🚀 Partnership inquiries: fahim@fahimai.com | Trusted by 250,000+ monthly readers across 17 languages 🔥

🚀 Partnership inquiries: fahim@fahimai.com

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

by | Last updated May 2, 2026

Winner
Freshsales CRM
4.0
  • Freddy AI Lead Scoring
  • 360-Degree Customer View
  • 385+ Integrations Available
  • Built-in Phone, Email, Chat
  • Free Plan for Up to 3 Users
  • 21-Day Free Trial, No Card
  • Paid Plans from $9/user/mo
Runner Up
Copper crm
3.5
  • Deep Google Workspace Sync
  • Auto-fill Records from Gmail
  • Visual Pipeline Management
  • Workflow Automation Tools
  • Email Templates from Gmail
  • 14-Day Free Trial Included
  • Paid Plans from $9/seat/mo

⚡ Quick Verdict:

  • Pricing: Freshsales starts at $9/user/month vs Copper CRM at $9/seat/month, but Copper’s Starter plan lacks pipeline features.
  • Best for: Freshsales for small to medium-sized businesses needing AI-powered sales CRM. Copper CRM for teams glued to Gmail and Google Workspace.
  • Key difference: Freshsales offers Freddy AI, built-in phone, and 385+ integrations. Copper CRM is built around Google Workspace integration with a Chrome extension that lives inside Gmail.
  • Our pick: Freshsales for most users — better value, more features, and a longer free trial period.
Freshsales CRM vs copper

Picking between Freshsales vs Copper CRM comes down to one question.

Do you live inside Gmail, or do you need a full sales suite?

Both promise to help you manage customer data and close more deals.

But they serve very different kinds of sales teams.

Freshsales is built for small to medium-sized businesses that want AI and omnichannel tools.

Copper CRM is built for teams already deep in Google’s product family.

Overview

This comparison covers pricing, features, and ease of use.

We also break down who each CRM software works best for.

Our writer signed up for Copper CRM and spent hands-on time inside the platform.

Observations on Freshsales come from documentation and G2 reviews.

By the end, you’ll know which tool fits your sales process.

What is Freshsales?

Freshsales is an AI-powered customer relationship management platform built by Freshworks.

It helps sales teams manage leads, contacts, deals, and customer data in one place.

The CRM software was launched in 2016 as the second major product from Freshworks.

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

Freshsales is designed for small and medium-sized businesses (SMBs).

It includes Freddy AI, a sales assistant that scores leads and predicts deal risks.

Freshsales Freshworks CRM Review – Still Good?

Freshsales CRM

An AI-powered CRM for sales teams of all sizes. Includes Freddy AI, built-in phone, and a free plan for up to 3 users. Excellent value for small businesses.

Freshsales Pricing

Here’s what Freshsales costs in 2026. Let’s break it down.

PlanPriceBest For
Free$0Up to 3 users testing core features
Growth$9/user/monthSmall teams starting out
Pro$39/user/monthGrowing sales teams needing automation
Enterprise$59/user/monthLarger businesses with custom needs

Pricing verified April 2026.

Freshsales crm pricing

Free trial: Yes — 21-day free trial with no credit card required for all paid plans.

Money-back guarantee: Freshsales does not advertise a money-back guarantee. The free plan and 21-day trial let you test before paying.

📌 Note: Freshsales pricing has dropped 2 to 3 times lower than it was a few years ago. The free plan includes most core features for up to 3 users, making it one of the strongest free CRM software offers around.

⚠️ Warning: Some advanced add ons and AI features are gated to higher tiers. Read the plan details before you commit to a paid monthly subscription.

Key Benefits of Freshsales

Here’s what makes Freshsales worth considering:

  • Freddy AI built in: Freddy AI scores leads, predicts deal risks, and suggests the next best action to close deals. It analyzes behavior and profile data to improve conversion rates.
  • 360-degree customer view: Freshsales centralizes customer information and keeps a complete history of every touchpoint. You can see emails, calls, meetings, and sales activities on one timeline.
  • Built-in communication tools: Phone, email, chat, and SMS sit inside one unified inbox. The CRM also connects with WhatsApp Business, Facebook Messenger, and LINE.
  • Visual sales pipelines: Kanban boards let you track deal progress and spot bottlenecks fast. Sales reps can drag and drop deals across stages.
  • Around 385 integrations: Freshsales connects with platforms like Google, Microsoft 365, Slack, and Zoom. It also pairs with other Freshworks products like Freshmarketer and Freshdesk.
  • Mobile app for iOS and Android: The mobile app supports offline access and call logging. Field reps can update records on the go.
  • 21-day free trial and free plan: The free plan supports up to 3 users with most features included. The 21-day free trial covers all paid tiers and asks for no credit card.
Freshsales Homepagee

What Our Team Noticed

Note: We haven’t had extensive hands-on time with Freshsales yet. The information above is based on Freshsales documentation, official Freshworks materials, and user reviews from G2 and Capterra. Users score Freshsales an average of 4.5/5 on those platforms.

According to G2 reviews, the intuitive interface is frequently praised, especially for ease of learning. G2 reviews also highlight the value Freshsales offers small businesses.

Some reviewers do flag a slow user experience with cluttered navigation in the Pro and Enterprise tiers.

Freshsales Pros & Cons

✅ Pros
  • Free plan for up to 3 users with most features included
  • 21-day free trial with no credit card required
  • Freddy AI scores leads and suggests next best actions
  • Built-in phone, email, chat, and SMS in one inbox
  • 24/5 support across all plans via phone, chat, and email
❌ Cons
  • Cluttered navigation and slow loading times reported by some users
  • Around 385 integrations is fewer than HubSpot or Salesforce
  • Limited native connectors for third-party tools outside Freshworks
  • Lacks some advanced functionality found in larger CRM platforms

What is Copper CRM?

Copper CRM is the only customer relationship management tool built for Google Workspace.

It launched in 2012 as a Gmail extension to automate manual data entry.

Over time, it grew into a complete CRM for Google users.

Copper claims over 30,000 customers worldwide, including Google itself.

The Chrome extension lets you manage leads, contacts, and deals from your Gmail inbox.

It is built for small businesses that rely heavily on Google products.

Copper CRM Tutorial | How To Use Copper CRM For Beginners (2026)

Copper CRM

A CRM software made for Google Workspace. Lives inside Gmail and Google Calendar through a Chrome extension. Best for small businesses already on formerly G Suite.

Copper CRM Pricing

Here is what Copper CRM pricing looks like in 2026.

PlanPriceBest For
Starter$9/seat/monthSolo users organizing contacts only
Basic$23/seat/monthSmall teams managing up to 2,500 contacts
Professional$59/seat/monthGrowing teams needing workflow automation
Business$99/seat/monthLarger teams using email sequence automation

Pricing verified April 2026.

Copper CRM Pricing

Free trial: Yes — 14-day free trial for new users. No credit card required to start.

Money-back guarantee: Copper does not offer a public money-back guarantee. Use the 14-day trial before you commit.

📌 Note: The Starter plan lacks pipeline functionality. Pipelines and workflow automation start at the Basic and Professional tiers. The Business tier unlocks email sequence and create pipelines features for the full sales process.

⚠️ Warning: Copper CRM pricing climbs steeply between tiers. Annual billing helps, but monthly billing is roughly 25% higher per seat.

Key Benefits of Copper CRM

Here is what makes Copper CRM stand out:

  • Native Google Workspace integration: Copper’s integration with Gmail and Google Calendar is unmatched among other CRM tools. The Chrome extension lets you create new contacts and deals from your Gmail inbox.
  • Eliminates manual data entry: Copper auto-fills records using data from Gmail. It also syncs emails, meetings, and contact data automatically with Google Workspace.
  • Email automation from Gmail: Email automation sends emails directly from your Gmail account. This makes them feel more personal than typical bulk emails.
  • Workflow automation and pipelines: Customizable sales pipelines track sales opportunities across different stages. Workflow automation handles repetitive tasks for sales reps.
  • Email tracking and templates: Copper tracks when someone opens an email and what they click, so sales reps can easily track engagement with new clients. You can also save email templates for consistent responses and pair them with website tracking inside the Professional plan.
  • Mobile app and Chrome extension: The mobile app lets you log calls and texts. The gmail extension keeps the CRM functionality one click away.
  • User-friendly API: Copper’s API is considered powerful and easy to work with. Developers can build custom integrations with other tools.
Copper CRM Homepage

What Our Team Noticed

Our writer signed up for Copper CRM and used it for several days inside Gmail. Here’s what stood out from that hands-on time:

Copper CRM Personal Experience

Copper CRM Pros & Cons

✅ Pros
  • Best-in-class Google Workspace integration with Gmail extension
  • Auto-fills records from Gmail to cut manual data entry
  • User-friendly API for custom integration builds
  • Visual pipelines and workflow automation across tiers
  • Transparent pricing with no hidden customization fees
❌ Cons
  • Pricing is high compared to other CRMs with similar functionality
  • Starter plan lacks pipeline functionality, limiting it to contacts only
  • Limited features for businesses outside Google Workspace
  • Marketing functionality is powered by Outfunnel and feels limited

Feature Comparison

Ready to see how Freshsales and Copper CRM stack up head to head? We’ll explore nine key features to help you decide which platform best fits your business.

FeatureFreshsalesCopper CRM
Starting Price$9/user/month$9/seat/month
Free Plan✅ (up to 3 users)
Free Trial21 days14 days
Built-in AI Assistant✅ Freddy AI
Google Workspace Integration✅ Standard✅ Native and deep
Built-in Phone & SMS
Visual Sales Pipeline✅ Kanban boards✅ (Basic plan and up)
Email Sequences✅ All paid plans✅ (Business tier only)
Number of Integrations~385Limited (Google-focused)
Best ForSmall to medium-sized businessesGoogle Workspace teams

1. AI and Lead Scoring

Freshsales: Freddy AI is the standout here. It scores leads based on behavior and profile data, predicts deal risks, and offers recommendations for the next best action. Reports and AI insights help sales reps forecast revenue and track team performance.

Freshsales CRM AI Lead Scoring

Copper CRM: Copper offers basic lead scoring and activity tracking, but it does not include a built-in AI assistant. Most of its automation focuses on cutting manual data entry rather than predictive selling.

2. Google Workspace Integration

Freshsales: Freshsales connects with Google products like Gmail, Google Calendar, Google Drive, and Google Sheets. The integration covers email, calendar, and basic file syncing, but it sits alongside the CRM rather than living inside Gmail.

Copper CRM: Copper’s integration with Google Workspace is the deepest you’ll find in CRM software. The Chrome extension brings full CRM functionality directly inside Gmail and Google Calendar. You can create contacts, leads, and deals without leaving your inbox.

Copper CRM Google Workspace

⚠️ Warning: Copper is strictly for Google Workspace users. If your business runs on Microsoft 365, Copper is not a fit.

3. Contact Management and Customer Data

Freshsales: Contact management gives you a 360-degree customer view. Freshsales centralizes customer data with a complete history of every touchpoint. Sales activities, emails, calls, and chat sit on one timeline.

Freshsales CRM Contact Management

Copper CRM: Contact management is tied closely to Gmail. New contacts auto-populate from email threads. The Basic plan caps contacts at 2,500, while the Professional plan raises that limit to 15,000.

4. Visual Pipeline Management

Freshsales: Freshsales uses Kanban boards to give sales teams a visual pipeline. You can track deal progress, spot bottlenecks, and create pipelines for different sales processes. Multiple pipelines are available across paid tiers.

Copper CRM: Customizable sales pipelines let users track sales opportunities and projects across stages. Multiple pipelines are available, but the Starter plan is limited to contact organization without pipeline functionality.

Copper CRM Pipelines

5. Workflow Automation

Freshsales: Freshsales automates repetitive tasks across sales activities. When a new lead enters the system, the platform routes it to the right sales rep and triggers follow-up emails. Workflow automation pairs with Freddy AI to free up sales reps to focus on selling and managing clients.

Freshsales CRM Sales Sequences

Copper CRM: Copper’s workflow automation cuts manual data entry and helps you automate tasks directly from Gmail. Users can create and update leads, opportunities, people, companies, and tasks without leaving Google Calendar or Gmail. The Professional and Business plans add more advanced capabilities like email sequences and custom reporting.

Copper CRM Create Workflow

6. Email Tools and Bulk Emails

Freshsales: Freshsales lets users send personalized bulk emails and monitor activity on those emails. Email tracking, templates, and sales sequences are available across paid tiers. Automated emails work for both single sends and full email sequence campaigns.

Copper CRM: Copper natively supports automated emails as one-off sends and as an email sequence. Sequence functionality is restricted to the Business tier. Emails go out directly from your Gmail account, so they read as transactional and personal.

Copper CRM Email Templates

7. Communication and Marketing Tools

Freshsales: Freshsales includes built-in phone, email, chat, and SMS within a unified inbox. Omnichannel communication covers WhatsApp Business, Facebook Messenger, and LINE. Marketing pairs with Freshmarketer for campaigns based on customer data.

Copper CRM: Copper has no built-in phone, chat, or SMS. Marketing tools come through Outfunnel, which some users find clunky. The strength is keeping all communication tied to your Gmail history rather than running across channels.

8. Reporting and Customization

Freshsales: Freshsales provides around a dozen predefined sales reports that are fully customizable. AI insights add forecasting and pipeline health views. Reports cover sales activities, deal stages, and rep performance.

Copper CRM Sales Reporting

Copper CRM: Copper offers custom reporting that lets users build their own sales reports using Copper data. Reporting capabilities arrive at the Professional plan, alongside workflow automation.

9. Integrations and Add Ons

Freshsales: Freshsales offers around 385 integrations and apps. The marketplace covers Microsoft 365, Slack, Zoom, and other Freshworks products. Native connectors with third-party tools are limited compared to HubSpot or Salesforce.

Freshsales CRM Wide Marketplace

Copper CRM: Copper focuses on a smaller set of integrations centered on Google Workspace. The API is user-friendly and powerful, which makes it easier to build custom integrations. The Chrome extension extends the CRM into Gmail and Google Calendar without extra setup.

⚠️ Warning: Copper’s contact management has been reported as unreliable by some users. Reviewers have flagged glitches like disappearing contact information.

Pricing & Cost

Let’s compare the pricing plans side by side.

PlanFreshsalesCopper CRM
Free Plan$0 (up to 3 users)
Starter / Growth$9/user/month$9/seat/month
Mid Tier (Pro / Basic)$39/user/month$23/seat/month
Higher Tier (Pro)$59/seat/month
Top Tier (Enterprise / Business)$59/user/month$99/seat/month
Free Trial21 days14 days

Freshsales: Excellent value for money for small businesses. The free plan covers up to 3 users, and pricing has dropped 2 to 3 times lower than it was years ago. Most paid plans include AI features and built-in communication tools.

Copper CRM: Copper CRM pricing is generally higher than CRMs with similar functionality. The Starter plan is cheap but lacks pipelines. To unlock the Business tier with email sequences, expect to pay $99/seat/month paid monthly.

Different Scenarios

If You Need…ChooseWhy
Tight budget with free optionFreshsalesFree plan for 3 users
Deep Gmail integrationCopper CRMBuilt for Google Workspace
AI-powered sales assistantFreshsalesFreddy AI included
Built-in phone and SMSFreshsalesUnified inbox across channels
Auto-fill from GmailCopper CRMEliminates manual data entry
Beginner-friendly setupFreshsalesIntuitive interface, easy to learn
Long free trialFreshsales21 days vs 14 days

💰 Your Budget

Freshsales wins on raw value with a free plan for up to 3 users and paid plans starting at $9/user/month. Copper CRM matches that starting price but limits the Starter tier to contacts only, with full features sitting at $23 to $99/seat/month.

🔌 Your Tech Stack

If your team runs on Google Workspace, formerly G Suite, Copper CRM is the natural fit. If you mix Microsoft 365, Slack, Zoom, and other tools, Freshsales offers around 385 integrations and other Freshworks products to lean on.

📝 Your Sales Process

Freshsales fits multichannel sales teams that work across email, phone, chat, and SMS. Copper CRM works best when most of your sales activities already happen inside the Gmail inbox.

🎓 Your Experience Level

Freshsales offers an intuitive interface that’s easy to learn for new sales reps. Copper CRM feels familiar to anyone who already lives in Google products and adopts faster for those teams.

🆓 Free Trials and Demos

Freshsales gives you a 21-day free trial across all paid tiers with no credit card required. Copper offers a 14-day free trial. Use both before you create a new account or pay anything.

🛟 Support Options

Freshsales provides 24/5 support across all plans via phone, chat, and email. Copper CRM support tiers depend on your plan, with priority support reserved for the higher tiers.

Switching Guide

Already on one of these CRMs? Here’s what to expect if you switch.

🔄 Switching from Freshsales to Copper CRM?

✅ What you’ll gain:

  • Native Gmail extension that lives inside your inbox
  • Auto-fill records from Gmail with no manual data entry
  • Direct sync with Google Calendar, Google Docs, and Google Drive

❌ What you’ll lose:

  • Freddy AI lead scoring and next best action suggestions
  • Built-in phone, SMS, and unified inbox
  • Free plan and longer 21-day free trial

📋 How to switch:

  1. Export contacts, deals, and customer data from Freshsales as CSV
  2. Create a new account on Copper CRM and install the Chrome extension
  3. Import the CSV files and connect Copper to your Google Workspace
🔄 Switching from Copper CRM to Freshsales?

✅ What you’ll gain:

  • Freddy AI for lead scoring, deal risk, and forecasting
  • Built-in phone, email, chat, and SMS in one inbox
  • Around 385 integrations beyond just Google products

❌ What you’ll lose:

  • Native Gmail extension and full inbox-level CRM
  • Auto-fill of records from Gmail conversations
  • Tight sync with Google Sheets, Google Docs, and Calendar

📋 How to switch:

  1. Export contacts, leads, and pipeline data from Copper CRM
  2. Sign up for the Freshsales 21-day free trial or free plan
  3. Import data, set up pipelines, and connect Google Workspace integration

What Our Review Didn’t Cover

This comparison focused on small to medium-sized businesses and individual sales teams. We didn’t test enterprise features like custom security configurations, SSO, or large-scale data migration. Our writer had hands-on time with Copper but relied on documentation and reviews for Freshsales. If you manage 100+ users or work in a regulated industry, your priorities and security checks may differ from what we’ve described here.

Final Verdict

CategoryWinner
💰 PricingFreshsales
🤖 AI and AutomationFreshsales
📞 Built-in CommunicationFreshsales
🔌 Google Workspace IntegrationCopper CRM
📊 ReportingFreshsales
👶 Ease of Use (Gmail users)Copper CRM
🆓 Free Trial and Free PlanFreshsales
🏆 Overall WinnerFreshsales

🏆 WINNER: FRESHSALES

Freshsales wins 5 out of 7 categories.

Best for: Small to medium-sized businesses, sales teams needing AI features, and teams that work across email, phone, chat, and SMS.

Freshsales and Copper CRM solve different problems for different sales teams. Freshsales is a full sales CRM with AI, communication tools, and a generous free plan. Copper CRM is a niche tool that turns Gmail into a sales hub.

Copper CRM is excellent if your business runs on Google Workspace. The Gmail extension and auto-fill features cut manual work in a way Freshsales can’t match for Google-first teams.

However, if you need a broader CRM software with built-in phone, Freddy AI, and 385+ integrations, Freshsales is the better choice for most businesses.

More of Freshsales Compared

Here’s how Freshsales stacks up against other CRMs:

Freshsales vs HubSpot

Freshsales wins on: Lower starting price, built-in phone and SMS, longer 21-day free trial

HubSpot wins on: Larger marketplace of integrations, more advanced marketing tools, stronger enterprise features

Freshsales vs Zoho CRM

Freshsales wins on: Cleaner intuitive interface, Freddy AI built into all paid tiers, unified omnichannel inbox

Zoho CRM wins on: Wider Zoho product family, deeper customization options, more native add ons

Freshsales vs Pipedrive

Freshsales wins on: Free plan for 3 users, built-in AI assistant, multichannel communication tools

Pipedrive wins on: Sharper pipeline-only focus, lighter learning curve for pure sales teams, simpler setup

Freshsales vs Salesforce

Freshsales wins on: Lower total cost for small businesses, faster onboarding, free plan and 21-day trial

Salesforce wins on: Deeper enterprise customization, broader partner network, more advanced reporting

More of Copper CRM Compared

Here’s how Copper CRM compares to other CRMs:

Copper CRM vs HubSpot

Copper CRM wins on: Best-in-class Gmail integration, auto-fill records from email, simpler interface for Google users

HubSpot wins on: Free CRM tier, broader marketing tools, larger integration marketplace

Copper CRM vs Insightly

Copper CRM wins on: Deeper Google Workspace integration, Chrome extension inside Gmail, transparent pricing model

Insightly wins on: Stronger project management features, better Microsoft 365 support, lower mid-tier pricing

Copper CRM vs Capsule CRM

Copper CRM wins on: Native Gmail extension, auto-population of contact data, deeper Google Calendar sync

Capsule CRM wins on: Lower starting price across plans, simpler contact-first approach, lighter feature set for solo users

Copper CRM vs Salesforce

Copper CRM wins on: Easier setup for small business, Gmail-native CRM functionality, more accessible pricing tiers

Salesforce wins on: Enterprise scale and customization, deeper reporting and analytics, broader integration marketplace

Frequently Asked Questions

Is Freshsales a good CRM for small businesses?

Yes. Freshsales is designed for small and medium-sized businesses, with a free plan for up to 3 users and paid plans starting at $9/user/month. It includes Freddy AI, built-in phone, and around 385 integrations, making it a strong all-in-one CRM software for growing teams.

What is Copper CRM used for?

Copper CRM is used for managing customer relationships directly inside Gmail and Google Calendar. It is the only CRM made specifically for Google Workspace, helping sales teams cut manual data entry, track deals in visual pipelines, and send automated emails from a Gmail inbox.

Is Freshsales free forever?

The free plan is available for up to 3 users with most core features, including contact management and basic pipelines. Paid tiers add Freddy AI, automation, and reporting. The 21-day free trial of paid plans does not require a credit card.

Does Copper CRM work with Outlook or Microsoft 365?

No. Copper is built specifically for Google Workspace, so it cannot be used natively by companies on Microsoft 365 or Outlook. If your team relies on Microsoft tools, Freshsales or another CRM is a better fit.

Which is the best CRM software for AI features?

Between these two, Freshsales has the clear edge thanks to Freddy AI. The assistant scores leads, predicts deal risks, and recommends the next best action. Copper CRM does not include a built-in AI assistant of the same depth.

What if I see a verification screen when signing up for Freshsales or Copper CRM?

Both Freshsales and Copper CRM run security checks when you create a new account on their website. You may see a screen verifying your connection that says “verification successful waiting” or shows a Ray ID and asks you to confirm you are human. The site properly loads within a few seconds in most cases. If the page keeps verifying or your browser is still waiting after that, switch browsers or refresh once. If the site does not respond, contact support and share the Ray ID shown on screen.

Related Articles