The affordable Freshsales alternative

Freshsales is a solid, sales-focused CRM with AI-powered features such as Freddy AI. However, many essential features like API access, advanced workflows, and audit logs are only available in higher-priced plans. What is marketed as an affordable CRM often ends up costing €47–71 per user in practice. Customermates offers all essential features from the start – at a transparent price with no upgrade traps.

Setup & onboarding

Customermates is ready to use in two minutes. The interface is intuitive, clear, and requires no training. You can start working with real customer data immediately.

Despite its user-friendly promise, Freshsales requires a more involved setup, though it still performs reasonably well in comparison.

Pricing & cost model

Customermates costs €12 per user – a fixed price for all features.

Freshsales starts at €11 (Growth) but quickly increases to €47 (Pro) and €71 (Enterprise). The entry-level plan is heavily limited: no API access, few workflows, no audit log, no advanced reports. To work productively, at least the Pro plan is required.

Additional costs arise, among other things, from limited bot sessions and higher-tier support.

Usage limits & flexibility

Freshsales heavily restricts core features depending on the plan: workflows, marketing journeys, sales sequences, custom objects. Many limits are only removed in expensive tiers.

Customermates imposes no artificial limits: unlimited records, custom fields, and automations included.

AI features: Freddy AI

Freddy AI supports lead scoring, forecasting, and emails, but is largely reserved for higher-tier plans. Bot sessions are also limited and billed separately.

Customermates avoids AI hype and focuses on stable, reliable processes – with no hidden extra costs.

Functional differences

Both systems cover CRM basics. Freshsales ties many features to plan tiers (API, audit logs, territory management).

Customermates provides all features immediately – no tiered system, no surprises.

Data protection & hosting

Customermates hosts exclusively in the EU or Germany with full GDPR compliance.

Freshsales primarily hosts in India and the USA. EU servers are possible, but not the default.

Integrations & API

Freshsales offers API access only from the Pro plan (€47). Custom integrations require an upgrade.

Customermates offers API access and n8n integration from day one – full freedom at no extra cost.

Which system is right for whom?

Freshsales is right for you if:

• You are willing to pay €47–71 per user
• You use other Freshworks products
• Data protection requirements are low

Customermates is right for you if:

• You are a small business or startup
• You need all features immediately
• You want an affordable pricing model
• You want API & automation without extra charges