SoftwareGlimpse
Updated 2026-08-18

Insightly alternatives

Approved substitutes for Insightly from existing SoftwareGlimpse catalogue peers and editorial assessments. This is a job-fit list, not a ranked best-of.

Looking beyond

Insightly logo

Insightly

6.9/10

CRM plus project management for service-oriented SMBs, with automation and AI on higher plans.

Read our full Insightly review →

Best overall alternative

HubSpot logo

HubSpot

7.8/10

HubSpot is a catalogue substitute when SMB and mid-market teams wanting free CRM now and room to expand into hubs later. Stay with Insightly when Service SMBs needing CRM and light project management. Reasons come from approved editorial assessments — not a ranked best-of list.

Best Insightly alternatives

  • 1
    HubSpot logo

    HubSpot

    Best overall

    HubSpot is a catalogue substitute when SMB and mid-market teams wanting free CRM now and room to expand into hubs later. Stay with Insightly when Service SMBs needing CRM and light project management. Reasons come from approved editorial assessments — not a ranked best-of list.

    Best for
    SMB and mid-market teams wanting free CRM now and room to expand into hubs later
    Starting price
    See pricing
  • 2
    Pipedrive logo

    Pipedrive

    Pipedrive is a catalogue substitute when SMB and mid-market sales teams prioritizing pipeline visibility. Stay with Insightly when Service SMBs needing CRM and light project management. Reasons come from approved editorial assessments — not a ranked best-of list.

    Best for
    SMB and mid-market sales teams prioritizing pipeline visibility
    Starting price
    See pricing
  • 3
    Keap logo

    Keap

    Keap is a catalogue substitute when Small businesses needing CRM + marketing automation in one platform. Stay with Insightly when Service SMBs needing CRM and light project management. Reasons come from approved editorial assessments — not a ranked best-of list.

    Best for
    Small businesses needing CRM + marketing automation in one platform
    Starting price
    See pricing
  • 4
    Nutshell logo

    Nutshell

    Nutshell is a catalogue substitute when Small-business sales teams. Stay with Insightly when Service SMBs needing CRM and light project management. Reasons come from approved editorial assessments — not a ranked best-of list.

    Best for
    Small-business sales teams
    Starting price
    See pricing
  • 5
    Freshworks logo

    Freshsales

    Freshsales is a catalogue substitute when SMB and mid-market teams wanting CRM + phone/email engagement. Stay with Insightly when Service SMBs needing CRM and light project management. Reasons come from approved editorial assessments — not a ranked best-of list.

    Best for
    SMB and mid-market teams wanting CRM + phone/email engagement
    Starting price
    See pricing

Compare alternatives side by side

Some links may be affiliate links — we may earn a commission at no extra cost to you. Rankings and scores are never based on commission. Affiliate disclosure

Alternative details

HubSpot

HubSpot is a catalogue substitute when SMB and mid-market teams wanting free CRM now and room to expand into hubs later. Stay with Insightly when Service SMBs needing CRM and light project management. Reasons come from approved editorial assessments — not a ranked best-of list.

Better when

  • SMB and mid-market teams wanting free CRM now and room to expand into hubs later
  • Organizations aligning marketing + sales + service on one customer platform

Worse when

  • Teams that need a simple single-price sales CRM without hub/seat complexity (consider Pipedrive)
  • Buyers who want native dialer-first workflows as the primary product story (consider Close/Freshsales)

Key tradeoff: Freemium breadth and suite power vs rising seat/hub complexity at scale vs CRM+projects convenience vs best-of-breed depth.

Pipedrive

Pipedrive is a catalogue substitute when SMB and mid-market sales teams prioritizing pipeline visibility. Stay with Insightly when Service SMBs needing CRM and light project management. Reasons come from approved editorial assessments — not a ranked best-of list.

Better when

  • SMB and mid-market sales teams prioritizing pipeline visibility
  • Teams standardizing activity-based selling habits

Worse when

  • Buyers who need native dialer + AI lead scoring tightly bundled like Freshsales
  • Organizations that need unlimited enterprise configurability without caps

Key tradeoff: Pipeline clarity and sales focus vs broader Freshworks-style engagement suites vs CRM+projects convenience vs best-of-breed depth.

Keap

Keap is a catalogue substitute when Small businesses needing CRM + marketing automation in one platform. Stay with Insightly when Service SMBs needing CRM and light project management. Reasons come from approved editorial assessments — not a ranked best-of list.

Better when

  • Small businesses needing CRM + marketing automation in one platform
  • Service businesses that invoice/take payments in-CRM

Worse when

  • Buyers seeking a free forever or sub-$20/user simple CRM
  • Pipeline-first sales teams that want Pipedrive-style boards without marketing suite weight

Key tradeoff: All-in-one automation value vs higher monthly floor vs CRM+projects convenience vs best-of-breed depth.

Nutshell

Nutshell is a catalogue substitute when Small-business sales teams. Stay with Insightly when Service SMBs needing CRM and light project management. Reasons come from approved editorial assessments — not a ranked best-of list.

Better when

  • Small-business sales teams
  • Buyers wanting transparent per-user CRM pricing

Worse when

  • Free-CRM seekers
  • Enterprise complexity buyers

Key tradeoff: SMB simplicity vs platform depth vs CRM+projects convenience vs best-of-breed depth.

Freshsales

Freshsales is a catalogue substitute when SMB and mid-market teams wanting CRM + phone/email engagement. Stay with Insightly when Service SMBs needing CRM and light project management. Reasons come from approved editorial assessments — not a ranked best-of list.

Better when

  • SMB and mid-market teams wanting CRM + phone/email engagement
  • Buyers prioritizing AI lead scoring and Freddy assistance

Worse when

  • Teams that want a minimal pipeline board with the lightest possible surface
  • Buyers who need free forever CRM verified on the pricing page

Key tradeoff: Capability depth vs total cost of ownership on higher plans vs CRM+projects convenience vs best-of-breed depth.

Editorial note

Stay on Insightly when Service SMBs needing CRM and light project management. Move to HubSpot when SMB and mid-market teams wanting free CRM now and room to expand into hubs later. Move to Pipedrive when SMB and mid-market sales teams prioritizing pipeline visibility. Move to Keap when Small businesses needing CRM + marketing automation in one platform. Move to Nutshell when Small-business sales teams. Not a ranked best-of list — affiliate relationships never set the order.

Prefer a tailored shortlist?

Use the CRM Finder for a fit-based shortlist, or estimate seat costs from public pricing.

How to choose a Insightly alternative

  • Define your priorities

    List must-have workflows, team size, and budget before you fall for a feature checklist.

  • Compare your options

    Use the same criteria across products — and ignore affiliate status when you weigh fit.

  • Test before you decide

    Trial the shortlist with a real workflow. We only claim hands-on testing when it happened.

Affiliate disclosure: some links may be affiliate links. We may earn a commission at no extra cost to you. Rankings and scores are never based on commission. Full disclosure

Methodology disclosure: scores and recommendations follow SoftwareGlimpse evaluation criteria (version 1.0.0). Affiliate relationships do not determine rankings.

How we recommend: product claims are tied to recorded research where available.

AI-assisted disclosure: drafts may be AI-assisted from approved facts and assessments. Humans approve publishable editorial judgments. AI does not invent live prices or claim hands-on testing.

Editorial methodology · Affiliate disclosure

SoftwareGlimpse Updates

Want clearer software shortlists? Get buying guides and comparisons by email.

Newsletter coming soon.