Apptivo vs Freshsales vs Insightly

Apptivo, Freshsales, and Insightly are all SMB-friendly CRMs, but they optimize for different jobs. Apptivo is the broadest, low-cost suite, bundling CRM with…

Apptivo

Freemium · From Free

Best for: Budget-conscious SMBs that want CRM bundled with help desk, field service, and campaign tools in one no-code platform.

Freshsales

Freemium · From Free (up to 3 users); paid plans start at $9/user/month billed annually

Best for: Sales teams that want an AI-assisted deal pipeline with built-in phone and email, especially those already using other Freshworks products.

Insightly

Subscription · From $29/user/month (billed annually)

Best for: Teams that need CRM and project management combined natively, such as agencies or professional-services firms handing closed deals to a delivery team.

At a Glance

 ApptivoFreshsalesInsightly
Primary categoryCRMCRMCRM
RatingNot documentedNot documentedNot documented
Pricing modelFreemiumFreemiumSubscription
Starting priceFreeFree (up to 3 users); paid plans start at $9/user/month billed annually$29/user/month (billed annually)
Free planYesYesNot documented
Free trialYesYesYes
PlatformsWeb, iOS, Android, WindowsWeb, iOS, AndroidWeb, iOS, Android
Team collaborationNot documentedNot documentedNot documented
AI featuresNot documentedYesYes
Public APIYesYesYes

Standout Differences

All-in-one operations suite

Apptivo goes beyond core CRM with dedicated help desk, field service, and campaign modules, plus no-code customization, letting small teams run several business functions from one system instead of stitching together separate tools.

Apptivo

AI-assisted sales pipeline

Freshsales bakes built-in phone and email into the CRM and layers on Freddy AI for lead scoring, sales sequences, and AI-powered forecasting insights, aimed squarely at sales teams that want automation without a separate tool.

Freshsales

CRM plus native project management

Insightly is the only one of the three with built-in project management alongside the CRM, plus an AI Copilot and pre-built business intelligence dashboards, which suits teams that need to track work after a deal closes.

Insightly

Free access varies sharply

Apptivo offers a permanently free Starter tier and Freshsales is free for up to 3 users, while Insightly has no free tier at all, only a 14-day trial, so ongoing no-cost usage is not an option with Insightly.

Apptivo, Freshsales, Insightly

Advanced features are tier-gated across all three

Freshsales' Freddy AI lead scoring requires the Pro tier or higher, Insightly's REST API, webhooks, and AI Copilot require the Professional tier or higher, and Apptivo's deeper automation and reporting need its higher-priced plans, so entry-level plans are noticeably lighter everywhere.

Apptivo, Freshsales, Insightly

Feature-by-Feature

Core CRM and Pipeline

FeatureApptivoFreshsalesInsightly
Deal and pipeline managementAvailableAvailableAvailable
Built-in phone and emailNot documentedAvailableLimited

Automation and AI

FeatureApptivoFreshsalesInsightly
AI lead scoring or copilotUnavailableAvailableAvailable
Workflow automationAvailableAvailableAvailable

Project and Service Management

FeatureApptivoFreshsalesInsightly
Native project managementNot documentedUnavailableAvailable
Help desk and field service modulesAvailableUnavailableNot documented

Access and Extensibility

FeatureApptivoFreshsalesInsightly
Permanently free planAvailableAvailableUnavailable
REST API and webhooksNot documentedNot documentedAvailable

Pricing Compared

Starting price reflects the lowest paid tier, not the full cost for every team size or usage level.

Apptivo

Starter — Free N/A
Lite — ~$15/user/month Annual (higher month-to-month)
Premium — ~$25/user/month Annual (higher month-to-month)
Ultimate — ~$40/user/month Annual (higher month-to-month)
Enterprise — Custom (contact sales) Custom

Freshsales

Free — $0 N/A
Growth — $9/user/month Annual
Pro — $39/user/month Annual
Enterprise — $59/user/month Annual

Insightly

Plus — $29/user/month Annual
Professional — $49/user/month Annual
Enterprise — $99/user/month Annual

Pros & Cons

Apptivo

Pros

  • Broad, all-in-one suite covering CRM, help desk, field service, and marketing
  • Free Starter tier and low-cost entry-level paid plans relative to enterprise CRM suites
  • No-code customization for building app-specific workflows
  • Industry-specific configurations for several verticals

Cons

  • Breadth of modules can mean a steeper learning curve than single-purpose CRM tools
  • Higher tiers needed to unlock more advanced automation and reporting
  • Some reported pricing figures vary slightly across third-party sources, so current plan details should be confirmed on Apptivo's own pricing page

Freshsales

Pros

  • Free plan available for very small teams up to 3 users
  • Lower cost than Salesforce at comparable functionality for SMBs
  • Built-in phone and email reduce need for separate sales tools
  • Integrates natively with other Freshworks products (Freshdesk, Freshservice)

Cons

  • AI lead scoring and sales sequences require upgrading to the Pro tier or higher
  • Less deep customization and ecosystem than Salesforce for complex enterprise sales processes
  • Marketing automation is a separate product (Freshmarketer), not bundled into Freshsales
  • Free and Growth tiers lack advanced reporting

Insightly

Pros

  • Combines CRM and project management natively in one platform
  • Three clear pricing tiers with a free 14-day trial
  • Native iOS and Android mobile apps
  • AI Copilot and workflow automation available on mid-tier plans
  • Strong reporting with pre-built business intelligence dashboards

Cons

  • REST API and webhooks require the Professional tier or above
  • Some reviews note additional onboarding and premium support fees beyond listed pricing
  • Recent private-equity acquisition and Unbounce merger create some brand and roadmap uncertainty
  • AI Copilot query limits on lower tiers may be restrictive for heavy users
  • Entry-level Plus plan lacks workflow automation and API access

Use Cases

Choose Apptivo: Budget-conscious SMBs that want CRM bundled with help desk, field service, and campaign tools in one no-code platform.
Choose Freshsales: Sales teams that want an AI-assisted deal pipeline with built-in phone and email, especially those already using other Freshworks products.
Choose Insightly: Teams that need CRM and project management combined natively, such as agencies or professional-services firms handing closed deals to a delivery team.

Apptivo

  • Unified CRM and support — Manage sales pipelines and customer support tickets in one connected platform.
  • Mobile field service management — Dispatch and track a mobile workforce with native mobile apps.

Freshsales

  • Small sales team pipeline management — Small teams use Freshsales' free or Growth plan to track contacts and deals through a visual pipeline without heavy setup.
  • AI-assisted lead prioritization — Growing sales organizations use Freddy AI lead scoring and sales sequences on the Pro plan to prioritize outreach and automate follow-ups.
  • Multi-region or multi-product sales operations — Larger sales organizations use Freshsales Enterprise's multiple pipelines, territory management, and custom modules to model complex sales structures.

Insightly

  • Sales pipeline management — Sales teams track leads and opportunities through a Kanban-style pipeline from first contact to close.
  • Post-sale project delivery — Teams convert closed deals directly into tracked delivery projects without switching to a separate project management tool.
  • Marketing and CRM integration — Businesses combine Insightly's CRM with Unbounce's landing-page tools for connected lead capture and pipeline management.

Frequently Asked Questions

Which of these three CRMs has a truly free plan?

Apptivo's Starter tier and Freshsales' free tier (up to 3 users) are both permanently free. Insightly does not offer an ongoing free plan, only a 14-day free trial.

Which CRM includes built-in calling?

Freshsales bundles a native phone system directly into the CRM. Insightly offers bidirectional email sync but does not document a native phone feature, and Apptivo's phone capability is not documented in its listed features.

Do any of these CRMs include project management?

Insightly is the one built with native project management alongside the CRM. Apptivo covers adjacent operations like help desk and field service, but not project management specifically, and Freshsales is a sales-only pipeline tool.

Which CRM has AI-powered sales features?

Freshsales has Freddy AI for lead scoring and AI-powered forecasting, available from the Pro tier up. Insightly offers an AI Copilot from its Professional tier up. Apptivo does not advertise AI-driven sales features.

Is API access available on entry-level plans?

Not with Insightly, whose REST API and webhooks require the Professional tier or higher. API availability is not documented for Apptivo or Freshsales in their published feature sets.

Which is the best fit for a team that also runs help desk or field service work?

Apptivo, since it natively bundles help desk and field service modules alongside its CRM, whereas Freshsales and Insightly are focused on sales and, in Insightly's case, project delivery.

Read the full Apptivo review · Read the full Freshsales review · Read the full Insightly review