Our Review of Freshsales CRM

Freshsales CRM, developed by Freshworks, is a sales-focused customer relationship management system designed to streamline sales processes and enhance team productivity. It aims to provide a user-friendly interface with powerful features to manage leads, deals, and customer interactions. With a focus on ease of use and affordability, Freshsales has become a popular choice for businesses of various sizes looking to improve their sales performance. This review will delve into its features, pricing, strengths, weaknesses, and suitability for different business types.

Freshsales CRM Features

Freshsales CRM provides a robust set of functionalities aimed at streamlining sales processes and improving customer relationship management.

1. Core CRM Functionality

Lead Management:

Captures and organises leads from various sources.
Lead scoring to prioritise high-potential prospects.
Lead lifecycle tracking to monitor progress.
Automated lead assignment to sales reps.

Contact Management:

Centralised repository for customer contact information.
360-degree view of customer interactions.
Contact segmentation and filtering.
Automatic profile enrichment with publicly available data.

Deal Management:

Visual sales pipeline to track deal progress.
Deal stage management and forecasting.
Deal activity tracking and reporting.
Ability to create and manage multiple sales pipelines.

Activity Management:

Task management, including task creation, assignment, and tracking.
Appointment scheduling and calendar integration.
Call logging and recording (if integrated with telephony).
Note-taking and activity history tracking.

2. Communication & Engagement

Email Integration:

Email syncing and tracking to monitor email opens and clicks.
Email templates for personalised communication.
Bulk email capabilities for targeted outreach.

Phone Integration:

Built-in phone functionality for making and receiving calls within the CRM.
Call logging and recording.

Chat Integration:

Integration with chat platforms for real-time customer communication.

Sales Campaigns:

Ability to create, send, and track personalized outbound campaigns from within the CRM.

Whatsapp Business and Apple Business Chat:

Integrations that allow for communication through those platforms.

3. Automation & Productivity

Workflow Automation:

Automate repetitive tasks and processes.
Create custom workflows based on triggers and actions.
Automate lead routing, task assignment, and notifications.

Sales Sequences:

Automate sequences of sales actions, such as emails and calls.

AI-Powered Features (Freddy AI):

AI-based lead scoring and insights.
Predictive analytics to forecast sales

4. Reporting & Analytics

Customisable Dashboards:

Create dashboards to visualise key sales metrics.

Reporting & Analytics:

Generate reports on sales performance, lead conversion, and other metrics.
Sales forecasting tools.

5. Customisation & Integrations

Custom Fields & Modules:

Customise the CRM to fit specific business needs.
Create custom fields and modules to capture relevant data.

Third-Party Integrations:

Integrate with various business applications, such as email, calendar, and accounting software.
API access for custom integrations.

Mobile App:

Mobile apps for IOS and Android, that allow for sales work to be conducted remotely.

Access to Freshsales’ comprehensive set of features varies based on the chosen subscription tier. Here’s a breakdown:

Free Tier (Free):

Contact management
Deal management
Built-in chat
Mobile app
Basic reporting

Growth Tier (£12 per user/month, billed annually):

All Free tier features
Bulk email
Sales sequences
Custom fields
Workflow automation
Advanced reporting

Pro Tier (£39 per user/month, billed annually):

All Growth tier features
Multiple sales pipelines
Time-based workflows
AI-powered insights (Freddy AI)
Advanced customisation

Enterprise Tier (£59 per user/month, billed annually):

All Pro tier features
Custom modules
Advanced security features
Dedicated account manager
IP whitelisting

How Much Does Freshsales Cost? (And Is It Worth It?)

Here’s a summary of Freshsales’ pricing, with approximate starting prices:

Free: £0
Growth: £12 per user/month
Pro: £39 per user/month
Enterprise: £59 per user/month

Please note that these are starting prices for annual billing, and monthly billing options are also available at a higher cost.

Freshsales’ tiered pricing structure, including a free tier, allows businesses to scale their CRM usage according to their evolving needs and budgets. We think the Growth and Pro tiers strike a good balance between cost and functionality, encompassing essential features like lead and deal management, automation, and reporting. The inclusion of AI-powered capabilities, such as Freddy AI, in higher-tier subscriptions further enhances its value, providing valuable insights and automation to drive sales performance.

Our Thoughts on Freshsales Free CRM Subscription

We found the free subscription option of Freshsales to be a very strategic and beneficial offering, particularly for very small businesses, startups, and individuals.

Excellent Entry Point: It serves as a fantastic entry point for businesses that are new to CRM or have limited budgets. It allows them to experience the core functionalities of Freshsales without any financial commitment. This “try before you buy” approach is incredibly valuable.

Essential Functionality: Even in its free version, Freshsales provides essential CRM features, such as contact and deal management, and built-in chat. This means that even without paying, users can effectively manage their basic sales processes.

Lead Generation: The free tier acts as a powerful lead generation tool for Freshworks. By offering a functional free version, they attract a large pool of potential customers who may eventually upgrade to paid plans as their businesses grow.

Learning & Familiarisation: It allows users to become familiar with the Freshsales interface and features, which can make the transition to a paid plan smoother. This reduces the risk of investing in a CRM that doesn’t meet their needs.

Limitations:
Of course, the free version has limitations. It lacks advanced features like automation, bulk email, and AI-powered insights. Therefore, it’s best suited for very basic CRM needs.

Value for Solopreneurs:
For solopreneurs and very small businesses, the free version can be a valuable tool for organizing contacts and managing sales pipelines.

In our opinion, the free Freshsales subscription is a smart move by Freshworks, and a useful tool for those just starting out. It provides real value and encourages users to explore the full potential of the platform.

Take a look at our comparison of the best free CRMs.

Freshsales CRM: Strengths and Weaknesses

To give you a clearer picture, here’s a quick rundown of Freshsales’ key strengths and weaknesses:

Strengths	Weaknesses
User-friendly interface and easy setup.	Advanced customisation is limited.
Strong automation capabilities.	Integration with some niche applications is lacking.
Effective lead and deal management.	Freddy AI features are primarily in higher tiers.
Good mobile app.	Some users report occasional performance issues.
Competitive pricing, especially for SMEs.	Reporting, while good, could be more granular.

Our Analysis: What Type of Business is Freshsales Best Suited For?

Freshsales is particularly well-suited for small to medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) in the UK. Its intuitive design and affordable pricing make it an excellent choice for businesses looking to implement a CRM system without a steep learning curve or significant upfront investment. Sales teams that prioritise efficiency and automation will find Freshsales’ features beneficial.

Startups and Small Businesses: The Free and Growth tiers provide essential CRM functionalities at a reasonable cost.
Sales-Driven Companies: Businesses with a strong focus on sales pipelines and lead management will appreciate the automation and reporting tools.
Businesses needing mobile access: The mobile app allows for sales on the go.
Companies looking for ease of use: The interface is very user friendly.

However, larger enterprises with highly complex sales processes and specific customisation needs might find the Enterprise tier necessary or may require a more robust, highly customisable CRM solution.

Conclusion

Freshsales CRM offers a solid balance of features, ease of use, and affordability, making it a viable option for UK businesses seeking to improve their sales operations. Its tiered pricing structure allows businesses to scale their CRM usage as they grow. While it might not be the most advanced CRM on the market, its strengths in lead management, automation, and user-friendliness make it a valuable tool for SMEs. Before making a decision, it’s recommended to take advantage of the free trial or free tier to assess if Freshsales meets your specific business requirements.