Apptivo and Freshsales are per-seat CRMs that start free and scale user by user, while Keap is a flat-rate, all-in-one CRM-plus-marketing-automation platform…
Subscription · From Approximately $249/month (Pro plan, billed annually)
Best for: Small businesses that want deep marketing automation, invoicing, and payments fused directly into the CRM and are willing to pay a premium flat rate for it.
At a Glance
Apptivo
Freshsales
Keap
Primary category
CRM
CRM
CRM
Rating
Not documented
Not documented
Not documented
Pricing model
Freemium
Freemium
Subscription
Starting price
Free
Free (up to 3 users); paid plans start at $9/user/month billed annually
Approximately $249/month (Pro plan, billed annually)
Free plan
Yes
Yes
Not documented
Free trial
Yes
Yes
Yes
Platforms
Web, iOS, Android, Windows
Web, iOS, Android
Web, iOS, Android
Team collaboration
Not documented
Not documented
Not documented
AI features
Not documented
Yes
Not documented
Public API
Yes
Yes
Yes
Standout Differences
Flat-rate marketing automation engine
Keap combines contact CRM, email and SMS automation, landing pages, appointment scheduling, and invoicing and payments into a single flat-priced platform refined over two decades for small-business workflows.
Keap
Lowest cost of entry
Apptivo's free Starter tier and roughly $15/user/month Lite plan sit far below Keap's approximately $249/month Pro plan, making Apptivo the cheapest way into a multi-module business suite.
Apptivo
AI lead scoring on a per-seat budget
Freshsales offers Freddy AI lead scoring and AI-powered forecasting from its $39/user/month Pro tier, giving teams AI-assisted selling without Keap's flat $249+/month entry price.
Freshsales
Per-seat versus flat pricing
Apptivo and Freshsales charge per user and let a solo user pay little or nothing, while Keap charges a flat monthly rate that already includes 2 user licenses, so cost scales differently as a team grows or shrinks.
Apptivo, Freshsales, Keap
Keap's mandatory onboarding fee
New Keap Pro and Max customers must pay a one-time Kickstart onboarding fee on top of the subscription, a cost that Apptivo and Freshsales do not require.
Keap
Feature-by-Feature
Core CRM
Feature
Apptivo
Freshsales
Keap
Contact and deal pipeline management
Available
Available
Available
Marketing and Automation
Feature
Apptivo
Freshsales
Keap
Marketing campaign automation
Available
Limited
Available
AI lead scoring
Unavailable
Available
Not documented
Payments and Operations
Feature
Apptivo
Freshsales
Keap
Quotes, invoicing, and payments
Not documented
Not documented
Available
Help desk and field service modules
Available
Unavailable
Not documented
Pricing and Access
Feature
Apptivo
Freshsales
Keap
Permanently free plan
Available
Available
Unavailable
Mandatory onboarding fee
Unavailable
Unavailable
Available
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)
Ultimate — Approximately $349/month Billed annually
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
Keap
Pros
Deep, purpose-built automation engine for small business workflows
Combines CRM, marketing and invoicing and payments in one platform
Long track record of over twenty years refined specifically for small business needs
Mobile app supports on-the-go contact and communication management
Backed by Thryv's resources following the 2024 acquisition
Cons
Relatively high starting price for a small-business tool
Mandatory one-time Kickstart onboarding fee for new Pro and Max customers
Additional user seats and contact-tier upgrades add up quickly
Steeper learning curve than lighter competitors like ActiveCampaign
Text and voice marketing capacity is metered with overage charges
Use Cases
Choose Apptivo: Budget-conscious SMBs that want CRM bundled with help desk, field service, and campaign tools in one inexpensive, no-code suite.
Choose Freshsales: Sales-first teams that want an affordable, AI-assisted deal pipeline with built-in phone and email.
Choose Keap: Small businesses that want deep marketing automation, invoicing, and payments fused directly into the CRM and are willing to pay a premium flat rate for it.
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.
Keap
Solo entrepreneur automation — Coaches and consultants automate follow-up and nurture sequences without needing a marketing team.
Service business lead-to-invoice workflow — Contractors and agencies manage leads through to invoicing and payment in one connected system.
Small business marketing automation — Non-technical small business owners run sophisticated automated campaigns without hiring developers.
Frequently Asked Questions
Why is Keap so much more expensive than Apptivo and Freshsales?
Keap bundles deep marketing automation, invoicing, and payments into a flat monthly rate starting around $249/month that already includes 2 user licenses, plus a mandatory one-time Kickstart onboarding fee, versus Apptivo and Freshsales' per-seat pricing that starts free.
Which tool has a genuinely free plan?
Apptivo and Freshsales both offer permanently free tiers. Keap has no free tier at all.
Which is best for marketing automation built into the CRM?
Keap, since it has a purpose-built email and SMS automation engine plus landing pages bundled directly into the CRM. Freshsales' marketing automation lives in a separate Freshworks product, and Apptivo's Campaigns module is part of its broader app suite.
Does any of these three include invoicing or payments?
Keap includes quotes, invoicing, and payments as core features. This is not documented as a feature for Apptivo or Freshsales in their published feature sets.
Which has AI-assisted sales features?
Freshsales offers Freddy AI lead scoring and AI-powered forecasting from its Pro tier up. AI features are not documented for Keap or Apptivo.
Is Keap's pricing per user or flat?
Keap's plans are flat monthly rates that include 2 user licenses and a set contact limit, rather than per-seat pricing like Apptivo and Freshsales, so cost scales with contacts and add-on seats rather than headcount alone.