Freshsales CRM vs Instantly: Which Is The Right One in 2025?

by | Last updated Jun 4, 2025

Winner
freshsales logo
9.0
  • Email Management
  • Workflow Automation
  • Clear and Organized Deals
  • Sales Sequences
  • Awesome Web Forms
  • Free plan available
  • Paid Plans from $9/month
Runner Up
Instantly
7.0
  • Personalized Cold Email
  • Unlimited Email Warm-Up
  • 160 Million B2B Contacts
  • Inbox Placement Tracking
  • Website Visitor Tracking
  • 14-Day Free Trial
  • Plan starts from $37.9/month
Freshsales CRM vs Instantly

Feeling lost in the sea of CRM and outreach tools? You’re not alone.

Figuring out if Freshsales CRM or Instantly is better for your business can feel like a headache.

Imagine missing out on potential deals because your tools aren’t working together smoothly. 

Good news! We’re here to explain Freshsales CRM vs Instantly in a way that’s easy to understand.

We’ll examine what each tool offers, how they differ, and which might fit your needs.

Overview

We’ve spent considerable time exploring both Freshsales CRM and Instantly.

Our hands-on experience included setting up accounts, running test campaigns, and evaluating core features to provide a real-world comparison.

freshsales logo

Want to see Freshsales in action? Start your free trial and visit their website and experience more to see the difference!

9out of 10

Pricing: It has a free plan. The premium plan starts at $9.00/month.

Key Features:

  • AI-powered insights
  • Built-in phone
  • Deal pipeline management
Instantly AI

Ready to boost your email outreach? Don’t let another email get lost in spam. Try Instantly AI today and see results.

7out of 10

Pricing: It has a free plan. The premium plan starts at $37.9/month.

Key Features:

  • Email warm-up
  • Automated outreach
  • Lead scoring

What is Freshsales CRM?

Think of Freshsales CRM as your all-in-one sales hub.

It helps you track leads and close deals faster.

It’s designed to be easy to use and provides a clear view of your sales pipeline, which is significant for small—to medium-sized businesses.

Also, explore our favorite Freshsales CRM alternatives

freshsales logo
Freshsales CRM
9.0

Unlock the power of an all-in-one marketing platform. GoHighLevel gives you everything to manage your marketing.

Key Benefits

  • Intuitive Interface: Get up and running in minutes; no tech skills required.
  • Visual Sales Pipeline: See precisely where your deals stand at a glance.
  • Built-in Phone and Email: Connect with customers directly within the platform.
  • AI-Powered Insights: Get intelligent recommendations to close more deals.

Pricing

All the plans will be billed annually.

  • Growth + 500 Marketing Contacts: $9/user/month.
  • Pro + 500 Marketing Contacts: $39/user/month.
  • Enterprise + 500 Marketing Contacts: $59/user/month.
image 88

Pros

  • Easy to navigate and use.
  • Affordable pricing plans.
  • Excellent customer support.
  • The mobile app is very convenient.
  • Phone system is built right in.

Cons

  • The basic plan lacks strong features.
  • Reporting can feel limited.
  • Customization options are not vast.
  • Some advanced features cost extra.

What is Instantly?

Instantly is designed for sales and marketing teams and is about boosting email outreach.

It automates campaigns, helps you warm up your email list, and focuses on getting more replies.

Also, explore our favorite Instantly alternatives

Instantly AI
Instantly
7.0

Ready to boost your email outreach? Don’t let another email get lost in spam. Try Instantly AI today and see the results for yourself.

Key Benefits

  • Boosts deliverability by up to 97%. That means more people see your emails!
  • Integrates seamlessly with popular email platforms. No more switching between apps.
  • Provides detailed analytics and reporting. Track your progress and see what’s working.
  • Offers a spam trigger analysis. Identifies and helps you fix issues that could land you in spam.

Pricing

  • Growth CRM: $37.9/month, unlimited seats.
  • Hyper CRM: $77.6/month, unlimited seats.
AD 4nXdXnC HOXc35XCWfxv1OlHiOKqxCVnPXc oiVy1 P8LnVTdxJygeIibdtSjuFIc9HCF11 BX3wZ8YmU0xkEvG0lyLqALH L jpuAOf9

Pros

  • Improves email deliverability.
  • AI-powered email assistant.
  • Easy to set up and use.
  • Affordable pricing plans.
  • Helpful customer support.

Cons

  • Limited email templates.
  • Integrations could be improved.
  • Occasional deliverability issues.
  • Analytics could be more robust.

Feature Comparison

Let’s break down the core functionalities of Freshsales CRM and Instantly.

We’ll examine key features to help you determine which tool best suits your sales process and team needs.

1. Core Functionality and Focus

  • Freshsales CRM:
    • Freshworks’ CRM solution is a full-fledged customer relationship management system. It focuses on managing the entire sales process, from lead capture to closing deals, and provides a single source of truth for all customer data. The software manages customer relationships across channels.
  • Instantly:
    • Primarily an email outreach tool. It’s designed to automate and optimize cold email campaigns. It emphasizes email warm-up, lead scoring, and improving email deliverability to help you close more deals.
Freshsales Deals

2. Automation and Workflow

  • Freshsales CRM:
    • It offers robust workflow automation for various sales tasks, including automated email sequences, task assignments, and deal stage updates. Generative AI enhances efficiency.
  • Instantly:
    • Specializes in automated email sequences and warm-up processes. It automates sending personalized emails and A/B testing, significantly boosting productivity.

3. Lead Management

  • Freshsales CRM:
    • Provides comprehensive lead management features. This includes lead scoring, lead tracking, and detailed lead profiles.
  • Instantly:
    • Focuses on lead scoring, specifically for email outreach. It helps prioritize leads based on engagement and potential.

4. Reporting and Analytics

  • Freshsales CRM:
    • Offers detailed sales reports and dashboards. Users can track sales performance, pipeline activity, and team productivity.
  • Instantly:
    • Provides analytics on email campaign performance. This includes open rates, reply rates, and conversion rates.

5. Customization and Integration

  • Freshsales CRM:
    • It is highly customizable. Users can customize fields, modules, and workflows to match their needs. It also integrates with a wide range of third-party applications.
  • Instantly:
    • Integrates with a limited number of other programs and has less customization than a complete CRM.
instantly-ai-email-preview

6. Onboarding and Support

  • Freshsales CRM:
    • Provides extensive onboarding resources, including documentation, tutorials, and customer support.
  • Instantly:
    • It offers support through documentation and customer service, but its onboarding is less extensive than that of Freshsales.

What to Look For When Choosing CRM Software?

  • Scalability: Can the CRM grow with your business?
  • Ease of Use: Is the interface intuitive for your team?
  • Integration: Does it connect with your existing tools?
  • Mobile Access: Can you access it on the go?
  • Customer Support: Is reliable help readily available?
  • Data Security: How well does it protect sensitive information?
  • Specific Needs: Does it align with your industry’s unique requirements?
  • Implementation: How complicated is the onboarding process?
  • Training: Does the company offer training or educational resources?

Final Verdict

For most small teams looking for a complete sales solution, Freshsales CRM is our top pick.

It freshsales offers a wide range of features. It helps manage your entire sales process.

It’s easy to use. It boosts sales productivity. If your sales team needs a strong CRM, Freshsales is an excellent choice.

If you’re focusing only on email outreach, Instantly is solid.

But for a complete CRM, Freshsales vs Instantly, Freshsales wins.

We’ve tested both, and Freshsales offers more value for your money. Our experience can guide you to the right tool.

More of Freshsales CRM

Here’s a brief comparison of Freshsales CRM with these software solutions:

  • Freshsales CRM vs Gohighlevel: Freshsales CRM focuses on AI-driven sales automation and pipeline management, while GoHighLevel is a broader platform offering extensive marketing, sales, and agency automation features.
  • Freshsales CRM vs Pipedrive: Freshsales CRM provides a comprehensive sales solution with integrated communication and AI, whereas Pipedrive excels in visual sales pipeline organization and deal tracking.
  • Freshsales CRM vs Keap: Freshsales CRM emphasizes intuitive sales management and AI-powered insights; Keap offers powerful sales and marketing automation with a focus on contact management.
  • Freshsales CRM vs ActiveCampaign: Freshsales CRM is a dedicated sales CRM with built-in phone and email; ActiveCampaign is strong in marketing automation, email campaigns, and advanced segmentation.
  • Freshsales CRM vs Hubspot: Freshsales CRM offers AI-powered sales tools and a quicker setup; HubSpot provides an extensive all-in-one suite covering marketing, sales, and customer service.
  • Freshsales CRM vs Clickfunnels: Freshsales CRM is a sales-focused CRM for managing customer interactions, whereas ClickFunnels is a specialized tool for building sales funnels and landing pages.
  • Freshsales CRM vs Folk: Freshsales CRM offers a comprehensive sales platform with AI and automation; Folk focuses on simple, collaborative contact management and visual pipeline organization.
  • Freshsales CRM vs ClickUp: Freshsales CRM is designed for streamlining sales processes and managing pipelines; ClickUp is a versatile work OS that encompasses project management, tasks, and CRM functionalities.
  • Freshsales CRM vs Monday CRM: Freshsales CRM provides a dedicated sales solution with intelligent insights, while Monday CRM offers highly customizable boards for managing workflows, including CRM.
  • Freshsales CRM vs Capsule CRM: Freshsales CRM offers a more robust sales CRM with AI features; Capsule CRM focuses on straightforward contact management and sales opportunity tracking.
  • Freshsales CRM vs Insightly: Freshsales CRM is a dedicated sales tool with AI and comprehensive sales automation; Insightly provides a broader CRM experience, including strong project management capabilities.
  • Freshsales CRM vs Salesforce: Freshsales CRM offers an intuitive, AI-powered sales platform with competitive pricing; Salesforce is a highly customizable, enterprise-grade CRM with an extensive ecosystem and advanced features.
  • Freshsales CRM vs Zendesk: Freshsales CRM focuses on sales automation and pipeline management, while Zendesk is primarily a customer service platform with robust ticketing and support features.

More of Instantly

Here’s a brief comparison of Instantly with these software solutions:

  • Instantly vs Gohighlevel: Instantly specializes in cold email outreach and deliverability, while GoHighLevel offers a comprehensive suite for sales, marketing, and lead generation, including broader automation.
  • Instantly vs Pipedrive: Instantly focuses on automated email campaigns and deliverability for outbound sales; Pipedrive is a visual sales pipeline management tool designed for tracking deals and optimizing sales processes.
  • Instantly vs Keap: Instantly excels at scalable cold email outreach and lead generation, whereas Keap provides an all-in-one platform for sales and marketing automation with CRM capabilities.
  • Instantly vs ActiveCampaign: Instantly is primarily for high-volume cold email outreach and deliverability; ActiveCampaign is a robust marketing automation platform with advanced segmentation and CRM features.
  • Instantly vs Hubspot: Instantly streamlines outbound email campaigns and lead warming; HubSpot offers a comprehensive CRM, marketing, sales, and customer service platform with extensive features.
  • Instantly vs Clickfunnels: Instantly is an email outreach automation tool; ClickFunnels is a sales funnel builder for creating landing pages and automating sales processes.
  • Instantly vs Folk: Instantly focuses on automated cold email campaigns and lead generation; Folk is a collaborative contact management CRM that emphasizes easy organization.
  • Instantly vs Clickup: Instantly is designed for cold email outreach and deliverability; ClickUp is a versatile workspace for project management, task tracking, and broader team collaboration.
  • Instantly vs Monday CRM: Instantly excels in automated outbound email and lead nurturing; Monday CRM provides visual project and workflow management, with integrated CRM features.
  • Instantly vs Capsule CRM: Instantly specializes in automated cold email sequences; Capsule CRM is a simple contact management and sales pipeline tool for small businesses.
  • Instantly vs Insightly: Instantly streamlines cold email outreach with robust deliverability features; Insightly offers a comprehensive CRM with project management and sales pipeline capabilities.
  • Instantly vs Salesforce: Instantly is a specialized tool for scalable cold email outreach; Salesforce is an enterprise-grade, highly customizable CRM platform for sales, service, and marketing.
  • Instantly vs Zendesk: Instantly focuses on lead generation through automated email outreach; Zendesk is a comprehensive customer service and support platform with robust ticketing.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is there a free plan or free trial available for Freshsales CRM?

Freshworks offers a free plan for Freshsales CRM suitable for basic needs. It also provides a free trial for its paid plans, which allows you to test all features before committing.

Can it instantly be used as a complete CRM?

No, Instantly is primarily an email outreach automation tool. While it helps with lead scoring, it lacks the broader features of full CRMs, such as contact management and deal tracking.

Which tool is better for small teams with limited budgets?

Freshsales CRM is often better for small teams due to its free plan and more affordable starting prices. It provides a comprehensive set of features without breaking the bank.

How does Freshsales CRM compare to other CRMs in the market?

Freshsales CRM is known for its user-friendly interface, AI-powered insights, and robust features. Its balance of affordability and functionality makes it a strong competitor.

Does Instantly offer any free trial?

Instantly is a subscription-based service and, at this time, does not offer a free trial.