Does Freshworks have a CRM?

Yes, Freshsales is the CRM product within the Freshworks suite. It launched in 2016 and integrates with other Freshworks tools like Freshdesk and Freshmarketer.

Is Freshworks a good CRM?

Freshsales scores 4.5/5 on Capterra and G2 from real users. It is rated as excellent value for small and medium-sized businesses, especially for teams that want built-in phone and SMS in a unified inbox.

What is the maximum number of users allowed in the free plan of FreshSales?

The free plan supports up to 3 users with access to most core features.

Is Freshsales easy-to-use?

Yes, Freshsales has an intuitive interface that is easy to learn and implement for users. Most teams onboard in days rather than weeks.

Where is Freshsales based?

Freshsales is part of Freshworks, which is headquartered in San Mateo, California, with major offices in Chennai, India.

Is Freshworks a competitor of Salesforce?

Yes, Freshworks competes with Salesforce in the CRM market. Freshsales is significantly cheaper and easier to set up but has a smaller integration marketplace.

Is SugarCRM still open source?

SugarCRM has open source crm heritage but its current commercial editions are proprietary. The open source community edition was discontinued, though the platform retains code-light customization capabilities.

What companies use SugarCRM?

SugarCRM is used by mid-to-large companies in manufacturing, wholesale distribution, financial services, and other relationship-driven B2B industries.

SugarCRM was acquired by Accel-KKR, a private equity firm, in 2018.

SugarCRM is a strong CRM platform for mid-to-large businesses needing deep customization. It has a steep learning curve but offers a 32% lower total cost of ownership than Salesforce.

Who is the CEO of SugarCRM?

David Roberts is the CEO of SugarCRM.

Is SugarCRM private or public?

SugarCRM is a private company owned by Accel-KKR.

Is SugarCRM easy to use?

SugarCRM has a steep learning curve due to its extensive feature set. Many users hire SugarCRM partners for deployment and configuration to avoid the complexity.

How much does a CRM usually cost?

CRM software typically costs $9 to $135 per user per month. Freshsales starts at $9 per user per month, while SugarCRM starts at $59 per user per month with a ten user minimum.

What are the disadvantages of SugarCRM?

SugarCRM has a steep learning curve, requires a ten user minimum, and offers no free plan or free trial on most plans. Customer service features are weaker than competitors like Zendesk.

What are the benefits of SugarCRM?

SugarCRM offers 360-degree customer views, deep no-code customization, flexible deployment, REST and SOAP API integration, and a 32% lower total cost of ownership compared to Salesforce.

Freshsales CRM vs SugarCRM — Don’t Buy Until You Read This

by Fahim Joharder | Last updated May 2, 2026

Winner

4.0

Freddy AI Lead Scoring
21-Day Free Trial
Free Plan for 3 Users
385+ Integrations Available
Built-in Phone, Email, SMS
Best Value for SMBs
Paid Plans from $9/user/month

TRY NOW

Runner Up

3.1

Deep Customization Engine
Sales, Marketing, Service Suite
SugarPredict AI Engine
Built for Mid-Large Businesses
REST and SOAP API Support
Cloud and On-Premise Deploy
Paid Plans from $59/user/month

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⚡ Quick Verdict:

Pricing: Freshsales CRM starts at $9/user/month vs SugarCRM at $59/user/month
Best for: Freshsales CRM for small and medium sized businesses, SugarCRM for mid-to-large enterprises with complex needs
Key difference: Freshsales offers a free plan and 21-day free trial, while SugarCRM has no free plan and requires a ten user minimum
Our pick: Freshsales CRM for most users — it delivers excellent value with Freddy AI, built-in phone, and a forever free plan for up to 3 users

Choosing between Freshsales CRM vs SugarCRM comes down to one question.

Do you need an affordable crm built for sales teams, or a deeply customizable platform for complex businesses?

Both promise to manage customer relationship management at scale.

But they target very different customers and budgets.

This guide breaks down both crm software options to help you decide.

Overview

This comparison covers pricing, features, integrations, and support for both crm platforms.

We also break down who each tool works best for.

Our sources include published specs, documentation, and verified user reviews.

Our writer also spent hands-on time exploring SugarCRM directly.

By the end, you will know which crm fits your business.

What is Freshsales CRM?

Freshsales is an AI-powered crm software for sales teams.

It launched in 2016 as part of the Freshworks suite.

The platform manages sales activities, contacts, deals, and customer data.

Freshworks claims over 67,000 customers worldwide use its products.

Freshsales centralizes customer information into a single platform.

Most businesses pick it for the price, ease of use, and Freddy AI assistant.

Freshsales Freshworks CRM Review – Still Good?

Freshsales CRM

Freshsales is an affordable crm with built-in phone, email, and AI lead scoring. It scores 4.5/5 on Capterra and G2 from real customers. Start free with 3 users and no credit card required.

TRY FRESHSALES NOW →

READ FULL REVIEW →

FRESHSALES TUTORIAL →

Freshsales CRM Pricing

Here is what Freshsales costs in 2026. Let us break down the crm prices.

Plan	Price	Best For
Growth	$9/user/month	Startups and tiny teams getting started
Pro	$39/user/month	Growing sales teams needing automation
Enterprise	$59/user/month	Large teams with advanced reporting needs

Pricing verified April 2026.

Free trial: Yes — 21-day free trial across all paid plans, no credit card required to create a new account.

Money-back guarantee: Freshsales does not advertise a refund window beyond the free trial period. Cancel anytime to stop future billing.

📌 Note: Freshsales also offers a free plan for up to 3 users with most core features included. Pricing has dropped over the years and is now 2 to 3 times lower than before, making it excellent value for small businesses.

⚠️ Warning: Some add ons and premium features cost extra. Workflow automation limits and AI insights vary by plan, so check feature lists carefully before signing up.

Key Benefits of Freshsales CRM

Here is what makes Freshsales worth considering:

Freddy AI Assistant: Freddy AI scores leads, predicts deal risks, and suggests next best actions. This helps sales reps focus on the right deals to close.
360-Degree Customer View: Freshsales provides a complete history of every touchpoint with customers. You see all interactions across email, phone, chat, and SMS in one timeline.
Visual Pipeline Management: The platform uses Kanban-style boards to track deal progress. Drag and drop deals between stages to manage your pipeline visually.
Built-in Communication Tools: Freshsales includes phone, email, chat, and SMS in a unified inbox. There is no need to buy separate tools for outreach.
Sales Automation: The crm automates repetitive sales activities and follow-ups. Sales reps save hours every week and respond to leads faster.
Mobile App: The mobile app for iOS and Android supports offline access and call logging. You can manage deals on the road without losing data.
Integration with Freshworks: Freshsales integrates seamlessly with other freshworks products like Freshdesk and Freshmarketer. This creates a unified business hub.

What Our Team Noticed

Our writer signed up for Freshsales and explored the platform across several days. Here is what stood out from that hands-on time:

Note: We have not had extensive long-term hands-on time with Freshsales yet. The observations above are based on the published documentation, the public website, and verified user reviews from Capterra and G2.

Freshsales CRM Pros & Cons

✅ Pros

Free plan for up to 3 users with most core features
21-day free trial on all paid plans, no credit card required
Excellent value for small and medium sized businesses
Freddy AI scores leads and predicts deal risks automatically

❌ Cons

Cluttered navigation and slow loading times reported by users
Around 385 integrations, fewer than HubSpot or Salesforce
Limited native connectors with third-party tools outside Freshworks

What is SugarCRM?

SugarCRM is a crm platform built for mid-to-large businesses.

It targets companies with sophisticated account management needs.

The product splits into three arms: Sugar Sell, Sugar Market, and Sugar Serve.

Sugar Sell handles salesforce automation and product performance.

Sugar Market covers marketing automation, social media, and SEO tools.

Sugar Serve adds smart routing, case tracking, and a unified support console.

SugarCRM is known for deep customization and industry-specific configuration.

SugarCRM

SugarCRM is a leading crm built for sales, marketing, and service teams. The platform supports over 30 languages and multiple currencies. It offers flexible deployment with cloud, private cloud, and on-premises options.

TRY SUGARCRM NOW →

READ FULL REVIEW →

SUGARCRM TUTORIAL →

SugarCRM Pricing

Here is what SugarCRM costs per user per month in 2026.

Plan	Price	Best For
Standard	$59/user/month	Small businesses needing core features
Advanced	$85/user/month	Sales teams that need stronger forecasting
Premier	$135/user/month	Enterprise level plans with full support

SugarCRM pricing verified April 2026.

Free trial: SugarCRM does not offer a free trial or free version on most plans. Demos can be requested through the company sales team.

Money-back guarantee: SugarCRM is billed annually and does not advertise a standard refund policy. Cancellation terms vary by contract.

📌 Note: SugarCRM has a ten user minimum across all pricing tiers. Older Sugar Professional plans started lower per user, but current Standard and Advanced tiers are the active options for new customers and their employees. Sugar Market starts at $1,000 per month for 10,000 contacts, with extra contacts starting at $150 per month. Sugarcrm cost adds up quickly for small businesses.

⚠️ Warning: Sugarcrm pricing means you pay for at least ten users even if your team is smaller. There is no free plan and limited free trial access for most plans.

Try SugarCRM now

Key Benefits of SugarCRM

Here is what makes SugarCRM stand apart:

Deep Customization: SugarCRM offers extensive no-code configuration through drag and drop workflows. You can customize sugarcrm to match specific business needs without coding.
SugarPredict AI: The AI engine predicts lead conversion likelihood and suggests next best actions. It runs inside seller workflows for guided selling.
Single Platform Suite: Sugar Sell, Sugar Market, and Sugar Serve cover sales, marketing and service from one system. Teams share the same customer data.
Industry-Specific Tooling: SugarCRM provides industry tooling for manufacturing, wholesale distribution, and financial services. The platform fits relationship-driven B2B industries well.
Flexible Deployment: Choose cloud, private cloud, or on-premises hosting. The open source crm heritage gives you control over where your data resides.
API Integration: SugarCRM supports REST APIs and SOAP APIs. You can integrate with any existing tool or legacy system in your software development stack.
Lower Total Cost vs Salesforce: SugarCRM implementation costs are roughly 42% lower than Salesforce. This leads to a 32% lower total cost of ownership overall.

Try SugarCRM now