Salesforce Alternative: The 10 Best CRM Systems 2026

Salesforce is the market leader, but not suitable for everyone. Too expensive for small teams, too complex for simple requirements, too powerful when you "just" want to manage contacts and deals. What alternatives are there?

Table of Contents

1. When Do You Need a Salesforce Alternative?
2. The 10 Best Alternatives Overview
3. Comparison by Use Case
4. Cost Comparison
5. FAQ

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When Do You Need a Salesforce Alternative?

Salesforce is not ideal when:

• Limited budget - From €25/user/month, Enterprise from €150+
• Small teams - Under 10 sales reps
• Simple requirements - Just contacts and deals
• Quick start - Salesforce needs implementation time
• No IT resources - For customization and maintenance

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The 10 Best Alternatives Overview

1. HubSpot CRM

Free entry | Best marketing CRM Cost: Free | Professional from €90/month

2. Pipedrive

Sales focus | Best for pure sales teams Cost: From €15/user/month

3. Zoho CRM

All-rounder | Best price-performance ratio Cost: From €14/user/month

4. Monday Sales CRM

Flexible | For project-based teams Cost: From €12/user/month

5. Freshsales

Modern | Good UI with AI Cost: From €15/user/month

6. Close

Inside Sales | Best for phone sales Cost: From €49/user/month

7. Microsoft Dynamics 365

Enterprise | Best Microsoft integration Cost: From €60/user/month

8. Copper

Google-native | Best for Google Workspace Cost: From €25/user/month

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Recommendation by Situation

Startup / Small Teams:

1. HubSpot Free (free start)
2. Pipedrive (if sales focus)

Marketing-focused:

1. HubSpot (unbeaten)
2. Freshsales (cheaper alternative)

Pure Sales:

1. Pipedrive (visual, simple)
2. Close (if phone is important)

Enterprise:

1. Microsoft Dynamics (Microsoft shop)
2. Zoho Enterprise (cheaper)

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Conclusion

The best Salesforce alternative depends on your situation:

• Start for free: HubSpot Free
• Best for Sales: Pipedrive
• Best value: Zoho CRM
• Microsoft world: Dynamics 365
• Google world: Copper

At Balane Tech, we advise you on CRM selection and accompany implementation - from analysis to productive system. Contact us for a free CRM consultation.

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FAQ

Is HubSpot really free?

Yes, the CRM is permanently free. Limitations on user count and features. Marketing Hub and Sales Hub cost extra.

Which alternative is easiest?

Pipedrive is fastest to learn. HubSpot Free has the best onboarding. Zoho offers the most for the price.

Can I export Salesforce data?

Yes, via Data Export or tools like Data Loader. All data belongs to you.