7 Top Salesforce Competitors and Alternatives in 2024

Salesforce CRM centralizes your customer data and streamlines the sales process so your business can more effectively drive growth. Its high level of customization (plus next-gen cloud infrastructure and elastic resource/data management) means the software can scale with your operations. 

To fully take advantage of Salesforce’s capability, though, you may need the in-house expertise to set up custom objects, fields, page layouts, and workflows, and manage API integrations.

And, as you’ll see, Salesforce’s pricing is higher than some of its competitors, with a model that involves data limitations, potentially necessitating additional costs for extra storage.  

This guide will help you decide on the best CRM for your operations and objectives. We explore the top Salesforce alternatives, examining their key strengths, assessing their customization and scalability, and detailing their pricing.

We’ll look at:

• Zendesk Sell
• Microsoft Dynamics 365
• HubSpot
• Netsuite
• Monday.com CRM
• Pipedrive
• Zoho CRM

We also explore how Vendr can save you time and money with solutions like pricing data, automated workflows, and negotiation expertise. 

AI tool creators, Deepgram, saved $366K by using Vendr in their negotiations. They got deals on Salesforce, Zendesk, Domo, and more.

Ready to see how you can save time and money in your CRM procurement? 

Sign up for free

Zendesk Sell

Zendesk Sell is an intuitive CRM that’s designed to help sales teams get full visibility over where customers are in the buying journey. It includes all key customer information from sales and service in one place. 

Key features

• Omnichannel conversation management including across chatbots and messaging
• Comprehensive reports on performance and deals 
• Easy integrations via the marketplace as well as APIs

Who is it for?

Zendesk is great for mid-sized companies that aren’t looking for a CRM that’s not quite as technical as Salesforce but can still be used for a range of sales use cases (including B2B sales management, loyalty management, and advertising). 

Zendesk pricing breakdown

Zendesk’s pricing plans range between $17,300 and $116,300 and are based on headcount. Find out what accounts for this significant difference in our Buyer Guide’s Zendesk pricing breakdown.

Unique selling point and considerations 

Zendesk can be used out of the box. However, it doesn’t have as extensive a cloud offering as Salesforce, so it may not scale as effectively as your business grows.

See our full article on the top Zendesk competitors and alternatives for more info on how they measure up.

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Microsoft Dynamics 365

Microsoft Dynamics 365 is a suite of CRM apps for sales, service, finance, and supply chain teams. It includes tools for managing customer relationships, automating sales processes, and handling customer service inquiries. 

Key features

• Workflow automation and automatic lead scoring
• No-code customization 
• App integrations including PowerBI: Microsoft’s data visualization solution 

Who is it for?

Microsoft Dynamics is best suited to medium and large businesses that are looking for a customizable CRM like Salesforce but with lower pricing at scale. 

Microsoft Dynamics 365 pricing breakdown

Microsoft’s pricing is different for every app under the Dynamics 365 range. You could pay $50 per user per month for Dynamics 365 Customer Service Professional, but up to $1,700 per user per month for Customer Insights. 

For more information, see our Buyer Guide, including a Microsoft pricing breakdown, discount levers, and community insights.

Unique selling point and considerations 

Microsoft Dynamics 365 is both cloud-based and on-site which means it can work on your own servers and IT infrastructure for increased privacy and easier integration with existing tools.

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Netsuite

Created by database and cloud solution company Oracle, Netsuite is a CRM that helps users oversee the entire customer lifecycle from the first point of contact to renewal. 

Key features

• Order management for e-commerce transactions 
• Sales and marketing automation tools 
• Integrations with on-premise software or cloud-based applications via the SuiteCloud technology platform 

Who is it for?

Netsuite is particularly well-suited for mid-sized businesses that have a decent level of technical expertise. 

Netsuite pricing breakdown

Netsuite products tend to cost between $31,500 and $210,400 per month. We explore the platform’s various tiers and provide insights on negotiation tactics and experiences in our Buyer Guide’s Netsuite pricing breakdown. 

Unique selling point and considerations 

Because of the way their pricing works, Netsuite is a great option for companies who are already paying for Oracle’s ERP platform or want to save money by using one provider for the two solutions. 

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HubSpot

HubSpot offers a CRM tool inside a full suite of marketing, sales, and customer service software. Generally, its features focus more on inbound marketing than outbound sales.  

Key features

• Highly customizable workflows and data configuration
• A real-time view of the sales pipeline
• Automated tools for communications, scheduling, and lead management 

Who is it for?

Hubspot’s CRM is well-suited to users looking for a more intuitive Salesforce alternative with integrated marketing features such as PPC management and a website builder.

HubSpot pricing breakdown

HubSpot’s plans vary based on the number of users and customized features. 

Explore more about Hubspot’s plans with insights into negotiation tactics, such as what competitor options to leverage and community experiences in our HubSpot Buyer Guide.

Unique selling point and considerations 

Migration is typically relatively easy with HubSpot because they have a dedicated re-platforming team to help you switch CRM. 

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Monday.com CRM

Monday.com is an all-in-one work management platform with a built-in CRM. You can use it to align teams toward sales goals and pipelines. 

Key features

• Customizable automated task assignment 
• Real-time communication tools
• Integrations with 200+ apps including Mailchimp and Skype

Who is it for?

Monday.com CRM is great for users who are looking for a simple, affordable CRM with all core features included in the main price plans. 

Monday.com CRM pricing breakdown

Pricing for Monday.com starts at $190 per seat per month. You can find out more about Monday.com pricing, negotiation tactics, discount levers, and community insights in our Buyer Guide.

Unique selling point and considerations 

Monday.com CRM has a 24/7 support line which can be particularly useful for small to midsize teams. 

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Pipedrive

Pipedrive is an intuitive sales CRM and pipeline management software that supports team members without technical skills to access lead generation tools and insights. 

Key features

• Sales forecasting tools
• Automated lead nurturing 
• Customizable reports with real-time insights 

Who is it for?

Pipedrive is designed for small businesses that want an affordable and easy-to-use sales CRM. It doesn’t have the customizability of Salesforce, but it does offer unlimited data storage so it’s suitable for teams with less complex needs as they scale.

Pipedrive pricing breakdown

Pipedrive has six plans: Here are the three middle-tier prices per seat, by monthly rate when paid annually:

• Advanced: $24
• Professional: $49
• Power: $59

Advanced includes email templates and open tracking and email sequences; Professional has AI-powered Sales Assistant and emailing tools, streamlined lead routing, and custom field reporting; while Power offers project planning features and additional account management tools.

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Zoho CRM

Zoho CRM provides tools for managing sales, marketing, and customer support in a single system. It is part of Zoho, an organization with an extensive suite of software for business operations, including project management, finance, and HR.

Key features

• Advanced lead tracking tools such as business card scanning 
• Automated workflows and pre-built dashboards for reporting
• Out-of-the-box customization options 

Who is it for?

Zoho CRM is best for companies that are looking for advanced CRM features, but still want a tool that is easy to use.

Zoho CRM pricing breakdown

As well as four plans (Basic, Professional, Advanced, and Ultimate), Zoho CRM offers bundles (CRM Plus and CRM Flex), whose pricing is based on your selection of apps, number of users, and billing cycle. You can explore these options with Zoho CRM’s pricing calculator.

Learn more about Zoho software pricing in our Zoho Buyer Guide and discover how to get the best price.

How Vendr evaluates and negotiates growth-oriented CRM contracts

Our experts offer integral support when negotiating a fair price on CRM software. That means:

• Assessing your business needs. For example, discussing your storage requirements to help you accurately set your budget.  
• Using SKU-level pricing benchmarks to validate the quotes you’re offered.
• Leveraging negotiation tips from our community. You can find some of these insights in our Buyer Guides.   
• Implementing discount levers such as optimized contract length and payment terms. 
• Leveraging competitor quotes to help you get a better deal.

AI tool creators, Deepgram, saved $366K by using Vendr in their negotiations. They got deals on Salesforce, Zendesk, Domo, and more.

Ready to see how you can save time and money in your CRM procurement? 

Sign up for free

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