The 13 best alternatives to Zoho CRM (and how to choose yours)
Customer relationship management is no longer just about sending polite reminders and ticking boxes on an XL spreadsheet. Today, we're talking automation, scoring, AI, and above all, ultra-personalized customer experience.
Zoho CRM ticks a lot of boxes, but... it's not alone on the market. And depending on your needs, your teams or your budget, other CRMs do it better. Or differently.
So if Zoho CRM seems too limited, too complex, or just not right for you, here are 13 solid, tested and approved alternatives. From HubSpot to Pipedrive, Salesforce to Close, each tool has its own strengths and use cases.
Our aim is to help you choose THE CRM that really fits your business. The one that will align your teams, improve your sales, and take your customer relations to the next level.
What is Zoho CRM?
Zoho CRM overview
Zoho CRM is customer relationship management software published by Zoho Corporation, an Indian player that has been firmly established in B2B SaaS since the 90s (with over 90 million users worldwide).
The positioning? A flexible, affordable CRM with a strong focus on sales automation, personalized customer journeys and artificial intelligence (Zia, its intelligent assistant).
Who is Zoho CRM aimed at?
- SMEs looking to structure their sales pipeline without blowing their budget;
- Sales and marketing teams looking to automate their processes;
- Growing companies that need a scalable tool, capable of adapting to their pace.
Typical use cases:
- Tracking sales leads and opportunities;
- Automatic and predictive scoring;
- Intelligent contact segmentation;
- Marketing campaign performance analysis;
- Synchronization with the Zoho suite (Desk, Campaigns, Books...) or other tools via API.
Customers include companies such as Amazon India, Hotstar and Suzuki: a sign that the software can also appeal to much larger structures.
Zoho CRM key features
Zoho CRM has many strings to its bow. It's not just a dashboard for managing prospects, it's a veritable sales cockpit. Here are the features that make it so complete:
- Sales automation: creation of workflows, reminders, conditional tasks, everything is designed to save time... without forgetting anything.
- Lead scoring: AI (Zia) analyzes data to prioritize the hottest prospects.
- Multi-channel management: integration of emails, calls, social networks, live chat... to track all exchanges in the right place.
- Extensive customization: fields, views, modules, pipelines... almost everything can be modified to suit your internal processes.
- Reporting and analytics: dynamic dashboards, customized reports, intelligent sales forecasts.
- Mobile CRM: high-performance application with appointment geolocation, real-time updates and offline access.
- Native integrations: connection with the Zoho suite, but also with Google Workspace, Slack, Zapier, Mailchimp, etc.
Bonus: Zia, the intelligent assistant, learns from your actions to suggest email sending times, analyze message sentiment, or forecast your sales results. Yes, it's pretty powerful stuff.
Zoho CRM
Advantages and disadvantages of Zoho CRM
No CRM is perfect, but some fare better than others. Here's what users like (or criticize) most about Zoho CRM, based on cross-reviews of Capterra, G2 and Software Advice.
✅ The benefits of Zoho CRM
- Excellent value for money: one of the most comprehensive CRMs in this price range, with a solid free version to get you started.
Highly modular: the tool adapts to almost any sector, thanks to its extensive customization. - Advanced automation: workflows, intelligent scoring, triggered emailings... a real time-saver.
- Modern, intuitive interface (although it does take a little getting used to).
- Integrated Zoho ecosystem: Desk, Campaigns, Books, Creator... everything is interconnected.
❌ Zoho CRM drawbacks
- Learning curve can be steep, especially for CRM novices.
- Uneven customer support, depending on feedback (long lead times in periods of high demand).
- Time-consuming customization: powerful, yes... but you have to get your hands dirty.
- Limitations on certain third-party integrations, compared with giants like Salesforce or HubSpot.
If these drawbacks are holding you back from opting for Zoho CRM, then here are 13 alternatives that may be better suited to your CRM needs. ⤵️
Comparison table of the 13 best Zoho CRM alternatives
Before diving into the details of each tool, here's a quick overview of Zoho CRM's main competitors. We compare their positioning, strengths and use cases to give you an initial idea of which tool might be right for you.
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HubSpot CRM
Introducing HubSpot CRM
HubSpot CRM is the "ready-to-use" CRM for marketing and sales teams looking for efficiency without the need for extensive configuration. Published by HubSpot, a major player in inbound marketing, it's designed to be quick to learn and easy to ramp up.
Its positioning? A free CRM that can be gradually upgraded according to your needs: sales automation, marketing automation, customer service management, CMS, etc. In other words, a true all-in-one hub.
Who's it for?
- Very small businesses who want to get started quickly, with a simple, scalable tool.
- Sales and marketing teams looking to synchronize their efforts.
- Companies with an inbound strategy: content, lead nurturing, conversion tunnel.
Typical use cases:
- Creating forms to capture and automatically qualify leads;
- Send personalized emails with integrated tracking;
- Automation of sales tasks: reminders, follow-ups, transaction tracking;
- Access to a 360° view of the customer, with centralized interactions and clear reporting.
On the customer side, HubSpot is used by companies such as Atlassian, Casper and Doctolib in France.
Advantages and disadvantages of HubSpot CRM
✅ Advantages of HubSpot CRM
- Ultra-intuitive interface: everything is designed with the user in mind, even without technical training.
- Generous free version, perfect for getting started.
- Powerful automations (in paid versions): nurturing, scoring, workflows.
- Native integration with all HubSpot tools, as well as Gmail, Outlook, Slack, Zapier...
- Top-notch customer support and learning resources (HubSpot Academy is a gold mine).
❌ Disadvantages of HubSpot CRM
- Prices rise quickly when you want to access advanced features.
- Limited customization compared to a Zoho or Salesforce, especially in the free version.
- More advanced B2B functions reserved for paid plans (ABM, advanced lead scoring...).
👉 Verdict
HubSpot CRM is ideal for those who want a CRM that's beautiful, simple and effective, especially if you're banking on a content marketing strategy. But beware of price increases as you get more powerful.
HubSpot CRM
Salesforce
Introducing Salesforce
Salesforce is the CRM of the big leagues. The world leader in its sector, it is aimed at companies that want to industrialize their customer relations on a large scale. We're talking about a modular tool that can be customized to the extreme, used by groups such as Schneider Electric, Engie and L'Oréal.
Its positioning? An ultra-complete cloud CRM, capable of covering sales, marketing, customer service, automation, AI, analytics... and even more thanks to the Salesforce AppExchange ecosystem.
Who's it for?
- Large corporations and mid-sized companies looking for a robust, ultra-modular CRM solution.
- International sales teams with complex, multi-level processes.
- Organizations looking to integrate CRM, ERP, AI and BI into a single platform.
Typical use cases:
- Management of strategic B2B accounts with a hierarchy of contacts;
- Automation of complex sales cycles, with step-by-step validation;
- Integration with business tools (accounting, after-sales service, HR, etc.) via API ;
- Predictive analysis with Einstein AI to anticipate customer needs.
Salesforce is not just a CRM, it's a nervous system for sales performance.
Advantages and disadvantages of Salesforce
✅ The advantages of Salesforce
- Ultra-powerful and customizable: each team can shape its own space.
- Salesforce AppExchange ecosystem: thousands of apps and business connectors.
- Advanced AI and analytics capabilities, via Salesforce Einstein.
- Enterprise-level security and reliability (compliance, data, performance).
- Very good customer support and network of integrator partners.
❌ Salesforce's disadvantages
- High prices, even on basic offerings.
- Long implementation times, often several weeks (or even months).
- Complex to use without training, especially if you don't have a dedicated administrator.
- Not suitable for small organizations, unless you have ambition (and budget).
👉 Verdict
Salesforce is the Rolls Royce of CRM, designed for companies that want to control everything... but must be prepared to invest time, money and energy in setting it up.
Freshsales (Freshworks CRM)
Introducing Freshsales
Freshsales, developed by Freshworks, is a CRM focused on sales productivity, with an approach centered on automating repetitive tasks and intelligent lead qualification. Its credo is to offer a simple yet powerful CRM that saves your teams time.
It is positioned as an agile alternative to Zoho, with a focus on a fluid user experience, native AI integration, and a highly competitive price/performance ratio.
Who's it for?
- Growing SMEs and startups who want a fast-to-deploy solution.
- Sales teams who want automation without complexity.
- Companies banking on a multi-channel approach to leads.
Typical use cases:
- Intelligent lead scoring based on engagement;
- Automation of prospecting email sequences;
- Unified customer view with history, interactions, scoring, upcoming tasks;
- Drag & drop pipeline tracking, with real-time sales forecasts.
Freshsales is used by companies such as Tata Capital, Chargebee and Blue Nile.
Advantages and disadvantages of Freshsales
✅ The advantages of Freshsales
- Clear, modern interface, very pleasant to use on a daily basis.
- Powerful automations: workflows, email sequences, scoring.
- Native AI (Freddy AI) for lead prioritization and action recommendations.
- All-in-one offering with integrated sales, marketing and customer support modules.
- Competitive pricing, with a free version to get you started.
❌ Freshsales' disadvantages
- Less functional depth than Salesforce or Zoho in some advanced cases.
- Marketplace of integrations more limited.
- English-language support, although the platform is translated into French.
👉 Verdict
Freshsales is an ideal alternative to Zoho CRM for modern sales teams who want a responsive, intelligent and frictionless CRM... especially if you're just starting out on a reasonable budget.
Freshsales
Pipedrive
Introducing Pipedrive
Pipedrive is the CRM designed by salespeople, for salespeople. Its objective: to visualize, prioritize and move deals forward, all with a clear interface and simple actions.
The tool's pipeline-first philosophy and formidable efficiency in managing B2B sales cycles have won it over. It's aimed above all at teams who want to get straight to the point, without getting lost in superfluous functionalities.
Who's it for?
- Sales-oriented SMEs, especially in B2B.
- Sales teams managing simple or semi-complex processes.
- Managers who want clear monitoring of sales performance.
Typical use cases:
- Visual pipeline tracking with customizable columns;
- Creation of simple automations (emails, tasks, alerts);
- Synchronization of emails, calls and meetings;
- Reporting on conversion rates, cycle times, performance by sales rep.
Over 100,000 companies worldwide use Pipedrive, including Fiverr, Amazon Logistics, and thousands of sales agencies.
Advantages and disadvantages of Pipedrive
✅ Advantages of Pipedrive
- Extremely simple: you'll understand the tool in just a few minutes.
- Ultra-clear visualization of opportunities in the pipeline.
- Easy-to-implement automations , no coding required.
- Good value for money, with a smooth ramp-up.
- Well-stocked app marketplace (Slack, Gmail, Trello, Zapier...).
❌ Pipedrive's drawbacks
- Limited marketing functionality, even with add-ons.
- Less customizable than Zoho or Salesforce.
- Complex or multi-level account management less suitable.
👉 Verdict
Pipedrive is the perfect alternative to Zoho CRM if your priority is sales. Clear, fast and efficient, it does what it's supposed to do... and does it very well. A perfect ally for teams who want results without the headaches.
Pipedrive
Microsoft Dynamics 365
Introducing Microsoft Dynamics 365
Microsoft Dynamics 365 is more than just CRM. It's a complete, modular suite that combines customer relationship management, ERP, marketing automation, customer service and data analysis in a single ecosystem.
Designed for complex organizations, Dynamics 365 is highly integrated with Microsoft 365, Power BI, Azure, Teams... and all the tools your teams already use.
Who's it for?
- Large companies, small and medium-sized businesses and public sector organizations.
- Teams with complex or highly specific business processes.
- Sales, marketing and finance departments looking for an all-in-one tool connected to their IS.
Typical use cases:
- Sales CRM with advanced opportunity management and conditional workflows;
- Unification of customer and financial data for a 360° view;
- Multi-entity management (subsidiaries, geographic zones, BUs, etc.);
- Use of Microsoft AI (Copilot) to predict, recommend and automate.
Microsoft Dynamics 365 is used by giants such as Coca-Cola, Heathrow Airport and HP.
Advantages and disadvantages of Microsoft Dynamics 365
✅ The advantages of Dynamics 365
- All-in-one CRM + ERP solution, rare at this level.
- Powerful customization via Power Platform and Azure.
- Excellent integration with the Microsoft environment.
- Advanced AI capabilities via Copilot and Power BI.
- Natively integrated multi-entity and multi-language support.
❌ The disadvantages of Dynamics 365
- High complexity: internal resources or integrator partners are required.
- Unclear pricing, due to modular model.
- Long deployment time: several months for full implementation.
- Not suitable for SMEs or startups, except in very specific cases.
👉 Verdict
Microsoft Dynamics 365 is a premium alternative to Zoho CRM for large enterprises, especially if your ecosystem already runs on Microsoft. It's powerful, ultra-connected, but demanding. Reserved for those with the means (human and financial) to exploit its full potential.
Microsoft Dynamics 365
Bitrix24
Introducing Bitrix24
Bitrix24 isn't just a CRM: it's an all-in-one business management platform, combining CRM, project management, internal messaging, collaborative intranet, customer support and more. You could almost say it's a cross between Zoho, Trello, Slack and Zendesk... all in one tool.
Its promise? Centralize all company activities on a single interface. All at a very competitive price - or even free for small teams.
Who's it for?
- VSEs and SMEs who want to avoid a scattering of tools.
- Organizations looking for a single solution for sales management AND collaboration.
- Companies that work a lot in project mode or telecommute.
Typical use cases:
- Sales cycle management (lead → prospect → customer) with customizable pipeline;
- Tracking projects, tasks and deadlines directly in the CRM;
- Internal communication via chat, videoconferencing, activity feeds;
- Customer service with integrated call center and support tickets.
Bitrix24 claims over 12 million users, mainly among SMEs, particularly in Europe and Latin America.
Advantages and disadvantages of Bitrix24
✅ Advantages of Bitrix24
- Comprehensive, free CRM with advanced business functions right from the start.
- Wide range of business functionalities: project management, HR, support, etc.
- Integrated collaboration: ideal for hybrid or remote teams.
- Easy automation of sales and marketing tasks.
- Generous cloud storage even in the free version.
❌ Bitrix24 disadvantages
- Dense and sometimes confusing interface, especially for new users.
- Too many tools kills the tool: you can quickly feel drowned under features.
- Rigid customization on certain modules (shapes, views, etc.).
- Poor customer support, especially in French.
👉 Verdict
Bitrix24 is an interesting alternative to Zoho CRM if you're looking for a CRM that does it all. But be careful not to fall into the "too much" syndrome. You need to know how to sort and configure to get the best out of it.
Bitrix24
Zendesk Sell (formerly Base CRM)
Introducing Zendesk
Zendesk was originally a champion of multi-channel customer service. But a few years ago, the publisher launched Zendesk Sell, a CRM brick dedicated to sales teams. The idea? To offer a CRM focused on sales productivity, while remaining connected to support teams via a single platform.
It's a tool particularly well suited to companies that want to align sales and customer service in a fluid, data-driven environment.
Who's it for?
- B2B sales teams, especially in SaaS or services.
- Organizations where the link between support and sales is critical (upsell, retention, etc.).
- Companies already using Zendesk Support.
Typical use cases:
- Tracking sales opportunities and pipeline;
- Lead management with scoring and automatic assignment;
- Email, call, calendar and SMS synchronization in the CRM interface;
- Sales-support alignment via a unified customer file.
Zendesk is used by companies such as Airbnb, Uber, Netflix and Expedia.
Advantages and disadvantages of Zendesk Sell
✅ Advantages of Zendesk Sell
- Fluid, modern, mobile-first UX: everything is fast, uncluttered and responsive.
- Strong alignment between customer support and sales (shared data).
- Simplified pipeline tracking, with clear visibility of deal progress.
- Clear analytics, with a focus on individual sales performance.
- Rich integrations, notably with Zendesk and G Suite apps.
❌ Disadvantages of Zendesk Sell
- Fewer marketing features than HubSpot or Zoho.
- Rather limited customization on certain modules (workflows, views...).
- Advanced functionalities only in higher plans.
- Very sales/service-oriented, less suited to marketing or project use.
👉 Verdict
Zendesk Sell is an effective alternative to Zoho CRM if your sales force is close to customer service. It shines in continuous customer relations environments... but lacks a little in marketing and personalization.
Zendesk Sell
Creatio
Introducing Creatio
Creatio (formerly bpm'online) is a process- and automation-oriented CRM that combines sales management, marketing automation and customer service... with a no-code / low-code approach.
Its DNA? Model your business processes, automate them, and make them evolve without coding. A true Swiss Army knife for companies that want a CRM ultra-adapted to their internal needs, without having to rely on a developer for every change.
Who's it for?
- ETIs and large SMEs with complex workflows.
- Organizations that want an ultra-flexible, automatable CRM.
- Sales/marketing teams working closely together around the customer cycle.
Typical use cases:
- Automation of personalized customer paths;
- Configuration of sales processes with conditional steps;
- Fine segmentation of leads, nurturing, predictive scoring;
- Modeling of internal workflows via a no-code visual editor.
Creatio is particularly popular in the finance, insurance and professional services sectors.
Advantages and disadvantages of Creatio
✅ Advantages of Creatio
- No-code native: create and modify workflows without a line of code.
- CRM + BPM in a single tool, to model the entire customer chain.
- Highly customizable at every level (data, UX, process).
- Advanced automation features, even in mid-market.
- Highly rated customer support, with strong coaching.
❌ Creatio's disadvantages
- Learning curve a little steep at first.
- Dense interface (but logical once you know the system).
- Rates a little high for small structures.
- Less well-known than the market giants, so fewer integrators and third-party resources.
👉 Verdict
Creatio is a premium alternative to Zoho CRM for companies that want an agile CRM that is 100% adapted to their processes. It's the choice of teams who like to be in control - without having to code.
Creatio
Keap
Introducing Keap
Keap is an American CRM designed for solopreneurs, freelancers, small and medium-sized businesses. Its favorite playground: sales and marketing automation, with a simple interface, ready-to-use templates and all-in-one logic.
Behind this promise lies a tool that does much more than manage contacts: Keap enables you to capture leads, convert them and automatically follow them up, while managing your marketing campaigns, invoices and payments.
Who's Keap for?
- Solo entrepreneurs, coaches, consultants, freelancers.
- Small sales teams who want to automate easily.
- Companies that manage their acquisition via email or landing pages.
Typical use cases:
- Creation of landing pages with integrated forms;
- Automatic sending of follow-up emails, reminders and upsells;
- Customer appointment management with automated reminders;
- Integrated invoicing and payment tracking.
Keap is particularly popular with service companies, freelancers and the coaching/wellness/training sector.
Advantages and disadvantages of Keap
✅ Keap's advantages
- Easy-to-implement, non-technical automations.
- All-in-one approach (CRM + marketing + payment).
- Pre-configured templates for quick start-up.
- Excellent UX, designed for non-specialists.
- Reputable customer support, with personalized onboarding.
❌ Keap's disadvantages
- Limited functionality for medium-sized companies.
- Unsuitable for complex sales cycles or structured B2B.
- Quite high prices for very small structures, especially if you want several users.
- Fewer native integrations than HubSpot or Zoho.
👉 Verdict
Keap is an ultra-accessible alternative to Zoho CRM for small structures that want to automate without complicating matters. It's the CRM for freelancers in a hurry, who want "things to run themselves"... without spending their evenings doing it.
Keap
Insightly
Introducing Insightly
Insightly is a cloud CRM that stands out for its ability to link customer relations and project management in a single environment. It's not just a tool for selling, it's also a tool for delivering what you sell, with rigor and follow-up.
It is aimed primarily at SMEs that need to coordinate sales, operations and delivery - often in B2B services, consulting or engineering.
Who's it for?
- Service SMEs, especially those with customer project management.
- Sales teams working closely with production or account management.
- Organizations that want CRM + project management without multiplying tools.
Typical use cases:
- Lead and opportunity management with interaction history;
- Customer project tracking (milestones, tasks, deliverables);
- Automated follow-up and nurturing;
- Dashboards by customer, project, team.
Insightly is used by over 1.5 million users, notably in the IT, consulting, architecture and education sectors.
Advantages and disadvantages of Insightly
✅ Insightly's advantages
- Native CRM + project management integration, rare at this level.
- Clear, intuitive interface, without overload.
- Automation features accessible even to non-techies.
- Customized reports and filtering by customer, project, status.
- Good integration with Google Workspace, Office 365, Mailchimp...
❌ Insightly's drawbacks
- No advanced marketing features (nurturing, scoring, A/B tests...).
- Customization sometimes limited compared to large CRMs.
- High prices as soon as you go upmarket, especially for advanced reports.
- Less suited to structures with highly complex processes.
👉 Verdict
Insightlyis a solid alternative to Zoho CRM for service companies that want to manage sales and projects in a single tool. Less marketing, more operational, it shines in contexts where the sale doesn't end with the signing of the quotation.
Insightly
LeadSquared
Introducing LeadSquared
LeadSquared is a fast-growing Indian CRM designed for companies that want to accelerate their lead generation while optimizing their sales cycle. It is positioned halfway between a sales CRM and a marketing automation platform, with a strong focus on behavioral tracking.
The tool is particularly appreciated in sectors with high lead volumes, such as education, healthcare, real estate or fintech.
Who's it for?
- Companies with a field or telephone sales force.
- Marketing teams managing multi-channel campaigns.
- Organizations that want precise tracking of lead-to-sale conversion.
Typical use cases:
- Automatic scoring based on web behavior;
- Advanced segmentation and targeted mailings;
- Dynamic lead assignment according to business rules;
- Tracking of calls, emails, visits and site/app interactions.
LeadSquared is used by over 2,000 companies worldwide, including BYJU'S, UniAcco and Max Healthcare.
Advantages and disadvantages of LeadSquared
✅ Advantages
- Performance-oriented: good for teams managing volume.
- Clear interface, with visual workflows for automation.
- Highly granular tracking of lead interactions.
- Complete mobile CRM, ideal for field teams.
- Responsive and highly rated customer support.
❌ Drawbacks
- Not well suited to complex or multi-stakeholder sales cycles .
- Less customization than Zoho or Salesforce.
- No real integrated project management.
- English-only interface (for now).
👉 Verdict
LeadSquared is an effective alternative to Zoho CRM for companies focused on conversion and marketing performance, especially if you have a large base of leads to qualify and follow-up quickly.
Close
Introducing Close
Close is an American CRM designed specifically for inside sales teams. Its objective? Reduce the time spent entering information, and maximize the time spent selling. No marketing frills, no project management: everything here is sales action-oriented.
The tool stands out for its native integration of calls, SMS, emails, and its excellent lead database search engine.
Who's it for?
- Start-ups and scale-ups with a dedicated sales team.
- B2B companies that rely on intensive follow-up (cold calls, chain emails).
- Sales managers who want to measure activity in real time.
Typical use cases:
- Tracking activity by sales rep (calls, response rates, conversions);
- Automation of email sequences and step-by-step follow-ups;
- Outbound calls directly from CRM, with recording;
- Inbound lead management with automatic sorting and distribution.
Close is widely used by American startups and SaaS companies such as ZoomShift, Kinsta and Buffer.
Advantages and disadvantages of Close
✅ Advantages
- Ultra-efficient for in-house sales teams.
- Native integration of calls, SMS, emails, without plug-ins.
- Simple, high-performance pipeline view.
- Real-time reporting on sales performance.
- Fast, well-thought-out interface.
❌ Disadvantages
- Not suitable for companies with marketing or project management needs.
- No interface Frenchization.
- Quite expensive as soon as you add a team.
- Advanced features only on higher levels.
👉 Verdict
Close is the ideal alternative to Zoho CRM if your business is telephone or email sales, in start-up or inside sales mode. Light, responsive and distraction-free: this is selling, period.
Close CRM
Nutshell
Introducing Nutshell
Nutshell is an American CRM designed for SMEs that want a simple, collaborative, sales-oriented solution. It is positioned as an affordable alternative to the industry giants, without sacrificing functional quality.
Its strength? To offer a fluid experience, with a good level of customization, without turning implementation into an obstacle course. All this, with highly appreciated customer support.
Who's it for?
- Small and medium-sized B2B sales teams.
- Companies that want to align marketing and sales, without overcomplexity.
- Organizations looking for a clear CRM, without mandatory training.
Typical use cases:
- Opportunity tracking in Kanban view;
- Automated, personalized emailing;
- Synchronization with Google Workspace, Outlook, Mailchimp, Slack ;
- Reporting on conversions, sales cycles, active leads.
Used by companies such as Elevate, Mediafly and Whiteboard, Nutshell has established itself as an agile and reliable solution.
Advantages and disadvantages of Nutshell
✅ Advantages
- Easy to learn, even for the uninitiated.
- Accessible and efficient automations.
- Very good customer support (even on small plans).
- Good value for money.
- Clear, intuitive interface.
❌ Disadvantages
- Not well suited to organizations with very advanced needs.
- Lacks depth on some integrations.
- Basic marketing features.
- English only.
👉 Verdict
Nutshell is a lightweight yet robust alternative to Zoho CRM, perfect for teams who want to get straight to the point without drowning in options. Less flashy, but formidably effective.
Nutshell
Comparison table: focus on the features of Zoho CRM alternatives
| Software | Target user type | Strengths | Key features | Entry price |
| HubSpot CRM | VSEs, SMEs, marketing teams | Easy to use, free version | Visual pipeline, emails, scoring, marketing automation | Free, then $20/month |
| Salesforce | SMBs, key accounts | Power, personalization, AI | Complete CRM, automation, Einstein AI, AppExchange ecosystem | 25/month |
| Freshsales | SMEs, scale-ups | UX, integrated AI, value for money | Lead scoring, visual pipeline, email sequences, mobile CRM | Free, then $15/month |
| Pipedrive | SMB, B2B sales | Simplicity, clear pipeline | Drag & drop pipeline, automations, sales reporting | 14.90/month |
| Dynamics 365 | Large enterprises, public sector | Microsoft integration, CRM+ERP | Modular CRM, automation, Copilot AI, multi-entity | 65.50/month (Sales) |
| Bitrix24 | SOHO, SMB | All-in-one tool, CRM + collaboration | CRM, project management, internal chat, automations | Free, then €49/month |
| Zendesk Sell | B2B sales/support teams | Sales/support alignment, mobile-first | Pipeline, integrated calls/SMS/emails, sales analytics | 19/month |
| Creatio | ETI, regulated sectors | No-code, advanced personalization | CRM + BPM, automation, lead nurturing, visual reporting | On quotation |
| Keap | Self-employed, VSEs | Simple, all-in-one automation | CRM, landing pages, follow-ups, invoicing, appointments | 159/month |
| Insightly | SMB services | CRM + project, intuitive UX | Pipeline, project management, reporting, automation | 29/month |
| LeadSquared | SMB with high lead volume | Marketing + sales, behavioral scoring | CRM, nurturing, mobile CRM, lead distribution, reporting | 25/month |
| Close | Startups, inside sales | Sales productivity, rapid follow-up | Emails, calls, sequences, real-time reporting | 49/month |
| Nutshell | SMB B2B | Simplicity, customer support | Pipeline, automation, email tracking, reporting | 16/month |
* Indicative prices in August 2025, excluding promotions, based on standard entry plan (per user/month).
How to choose your CRM software?
Choosing a CRM is not just a question of price or design. Above all, it's a question of alignment with your business objectives, your organization and your sales cycles. Here are the main criteria to consider if you don't want to make a mistake (or spend your weekends doing it).
1. Your business objectives
Ask yourself this simple question: what do you expect from your CRM?
- If it's acquiring more leads, turn to marketing-oriented tools like HubSpot or LeadSquared.
- If it's optimizing the performance of your sales force, think Close, Pipedrive or Freshsales.
- If it's about managing complex processes, Salesforce, Dynamics 365 or Creatio are more suitable.
- And if you're looking for a versatile, collaborative tool, look no further than Zoho CRM, Bitrix24 or Insightly.
2. The size and maturity of your company
- VSE or freelance? Choose CRMs that are quick and easy to learn, such as Keap, Nutshell or HubSpot (free version).
- Growing SME? Choose a modular, scalable CRM like Zoho CRM, Freshsales or Insightly.
- Large accounts or complex organizations? Go for a large-scale, customizable tool like Salesforce or Microsoft Dynamics 365.
3. Your business processes
A good CRM is one that adapts to the way you work, not the other way around. Check:
- Pipeline management: simple or multi-step?
- User roles: sales only or sales + support + marketing?
- Customization needs: standard or specific to your business?
- Mobility: are your sales reps often out in the field?
4. Budget (and hidden costs)
A €15/month CRM can be more expensive than a €50/month CRM... if you have to add 6 plugins, 2 consultants, and 10 hours of training.
- Evaluate the total cost: license, integrations, support, training.
- Beware of free version limitations or price tiers.
5. Ecosystem and integrations
Your CRM shouldn't live in a silo. It must speak the language of your other tools (marketing, finance, support, emailing...).
- Check out native integrations (Gmail, Outlook, Zapier, Slack...).
- For Microsoft users: Dynamics 365 is unbeatable when it comes to integration.
- For Google ecosystems: HubSpot, Pipedrive or Insightly do very well.
Conclusion
Zoho CRM is a benchmark... and for good reason. But it's not the universal CRM. Depending on your priorities, your size or your sales approach, other solutions may do better, or simply be more suitable.
Whether you're looking for a simple tool to sell faster (Pipedrive, Close), a complete platform to centralize everything (HubSpot, Bitrix24), or an ultra-customizable CRM to drive business processes (Salesforce, Creatio, Dynamics 365), the alternative exists.
👉 Our advice?
List your real needs, test a few tools (most offer trial versions), and choose the one that makes your life easier, not harder.
And if you're still hesitating, Appvizer is there to compare, filter and find the right CRM in 3 clicks. We don't sign the contracts for you, but almost.
Article translated from French