SoftwareGlimpse

Freshsales vs Insightly

Freshsales fits growth plan pricing and ai-assisted crm fit smb sales; Insightly fits insightly fits many small-business crm evaluations.

Independently recommendedLast updated Sep 24, 20268 evidence sources23 screenshotsHow we compare
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Freshworks logo

Freshsales

7.8/10

Freshworks sales CRM for lead management and pipeline workflows.

Best for

  • • Growth plan pricing and AI-assisted CRM fit SMB sales
  • • Pro/Enterprise add scoring, sequences, territories, forecasting, sandbox
  • • Sales CRM with phone/email/chat engagement

Starting from $9.00/user/mo

No free plan

VS

Our verdict

Our verdict

No universal winner

There is no universal winner between Freshsales and Insightly. Choose based on pipeline depth, automation, email and calling, reporting, and pricing trade-offs.

Freshsales is better for

  • ✓ Ease of use
  • ✓ Pipeline management
  • ✓ Sales automation
  • ✓ Email capabilities

Tie

  • • Integrations
  • • Administration

Choose Freshsales if: Growth plan pricing and AI-assisted CRM fit SMB sales

Choose Insightly if: Insightly fits many small-business CRM evaluations

See detailed comparison ↓
Insightly logo

Insightly

6.9/10

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

Best for

  • • Insightly fits many small-business CRM evaluations
  • • Insightly is evaluated here as a CRM/sales tool
  • • Insightly combines CRM and project management for service-oriented SMB teams

Starting from $29.00/user/mo

No free plan

Quick verdict

Start here — then dig into the evidence below.

Choose Freshsales if…

  • Growth plan pricing and AI-assisted CRM fit SMB sales
  • Pro/Enterprise add scoring, sequences, territories, forecasting, sandbox
  • Sales CRM with phone/email/chat engagement
  • You prioritize ease of use

Choose Insightly if…

  • Insightly fits many small-business CRM evaluations
  • Insightly is evaluated here as a CRM/sales tool
  • Insightly combines CRM and project management for service-oriented SMB teams

Overall recommendation

There is no universal winner between Freshsales and Insightly. Choose based on pipeline depth, automation, email and calling, reporting, and pricing trade-offs.

Key trade-off

Freshsales's clearest edge is ease of use.

Winner by category

Only dimensions with researched evidence for this pair.

DimensionWinnerWhy
Ease of useFreshsales winsFreshsales leads on ease of use (8/10 vs 7/10) from approved SoftwareGlimpse editorial assessments — not hands-on lab testing.
SalesFreshsales winsFreshsales leads on pipeline management (8/10 vs 7/10) from approved SoftwareGlimpse editorial assessments — not hands-on lab testing.
AutomationFreshsales winsFreshsales leads on sales automation (8/10 vs 7/10) from approved SoftwareGlimpse editorial assessments — not hands-on lab testing.
Email capabilitiesFreshsales winsFreshsales leads on email capabilities (7/10 vs 6/10) from approved SoftwareGlimpse editorial assessments — not hands-on lab testing.
ReportingFreshsales winsFreshsales leads on reporting (8/10 vs 6/10) from approved SoftwareGlimpse editorial assessments — not hands-on lab testing.
CustomizationFreshsales winsFreshsales leads on customization (8/10 vs 7/10) from approved SoftwareGlimpse editorial assessments — not hands-on lab testing.
IntegrationsTieFreshsales and Insightly are close on integrations (7/10 vs 7/10) from approved SoftwareGlimpse editorial assessments — not hands-on lab testing.
AdministrationTieFreshsales and Insightly are close on administration (7/10 vs 7/10) from approved SoftwareGlimpse editorial assessments — not hands-on lab testing.
Enterprise suitabilityFreshsales winsFreshsales leads on scalability (8/10 vs 7/10) from approved SoftwareGlimpse editorial assessments — not hands-on lab testing.

Side-by-side feature matrix

Normalized availability from product research — empty rows are not shown.

Core CRM

FeatureFreshsalesInsightly
Contact managementStrongStrong
Lead managementStrongStrong
Pipeline managementStrongStrong
Deal managementStrongStrong

Sales engagement

FeatureFreshsalesInsightly
Email syncStrongStrong
Email sequencesModerateNot evidenced
Call functionalityStrongNot evidenced
Workflow automationStrongStrong
Sales automationStrongStrong
Lead scoringModerateNot evidenced

Reporting

FeatureFreshsalesInsightly
ReportingStrongStrong
ForecastingModerateModerate

Platform

FeatureFreshsalesInsightly
IntegrationsStrongStrong
Custom fieldsStrongStrong
Custom pipelinesStrongStrong
Mobile appStrongStrong
AI assistanceStrongModerate

Additional capabilities

FeatureFreshsalesInsightly
Territory managementModerateNot evidenced
Audit logsModerateNot evidenced

Pricing comparison

Pricing evidence last checked Sep 7, 2026.

Freshworks logo

Freshsales

From $9.00/user/mo

No free planFree trial available
  • Growth$9.00/user/mo
  • Pro$39.00/user/mo
  • Enterprise$59.00/user/mo
Insightly logo

Insightly

From $29.00/user/mo

No free planFree trial available
  • Plus$29.00/user/mo
  • Professional$49.00/user/mo
  • Enterprise$99.00/user/mo

Seat-count estimates

Labeled estimates from verified starting per-seat pricing — not invoices.

SeatsFreshsalesInsightly
5~$45.00/mo (Growth × 5)~$145.00/mo (Plus × 5)
10~$90.00/mo (Growth × 10)~$290.00/mo (Plus × 10)
25~$225.00/mo (Growth × 25)~$725.00/mo (Plus × 25)
50~$450.00/mo (Growth × 50)~$1,450.00/mo (Plus × 50)

Estimate from verified starting per-seat pricing — actual total depends on plan, annual discounts, and add-ons.

Researched list starting prices: Freshsales from $9/user/mo; Insightly from $29/user/mo. Confirm live vendor pricing before buying.

Open cost calculator →

Best for

Scenario picks from researched strengths — not a universal ranking.

  • → Freshsales

    Best for ease of use

    Freshsales leads on ease of use (8/10 vs 7/10) from approved SoftwareGlimpse editorial assessments — not hands-on lab testing.

  • → Freshsales

    Best for pipeline management

    Freshsales leads on pipeline management (8/10 vs 7/10) from approved SoftwareGlimpse editorial assessments — not hands-on lab testing.

  • → Freshsales

    Best for sales automation

    Freshsales leads on sales automation (8/10 vs 7/10) from approved SoftwareGlimpse editorial assessments — not hands-on lab testing.

The differences that actually matter

Pair-specific analysis for Freshsales vs Insightly — not generic category copy.

  • Pipeline management

    Freshsales ahead

    On pipeline management, Freshsales is ahead. Freshsales: Freshsales leads on pipeline management (8/10 vs 7/10) from approved SoftwareGlimpse editorial assessments — not hands-on lab testing.. Insightly: Trails Freshsales on this criterion. Feature evidence also diverges on Forecasting (Freshsales: Moderate; Insightly: Moderate); AI assistance (Freshsales: Strong; Insightly: Moderate).

  • Email capabilities

    Freshsales ahead

    On email capabilities, Freshsales is ahead. Freshsales: Freshsales leads on email capabilities (7/10 vs 6/10) from approved SoftwareGlimpse editorial assessments — not hands-on lab testing.. Insightly: Trails Freshsales on this criterion.

  • Sales automation

    Freshsales ahead

    On sales automation, Freshsales is ahead. Freshsales: Freshsales leads on sales automation (8/10 vs 7/10) from approved SoftwareGlimpse editorial assessments — not hands-on lab testing.. Insightly: Trails Freshsales on this criterion.

  • Reporting

    Freshsales ahead

    On reporting, Freshsales is ahead. Freshsales: Freshsales leads on reporting (8/10 vs 6/10) from approved SoftwareGlimpse editorial assessments — not hands-on lab testing.. Insightly: Trails Freshsales on this criterion.

  • Value for money

    Depends

    Value for money: Freshsales — Freshsales researched starting price $9/user/mo vs Insightly $29/user/mo. Better value depends on which features you need on that plan.. Insightly — Freshsales researched starting price $9/user/mo vs Insightly $29/user/mo. Better value depends on which features you need on that plan..

Pros and cons

Product-specific for this pair — derived from researched outcomes and editorial notes.

Freshworks logo

Freshsales

Pros

  • Stronger on ease of use
  • Stronger on pipeline management
  • Stronger on sales automation
  • Stronger on email capabilities
Insightly logo

Insightly

Cons

  • Trails on ease of use
  • Trails on pipeline management
  • Trails on sales automation

Implementation & learning curve

Based on researched setup / ease criteria for this pair.

Freshsales

  • Stronger on ease of use: Freshsales leads on ease of use (8/10 vs 7/10) from approved SoftwareGlimpse editorial assessments — not hands-on lab testing.
  • Comparable administration to Insightly

Insightly

  • Trails on ease of use relative to Freshsales
  • Comparable administration to Freshsales

Integrations

Overlaps and exclusives from product integration data when available.

Freshsales: Strong. Insightly: Strong.

Who should not choose each product

Decision quality improves when we say who should walk away.

Don't choose Freshsales if…

  • Your primary fit looks closer to: Insightly fits many small-business CRM evaluations
  • Your primary fit looks closer to: Insightly is evaluated here as a CRM/sales tool

Don't choose Insightly if…

  • You need Freshsales's stronger ease of use more than Insightly's strengths
  • You need Freshsales's stronger pipeline management more than Insightly's strengths
  • You need Freshsales's stronger sales automation more than Insightly's strengths
  • Your primary fit looks closer to: Growth plan pricing and AI-assisted CRM fit SMB sales

Alternatives worth considering

When neither product is the right fit.

  • Pipeline-first sales CRM for visual deal management, activity-based selling, and growing sales teams.

  • Sales-focused CRM for pipeline management and sales engagement workflows.

  • Simple small-business CRM for contacts, sales pipelines, tasks, and lightweight automation without enterprise complexity.

  • AI-powered customer platform with free forever CRM, plus paid Smart CRM seats and Sales/Marketing/Service hubs for growing teams.

Final verdict

Scenario-level close — not a repeat of the intro.

Freshsales wins when…

Growth plan pricing and AI-assisted CRM fit SMB sales

Insightly wins when…

Insightly fits many small-business CRM evaluations

  • Best for ease of useFreshsales
  • Best for pipeline managementFreshsales
  • Best for sales automationFreshsales

Which one should you choose?

Choose Freshsales if:

  • Growth plan pricing and AI-assisted CRM fit SMB sales
  • Pro/Enterprise add scoring, sequences, territories, forecasting, sandbox
  • Sales CRM with phone/email/chat engagement

Choose Insightly if:

  • Insightly fits many small-business CRM evaluations
  • Insightly is evaluated here as a CRM/sales tool
  • Insightly combines CRM and project management for service-oriented SMB teams

Product screenshots

Real product UI from our media library — no placeholders.

Freshsales

  • Freshsales product marketing hero visual.
  • Freshsales CRM interface shown in official marketing creative.
  • Freshsales “stronger sales, faster growth” product visual.
  • Freshsales conversion panel marketing asset.

Insightly

  • Insightly CRM product banner from official Insightly homepage.
  • Insightly CRM software UI from official Insightly homepage.
  • Insightly marketing automation UI from official Insightly homepage.
  • Insightly customer service UI from official Insightly homepage.

FAQ

Is Freshsales better than Insightly?
There is no universal winner between Freshsales and Insightly. Choose based on pipeline depth, automation, email and calling, reporting, and pricing trade-offs.
Which is easier to use?
Freshsales leads on ease of use (8/10 vs 7/10) from approved SoftwareGlimpse editorial assessments — not hands-on lab testing.
Which CRM fits which team?
Freshsales: Growth plan pricing and AI-assisted CRM fit SMB sales Insightly: Insightly fits many small-business CRM evaluations
Which is stronger for sales automation?
Freshsales leads on sales automation (8/10 vs 7/10) from approved SoftwareGlimpse editorial assessments — not hands-on lab testing.
Does Freshsales or Insightly have a free plan?
Freshsales: No free plan. Insightly: No free plan.
How does Freshsales vs Insightly pricing compare?
Freshsales starts from $9.00/user/mo. Insightly starts from $29.00/user/mo. Confirm live vendor pricing before purchasing.
How did SoftwareGlimpse compare these products?
We map both products to the same category criteria, then evaluate trade-offs using verified product, pricing and feature evidence. Affiliate relationships never change outcomes.

Still deciding between Freshsales and Insightly?

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  • Independent criterion outcomes
  • No invented scores or prices
  • Affiliate links never change winners

Some visit links may be affiliate links — we may earn a commission at no extra cost to you. Comparison outcomes are never based on commission.

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.

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