The information in this article is based on our research, interviews with customers, as well as dozens of hours hand-testing CRM software. The details of our review process and research methodology can be found in the Why You Should Trust Us section on our CRM category page.

Salesforce is our lowest rated CRM platform for SMBs. This is because the solution has a steep learning curve, and is relatively expensive. We recommend it to larger businesses who are looking to scale their business to an enterprise level and have the budget to personalize their CRM with Salesforce add-ons.

There are six CRM solutions that are worth considering before you purchase Salesforce. They primarily differentiate based on the features offered and ease of use. Understanding these differences will help you determine which platform will work best for your business.

If you want an advanced, affordable tool and currently use other Zoho products, then we recommend Zoho CRM
If you want an advanced, all-in-one CRM solution with high-quality marketing tools, then we recommend HubSpot
If you want a basic CRM that integrates tightly with Google Workspace, then we recommend Copper
If you need a basic, user-friendly CRM and primarily need a tool for deal management, then we recommend Pipedrive
If you need a beginner solution and need a strong set of communication channels and digital marketing tools, then we recommend Freshworks CRM
If you are a small business that needs a reliable, all-in-one solution with multiple communication channels, then we recommend Vtiger

Here’s a breakdown of our review criteria. We rate each piece of software based on its features, usability, pricing, and customer support availability. Here is how Salesforce and its competitors rank in each category.

Software Company	Analyst Rating	Features	Usability	Pricing	Customer Support
Salesforce	81	8.75	7.5	7.5	8
HubSpot	91	9.5	9.5	8	9
Zoho CRM	89	9	8.5	9	9
Freshworks CRM	86	8.75	7.5	7.5	8
Copper	84	8.25	9	8.5	8
Pipedrive	83	7.75	9	8	9
Vtiger	82	8.25	7.75	8.5	8

In this article, we’ll provide an overview of Salesforce as a CRM solution. Afterwards, we’ll compare and contrast Salesforce against its top competitors. If you’d like a full description of Salesforce, check out our in-depth Salesforce review.

Table of Contents

Salesforce Top Features

Salesforce includes standard and advanced that help individuals and businesses efficiently manage relationships with potential and existing customers. This includes lead capture methods, contact and deal management tools, workflow automations, and insights reporting. Below we describe the 10 most important features in Salesforce.

Salesforce Feature	Description
Lead Capture	Lead capture refers to the process of acquiring someone’s information with the goal of converting them into a paying customer. Salesforce offers a wide range of lead capture tools – including forms, social media, live chat, and email.
Contact Profiles	The more information, and the more unique a profile, the better the chance you have of converting that contact into a customer. Salesforce offers a robust contact profiles feature – you can include emails, phone numbers, deals, and files. You can also include a "chatter" feature, which acts like a social feed that lets others like, comment, and post updates.
Marketing Communication Channels	A key element in converting your contacts into a paying customer is maintaining consistent communication. Salesforce offers three communication channels – email marketing campaigns, phone, and social media marketing.
Lead Scoring	A lead score is a numerical value that reflects how likely a lead would become a paying customer. Through Pardot, you can add or subtract points for actions like email opens, file access, custom redirect clicks, and form errors.
Task Management	Tasks in a CRM are actions that help bring a deal to completion – overall, this feature is basic in Salesforce. You can write notes, set a due date, choose related contacts, and set their progress and priority levels. Salesforce also lets you set reminders, which reduce the chance of losing a potential deal.
Pipelines	These visually track the progress of your customers through each deal stage. Salesforce works well for businesses with over 50 simultaneous deals – however, this tool can be overwhelming to use at first. Salesforce also lets you create custom pipelines and stages, insert "win probabilities" at each stage, drag and drop, and use filters to organize your deals.
Workflow Automations	These save time and reduce the chance for human error. Salesforce offers triggered events, which you can use to create workflows related to campaigns, chat, contacts, deals, emails, tasks and social posts. A disadvantage of this feature though is that your actions are limited – you can only create new tasks, email alerts, and field updates.
Insights Reporting	CRM reporting includes KPIs that help businesses make necessary, strategic decisions. There are reports for deals won and lost, pipeline progression, sales forecasting, and your sales funnel. You can visualize your data into bars, columns, lines, donuts, and scatter plots. Salesforce also offers dashboards that let you present multiple reports side-by-side.
Integrations	Integrations expand the functionality of your CRM and eliminate the need to toggle back and forth between applications. Salesforce includes key integrations like Google Workspace, Zapier, Slack, Zoom, Intercom, and Shopify.
Mobile CRM	Mobile CRM’s give you the best chance in ensuring that your customers are getting the best service possible at all times. Salesforce’s mobile app is robust – you can view reports and create tasks, contacts, campaigns, and chatter posts.

Salesforce Competitor Overview: Features

The chart below shows you the main features found in CRM software, and ones offered by each solution. You’ll notice that many solutions offer the same features, therefore it’s important that when analyzing each option, you focus on the quality of each feature.

Salesforce feature comparison chart vs. competitors

Salesforce Competitor Overview: Pricing

In general, Salesforce is more expensive than other CRMs built for SMBs. However, if you can afford a highly expensive option, it is one of the most powerful applications.

CRM Software	Plan Pricing
Salesforce	Essentials: $25 per month Professional: $75 per month Enterprise: $150 per month Unlimited: $300 per month
HubSpot	Starter: $50 per month Professional: $1780 per month Enterprise: $4000 per month
Zoho CRM	Standard: $20 per month Professional: $35 per month Enterprise: $50 per month Ultimate: $65 per month
Freshworks CRM	Starter: $35 per month Professional: $85 per month Enterprise: $149 per month
Copper	Basic: $29 per month Professional: $59 per month Business: $119 per month
Pipedrive	Essential: $18 per month Advanced: $33 per month Professional: $59 per month Enterprise: $99 per month
Vtiger	Pilot: Free One Professional: $42 per month One Enterprise: $58 per month

Top Salesforce Competitors

Salesforce is an advanced, highly customizable CRM solution. It’s best at supporting businesses with complex workflows who are looking to scale to an enterprise level. In terms of advancedness and price, it is the most comparable to HubSpot. However, HubSpot’s features are much more robust and user-friendly.

The top Salesforce competitors are:

HubSpot
Zoho CRM
Freshworks CRM
Copper
Pipedrive
Vtiger

1. HubSpot

HubSpot is an advanced, all-in-one CRM platform. In comparison to Salesforce, HubSpot is the superior solution in terms of features, usability, and even price because HubSpot offers a robust, free CRM plan.

You'll prefer HubSpot if:

You want a solution that better supports SMBs
You want a more user-friendly, advanced CRM solution
You need high-quality digital marketing tools