Insightly vs SugarCRM
Insightly fits insightly fits many small-business crm evaluations; SugarCRM fits sugarcrm targets mid-market sales/cx needs.
Insightly
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
VS
Our verdict
There is no universal winner between Insightly and SugarCRM. Choose based on pipeline depth, automation, email and calling, reporting, and pricing trade-offs.
Insightly is better for
- ✓ Ease of use
- ✓ Administration
SugarCRM is better for
- ✓ Pipeline management
- ✓ Email capabilities
- ✓ Reporting
- ✓ Customization
Tie
- • Sales automation
- • Integrations
Choose Insightly if: Insightly fits many small-business CRM evaluations
Choose SugarCRM if: SugarCRM targets mid-market sales/CX needs
SugarCRM
Customer experience CRM (Sugar Sell) with Standard through Premier editions and Sugar Intelligence AI.
Best for
- • SugarCRM targets mid-market sales/CX needs
- • SugarCRM competes in enterprise/mid-market CRM evaluations
- • Sales/CX CRM focus
Starting from $59.00/user/mo
No free plan
Quick verdict
Start here — then dig into the evidence below.
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
- You prioritize ease of use
Choose SugarCRM if…
- SugarCRM targets mid-market sales/CX needs
- SugarCRM competes in enterprise/mid-market CRM evaluations
- Sales/CX CRM focus
- You prioritize pipeline management
Overall recommendation
There is no universal winner between Insightly and SugarCRM. Choose based on pipeline depth, automation, email and calling, reporting, and pricing trade-offs.
Key trade-off
Insightly trades toward ease of use; SugarCRM trades toward pipeline management.
Winner by category
Only dimensions with researched evidence for this pair.
| Dimension | Winner | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Ease of use | Insightly wins | Insightly leads on ease of use (7/10 vs 6/10) from approved SoftwareGlimpse editorial assessments — not hands-on lab testing. |
| Sales | SugarCRM wins | SugarCRM leads on pipeline management (7/10 vs 8/10) from approved SoftwareGlimpse editorial assessments — not hands-on lab testing. |
| Automation | Tie | Insightly and SugarCRM are close on sales automation (7/10 vs 7/10) from approved SoftwareGlimpse editorial assessments — not hands-on lab testing. |
| Email capabilities | SugarCRM wins | SugarCRM leads on email capabilities (6/10 vs 7/10) from approved SoftwareGlimpse editorial assessments — not hands-on lab testing. |
| Reporting | SugarCRM wins | SugarCRM leads on reporting (6/10 vs 7/10) from approved SoftwareGlimpse editorial assessments — not hands-on lab testing. |
| Customization | SugarCRM wins | SugarCRM leads on customization (7/10 vs 8/10) from approved SoftwareGlimpse editorial assessments — not hands-on lab testing. |
| Integrations | Tie | Insightly and SugarCRM are close on integrations (7/10 vs 7/10) from approved SoftwareGlimpse editorial assessments — not hands-on lab testing. |
| Administration | Insightly wins | Insightly leads on administration (7/10 vs 5/10) from approved SoftwareGlimpse editorial assessments — not hands-on lab testing. |
| Enterprise suitability | SugarCRM wins | SugarCRM leads on scalability (7/10 vs 8/10) 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
| Feature | Insightly | SugarCRM |
|---|---|---|
| Contact management | Strong | Strong |
| Lead management | Strong | Strong |
| Pipeline management | Strong | Strong |
| Deal management | Strong | Strong |
Sales engagement
| Feature | Insightly | SugarCRM |
|---|---|---|
| Email sync | Strong | Strong |
| Workflow automation | Strong | Strong |
| Sales automation | Strong | Strong |
Reporting
| Feature | Insightly | SugarCRM |
|---|---|---|
| Reporting | Strong | Strong |
| Forecasting | Moderate | Strong |
Platform
| Feature | Insightly | SugarCRM |
|---|---|---|
| Integrations | Strong | Strong |
| Custom fields | Strong | Strong |
| Custom pipelines | Strong | Strong |
| Mobile app | Strong | Strong |
| AI assistance | Moderate | Strong |
Pricing comparison
Pricing evidence last checked Aug 14, 2026.
Insightly
From $29.00/user/mo
- Plus$29.00/user/mo
- Professional$49.00/user/mo
- Enterprise$99.00/user/mo
SugarCRM
From $59.00/user/mo
- Sugar Sell Standard$59.00/user/mo
- Sugar Sell Advanced$85.00/user/mo
- Sugar Sell Premier$135.00/user/mo
Seat-count estimates
Labeled estimates from verified starting per-seat pricing — not invoices.
| Seats | Insightly | SugarCRM |
|---|---|---|
| 5 | ~$145.00/mo (Plus × 5) | ~$295.00/mo (Sugar Sell Standard × 5) |
| 10 | ~$290.00/mo (Plus × 10) | ~$590.00/mo (Sugar Sell Standard × 10) |
| 25 | ~$725.00/mo (Plus × 25) | ~$1,475.00/mo (Sugar Sell Standard × 25) |
| 50 | ~$1,450.00/mo (Plus × 50) | ~$2,950.00/mo (Sugar Sell Standard × 50) |
Estimate from verified starting per-seat pricing — actual total depends on plan, annual discounts, and add-ons.
Researched list starting prices: Insightly from $29/user/mo; SugarCRM from $59/user/mo. Confirm live vendor pricing before buying.
Best for
Scenario picks from researched strengths — not a universal ranking.
- → Insightly
Best for ease of use
Insightly leads on ease of use (7/10 vs 6/10) from approved SoftwareGlimpse editorial assessments — not hands-on lab testing.
- → Insightly
Best for administration
Insightly leads on administration (7/10 vs 5/10) from approved SoftwareGlimpse editorial assessments — not hands-on lab testing.
- → SugarCRM
Best for pipeline management
SugarCRM leads on pipeline management (7/10 vs 8/10) from approved SoftwareGlimpse editorial assessments — not hands-on lab testing.
- → SugarCRM
Best for email capabilities
SugarCRM leads on email capabilities (6/10 vs 7/10) from approved SoftwareGlimpse editorial assessments — not hands-on lab testing.
- → SugarCRM
Best for reporting
SugarCRM leads on reporting (6/10 vs 7/10) from approved SoftwareGlimpse editorial assessments — not hands-on lab testing.
The differences that actually matter
Pair-specific analysis for Insightly vs SugarCRM — not generic category copy.
Pipeline management
SugarCRM aheadOn pipeline management, SugarCRM is ahead. Insightly: Trails SugarCRM on this criterion. SugarCRM: SugarCRM leads on pipeline management (7/10 vs 8/10) from approved SoftwareGlimpse editorial assessments — not hands-on lab testing.. Feature evidence also diverges on Forecasting (Insightly: Moderate; SugarCRM: Strong); AI assistance (Insightly: Moderate; SugarCRM: Strong).
Email capabilities
SugarCRM aheadOn email capabilities, SugarCRM is ahead. Insightly: Trails SugarCRM on this criterion. SugarCRM: SugarCRM leads on email capabilities (6/10 vs 7/10) from approved SoftwareGlimpse editorial assessments — not hands-on lab testing..
Sales automation
TieInsightly and SugarCRM are close on sales automation. Insightly and SugarCRM are close on sales automation (7/10 vs 7/10) from approved SoftwareGlimpse editorial assessments — not hands-on lab testing.
Reporting
SugarCRM aheadOn reporting, SugarCRM is ahead. Insightly: Trails SugarCRM on this criterion. SugarCRM: SugarCRM leads on reporting (6/10 vs 7/10) from approved SoftwareGlimpse editorial assessments — not hands-on lab testing..
Value for money
DependsValue for money: Insightly — Insightly researched starting price $29/user/mo vs SugarCRM $59/user/mo. Better value depends on which features you need on that plan.. SugarCRM — Insightly researched starting price $29/user/mo vs SugarCRM $59/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.
Insightly
Pros
- Stronger on ease of use
- Stronger on administration
Cons
- Trails on pipeline management
- Trails on email capabilities
- Trails on reporting
SugarCRM
Pros
- Stronger on pipeline management
- Stronger on email capabilities
- Stronger on reporting
- Stronger on customization
Cons
- Trails on ease of use
- Trails on administration
Implementation & learning curve
Based on researched setup / ease criteria for this pair.
Insightly
- Stronger on ease of use: Insightly leads on ease of use (7/10 vs 6/10) from approved SoftwareGlimpse editorial assessments — not hands-on lab testing.
- Stronger on administration: Insightly leads on administration (7/10 vs 5/10) from approved SoftwareGlimpse editorial assessments — not hands-on lab testing.
SugarCRM
- Trails on ease of use relative to Insightly
- Trails on administration relative to Insightly
Integrations
Overlaps and exclusives from product integration data when available.
Insightly: Strong. SugarCRM: Strong.
Who should not choose each product
Decision quality improves when we say who should walk away.
Don't choose Insightly if…
- You need SugarCRM's stronger pipeline management more than Insightly's strengths
- You need SugarCRM's stronger email capabilities more than Insightly's strengths
- You need SugarCRM's stronger reporting more than Insightly's strengths
- Your primary fit looks closer to: SugarCRM targets mid-market sales/CX needs
Don't choose SugarCRM if…
- You need Insightly's stronger ease of use more than SugarCRM's strengths
- You need Insightly's stronger administration more than SugarCRM's strengths
- 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
Alternatives worth considering
When neither product is the right fit.
AI-powered customer platform with free forever CRM, plus paid Smart CRM seats and Sales/Marketing/Service hubs for growing teams.
Pipeline-first sales CRM for visual deal management, activity-based selling, and growing sales teams.
Small-business CRM with pipelines, marketing add-ons, and AI assistance on a clear per-user ladder.
Final verdict
Scenario-level close — not a repeat of the intro.
Insightly wins when…
Insightly fits many small-business CRM evaluations
SugarCRM wins when…
SugarCRM targets mid-market sales/CX needs
- Best for ease of useInsightly
- Best for administrationInsightly
- Best for pipeline managementSugarCRM
- Best for email capabilitiesSugarCRM
Which one should you choose?
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
Choose SugarCRM if:
- SugarCRM targets mid-market sales/CX needs
- SugarCRM competes in enterprise/mid-market CRM evaluations
- Sales/CX CRM focus
Product screenshots
Real product UI from our media library — no placeholders.
Insightly
SugarCRM
FAQ
- Is Insightly better than SugarCRM?
- There is no universal winner between Insightly and SugarCRM. Choose based on pipeline depth, automation, email and calling, reporting, and pricing trade-offs.
- Which is easier to use?
- Insightly leads on ease of use (7/10 vs 6/10) from approved SoftwareGlimpse editorial assessments — not hands-on lab testing.
- Which CRM fits which team?
- Insightly: Insightly fits many small-business CRM evaluations SugarCRM: SugarCRM targets mid-market sales/CX needs
- Which is stronger for sales automation?
- Insightly and SugarCRM are close on sales automation (7/10 vs 7/10) from approved SoftwareGlimpse editorial assessments — not hands-on lab testing.
- Does Insightly or SugarCRM have a free plan?
- Insightly: No free plan. SugarCRM: No free plan.
- How does Insightly vs SugarCRM pricing compare?
- Insightly starts from $29.00/user/mo. SugarCRM starts from $59.00/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.
- reviewInsightly review
- reviewSugarCRM review
- pricingInsightly pricing
- pricingSugarCRM pricing
- alternativeHubSpot alternative
- alternativePipedrive alternative
- alternativeKeap alternative
- guideWhat Is CRM Software? A Complete Beginner’s Guide
- guideHow CRM Software Works: Records, Pipelines & Activity
- guideTypes of CRM Software: Operational, Suites & Sales CRM Shapes
- categoryCRM hub
- finderFind My CRM
- calculatorCost calculator
Related comparisons
Alternatives to consider
HubSpot
AI-powered customer platform with free forever CRM, plus paid Smart CRM seats and Sales/Marketing/Service hubs for growing teams.
Pipedrive
Pipeline-first sales CRM for visual deal management, activity-based selling, and growing sales teams.
Keap
Nutshell
Small-business CRM with pipelines, marketing add-ons, and AI assistance on a clear per-user ladder.
Still deciding between Insightly and SugarCRM?
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