- seamless integration with existing business ecosystems.
Creatio
Freshsales
Freshsales is an alternative to EngageBay designed primarily for sales teams. Developed with sales and productivity in mind, the tool is aimed at SMEs and sales teams who want a clear, efficient CRM that's quick to learn. Where EngageBay tries to cover every possible use, Freshsales focuses on the essentials: better sales and better lead follow-up.
The platform offers a modern, intuitive interface, with well-structured sales automation and pipeline management functionalities.
⚒️ To get a clear idea of Freshsales, here are the main functionalities on offer:
- sales-oriented CRM for managing contacts and opportunities ;
- visual pipeline management to track deals in real time;
- sales automation to automate sales tasks and follow-ups;
- lead scoring based on behavior and commitment;
- performance reporting and dashboards;
- team management and sales activity tracking;
- intuitive interface designed for rapid adoption.
Freshsales
HubSpot
HubSpot is often seen as the benchmark for the CRM market, and rightly so. The platform is aimed at companies looking for a comprehensive suite capable of covering marketing, sales, customer service and data management within a single tool. As an alternative to EngageBay, HubSpot is attractive for its functional depth, ecosystem and ability to support teams of all sizes.
HubSpot relies heavily on automation, user experience and consistency between modules. On the other hand, the cost of upgrading to advanced functionalities increases rapidly. For structured businesses, however, the investment can be justified.
⚒️ To better understand what HubSpot has to offer, here are the key functionalities to be aware of:
- centralized CRM for managing contacts, leads and customers ;
- advanced marketing automation with workflows and scoring;
- sales automation to structure and accelerate sales cycles;
- customizable, visual pipeline management
- integrated customer service tools (tickets, support, knowledge base);
- comprehensive reporting and analytics for business management;
- extensive marketplace of integrations and complementary tools.
HubSpot CRM
monday CRM
monday CRM is a flexible, collaborative alternative to EngageBay. Derived from the world of project management, monday CRM is aimed at teams who want a visual, customizable tool that is easy to adapt to their internal processes. The approach is less "classic CRM" and more "modular business management tool".
The platform's intuitive interface and table-based logic make it ideal for tracking leads, deals and sales activities without being cumbersome. Automation is present, but remains deliberately accessible, making it a solution appreciated by non-technical teams.
⚒️ To understand the benefits of monday CRM, here are the main functionalities on offer:
- Visual CRM for managing contacts and opportunities;
- customizable pipeline management via dynamic tables ;
- automation of sales tasks without complexity;
- team collaboration with comments and notifications;
- activity and customer interaction tracking;
- simple reporting to drive sales;
- modern interface designed for rapid adoption.
monday CRM
Pipedrive
Pipedrive is an alternative to EngageBay, resolutely focused on sales and opportunity tracking. The CRM is designed to help sales teams maintain a clear view of their pipeline and focus on the actions that really drive deals forward. There's nothing superfluous here: everything is designed for sales efficiency.
Pipedrive stands out for its simplicity, ease of use and highly visual approach to pipeline management. The tool doesn't try to do everything, but excels in its core business: helping sales reps organize their work better and close more sales.
⚒️ For an overview of Pipedrive, here are the key features to keep in mind:
- sales-oriented CRM with customizable visual pipeline ;
- real-time lead and opportunity management;
- sales automation to automate tasks and reminders;
- sales activity tracking and intelligent reminders;
- clear reporting to analyze performance;
- management of sales teams and objectives;
- intuitive interface designed for sales teams.
Pipedrive
Odoo
Odoo stands out as a much broader alternative to EngageBay, designed as a complete management suite rather than a simple CRM. The solution is aimed at companies that want to centralize all their operations - sales, marketing, management, billing and support - within a single tool. Odoo's appeal lies in its modular approach and its ability to evolve with the business.
Unlike EngageBay, Odoo is not limited to customer relations. It allows you to build a real business infrastructure, with a high level of customization. On the other hand, implementation requires more time and sometimes technical skills, especially for ambitious projects.
⚒️ To understand what Odoo really offers, here are the main functionalities to bear in mind:
- integrated CRM for managing leads and opportunities ;
- customizable pipeline management according to internal processes
- sale automation to structure sales follow-up;
- marketing modules for campaigns, emails and automation;
- complete business management (invoicing, inventory, projects, support);
- process automation via interconnected modules;
- high customization and integration capabilities.
Odoo
Zoho CRM
Zoho CRM is one of the most popular alternatives to EngageBay, especially for SMEs and fast-growing companies. Part of a comprehensive suite of business tools, Zoho CRM offers an excellent compromise between functional richness, automation and cost control. It's a solution designed to effectively structure customer relationship management without blowing the budget.
Zoho CRM covers the entire sales cycle, from lead to conversion, with advanced sales automation and pipeline management functionalities. The interface is modern and relatively intuitive, even if the richness of the tool may take some getting used to.
⚒️ To give you a better idea of Zoho CRM's strengths, here are some of the key features on offer:
- Comprehensive CRM for managing leads, contacts and customers;
- advanced pipeline management with multiple scenarios;
- sales automation to automate sales tasks and processes;
- marketing automation for lead nurturing and campaigns;
- detailed reporting and analytics for performance management;
- team collaboration and role management;
- native integration with the Zoho ecosystem and third-party tools.
Zoho CRM
How to choose your CRM?
Summary table of the best alternatives to EngageBay
Here's a clear, actionable overview of the best alternatives to EngageBay. The aim: to help you quickly identify which tool is right for your business, based on your level of maturity, automation needs and budget.
| Software | Who's it for? | Key benefits | Entry price |
| ActiveCampaign | SMEs, advanced marketing & sales teams | Advanced automation, high-performance CRM + marketing, fine segmentation | From €12.74/month |
| Brevo | SMBs, marketing-oriented startups | Powerful emailing, simple CRM, good value for money | Free offer |
| Creatio | Enterprises, complex organizations | Process automation, highly customizable CRM, no-code | From €25/month |
| Freshsales | Sales teams, SMEs | Sales-oriented CRM, clear pipeline, fast learning curve | Free offer |
| HubSpot | SMB to large enterprises | Complete CRM suite, rich ecosystem, advanced automation | Free offer |
| monday CRM | Collaborative teams, SMEs | Intuitive interface, visual CRM, great flexibility | Free offer |
| Pipedrive | Field sales teams | Ultra-visual pipeline management, simplicity, sales focus | From €14/month |
| Odoo | SMEs & growing companies | Complete business suite, CRM + ERP, highly customizable | Free offer |
| Zoho CRM | SMEs, structured companies | Comprehensive CRM, automation, excellent features/price ratio | From €14/month |
Criteria to consider when choosing an alternative to EngageBay
Choosing an alternative to EngageBay isn't just a matter of comparing features on a price page. The right CRM is above all one that fits your business, your team and your pace of growth .
📌 Here are the essential criteria to analyze before deciding:
- CRM functionalities: check that the base really covers your business needs, today and tomorrow;
- sales automation: the ability to automate sales tasks, reminders, scoring and pipeline tracking without tinkering;
- marketing automation: indispensable if marketing plays a key role in lead generation;
- pipeline management: clear sales tracking, personalized milestones and visibility on sales performance;
- ease of use: an intuitive interface accelerates adoption by the team and limits dependence on technical profiles;
- scalability: the solution must keep pace with business growth without exploding costs or blocking processes;
- price and pricing model: pay attention to real costs, limitations per user and locked-in functionalities;
- support and guidance: quality of customer service, documentation, onboarding and available resources;
- integrations: compatibility with existing tools (marketing, management, social, reporting).
EngageBay: a good entry point... but not always the best solution
EngageBay remains an accessible CRM tool, well positioned to get you started and centralize your first sales, marketing and support actions. Its pricing plan and all-in-one approach make it a coherent solution for small businesses or teams in the start-up phase.
But as companies grow, pipelines become more complex and automation becomes strategic, its limitations become apparent. Sometimes limited functionality, perfectible flexibility, uneven user experience: these are just some of the reasons why more and more teams are looking for an alternative to EngageBay that's better suited to their needs.
The good news is that today's market is full of high-performance CRM solutions capable of meeting a wide range of needs: Sales-oriented CRM, advanced marketing suite, collaborative management tool or complete business platform.
🧠 So the most important thing is not to choose "the best CRM", but the one that's most relevant to your business, your team and your budget. Take the time to assess your priorities, test several tools, and think long-term.
Article translated from French