Freshsales CRM vs SugarCRM: Which is Best for You in 2025?

Picking the right CRM is tough. You’ve got tons of customer info, and keeping it straight is a headache. 

Now, imagine losing a big sale because you missed a follow-up.

Or, your team is wasting time on tasks that should be easy. That’s frustrating.

That’s where we come in. Let’s break down Freshsales CRM vs SugarCRM.

We’ll look at the key differences so you can decide which one is best for your business. 

Overview

We’ve spent hours diving into Freshsales CRM and SugarCRM, testing their features and comparing their performance. 

This hands-on experience lets us provide a clear, practical comparison, focusing on what matters most to real users.

What is Freshsales CRM?

So, you’re looking at Freshsales CRM.

What’s it about?

Think of it like a competent helper for your sales team.

It’s designed to make selling easier.

You get tools to track leads and close deals faster.

It’s all about smoothing your sales process.

Also, explore our favorite Freshsales CRM alternatives…

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.

What is SugarCRM?

Now, let’s talk about SugarCRM.

It’s a powerful tool.

Think of it as a super flexible CRM.

It allows you to build a system that meets your needs, which is excellent for businesses wanting considerable control.

Also, explore our favorite SugarCRM alternatives…

Key Benefits

• Open-source platform: Gives you greater flexibility and control.
• Robust sales automation: Streamline your sales processes and boost productivity.
• Excellent reporting tools: Gain valuable insights into your sales performance.
• The mobile app includes access to your CRM data on the go.
• Large community: Tap into a wealth of resources and support.

Pricing

All the plans will be billed annually.

• Essentials: $19/user/month, three users minimum.
• Standard: $59/user/month, ten users minimum.
• Advanced: $85/user/month, ten users minimum.
• Premier: $135/user/month, ten users minimum.

Feature Comparison

Let’s dive into the core features.

We’ll compare these two CRM software options side-by-side, focusing on key differences that impact your daily workflow and customer relationships.

1. Lead Management

• Freshsales CRM: Offers intuitive lead management with AI-powered lead scoring. It helps you quickly identify and prioritize your best leads.
• SugarCRM provides robust lead management with highly customizable fields and workflows. It is ideal for complex lead tracking.

2. Salesforce Automation

• Freshsales CRM: Focuses on ease of use. It automates basic sales tasks, simplifying your salesforce efforts.
• SugarCRM: Offers advanced automation, allowing for intricate workflows and highly personalized sales processes.

3. Marketing Automation

• Freshsales CRM includes integrated marketing automation tools for email campaigns and lead nurturing, which helps streamline basic marketing tasks.
• SugarCRM: Requires integrations or higher-tier plans for comparable marketing automation. It provides extreme customization for marketing.

4. CRM Solution Customization

• Freshsales CRM provides good customization options but is more geared toward out-of-the-box functionality as a CRM solution.
• SugarCRM: Excels in customization. You can tailor every aspect of the system to match your specific business needs.

5. Forecasting

• Freshsales CRM: Offers visual forecast dashboards and reports. It provides a clear overview of potential sales.
• SugarCRM: Delivers highly detailed and customizable forecasting tools. This caters to businesses with complex forecasting requirements.

6. Lead Scoring

• Freshsales CRM: Uses AI-powered lead scoring to rank leads based on engagement and fit automatically. It is easy to use.
• SugarCRM: Allows for manual and rule-based lead scoring. It offers granular control over lead qualification.

7. Optimize Customer Relationships

• Freshsales CRM: Designed to optimize customer interactions with its user-friendly interface and built-in communication tools.
• SugarCRM: Aims to optimize relationships through highly personalized experiences and detailed customer insights. It is designed for complex customer relationships.

What to Look for When Choosing a CRM Software?

• Ease of Use: How quickly can your team adopt the software?
• Scalability: Can the CRM grow with your business?
• Integration: Does it connect with your existing tools?
• Customization: Can it be tailored to your specific needs?
• Support: Is reliable customer support available?
• Budget: Does the pricing align with your financial constraints?
• Specific Needs: Does the CRM address your unique industry requirements?

Final Verdict

So, which one wins? For most small to medium businesses, Freshsales CRM is our pick.

It’s easy to use, has innovative AI tools that help you close deals faster, and is priced right.

 If you want a system ready to go, Freshsales is it.

If you need tons of customization and have a big team, SugarCRM might fit you better.

But it’s more complex and pricier. We’ve spent hours testing these tools.

We know what works. Trust us to help you pick the best CRM for your needs. Remember, the best CRM is one your team will use. 

Take advantage of free trials to test out both options yourself!

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 Instantly: Freshsales CRM is a full-fledged sales CRM with robust features; Instantly is primarily an email outreach and cold email automation tool.
• 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 SugarCRM

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

• SugarCRM vs Gohighlevel: SugarCRM is a comprehensive CRM focused on sales, marketing, and service, offering extensive customization; GoHighLevel is an all-in-one platform for agencies, emphasizing marketing automation, lead generation, and sales tools.
• SugarCRM vs Pipedrive: SugarCRM provides broad customization and flexible deployment for various business needs; Pipedrive is a sales-focused CRM with a visual pipeline, prioritizing ease of use for small to medium businesses.
• SugarCRM vs Keap: SugarCRM offers robust, highly customizable CRM features for sales and marketing automation, scaling for larger teams; Keap (formerly Infusionsoft) is a marketing automation and sales CRM designed primarily for small businesses.
• SugarCRM vs ActiveCampaign: SugarCRM focuses on extensive sales management and customization for complex pipelines; ActiveCampaign excels in user-friendly marketing automation, email campaigns, and lead segmentation.
• SugarCRM vs HubSpot: SugarCRM provides deep customization and flexible deployment for tailored solutions; HubSpot offers an intuitive, integrated suite of marketing, sales, and service tools known for its ease of use.
• SugarCRM vs Clickfunnels: SugarCRM is a robust customer relationship management platform; ClickFunnels is a specialized tool for building sales funnels, landing pages, and automating sales processes.
• SugarCRM vs Folk: SugarCRM is a powerful, customizable CRM for comprehensive business needs; Folk is a modern, collaborative contact management tool that emphasizes simplicity and ease of use.
• SugarCRM vs Instantly: SugarCRM offers a broad CRM solution for sales force automation and customer management; Instantly specializes in automated cold email outreach and lead generation campaigns.
• SugarCRM vs ClickUp: SugarCRM is a dedicated CRM for sales, marketing, and service automation; ClickUp is a versatile work management platform that includes CRM functionalities alongside project and task management.
• SugarCRM vs Monday: SugarCRM offers extensive customization and robust automation for sales and marketing; Monday CRM provides highly visual, customizable workflows for various business processes, including CRM.
• SugarCRM vs Capsule CRM: SugarCRM delivers a highly customizable and scalable CRM with advanced features; Capsule CRM is a simpler, more affordable contact management solution for small to medium-sized businesses.
• SugarCRM vs Insightly: SugarCRM offers extensive customization for complex sales processes and reporting; Insightly combines CRM with project management, focusing on ease of use for small to medium businesses.
• SugarCRM vs Salesforce: SugarCRM offers an open-source option with significant customization potential; Salesforce is a leading cloud-based CRM with extensive features, broad integrations, and a vast ecosystem, albeit at a higher complexity.

Frequently Asked Questions