Apptivo, Freshsales, and Nutshell all target small and midsize sales teams, but they solve slightly different problems. Apptivo is the broadest, bundling help…
Best for: SMBs that want one subscription covering CRM, help desk ticketing, field service, and marketing campaigns instead of stitching together separate tools.
Freemium · From Free (up to 3 users); paid plans start at $9/user/month billed annually
Best for: Sales teams that want AI-powered lead scoring and built-in phone/email dialing in a sales-first CRM, especially those already using Freshdesk or Freshservice.
Subscription · From $13/user/month (billed annually)
Best for: Small and midsize B2B teams that want an easy-to-adopt CRM with multiple pipeline views and optional email marketing and AI add-ons, without a steep learning curve.
At a Glance
Apptivo
Freshsales
Nutshell
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
$13/user/month (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
Apptivo bundles the most beyond core sales
Apptivo is the only one of the three that includes Help Desk ticketing, Field Service management, and a Campaigns module as part of its core suite rather than a separate product or paid add-on, making it the closest thing to an all-in-one business suite.
Apptivo
Freshsales leads on built-in AI and sales engagement
Freshsales includes Freddy AI lead scoring, sales sequences, and multiple sales pipelines starting on its Pro tier, plus a built-in phone dialer and email integration available even on lower tiers.
Freshsales
Nutshell offers the most pipeline visualization options
Nutshell supports board (Kanban), list, chart, and a geographic map view of deals and contacts, which is useful for territory-based sales teams that other two tools do not document.
Nutshell
Free tiers differ in who they fit
Apptivo's free Starter plan supports a single user, and Freshsales' free plan supports up to 3 users; Nutshell has no permanent free plan and starts at $13/user/month billed annually.
Apptivo, Freshsales, Nutshell
Marketing automation is add-on or separate everywhere
None of the three includes full email marketing automation for free: Apptivo folds Campaigns into its core suite, Nutshell sells it as the Marketing Pro add-on, and Freshsales keeps it in the separate Freshmarketer product.
Apptivo, Freshsales, Nutshell
Feature-by-Feature
Core CRM and Pipeline
Feature
Apptivo
Freshsales
Nutshell
Free plan available
Available
Available
Unavailable
Visual, customizable sales pipeline
Available
Available
Available
Native mobile apps (iOS and Android)
Available
Available
Available
Sales Engagement and AI
Feature
Apptivo
Freshsales
Nutshell
Built-in phone and email dialer
Not documented
Available
Limited
AI-powered lead scoring or insights
Not documented
Available
Limited
Marketing and Extended Modules
Feature
Apptivo
Freshsales
Nutshell
Email marketing or campaign automation
Available
Unavailable
Limited
Help desk or ticketing module
Available
Unavailable
Unavailable
Field service management
Available
Unavailable
Unavailable
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)
Foundation — $13/user/month billed annually ($19/user/month billed monthly) Monthly or annual
Growth — $25/user/month Annual
Pro — $42/user/month Annual
Business — $59/user/month Annual
Enterprise — $79/user/month Annual
Marketing Pro (add-on) — $49/company/month Monthly
Engagement Pro (add-on) — $16/user/month Monthly
Nutshell IQ (add-on) — $37/company/month for 100 credits Monthly
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
Nutshell
Pros
Fast to set up and easy for non-technical sales reps to learn compared with enterprise CRMs.
Combines CRM, email marketing, and sales engagement in one subscription rather than requiring separate tools.
Multiple pipeline visualizations, including a map view, help territory-based sales teams.
Responsive customer support with free data migration and guided onboarding on most plans.
Transparent, predictable per-user pricing with five tiers to grow into.
Cons
Advanced marketing automation and AI insights are sold as paid add-ons rather than included at every tier.
Reporting and customization are less deep than enterprise-grade CRMs such as Salesforce.
Higher-tier plans (Business and Enterprise) can get expensive for very small teams.
Some users report a learning curve when configuring multi-step sales automation.
Third-party integration marketplace is smaller than larger CRM competitors.
Use Cases
Choose Apptivo: SMBs that want one subscription covering CRM, help desk ticketing, field service, and marketing campaigns instead of stitching together separate tools.
Choose Freshsales: Sales teams that want AI-powered lead scoring and built-in phone/email dialing in a sales-first CRM, especially those already using Freshdesk or Freshservice.
Choose Nutshell: Small and midsize B2B teams that want an easy-to-adopt CRM with multiple pipeline views and optional email marketing and AI add-ons, without a steep learning curve.
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.
Nutshell
Small business sales pipeline management — Sales teams of 2-50 reps use Nutshell to track leads through a visual pipeline, automate follow-up tasks, and forecast revenue without a dedicated CRM administrator.
Combined CRM and email marketing — Marketing and sales teams that want to manage contacts, deals, and email campaigns in one system add Marketing Pro to run newsletters and drip sequences directly from CRM contact data.
Territory-based field sales — Field sales organizations use Nutshell's map view to plot prospects and customers geographically and plan efficient in-person visit routes.
Frequently Asked Questions
Which of these three CRMs has a free plan?
Apptivo and Freshsales both offer permanently free tiers: Apptivo's free Starter plan covers 1 user, and Freshsales' free plan covers up to 3 users. Nutshell has no free plan; its cheapest tier, Foundation, starts at $13/user/month billed annually.
Does any of them include AI-powered lead scoring?
Freshsales includes Freddy AI lead scoring starting on its Pro plan at $39/user/month. Nutshell offers AI-generated deal summaries and coaching insights through the separate Nutshell IQ add-on. Apptivo does not document a dedicated AI lead-scoring feature.
Which CRM bundles the most functionality beyond core sales?
Apptivo is the broadest of the three, bundling Help Desk ticketing, Field Service management, and a Campaigns module alongside its Sales CRM in one subscription. Freshsales and Nutshell keep support and marketing largely in separate Freshworks products or paid add-ons.
Is email marketing included by default in any of these tools?
No. Freshsales requires the separate Freshmarketer product for email marketing automation, Nutshell requires the paid Marketing Pro add-on at $49/company/month, and Apptivo's Campaigns module is included as part of its bundled suite.
Which is cheapest for a small 3 to 5 person sales team?
It depends on needs. Freshsales is free for up to 3 users, then $9/user/month on Growth. Apptivo's Lite plan runs about $15/user/month after its 1-user free Starter tier. Nutshell starts at $13/user/month with no free option, so cost ordering shifts once a team grows past Freshsales' free-tier user limit.
Do all three offer a free trial?
Apptivo and Freshsales publish specific trial lengths, 14 days and 21 days respectively, on their paid plans. Nutshell also provides trial access and free guided onboarding on most plans, though the source data does not specify an exact trial duration.