Managing customer data is essential for any business. A Customer Relationship Management (CRM) system delivers necessary insights and helps improve communication with customers.

If you are reading this article, you likely already know about Salesforce. But are there alternatives?

Getting objective information about different CRM systems is difficult. Salesforce is one of the best-known vendors in the field, but there are barely any mentions of the competitors.

We are here to help you make an informed decision. This article will provide you with all the information you need about the best CRM systems.

Salesforce Alternatives

• Responsely
• HubSpot
• Pipedrive

Introduction to Salesforce

Why is Salesforce so popular? The main reason is that the platform provides a wide range of products for marketing, sales, commerce, customer support, and IT.

• The Marketing Cloud – helps to get insights on customer experience and target audience, and identifies which marketing efforts work the best.
• The Sales Cloud – features an Account and Contact Management system. The system shares customer activity history and communications, as well as insights from social media. The Sales Cloud also provides information on products and competition, quotes, creates sales forecasts, and helps to make investment decisions.
• The Commerce Cloud – this is a flexible e-commerce system. It allows accessing inventory in real-time, reduces incomplete sales, and offers multiple shipping and return policies. Additionally, you can also use complementary shipment tracking software such as My Package Tracking.
• The Service Cloud – facilitates faster customer query resolution by providing insights and support tools to agents.
• Apps and AI – Salesforce allows creating and integrating mobile apps and automating a large number of actions thanks to built-in AI.

All these features are accessible at four pricing plans. The cheapest plan designed for small businesses with up to ten users costs €25 monthly. 

The next plan comes in at €75 monthly and is unlimited in the number of users. The “Enterprise” plan offers a deeply customizable sales CRM for €150 per month. 

Finally, for €300 per month, you get unlimited CRM power and support. Salesforce offers a free 14-day trial for new customers.

Alternative 1: Responsely

Responsely is a CRM system created in 2011. The official Responsely Twitter page states that it was designed specifically for start-ups and small businesses. Let’s take a look at what the platform offers and whether it can compete with Salesforce.

• Engage with customers – Responsely allows text and emoji responses to capture both first impressions and detailed feedback.
• Integrate with over 1000 platforms, including WordPress, Google, Shopify, Slack, and many more.
• Analyze – the system provides insights into your marketing efforts. It shows you which ads and products are the most successful and identifies your target audience to grow your sales. There is no technical knowledge needed to measure customer loyalty, satisfaction, and pain points with Responsely. The system is beginner-friendly and does all the important work for you.
• Improve – detailed analysis of real-time data helps to take steps towards improving your business.

As you can see, Responsely offers most of the features Salesforce does and is a great Salesforce alternative. But what about pricing? Here Responsely is a clear winner, offering to launch the first three campaigns for free. 

If you like the system, you can upgrade to the Pro plan for only $15 per month, which sounds like a bargain compared to Salesforce! Pro plan includes unlimited campaigns and team members and integration with Shopify and Slack.

Alternative 2: HubSpot CRM

HubSpot is another well-known CRM system. It is popular among small businesses for simplicity and reasonable pricing. The system might have less advanced features than Salesforce, but it is highly convenient. Does it provide a better value than competitors? Let’s break down the offers to find out.

• A Convenient Dashboard – HubSpot provides you with a clean, visual dashboard of all the information you need. Featuring a sorting option, scheduled appointments view, contracts, and others.
• Analyze – customer interactions are tracked automatically through several channels, such as email, phone, and social media. It allows syncing with Gmail or Outlook using HubSpot Sales.
• Keep a track of every lead – every interaction is stored in a timeline view, including emails, meetings, and notes for easy lead management.

HubSpot offers several payment plans depending on the size of the business. The company allows startups to get up to 90% off their services. The cheapest “Starter” plan comes at $45 monthly or the Professional plan for $450 per month. If you own an enterprise-level business, HubSpot asks for $1,200 monthly.

Alternative 3: Pipedrive

Pipedrive is an account-management tool, as well as a CRM system. This means that Pipedrive automatically synchronizes calls, emails, and schedules across devices. Like HubSpot and Responsely, it features a use-friendly interface, making it a good option for beginners.

• Pipeline Management – all deals and leads can be organized in pipelines and then customized to your liking. The system offers a convenient visual interface helping to keep a track of your conversations and plans.
• Get insights – Pipedrive lets you leave spreadsheets behind and see reports in interactive dashboards. The system is still developing – the company is planning to make lead reports visible soon.
• Mobile apps and integrations – Pipedrive features a native Android/iOS app to make the system even more user-friendly. Your contacts and calendar can be synced with the Pipeline app to create schedules.

Just like most competitors, Pipedrive offers a free 14-day trial. The cheapest payment plan comes at $12.50 per user monthly. 

The Advanced payment plan comes at $24.90 per user monthly. Professional and Enterprise plans come at $49.90 per user and $99.90 per user accordingly and have more advanced features. For $39 monthly, you can get a Leadbooster tool facilitating the use of Chatbot and WebForms.

A Clear Winner

Each CRM system has its pros and cons, but Responsely is a clear winner in terms of value. For a significantly lower price, you get the same functionality as with alternative systems. 

It features a user-friendly interface, too! For $15 per month against at least $25, you have no limits on members and campaign numbers. 

To seal the deal, Responsely offers a free trial for three campaigns, instead of a standard 14-day trial. 

Sure, everyone knows the struggle of signing up for a free trial and losing it due to lack of time. Responsely solves the issue. If you are still in doubt, sign up and get all the business insights necessary for sales growth.