One of the few CRM businesses that offers both on-premises and cloud-based CRM systems is SugarCRM, which was founded in 2004. It began as an open-source endeavor. Nevertheless, the business switched to proprietary software in 2014 to serve the sales, marketing, and service domains. The firm currently has over 2 million active users in 160 different countries.
Yet, it has been said that SugarCRM is pricey and difficult to use. Their installation procedure is likewise extensive.
Thus, if you’re searching for SugarCRM alternatives, here’s a list of CRMs with a focus on the sales, marketing, and service industries. Also, you may compare their advantages, disadvantages, and crucial characteristics based on your needs.
What Exactly is SugarCRM?
In truth, SugarCRM is customer relationship management (CRM) software that aids businesses in creating highly customized experiences. About 2 million consumers in 120 countries have trusted SugarCRM since its establishment in 2004. The corporation has offices around the US, Mexico, Australia, Germany, and the UK in addition to its California headquarters.
Companies may implement marketing strategies, keep customers, increase revenue, and develop business applications with SugarCRM. These business programmes may power sales teams, manage client information databases, and administer customer care groups.
Top SugarCRM features:
- Sales automation
- Very adaptable
- Deployment on-premises and in the cloud
- Real-time notifications and insights
- 5Data security
Pricing for SugarCRM
There are five distinct pricing tiers available for SugarCRM, all of which are invoiced annually. This implies that you must make a sizable initial commitment and are unable to back out if it doesn’t satisfy your demands.
Also, due to the system’s complexity, you must allocate additional funds for the implementation, modification, training, and maintenance of the solution above the price of the annual contract.
Sugar Enterprise: starts at $85/ user/ month, including:
- Powerful SugarBPM process with SQL-based reporting
- Accelerated assistance SLAs
- Help is available over the phone and through the SugarCRM Support Portal.
Sugar Serve: starts at $80/ user/ month, including:
- 60GB of storage and two sandbox instances
- 4 support-authorized contacts for phone support
Sugar Sell: starts at $49/ user/ month, including:
- 60GB of storage and two sandbox instances
- 4 support-authorized contacts for phone support
Sugar Market: starts at $1,000/ month for 10,000 contacts, including:
- Unrestricted users
- Unlimited emails and landing pages
- 4 approved contacts for phone support
SugarCRM requires a minimum of 10 users for each service level. SugarCRM is exceedingly expensive and unsuitable for startups or organizations on a tight budget due to the minimal number of users required and the extremely high starting fees.
Why is SugarCRM so well-liked?
Let’s look at the factors that have contributed to SugarCRM’s extraordinary success before going into more detail about its various rivals.
Contact management is easier and more productive with SugarCRM.
To enhance client interactions and support business expansion, this tool provides the following features:
1. Automated Data Capture
SugarCRM’s automated data collection, updating, and synchronisation capabilities let you put contact management on auto-pilot. SugarCRM may increase your team’s efficiency by automating such monotonous tasks.
2. Customizability
With a variety of connectors and significant customization, SugarCRM functions as you desire. With this adaptable CRM solution, you can modify a number of modules to suit your company’s needs.
3. Analytics
You may gain deeper insights into your business operations and identify strategies to improve your next initiatives using built-in analytics. With the aid of powerful analytics, you may make data-driven decisions to enhance the growth of your business.
4. Updates and Suggestions
To assist you in strengthening client connections, this user-friendly CRM tool offers instant recommendations based on prior encounters. You can quickly determine what works and what doesn’t by looking at the entire history of each contact record.
SugarCRM’s benefits and drawbacks
Pros:
- Extensibility and Flexibility The extensibility of this platform is that you can customise the app, whether by adding some features to the stock application or by adding some custom features. Any customised feature may actually be packaged and delivered as a Sugar application.
- Automation. The majority of daily chores may be handled automatically by users, reducing manual labour and saving time.
- Integration. Wide device deployment and full social media integration are two aspects of SugarCRM.
- Customer service. Their customer service is helpful, and prompt, and helps resolve problems fast.
Cons:
- Not cheap. The system is tough for small firms or start-ups to utilise since it is relatively expensive for the services it offers.
- upgrades that are required. The system must be reconfigured every time due to the automated upgrades, which add time to the setup process.
- data reporting The system only provides a few data reporting features.
- learning curve It will take some time to learn and grasp SugarCRM, especially for novice users.
Alternatives to SugarCRM In 2023
We are aware that SugarCRM excels in many areas, but there’s a risk that it won’t meet your unique needs or the peculiar conditions of your industry.
1. BIGContacts
One of the simplest and least expensive SugarCRM alternatives is BIGContacts by ProProfs. This email marketing CRM is intended to assist small and medium-sized enterprises in developing enduring client connections that spur company growth. A powerful reporting module with pre-built templates and programmable filters is another feature offered by BIGContacts. With a specially created sales pipeline, you may manage sales possibilities using this CRM application.
BEST FEATURES OF BIGCONTACTS:
- email advertising
- Pipeline administration
- Analytics and Reporting
- Contact profiles in 360°
- Static and dynamic contact lists
Pricing:
BIGContacts provides the following price tiers:
- $5/user/month LARGE
- Larger: $15/user/month
- BEST: $25 per user per month
- BUSINESS: Special price
2. LeadSquared
LeadSquared is a marketing automation and sales CRM software designed to execute sales at scale. From lead generation through sales conversations and closing, it offers a complete platform for all facets of selling. Because the teams have total insight into leads, opportunities, and transactions, it is a good tool for sales and marketing.
Important characteristics:
- Lead and sales management
- marketing automation
- Workflow builder without coding
- Dynamic forms for sales meeting dispositions
- Easy access to lead information and the ability to add notes
- templates for permissions that let teams and individuals have just certain access
Pricing:
- $25 per user per month for Lite
- $50 per user per month for Pro
- Super costs $100 per user every month.
3. Salesforce CRM
One of the most popular CRM applications with enterprise-level capability is Salesforce. With the help of this CRM application, you can combine sales, marketing, commerce, and customer service on one platform. Salesforce provides cloud-based access to customer data, enabling your team members to stay informed when on the road. In order to help you make better business decisions, the tool also offers AI-based insights on client behaviour. Using Salesforce, duplicate operations may be automated to increase productivity and decrease customer relationship management inefficiencies.
Features:
- Cloud-based access
- AI-based suggestions
- analytics-driven, data-driven actions
- Customer communication that is overly personalised
- Lead generation and management
Pricing:
Salesforce offers the following price tiers:
- $25 per user per month for Essential
- Professional- $75/user/month
- $150 per user per month for enterprise
- Unlimited: $300 per user per month
4. Vtiger
A single platform for marketing, sales, and support teams is Vtiger CRM. To create a seamless client journey and lower churn, they want to integrate these three functions.
Important characteristics:
- marketing administration
- Social media and email marketing skills for lead engagement
- Segmenting and directing sales leads Customer support via various channels
Pricing:
- $30 per user per month for one professional
- $42 per user per month for one enterprise
5. HubSpot
HubSpot is a free SugarCRM substitute that provides a wide variety of capabilities for managing your contacts. HubSpot CRM allows you to manage all of your prospects from one location. Your team members may always stay informed since all conversations are kept in a common mailbox. HubSpot offers marketing features in addition to sales monitoring to assist you in generating more leads and directing them towards conversion.
HubSpot’s best features:
- Detailed dashboards
- Management of the sales pipeline
- Automated contact management
- Lead management
- Integration of the help desk
Pricing:
HubSpot CRM offers the following alternatives in addition to the free price plan:
- Starter: $45 per month
- $1,600 per month for professionals
- Enterprise: $4,000 per month
6. Zoho
For various company needs, Zoho provides a variety of cloud-based business applications. The selection of apps it offers for sales, marketing, and service is where it compares against SugarCRM.
Features of Zoho Sales CRM:
Zoho is designed to make processes simpler. It encompasses several elements of the sales process, such as:
- Automation of the sales force
- facilitating sales
- management of performance
- marketing automation
- Customer journey builder
Pricing:
- $14 per user per month is the standard.
- $40 per user per month for enterprise
- Ultimate: $52 per user each month
7. Pipedrive
Pipedrive is one of the rivals to SugarCRM that has a significant influence on your sales. To track and direct prospects towards conversion, this CRM provides powerful pipeline management. Customer segmentation, email marketing, automation, and webform integration are just a few of the sophisticated CRM capabilities offered by Pipedrive. With Pipedrive’s reporting features, you can keep an eye on important performance indicators and provide precise business projections.
The best aspects of Pipedrive:
- Sales pipeline that may be customised
- Reminders and Alerts
- tracking communications
- Over 280 connections to applications like Slack, Outlook, etc.
- Mobile apps for iOS and Android
Pricing:
Pipedrive offers the following price tiers:
- $12.40 per user per month for Essential
- Advanced: $24.90 per user per month
- Professional: $49.90 per user per month
- Enterprise: $99 per user per month
8. EspoCRM
As EspoCRM is an open-source CRM, it is included in the list of SugarCRM alternatives. The functionality of this software can be expanded with paid add-ons, so keep that in mind.
EspoCRM’s main characteristics are:
- EspoCRM offers a range of features to improve sales productivity.
- Automation of sales
- Google and Outlook are synchronised with the same calendar.
- email advertising
- Automation of business processes’ workflows
Pricing:
EspoCRM’s desktop or on-premises version is free. The cloud-hosted version, however, is available at the following price ranges:
- Basic: $15 per user per month (a minimum of 3 users is required).
- $25 per user per month for Enterprise (minimum of 5 users required)
- Ultimate: $69 per user each month (a minimum of 10 users is required).
9. Insightful
By assisting you in personalising customer experiences and promoting conversions, Insightly CRM may serve as an excellent SugarCRM replacement. You can do everything on time thanks to the CRM tool’s strong automation features. You can track the performance of business operations in real-time, automate email campaigns, exchange data with team members, and allocate leads to the appropriate salespeople. You can access crucial business data with Insightly from any device at any time.
The best aspects of Insightly are:
- custom workflow
- Dashboards for reporting
- Lead management and tracking
- Data security
Pricing:
For up to two people, Insightly is free. Paid solutions include:
- Furthermore, $29 per user per month
- Professional: $49 per user per month
- Enterprise: $99 per user per month
10. Monday Sales CRM
Users of Monday Sales CRM may coordinate pre- and post-sales operations in one location. It offers customer onboarding, collection tracking, and client project management in terms of post-sales management.
Monday Sales CRM’s main characteristics are:
- Lead management
- Deal administration
- Account and contact management
- sales operations
Pricing:
- Basic: $10 per seat per month
- Standard: $14 per seat each month
- Pro: $24 per seat each month
11. Keap
Keap is a highly customizable SugarCRM substitute that can assist you in maintaining orderly client data. This CRM application automatically collects lead data and puts it in your database for quick and easy access. You may create custom triggers with Keap CRM to follow up with prospects at the appropriate moment. Keap’s hassle-free contact migration lets you rapidly begin using the CRM.
The best aspects of Keap are:
- Automated lead capture Consumer segmentation
- marketing automation
- Many connections, including Quickbooks and Shopify Mobile App Cost:
Pricing
When you sign up for Keap, the following price choices are available for the first five months:
- Lite: $56 per month
- $119/month for Pro
- Maximum: 4140 per month
12. Salesflare
Salesflare is essentially a B2B CRM created for SMEs. In any CRM, the customer or prospect contact information is often filled out using information gathered through lead forms or manually entered by sales representatives.
By aggregating all of this data from prospects’ email signatures, social media accounts, etc., Salesflare automates the process of creating prospect profiles.
Features of Salesflare CRM:
- A system that automatically logs meetings and phone conversations and retrieves lead information, such as contact information.
Pricing:
- $29 per user per month for growth
- Pro: $49 per month per user
- Enterprise: $99 monthly for each user
13. Fresh Sales
Your sales team can easily track and fulfil its goals with Freshsales by Freshworks, a superb SugarCRM replacement. In order to increase conversions, this AI-powered CRM application gives you pertinent insights based on customer data. To identify all sales prospects and follow their progression through your sales cycle, you can construct numerous sales pipelines. With Freshsales, you can communicate with your contacts from a single platform by sending emails, making calls, chatting, or setting up meetings.
The best aspects of Freshsales are:
- automatic lead assignment
- Email templates and tracking
- Management of the sales pipeline
- Contact duplication
- Reporting templates that have already been created
Pricing:
Freshsales offers the following price tiers in addition to a free version:
- $15/month growth
- Pro- $39 per user each month
- Enterprise: $69 per user per month
14. SuiteCRM
Due to the fact that it is an open-source CRM, SugarCRM is included in a list of comparable technologies. They also provide SuiteAssured, a version of SuiteCRM that is fully supported and includes professional services and a guarantee.
SuiteCRM’s key features include:
SuiteCRM has different modules for sales, marketing, and service departments. It supports the following features:
- Dashboards for reporting
- 360-degree consumer view
- automation of work processes
- Case and activity management
Pricing:
The firm charges customers for hosting, training, and support even though the fundamental programme is free. The following are their price tiers:
- Beginning: £95.00 per month (1–10 users).
- Starting at £332.00 per month (5-50 users),
- £475.00 per month as a starting salary (10-150 users)
15. Nimble
You may create thorough contact profiles using Nimble, a CRM application, to enhance personalization. You may gain deeper insights into the behaviour and preferences of your consumers by enhancing your data with tools like social profile tracking. With its detailed calendar and to-do lists, Nimble also makes it possible for you to keep track of every activity for your team. You may use this CRM to segment your client base and send out group emails for better targeting and enhanced efficacy.
Nimble’s Finest Features:
- Pipeline Administration
- enhancement of social profiles
- email monitoring
- To-do lists and activity tracking
- Automatic data syncing with Office 365, Google Contacts, etc.
Pricing:
- Nimble Business costs $19 per user each month.
Final Words
Salesforce and SugarCRM both offer similar features; however, SugarCRM is less expensive. Users aren’t happy with the software’s integration and reporting features, though.
The good news is that SugarCRM alternatives may be found on the market for a fair price. Finding the tool that meets your needs is the key to everything.
You can consult our CRM buyer’s guide for assistance if you need it in locating the best CRM software for your company. It outlines the dos and don’ts of choosing software as well as warning signs to look out for when choosing a CRM vendor.