10 Must-Know HubSpot Alternatives for Sales and Marketing Teams 

If you are looking for a CRM to help your business, you would have come across HubSpot. Born in 2006, HubSpot is an all-in-one CRM that is a really good fit for companies looking for top-tier marketing and sales features to help improve their businesses. 

The CRM helps you increase website traffic, get deeper insights about prospects, close deals faster, run inbound marketing campaigns, and a whole lot more. It is also well-liked by its users, having an average of 4.5 out of 5 on Capterra, G2, and Gartner.  

While this CRM is really good at its marketing capabilities, customers can quickly get overwhelmed with the number of features and options to choose from, which can lead to you investing in features that your business might not use.  

Good marketing capabilities are essential to gain more prospects, but you also need an equally great sales product to convert those leads into your customers.  

HubSpot lacks some essential features like a proper search option in their sales product and integration capabilities that can make life inconvenient for your sales team.  

Here are 10 CRMs that are more balanced in terms of sales and marketing capabilities and have features directly focused on getting you higher conversions.  

(Please note, since the number of reviews for each product is inconsistent, the average rating column is just to give you an idea about customer perceptions.) 

1. LeadSquared

LeadSquared is sales execution and marketing CRM that helps businesses grow with a healthy balance of features for both the teams. LeadSquared stands apart for its lead capturing, lead management, email marketing automation, workflow automation, and intent capturing features.  

What makes LeadSquared a great HubSpot alternative?

This 4.4-rated CRM on G2, Gartner, and Capterra has its marketing features built with a utilitarian perspective. Moreover, the CRM requires a very small learning curve, is highly scalable, and is extremely affordable for the number of features you get.  

One customer on G2 exclaimed that they loved how the “entire customer data is manageable in a great way and is easy to handle and find out the leads through various filters available on Leadsquared.” 

Another customer even proclaimed that it is one of the best CRM to also boost your sales, mentioning that it is effortless to use, and even beginners can easily learn how to use the platform without breaking a sweat.  

Price

LeadSquared’s pricing packages are affordable and won’t burn a hole through your wallet. If you want to know the list of features at different prices, you can check out the pricing page The product is offered at three different price points –   

• Lite – $25 per user/month  
• Pro – $50 per user/month  
• Super – $100 per user/month  

Cons  

A common issue with the CRM is that it sometimes takes more time for server management and lags when performing intensive tasks.  

 
However, this young company is known for providing some amazing customer support, so you can expect those rainy clouds to disappear moving forward! 

Overall, this CRM is a solid all-around performer when it comes to sales and marketing. It has gained recognition and is steadily growing in the market. You can consider investing in this CRM to improve your sales and marketing outcomes.  

2. Salesforce

Salesforce is the closest comparison on this list to HubSpot. Starting out as a primary sales CRM, Salesforce is also known for its marketing capabilities today. They are mainly focused on enterprise businesses that need extensive features.  

What makes Salesforce a great HubSpot alternative? 

For starters, Salesforce is feature-extensive software that provides really good service, which is one of the reasons it has been rated a 4.6 on average.  

One of the things that reviewers on G2 loved about the CRM was that “All the Opportunities are tracked along with the custom stages, which helps differentiate the won and lost cases.” 

Another great aspect of the CRM is that it is “HIGHLY customizable. All data fields can be pulled into reporting/dashboards. To implement it properly, you have to reverse-engineer what metrics are important to your business.” 

Price  

Salesforce offers four different pricing options depending on the features you need. If you want to know more about the packages, then check out their pricing page.  

• Essentials – $25 per user/month 
• Professional – $75 per user/month 
• Enterprise – $150 per user/month 
• Unlimited – $300 per user/month 

Cons 

One of the things that customers often don’t like about the CRM is its extremely long learning curve. As a reviewer on G2 put it, “Sometimes the interface is not so good. It is a little confusing and unfriendly.” 

Another common complaint was that Salesforce is “Too complex and expensive for medium companies.” 

With a lot of features and high flexibility, Salesforce is a choice you should consider if you are an enterprise. However, the endless number of features and the platform’s complexity can leave SMBs confused.  

If you have considered Salesforce to be a viable option for your business, then here are 10 more affordable Salesforce alternatives you need to look at before making the final decision. 

3. Freshworks 

Freshworks is another company that provides different products that tailor to the needs of your company. They have Freshsales, which helps you with contact management, lead scoring, and other sales automation features and Freshmarketer, which provides solutions that include building chatbots, Shopify integrations, and audience segmentation. 

What makes Freshworks a great HubSpot alternative?  

One customer liked that it gives their team a complete sales solution, writing, “the CRM covers all the functional units which are necessary for the salesperson. It ranges from lead segregation to account management” in their reviews.  

Rated an average of 4.5, Freshworks has a lot of things to like about it, primarily being that it is easy to use and quick to set up. 

Iryna, a reviewer on G2, also loved the fact that Freshworks allows you to “do A/B testing without any coding skills, generate heatmaps to see the most clicks and engagement, and do session replays to see how the real users navigate the website.”  

Price  

Freshsales and Freshmarketer have two different pricing packages. While the former is much more affordable, the latter can come off as a bit too pricey for some companies. You can check out their pricing structures and pages below: 

1. Freshsales – Pricing Page  

• Free – $0 per user/month 
• Growth – $29 per user/month 
• Pro – $69 per user/month 
• Enterprise – $125 per user/month 

2. Frehsmarketer – Pricing Page 

• Free – $0 per user/month 
• Growth – $19 per user/month 
• Pro – $149 per user/month 
• Enterprise – $299 per user/month 

Cons 

One improvement that the CRM needs to work on is its analytics and reporting. “The analysis area, in my opinion, might be made better and is a little bit limited in terms of the volume of data I am able to analyze,” a reviewer shared.   

Another recurring complaint of the CRM is that it does not integrate well with other software and, as Lars put it on Capterra, “ It is impossible to get the data out in a good and automated way.” 

While the CRM is really popular for sales, Freshworks has gained very little visibility on the referring review sites in terms of its marketing product. However, the CRM does provide good customer service and works well for SMBs.  

4. Creatio

Formerly known as Bpm’online, Creatio offers its customers two main products – a process management tool and a CRM, which provides both sales and marketing solutions. One of the platform’s stand-out features is its low-code and no-code capabilities that help businesses automate workflows and build applications with a lot of freedom. 

What makes Creatio a great HubSpot alternative? 

Apart from being highly customizable, this 4.7 average-rated CRM also provides extensive features like lead generation, nurturing, and management.  

One of the customers called the sales product of the CRM a ‘boon for organizations. They stated that “The platform has been super helpful and I would recommend it to anyone looking for a Sales CRM.”  

Their marketing product is also no joke, with a reviewer calling it a “game-changer.” 

Price  

The CRM has multiple packages for sales, and custom pricing for marketing. You can check their pricing page and structure below.  

1. Sales Creatio – Pricing Page 

• Team – $30 per user/month 
• Commerce – $35 per user/month 
• Enterprise – $60 per user/month 

2. Marketing Creatio 

Custom pricing, starts from $1719 per user/year 

Cons 

One of the issues with the CRM, as a reviewer put it on Gartner, is that “On one hand, it is amazing to have the ability to build and create a system that works exactly for our business, although this can be troublesome if you do not have the time to spend on building it out properly.” 

Another factor is the steep learning curve. A reviewer mentioned that “the software has a slightly steep learning curve for beginners and does not have any kind of training. Its reports are a little poor in information.” 

Overall, this is a really solid CRM that provides good features at reasonable prices. If your team can spare some time in building a process from scratch, then Creatio can prove to be a really good investment to help your business grow.  

5. EngageBay

For small businesses and startups looking to attract, engage, and nurture online visitors into paying customers, EngageBay is an easy-to-use, reasonably priced, all-in-one CRM software. It helps you acquire more leads through forms and popups, nurture them through email campaigns, and automate your marketing funnel.  

What makes EngageBay a great HubSpot alternative? 

This CRM is rated an average of 4.4 on G2, Capterra, and Gartner. One of the things that Jan J. liked about this product was that it “Nearly covered everything that a business needs to get going. If you even don’t have a website, you can set it up as a 100% fully automated marketing machine with graphical and logical pathways.” 

Another great thing about the CRM is that it is its usability. Customers find “It easy to use and simple to select filters for what your business finds most important to see. We tried a competitor before coming to Engagebay and it was not user-friendly.” 

Price 

While they have separate prices for their sales and marketing products, they also offer an all-in-one price, that’s been listed below. For more information about individual prices, you can check out their pricing page. 

• Free – $0 per user/month  
• Basic – $12.74 per user/month 
• Growth – $42.49 per user/month 
• Pro – $84.99 per user/month 

Cons  

While EngageBay seems to be really good, there are a few hitches that the company is trying to fix. One such issue is the email templates. A user pointed out, “copying emails would be easier if the templates were created for them automatically.”  

Another common issue that was reported by its users was that while the core functionalities worked perfectly fine, some of the newer features have not been completely tested.  

If you are a startup or a small company looking to invest in a CRM, then this is a really good choice for your business. However, if you have plans to expand in the near future, then this CRM might not be the best fit.  

6. Keap

Keap is designed to help small businesses by automating email campaigns and messages, tracking leads, pipeline management, and reporting and analytics. It also has a free trial which users can try out for 14 days.  

What makes Keap a great HubSpot alternative? 

One of the things that makes Keap likable, with a modest rating of 4.2, is its marketing capabilities.  

A G2 reviewer wrote that “it allows me to know my target market so I can effectively advertise my services on social media, popular websites, and other high-traffic areas.” 

Another thing that customers like about the CRM is that it is really easy to schedule tasks and organize your sales team’s tasks and priorities.  

Price 

Keap has two pricing options depending on the number of features. You can either check their pricing page or the structure below.  

• Pro – $149 per month 
• Max – $199 per month 

Cons 

One of the CRM’s not-so-strong suits is its reporting. When a customer on Gartner was asked what they disliked, they wrote, “Reporting, reporting, reporting. It’s so strange that for a platform that is so good with data, that reporting would be so terrible.”  

If you are looking for a CRM that has a very short learning curve, then this might not be your first choice, as people have noted that it takes some time to learn.  

Keap is a good choice for SMB businesses that don’t prioritize reporting.   

7. Zoho

Although Zoho is more known for its ticketing services, it helps businesses improve their client conversion rates by creating automated workflows, setting reminders on tasks, automatically engaging with their audience, managing pipelines, etc.  

What makes Zoho a great HubSpot alternative? 

This CRM has a humble rating of 4.2 on G2, Gartner, and Capterra. One of the things that CRM does good is its flexibility that allows a great deal of customization and ease of use.   

Another thing that the CRM is known for is its customer service. As one customer put it on Capterra, “The customer service is the best I have ever experienced. They are friendly, very knowledgeable, and super-fast.” 

Price 

Zoho has four packages at different prices which depend on the number of features. You can check their price page for more information on each plan’s features.  

• Standard – $14 per user/month 
• Professional – $23 per user/month 
• Enterprise – $40 per user/month 
• Ultimate – $52 per user/month 

Cons

Like other CRMs on the list, which have a lot of features, this CRM, too, can be very confusing for companies that don’t exactly know what they need. Another reviewer shared on Capterra that “This software lacks features that today’s business devs or marketing firms need.” 

Zoho is a good choice for companies looking for a plethora of options to choose from for their business. However, if you want simpler CRMs built with more focus on sales and marketing, then this might not be the CRM for you.  

Here is a list of the top 10 Zoho alternatives for 2023 that you should consider before finalizing this as the CRM for you.   

9. Pipedrive

Pipedrive is primarily a sales CRM that also offers essential marketing features. Apart from providing customizable email templates in marketing, it also provides several sales features such as pipeline management, activities overview, etc.  

What makes Pipedrive a great HubSpot alternative? 

Rated an average of 4.3, one of the things that customers love about this product is that “The user interface is clean and intuitive, making it easy for teams to organize and manage the sales pipeline.”  

Some customers have also found a use for their marketing teams as well, as one customer pointed out that the software “shows us everything we need to track any sales pipeline from our marketing department, as well as showing us secure channels to share with our customers through the CRM.” 

Price 

Pipedrive’s pricing page has four different packages, as mentioned in the structure below –  

• Essential – $9.90 per user/month  
• Advanced – $19.90 per user/month  
• Professional – $39.90 per user/month  
• Enterprise – $59.90 per month 

Cons 

One of the CRM’s limitations is that while the reporting features are good, there’s a limit on the number of report types you can generate for each package price. So, if you are looking for extensive reporting features, then you might want to reconsider investing in this CRM.  

Another problem with the software is that, according to users on G2, is that it is “Not the most customizable platform. There are a lot of templates to work with and not much room to change that.” 

Pipedrive is a good choice for companies who want basic features. If your company wants a robust platform that does not have a lot of bugs, then this software might not be the best choice.  
 
Here are the top 11 Pipedrive alternatives you should check out that offer unlimited reporting and more stable solutions.  

9. ActiveCampaign

ActiveCampaign is a CRM that helps businesses sell faster by automating sales processes, managing contacts and accounts, automatically triggering the next best steps for behavioral engagement, and seamlessly managing your pipeline.  

What makes ActiveCampaign a great HubSpot alternative?  

ActiveCampaign is a market-first-based CRM that also provides sales solutions and has been rated a 4.6 average on G2, Gartner, and Capterra.  

Why is ActiveCampaign liked by its customers? As per a review on Gartner simply put, the software is “Intuitive, well-designed, and simple to use.” 

“I love how you can create multiple website forms to help segment contacts into appropriate audiences. The automation features work well and has many features,” is what another reviewer said about the product.  

Price 

This SMB-focused CRM has four packages listed on its pricing page. Here is their structure and price –  

• Lite – $29 per user/month  
• Plus – $49 per user/month  
• Professional – $149 per user/month 
• Enterprise – Customizable 

Cons  

One of the not-so-nice features of the CRM is its onboarding at lower packages. One customer on Gartner mentioned how “In the smaller packages, support is logically provided by email only, which is less effective.” 

Another issue with the CRM’s speed. “The big difference is that this platform is SLOW. Think dial-up slow. You make a change, and the page loads for 10-15 seconds before it performs the function,” as shared by a customer. 

If you are looking for a CRM that executes your tasks faster and provides better onboarding support, then there are other CRMs that might be better suited for you.  

10. Microsoft Dynamics 365 

Microsoft Dynamics 365 is a suite of products that includes sales and marketing features as well. Designed to help businesses through business intelligence, contact management, social insights, and campaign management.  

What makes Microsoft Dynamics 365 a great HubSpot alternative?  

Microsoft Dynamics 365 is noted to be a really good marketing tool by reviewers on G2. A review that highlights this 4.1 average-rated software’s marketing capabilities is by Julius on G2, who wrote, “Dynamics 365 Marketing provides users with insights into customer behavior, helping organizations  make more informed decisions about their marketing strategies.” 

On the sales side of things, customers on Gartner love the fact that the “Customization is simple, reporting and other business processes have been improved, being a part of the Microsoft Eco System has made it simple to integrate with other Microsoft products like Office 365 and Power BI.” 

Price 

When it comes to pricing, the CRM contains separate packages, whose structures have been listed below. For more information, you can check out their pricing page.  
 

Sales 

• Microsoft Viva Sales – $40 per user/month 
• Sales Professional – $65 per user/month 
• Sales Enterprise – $95 per user/month 
• Sales Premium – $135 per user/month 
• Microsoft Relationship Sales – $162 per user/month 

Marketing 

• Marketing – $1500 per user/month onwards 

Cons 

Coming to some of the sales shortcomings, some customers reported that while it is a good product, it could use updates to make it a lot better, as it is not really easy to use. 

Another issue with the CRM is, as Harrison put it on G2, “The learning curve is steep, and I wish for more customer support in real-time. I waited full days to get responses on time-sensitive issues.” 

While Microsoft Dynamics 365 is a solid product, it is very expensive for marketing and has a long learning period. 

If you are looking for CRMs that are much easier to learn, while having all the features and at an affordable pricing, then you should check out a few alternatives to Microsoft Dynamics 365.  

A good marketing solution is incomplete without having an equally good sales automation. LeadSquared is a well-balanced solution that provides you with the best of both worlds! With its ease of use and short learning period, you can give your teams a boost in productivity and efficiency. Get in touch with our experts to know more.

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