8 best Salesforce Sales Cloud alternatives in 2026
Looking for an alternative to Salesforce Sales Cloud? These 8 tools do the same job with a different focus. Each one is compared on who it suits, its key features, pros and cons, and what it really costs next to Salesforce Sales Cloud.
Why teams look for an alternative to Salesforce Sales Cloud
- Support and ease of use score lower than rivals on G2.
- Costs climb quickly once AI, API and support add-ons are included.
- Teams under about 10 reps that want flat, simple pricing.
- Buyers who need monthly flexibility above Starter: Pro Suite and up are annual only.
From Salesforce Sales Cloud's published plan limits and recurring themes in public reviews. See the Salesforce Sales Cloud review for the full picture.
Salesforce Sales Cloud alternatives at a glance
| Tool | Best for | Starting price | Free plan or trial |
|---|---|---|---|
 Salesforce Sales Cloud Current | Mid-size and large sales orgs that need deep customization, forecasting and a huge app ecosystem. | Starter Suite $25/user/month; Pro Suite $100/user/month billed annually | Free trial |
 HubSpot CRM | Teams starting free with up to 2 users. | Free for up to 2 users; Sales Hub Starter from 7 USD per seat per month | Free plan |
 Microsoft Dynamics 365 Sales | Organizations already standardized on Microsoft 365, Teams and Power Platform. | $65/user/month paid yearly (Sales Professional) | Free trial |
 Zoho CRM | Small businesses that want a free start and cheap per-user editions. | Free for up to 3 users; Standard $14/user/month billed annually | Free plan, Free trial |
 Pipedrive | Small sales teams that live in a visual deal pipeline. | $14/user/month billed annually (Lite) | Free trial |
 Freshsales | Small to mid-size teams wanting a cheap entry tier. | $9/user/month billed annually (Growth) | Free trial |
 HubSpot Sales Hub | Teams already running their CRM on HubSpot. | $90/seat/month Professional, billed annually | No |
 Salesloft | Revenue teams that need structured cadences and AI-guided prioritization. | Contact sales | No |
 Apollo.io | Small and growing sales teams buying data and engagement together. | Basic $49/user/month billed annually; Free plan available | Free plan |
The 8 best Salesforce Sales Cloud alternatives
HubSpot CRM
Free-to-start CRM that grows into paid Sales Hub tiers with per-seat prices and mandatory onboarding fees at the top.
HubSpot CRM is free to start for up to 2 users and grows into paid Sales Hub tiers. It offers deal pipelines, sequences and more than 2,000 marketplace integrations, but the jump from Starter to Professional is large.
- Best for
- Teams starting free with up to 2 users.
- Company size
- SMB to enterprise.
Key features
- Pipeline management
- Deal pipelines, deal scoring.
- Email and calendar integration
- HubSpot Sales Extensions in Gmail and Outlook.
- Sales automation
- Multi-channel sequences.
- Reporting and forecasting
- Sales analytics and AI pipeline projections.
Cons
- Large price jump from Starter to Professional.
Pricing: Free for up to 2 users; Sales Hub Starter from 7 USD per seat per month · Free plan
Microsoft Dynamics 365 Sales
Microsoft's CRM sold per user in Professional, Enterprise and Premium tiers, tied to Dataverse, Teams and Copilot.
Microsoft Dynamics 365 Sales is a per-user CRM tied closely to Microsoft 365, Teams, Power Platform and Copilot. It brings sequences, AI agents and Power BI dashboards, and it fits mid-size to enterprise organizations best.
- Best for
- Organizations already standardized on Microsoft 365, Teams and Power Platform.
- Company size
- Mid-size to enterprise.
Key features
- Pipeline management
- Lead-to-cash sales process, forecasting and quota tracking in Enterprise.
- Email and calendar integration
- Outlook app and enhanced email; Teams integration.
- Sales automation
- Sequences, sales accelerator, Sales Qualification and Opportunity agents.
- Reporting and forecasting
- Power BI embedded dashboards; predictive forecasting in Premium.
Pros
- Tight fit with the Microsoft stack.
Cons
- Time-consuming setup and customization.
- Cluttered interface and slow performance.
Pricing: $65/user/month paid yearly (Sales Professional) · Free trial
Zoho CRM
A low-cost, wide-feature CRM with a free 3-user plan and four paid editions priced per user.
Zoho CRM is a wide-feature, low-cost CRM with a free plan for 3 users and four paid editions. Workflows, standard reports and mobile apps come with Free, which makes it a strong fit for small businesses and existing Zoho users.
- Best for
- Small businesses that want a free start and cheap per-user editions.
- Company size
- Small to mid-size (62% of G2 reviewers are small business)
Key features
- Pipeline management
- Multiple pipelines from Standard; forecasting from Standard.
- Email and calendar integration
- Calendar integration from Standard; Slack/Zoom/Teams integration.
- Sales automation
- Workflows in Free; process management from Professional; approvals from Enterprise.
- Reporting and forecasting
- Standard reports in Free; unlimited reports from Professional.
Pros
- Low price for the feature set.
- Broad feature range and customization.
Cons
- Interface and setup can feel complex.
Pricing: Free for up to 3 users; Standard $14/user/month billed annually · Free plan, Free trial
Pipedrive
A pipeline-first CRM for small sales teams with four tiers, all cheaper when billed annually.
Pipedrive is a pipeline-first CRM for small sales teams, sold in four per-user tiers. The visual pipeline is available from Lite, while automations, sequences and full email sync arrive on Growth, and reviewers praise how easy it is to use.
- Best for
- Small sales teams that live in a visual deal pipeline.
- Company size
- Small teams.
Key features
- Pipeline management
- Core visual pipeline from Lite.
- Email and calendar integration
- Full email sync from Growth.
- Sales automation
- Automations and sequences from Growth.
Pros
- Easy, intuitive interface (about 574 G2 reviews mention it)
Cons
- Add-ons raise the real price above list.
- Limited depth in reporting and automation on lower tiers.
Pricing: $14/user/month billed annually (Lite) · Free trial
Freshsales
Freshworks' sales CRM with three tiers from $9 per user, reserving audit logs and field-level permissions for the top tier.
Freshsales is the sales CRM from Freshworks, sold in three tiers with a low entry price. It suits small and mid-size teams and anyone already running Freshdesk or other Freshworks products, though audit logs wait for the Enterprise tier.
- Best for
- Small to mid-size teams wanting a cheap entry tier.
- Company size
- Startups through mid-large businesses.
Key features
- Pipeline management
- Kanban view on Growth.
- Sales automation
- Basic workflows on Growth; sales sequences from Pro.
- Reporting and forecasting
- Forecasting insights on Enterprise only.
Pros
- Responsive customer support (about 50 G2 mentions)
- Ease of use.
Cons
- Limited features and reporting or automation gaps (about 32 G2 mentions of limited features)
Pricing: $9/user/month billed annually (Growth) · Free trial
HubSpot Sales Hub
CRM-native sales engagement, meetings and deal reporting with seat-type and edition gates.
Sales Hub is HubSpot's sales engagement layer on top of its CRM, covering email tracking, meetings, calls, tasks and deal reporting. It stands out for native deal context, with sequences reserved for the Professional and Enterprise editions.
- Best for
- Teams already running their CRM on HubSpot.
- Company size
- Small to mid-market.
Key features
- Sequences and tasks
- Sequences are an advanced Sales Hub capability; verify Professional/Enterprise entitlement.
- Channel coverage
- Email tracking, meetings, calls and CRM tasks by edition.
- CRM synchronization
- Native HubSpot CRM record and deal context.
- Outcome reporting
- Deal and activity reporting with edition-specific features.
Pros
- G2 synthesis highlights centralized contacts, deals and tasks.
Cons
- G2 synthesis flags cost and setup of advanced features.
Pricing: $90/seat/month Professional, billed annually
Salesloft
Revenue orchestration with Cadence outreach, Rhythm prioritization and enterprise governance.
Salesloft is a revenue orchestration platform built around Cadence outreach and AI-guided prioritization. It stands out for governance features such as SSO, custom roles and limits on cadence enrollment at an account.
- Best for
- Revenue teams that need structured cadences and AI-guided prioritization.
- Company size
- Enterprise.
Key features
- Sequences and tasks
- Cadence coordinates structured follow-ups and prospect touchpoints.
- Channel coverage
- Cadence outreach, calls and conversation workflows; confirm edition.
- CRM synchronization
- Salesforce sync and integration controls documented in governance materials.
- Sending controls
- Cadence enrollment controls and deliverability checklist documented.
Pros
- G2 review synthesis highlights cadence consistency and guided prioritization.
Cons
- G2 review synthesis flags occasional AI recommendation gaps and call issues.
Pricing: Contact sales
Apollo.io
B2B contact data, enrichment and sales sequences in one credit-metered prospecting workspace.
Apollo.io combines B2B contact discovery and outbound sequences in one account. It suits a sales team that wants to manage both licenses and credit consumption, but the Organization minimum and plan-gated administration change the true annual commitment.
- Best for
- Small and growing sales teams buying data and engagement together.
- Company size
- SMB to mid-market B2B revenue teams.
Key features
- Sequences and tasks
- Basic tier includes unlimited sequences.
- Channel coverage
- Email sequences, calling and tasks; dialer tier depends on plan.
- CRM synchronization
- Native CRM integrations included in Basic and higher tiers.
- Data and enrichment
- B2B database and credit-metered enrichment; usage ceilings depend on tier.
Pros
- G2 product reviews describe consolidated prospecting and outreach workflows.
Cons
- Buyers should test data coverage and credit consumption on their own ICP; results vary by segment.
Pricing: Basic $49/user/month billed annually; Free plan available · Free plan
How to choose a Salesforce Sales Cloud alternative
Start with what made you look: a missing feature, a team that outgrew the plan or a bill that grew faster than the team. Then compare the shortlist on the points that matter most for this kind of software.
- Pipeline management: Visual deal stages and forecasting are the core reason sales teams buy a CRM.
- Email and calendar integration: Automatic logging of Gmail/Outlook threads decides whether reps actually keep data current.
- Sales automation: Task, sequence and lead-routing automation separates light contact managers from real CRMs.
- Reporting and forecasting: Managers need pipeline and revenue reports without exporting to spreadsheets.
- Mobile app: Field and remote reps update deals on the go.
- Integrations and marketplace: Connections to accounting, marketing and support tools avoid double entry.
What the alternatives cost compared with Salesforce Sales Cloud
For 20 users on the cheapest plan that fits, Salesforce Sales Cloud costs $6,000 a year at list price. 4 of the alternatives cost less at that size.
| Tool | Starting price | Per seat per month | Pricing model | 20 users per year |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Salesforce Sales Cloud | Starter Suite $25/user/month; Pro Suite $100/user/month billed annually | $100 (Pro Suite, annual only; Starter Suite is $25 if basic CRM is enough) | per user | $6,000 |
| Zoho CRM | Free for up to 3 users; Standard $14/user/month billed annually | $23 (Professional, annual) or $14 (Standard, annual) | per user | $3,360 |
| Pipedrive | $14/user/month billed annually (Lite) | $39 (Growth, annual) | per user | $3,360 |
| Freshsales | $9/user/month billed annually (Growth) | $39 (Pro, billed annually) | per user | $2,160 |
| Apollo.io | Basic $49/user/month billed annually; Free plan available | $49 (Basic, billed annually); $65 billed monthly. | per seat plus usage credits | $11,760 |
| Microsoft Dynamics 365 Sales | $65/user/month paid yearly (Sales Professional) | $65 (Sales Professional, paid yearly) | per user | $15,600 |
| HubSpot CRM | Free for up to 2 users; Sales Hub Starter from 7 USD per seat per month | $90 per seat per month (Sales Hub Professional, annual commitment) | per user | $4,800 |
| HubSpot Sales Hub | $90/seat/month Professional, billed annually | Not published | per seat | Not published |
| Salesloft | Contact sales | Not published | custom quote | Not published |
When to stay with Salesforce Sales Cloud
- Mid-size and large sales orgs that need deep customization, forecasting and a huge app ecosystem.
- Teams that want one platform for sales, service and analytics (Slack, Tableau bundled from Core)
Salesforce Sales Cloud alternatives: frequently asked questions
What is the best alternative to Salesforce Sales Cloud?
HubSpot CRM is the closest alternative for most teams: teams starting free with up to 2 users. Microsoft Dynamics 365 Sales suits teams that organizations already standardized on Microsoft 365, Teams and Power Platform.
Is there a free alternative to Salesforce Sales Cloud?
HubSpot CRM, Zoho CRM and Apollo.io offer a free plan. Free plans usually cap users, features or history, so check the limits against your team size.
What is cheaper than Salesforce Sales Cloud?
For 20 users on the cheapest plan that fits, Freshsales ($2,160 a year), Zoho CRM ($3,360 a year) and Pipedrive ($3,360 a year) cost less than Salesforce Sales Cloud ($6,000 a year), based on published list prices.