3 CRMs that are less expensive and easier to use than Salesforce

Salesforce is an expensive and not easy to use CRM.

It’s packed with features: it’s an advantage for large companies, which would hurt small businesses more than it helps them.

Are you an SME or a startup ? You have a limited budget and you don’t want to take the risk of setting up a complex CRM tool for your salespeople?

There are alternatives to Salesforce.

You will find in this article a comparison of 3 intuitive CRM alternatives that are less expensive than Salesforce .

Why Salesforce is not made for SMEs and startups?

Salesforce is the preferred CRM for large companies, being ranked as THE benchmark for CRMs by many players. This is the case of Gartner , the IT consulting firm which produces a dial of the best software every year.

But is Salesforce made for all businesses? Especially SMEs and startups?

Salesforce is a CRM packed with tools and features that many salespeople seek and use . It is a very complete software that can, theoretically, meet the needs of almost any business.

But it is a complex software and it can very quickly become very expensive .

Salesforce does not offer packages that directly group all of its services and applications. If you wish to have access to several products, you must subscribe to several subscriptions.

The cost of subscriptions varies according to the number of users and according to the product. For example :

• The cheapest plan of Sales Cloud (Salesforce’s CRM module) costs 25€/user/month . The price of the Unlimited formula even climbs to €300 per user and per month!

• The cheapest Marketing Cloud plan (Salesforce’s lead generation module), costs $1250/month .

By multiplying the number of users and the number of applications, we very quickly arrive at exorbitant amounts!

To add a layer, it is a very difficult software to handle . Its many applications and integrations combined with its interface make it difficult for neophytes.

You must then call on an expert Salesforce integrator.

Salesforce is therefore not a CRM made for SMEs and startups . It is not suitable for beginners and its deployment is particularly difficult (and expensive). This is why many entrepreneurs are dissatisfied with their services:

Are there alternatives to Salesforce for small businesses?

It is rare for an SME to have an employee dedicated to managing the CRM . A suitable alternative must be easily accessible to everyone .

We have selected 3 for you that perfectly meet these two conditions:

• Twilead

• Monday CRM

• NoCRM.io

Comparison table of the best alternatives to Salesforce

Twilead: a simple and very complete solution compared to Salesforce

Twilead Features

Twilead offers in particular as features:

• Capturing leads (creating opt-ins, landing pages and websites)

• Marketing automation campaigns (emailing and marketing triggers)

• Sales pipelines (multi-scenario sales funnels)

• Contact management (contact tags, stage classification and information management)

• Mobile application (allow your sales reps to keep an eye on your business plan at all times)

The rates

The pros and cons of Twilead

✅ The advantages :

• Twilead is an all-in-one tool , with which you can ditch some very expensive tools (emailing, sales funnels, websites, etc.).

• The fluid and intuitive interface of Twilead allows a quick start.

• It not only allows you to take care of CRM aspects but also everything related to sales, marketing, communication, etc.

❌ Cons :

• The only notable downside to Twilead is the lack of a free plan . However, a free trial period allows you to test all the applications.

Is Twilead easier and cheaper than Salesforce?

Twilead is much less complex than Salesforce . Moreover, it costs less. It is therefore ideal for SMEs and startups. These different qualities have earned it a 4.2 rating on Trustpilot .

Customer feedback on review sites is also very positive. It is an all-in-one tool that is proven to offer the best value for money .

Monday CRM

The tools offered by Monday CRM

Monday CRM allows you to manage all your commercial activity:

• Database (customer, contact, employees, assets, etc.)

• Intégration

• Advanced reporting and analytics

• Creation of personalized dashboards

• Mobile app

With the other tools in the Monday.com suite, you can complete your toolset:

• Monday marketer for the automation of your marketing actions and editorial management (for your blog for example)

• Monday project for the management and planning of your projects

• Monday dev to organize your teams of developers

Monday CRM formulas

The strengths and weaknesses of Monday CRM

✅ Strengths :

• The flexibility of the interface in the form of tables

• Automations

• The very modern design

❌ The weak points :

• The many features make the tool complex

• The price becomes quite expensive when you have a lot of users

Is it a better alternative to Salesforce?

Monday is primarily a project management tool . It is then a much more global software.

Monday offers a highly visual and vastly more intuitive CRM experience than its traditional counterparts.

It’s a great Salesforce alternative, with a 4.3 rating on Trustpilot .

noCRM.io

The features of noCRM.io

NoCRM.io offers the basic functionalities expected in a CRM:

• Planning of commercial actions

• Customizable sales stages

• Email integration

• Team management

NoCRM.io Pricing

The pros and cons of NoCRM.io

✅ The advantages:

• NoCRM.io offers excellent customer service

• Its interface is intuitive and easy to learn

❌ Cons:

• It does not have any real marketing functionality

Is NoCRM.io cheaper and simpler than Salesforce?

NoCRM.io is much simpler than Salesforce. Getting started, even as a neophyte, will be easy. It’s an extremely simple and straight-to-the-point prospecting tool . It costs less than Salesforce. It is suitable for SMEs and Startups looking for a fairly basic CRM tool .

It is rated at 4.9 on Trustpilot :

How to choose the best CRM? 5 criteria to follow

• Set a budget

The implementation of software within your team will inevitably bring you costs. Of course, take into account the monthly or annual plan. But also count the costs of implementation, training and internal maintenance (for example if an employee must dedicate 20% of his time to the tool).

• List your needs and goals

If you are looking to only manage the internal and external relations of your company, go for a “basic” CRM. If your goal is to optimize the performance of your sales forces, opt for a CRM with marketing features.

If you want to get new features as your business grows, be sure to choose a CRM with different plan tiers.

• Opt for a CRM with automation features

Opt for a tool that will allow you to automate thankless and repetitive tasks. A CRM is there to make your life easier, not the other way around.

• Prefer simplicity

Having dozens of apps and features is no use if you can’t easily use them. Your team will not be made up of CRM experts: opt for software with an intuitive interface that all members of your team can use.

• Choose a CRM with great support

You don’t want to find yourself in front of a bug and not knowing what to do. You risk losing opportunities, and therefore turnover. Efficient and responsive customer support is essential.

Which CRM for an SME, a VSE or a startup?

• Twilead : it offers all the necessary tools for a VSE/SME or startup. The rates they offer are quite affordable.

• Monday.com : the simplest, most intuitive and most visual. It corresponds perfectly to the “startup” vision and facilitates the monitoring of objectives for SMEs. In addition, Monday offers a completely free plan.

• NoCRM.io : it is ideal for VSEs looking for the basic functionalities of a CRM.

The 3 CRMs in our comparison are simpler, cheaper alternatives and are more suitable for SMEs and startups than Salesforce .

Twilead stands out: it’s not only an intuitive and easy-to-use CRM, but it also offers a set of tools. A startup has every interest in not multiplying the tools: Twilead solves this problem by offering an all-in-one platform .

Twilead is a comprehensive marketing and sales tool that will help you grow and automate your business . So what are you waiting for? Join Twilead and take advantage of a 14-day trial period to form your own opinion!

These articles should also interest you:

• Our full opinion on Salesforce CRM