Insightly vs Keap vs Zendesk Sell

Insightly, Keap, and Zendesk Sell all pair a sales pipeline with automation, but they solve different problems for different budgets. Insightly is the pick…

Insightly

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

Best for: Small and mid-sized businesses that need to hand a closed deal directly into a tracked delivery project without switching tools.

Keap

Subscription · From Approximately $249/month (Pro plan, billed annually)

Best for: Solopreneurs, coaches, and small service businesses that want CRM, email/SMS marketing automation, and invoicing bundled into one platform.

Zendesk Sell

subscription · From $19 per user per month (Sell Team, billed annually)

Best for: Sales teams, especially field reps, that want a straightforward mobile CRM and already use or plan to use Zendesk Support.

At a Glance

 InsightlyKeapZendesk Sell
Primary categoryCRMCRMCRM
RatingNot documentedNot documentedNot documented
Pricing modelSubscriptionSubscriptionsubscription
Starting price$29/user/month (billed annually)Approximately $249/month (Pro plan, billed annually)$19 per user per month (Sell Team, billed annually)
Free planNot documentedNot documentedNot documented
Free trialYesYesYes
PlatformsWeb, iOS, AndroidWeb, iOS, AndroidiOS, Android
Team collaborationNot documentedNot documentedNot documented
AI featuresYesNot documentedYes
Public APIYesYesYes

Standout Differences

Only Insightly turns deals into projects natively

Insightly is the only one of the three with built-in project management that lets a sales team move a won deal straight into a trackable delivery project inside the same platform.

Insightly

Keap goes deepest on marketing automation and invoicing

Keap layers a visual multi-step email and SMS automation engine, landing pages, appointment scheduling, and quotes/invoicing/payments on top of its CRM, going further into marketing and billing than the other two.

Keap

Zendesk Sell has the strongest field-sales mobile app

Zendesk Sell's mobile CRM includes geolocation features so field reps can see nearby prospects, log calls, and update deals on the go, and it can share data with Zendesk Support for full customer context.

Zendesk Sell

Keap is priced well above the other two

Keap starts around $249/month for two user licenses, compared to Insightly's $29/user/month and Zendesk Sell's $19/user/month entry tiers, making Keap a bigger commitment for very small teams.

Keap, Insightly, Zendesk Sell

API and automation both require an upgrade

Insightly gates REST API access and workflow automation behind its Professional tier, while Zendesk Sell reserves prospecting, forecasting, and advanced automation for its Growth tier and above, so entry-level plans on both are more limited than they first appear.

Insightly, Zendesk Sell

Feature-by-Feature

Core CRM

FeatureInsightlyKeapZendesk Sell
Kanban-style sales pipelineAvailableAvailableAvailable
Lead assignment and routingLimitedAvailableAvailable
Native mobile apps (iOS and Android)AvailableAvailableAvailable

Automation and marketing

FeatureInsightlyKeapZendesk Sell
Workflow automationLimitedAvailableLimited
Email/SMS marketing automationUnavailableAvailableUnavailable
AI-assisted featuresAvailableNot documentedNot documented

Delivery and integration

FeatureInsightlyKeapZendesk Sell
Native project managementAvailableUnavailableUnavailable
Invoicing and payment collectionUnavailableAvailableUnavailable
REST API and webhooksLimitedNot documentedNot documented

Pricing Compared

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

Insightly

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

Keap

Pro — Approximately $249/month Billed annually
Max — Approximately $299/month Billed annually
Ultimate — Approximately $349/month Billed annually

Zendesk Sell

Sell Team — $19 per user per month annually ($25 monthly) annual or monthly
Sell Growth — $55 per user per month annually ($69 monthly) annual or monthly
Sell Professional — $115 per user per month annually ($149 monthly) annual or monthly
Sell Enterprise — Around $169 per user per month annual

Pros & Cons

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

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

Zendesk Sell

Pros

  • Strong, highly rated mobile app for field sales teams
  • Straightforward, activity-focused CRM that's easier to set up than heavier enterprise platforms
  • Native email tracking and sequences reduce manual data entry
  • Can share customer data with Zendesk Support for full context
  • Prebuilt dashboards give quick visibility without custom report building

Cons

  • Per-seat pricing climbs quickly for teams needing Professional or Enterprise features
  • Fewer deep sales-engagement features than dedicated sales engagement platforms
  • Enterprise-tier pricing requires higher spend for advanced customization
  • Less brand recognition as a standalone CRM compared to Zendesk's support product

Use Cases

Choose Insightly: Small and mid-sized businesses that need to hand a closed deal directly into a tracked delivery project without switching tools.
Choose Keap: Solopreneurs, coaches, and small service businesses that want CRM, email/SMS marketing automation, and invoicing bundled into one platform.
Choose Zendesk Sell: Sales teams, especially field reps, that want a straightforward mobile CRM and already use or plan to use Zendesk Support.

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.

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.

Zendesk Sell

  • Pipeline-driven B2B sales — A sales team tracks deals through a customizable pipeline and uses forecasting to plan quarterly targets.
  • Field sales management — Reps use the mobile app with geolocation to log visits, update deals, and check nearby prospects while traveling.
  • Support-to-sales visibility — A company running both Zendesk Support and Sell gives sales reps access to a prospect's support ticket history before a renewal conversation.

Frequently Asked Questions

Which of these three CRMs is cheapest to start with?

Zendesk Sell has the lowest entry price at around $19 per user per month for the Sell Team plan, followed by Insightly's Plus plan at $29 per user per month. Keap starts around $249 per month for two user licenses, which is a much larger jump because it bundles marketing automation and invoicing from the start.

Which tool is best if my team needs to manage projects after closing a deal?

Insightly is the clear choice here since it natively converts a won deal into a trackable delivery project inside the same platform, a capability neither Keap nor Zendesk Sell offers.

Does any of these three include email and SMS marketing automation?

Keap is the only one of the three built around marketing automation, with a visual builder for multi-step, behavior-triggered email and SMS sequences. Insightly and Zendesk Sell focus on pipeline and sales activity rather than marketing campaigns.

Is Zendesk Sell worth it if I don't already use Zendesk Support?

Zendesk Sell works as a standalone sales CRM even without Zendesk Support, offering pipeline management, email tracking, sequences, forecasting, and a strong mobile app. The added benefit of shared customer service history only applies to teams that also run Zendesk Support.

Why is Keap so much more expensive than Insightly or Zendesk Sell?

Keap's pricing bundles CRM, marketing automation, landing pages, appointment scheduling, and invoicing/payments into a smaller number of higher-priced plans, and most new Pro and Max customers must also purchase a one-time Kickstart onboarding package, which adds to the effective starting cost compared to Insightly's or Zendesk Sell's per-seat entry tiers.

Which CRM has the most capable mobile app for field sales reps?

Zendesk Sell is widely praised for its mobile CRM, which includes geolocation features that let field reps see nearby prospects in addition to logging calls and updating deals, a capability not described for Insightly or Keap's mobile apps.

Read the full Insightly review · Read the full Keap review · Read the full Zendesk Sell review