Our verdict · 8.2/10 Excellent
A good-value all-in-one sales CRM, especially if you want calling built in. The interface is clean, but advanced AI and reporting sit on higher tiers.
Key takeaways
- Best for: Small sales teams wanting built-in calling.
- Strongest area: Ease of use (8.4/10). Weakest: Support & reliability (7.9/10).
- Price: Free; paid from around $9–11 / user / month — free plan available.
- Watch out for: Best AI features on Pro and above.
What is Freshsales?
Freshsales is Freshworks' sales CRM. It combines contact and deal management with built-in email, phone and chat, plus Freddy AI for lead scoring and deal insights on higher tiers. It sits between simple pipeline tools and heavyweight platforms, with a free plan for very small teams.
Freshsales is made by Freshworks and is reviewed here as a CRM. It is priced on a freemium basis, and our editorial score is 8.2 out of 10, calculated from six weighted criteria.
Who it’s for — and who should skip it
Choose Freshsales if
- Small sales teams wanting built-in calling
- Teams already using Freshdesk
- Budget-conscious buyers
Not for you if
- Marketing-led businesses needing deep automation
- Teams needing a huge app ecosystem
Key features
Call and record from the CRM with local numbers.
Lead scoring, deal insights and forecasting on higher tiers.
Automated email sequences for outreach.
Multiple pipelines with drag-and-drop deals.
- Gmail
- Outlook
- Slack
- Zoom
- Freshdesk
- Zapier
Pros & cons
What we like
- Built-in phone, email and chat
- Low entry price
- Clean, modern interface
- Integrates with other Freshworks products
Watch out for
- Best AI features on Pro and above
- Smaller marketplace than leaders
- Reporting can feel basic on lower tiers
Pricing & true cost
| Plan | Indicative price | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Free | Free | Up to 3 users |
| Growth | ≈ $9 / user / mo | Billed annually |
| Pro | ≈ $39 / user / mo | Billed annually |
| Enterprise | ≈ $59 / user / mo | Billed annually |
Pricing watch-out: Free plan for small teams; AI features on higher tiers.
True cost at 5, 10 and 25 seats
Cheapest paid plan that fits each team size, from indicative list prices checked October 31, 2026. Excludes tax, add-ons, onboarding fees and promotional discounts.
Pricing watch-outs
- Steep tier jump. Moving from Growth to Pro raises the per-user price from $9 to $39 (4.3×). Check which features force the upgrade.
Contract questions to ask before you sign
- Does the plan auto-renew, and how many days’ notice do you need to cancel?
- Is the advertised price for annual billing? What is the month-to-month price?
- Is the first-year price a promotion? What will renewal cost, and is it capped?
- Is there a minimum number of seats, or a charge for inactive users?
- Are onboarding, implementation or premium-support fees extra?
- How do we export all our data if we leave, and in what format?
General questions for any vendor — not findings about this product. Build a full checklist with our requirements builder.
Indicative USD pricing, last checked October 31, 2026. Vendors change prices and promotions often — always confirm on their website. Model your own numbers with our SaaS TCO calculator.
Score breakdown
| Criterion | Weight | Score | Points | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Features & fit | 25% | 8.2 | 2.10 | |
| Ease of use | 20% | 8.4 | 1.70 | |
| Value for money | 20% | 8.4 | 1.70 | |
| Support & reliability | 10% | 7.9 | 0.80 | |
| Security & privacy | 10% | 8.2 | 0.80 | |
| Integrations & ecosystem | 15% | 8.0 | 1.20 | |
| Overall | 100% | Weighted for business software products | 8.2 | |
Security & compliance facts
| Item | Status | Question to ask Freshworks |
|---|---|---|
| Multi-factor authenticationStops most account takeovers from reused or phished passwords. | Not verified by us | Can admins enforce MFA for every user, on every plan? |
| Single sign-on (SAML/OIDC)Lets you remove a leaver’s access everywhere from one place. | Not verified by us | Is SSO included on the plan we are buying, or only on enterprise tiers? |
| SOC 2 Type II reportIndependent audit of the vendor’s security controls — often required by larger customers. | Not verified by us | Can we see your current SOC 2 Type II report (under NDA if needed)? |
| ISO/IEC 27001 certificationInternational standard for running an information-security programme. | Not verified by us | Which legal entity and services does your ISO 27001 certificate cover? |
| GDPR data processing agreementNeeded if you handle personal data of people in the EU/UK. | Not verified by us | Do you offer a signed DPA and list your sub-processors? |
| HIPAA business associate agreementRequired before US healthcare businesses store protected health information. | Not verified by us | Will you sign a BAA, and on which plans? |
We have not yet verified these items for Freshsales against a primary source, so we don’t claim them either way. Check Freshworks’s trust or security page and ask for documents in writing.
Before you buy any CRM
Check Freshsales against the same list we use for every CRM — and confirm each point on the plan you intend to buy, not the top tier.
- Two-way email and calendar sync
- Pipeline view that matches your sales stages
- Automation available on the tier you can afford
- Reporting your managers will actually use
- Clean data export if you ever leave
See every ranked option in CRM Software.
Freshsales alternatives
Pick an alternative by what matters to you
- Easier to use
HubSpot CRMEase-of-use score 9.3 vs 8.4 - Better integrationsSSSalesforce Sales CloudIntegrations score 9.8 vs 8.0
- Stronger on securitySSSalesforce Sales CloudSecurity & privacy score 9.0 vs 8.2
- Higher overall scoreHubSpot CRMOverall 8.8 vs 8.2
Computed from our published scores and indicative pricing for tools in the same category as Freshsales. Scores are editorial; see the methodology.
Editor’s picks
A genuinely useful free CRM that grows into a full marketing and sales platform.
A sales-first CRM built around the pipeline, loved by small sales teams.
Feature-rich CRM at a price point that is hard to beat, especially inside the Zoho suite.
Head-to-head comparisons
Featured in: Best CRM Software for Small Business, Best Free CRM Software
Review history
- Scored under methodology v2.0 (six weighted criteria, computed overall score).
Freshsales FAQ
Does Freshsales have a free plan?
Yes, a free plan for a small number of users with core contact and deal management.
Is Freshsales part of Freshworks?
Yes. It integrates with Freshdesk and other Freshworks products.
Does Freshsales have a free plan?
Yes. Freshsales offers a free plan. Paid plans start at paid from around $9–11 / user / month (indicative — check the vendor for current pricing).
Who is Freshsales best for?
Freshsales is best for: small sales teams wanting built-in calling; teams already using Freshdesk; budget-conscious buyers.
How much does Freshsales cost for a team of 10?
On indicative list prices, the cheapest paid plan that fits 10 users (Growth) works out at roughly $90 per month, or about $1,080 per year, before tax, add-ons and discounts.
How is the Freshsales score calculated?
The 8.2/10 overall score is a weighted average of six sub-scores — features & fit, ease of use, value, support & reliability, security & privacy, and integrations — using the published weights for software products. Affiliate relationships have no input. See our methodology page for the full rubric.
What are the best alternatives to Freshsales?
Popular alternatives include HubSpot CRM, Pipedrive, Zoho CRM. See our comparisons for side-by-side verdicts.