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SugarCRM is a customer relationship management (CRM) tool designed to help businesses manage their sales, marketing, and customer support needs. It offers customization and integration capabilities, making it a flexible choice for many organizations.

However, despite these advantages, some users find SugarCRM's complexity challenging and seek more user-friendly alternatives. In light of this, I've compiled a list of the best SugarCRM alternatives to help businesses find a solution that better aligns with their needs and enhances customer management efficiency.

What Is SugarCRM?

SugarCRM is a customer relationship management software designed to help businesses manage and analyze customer interactions and data throughout the customer lifecycle. Sales teams, marketing departments, and customer support professionals use it to improve customer retention, drive sales growth, and enhance customer satisfaction.

Why Look For A SugarCRM Alternative

You might seek an alternative to SugarCRM to address any of the following issues.

  • Complexity: SugarCRM can be difficult to navigate and use effectively.
  • High Cost: The pricing structure of SugarCRM may not be affordable for all businesses.
  • Steep Learning Curve: Learning and implementing requires significant time and effort.
  • Limited Customization: Some users find the customization options insufficient for their needs.
  • Integration Issues: It may not integrate with your other tools and platforms.

Alternatives to SugarCRM offer features and benefits that address these issues, providing more user-friendly interfaces, cost-effective pricing, and better integration capabilities. These alternatives can align more closely with your business needs and improve overall efficiency.

SugarCRM Alternatives Summary

We’ve investigated the pricing and availability of free trials and demo versions so you can make a much simpler side-by-side comparison.

Tools Price
Flowlu From $29/user/month (billed annually)
Agile CRM From $8.99/user/month (billed annually)
SuiteCRM Pricing upon request
Copper CRM From $23/user/month (billed annually)
Spotler CRM Pricing upon request
Close From $49/user/month (billed annually)
EngageBay CRM From $12.74/user/month (billed annually)
Nutshell CRM From $16/user/month
Apptivo From $15/user/month (billed annually)
Insightly From $29/user/month (billed annually)
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Best SugarCRM Alternatives Reviews

In this analysis, I will examine various alternatives to SugarCRM and walk you through each tool’s pros and cons, features, and best use cases.

Best for all-in-one small business management

  • 14-day free trial
  • From $29/user/month (billed annually)
Visit Website
Rating: 4.8/5

Flowlu is an all-in-one CRM and project management tool designed for small businesses. Its features simplify business operations, making it ideal for small business management.

Why it's a good SugarCRM alternative: I chose Flowlu because it combines CRM, project management, and financial tools, which makes it a versatile alternative to SugarCRM, especially for businesses looking to consolidate multiple functions into a single platform.

Standout Features & Integrations:

Features include lead management, project tracking, financial management, and invoicing. It also provides collaboration tools and customizable options to fit specific business needs.

Integrations include PayPal, Stripe, QuickBooks, Xero, Zapier, Google Drive, Google Calendar, and Google Contacts.

Pros and cons

Pros:

  • Advanced financial management features
  • Customizable to fit specific business needs
  • Complete suite of tools for small businesses

Cons:

  • May require a learning curve for new users
  • Customer support can be slow at times

Best for all-in-one sales and marketing automation

  • Free plan available
  • From $8.99/user/month (billed annually)
Visit Website
Rating: 4.5/5

Agile CRM is an all-in-one customer relationship management software designed for small to medium-sized businesses. It provides sales and marketing automation tools.

Why it's a good SugarCRM alternative: I chose Agile CRM for this list because it offers a suite of features that cover sales, marketing, and customer service, making it a versatile alternative to SugarCRM. Its user-friendly pricing model and extensive integrations make it a good business choice.

Standout Features & Integrations:

Features include contact management, deal tracking, telephony, appointment scheduling, project management, and gamification to boost sales performance. Its marketing automation capabilities feature a drag-and-drop workflow designer, landing page builder, social media integration, and email marketing tools. 

Integrations include Google Apps, Xero, Twilio, RingCentral, LinkedIn, Facebook, Twitter, Shopify, Stripe, Mandrill, and SendGrid.

Pros and cons

Pros:

  • Solid customer support
  • Customizable workflows
  • Complete feature set for sales, marketing, and customer service

Cons:

  • Occasional performance issues with large data sets
  • Steeper learning curve for new users

Best for open-source flexibility

  • 30-day free trial + free demo available
  • Pricing upon request
Visit Website
Rating: 4.5/5

SuiteCRM is an open-source CRM solution that enhances customer engagement and operational efficiency. It is best for open-source flexibility because it allows customization and integration options, making it adaptable to various business needs.

Why it's a good SugarCRM alternative: I chose SuiteCRM for the list because it offers a high degree of flexibility, which is essential for businesses looking to tailor their CRM to specific requirements. Its open-source nature allows for continuous improvement and community-driven enhancements, making it a good alternative to SugarCRM.

Standout Features & Integrations:

Features include customizable data models, reporting tools, and dashboards that provide insights into sales and customer service. It also automates customer segmentation and targeted marketing, aiding lead generation and service quality.

Integrations include Microsoft Outlook, Thunderbird, Google Calendar, Mailchimp, QuickBooks, Xero, Joomla, WordPress, Drupal, and Magento.

Pros and cons

Pros:

  • Solid reporting tools
  • Strong community support
  • Highly customizable and flexible

Cons:

  • User interface can be less intuitive
  • Limited out-of-the-box features compared to proprietary CRMs

Best for Google Workspace integration

  • From $23/user/month (billed annually)

Copper is a CRM solution that enhances customer relationship management by centralizing contact information, tracking deals, and automating workflows. It is best for Google Workspace integration, ensuring consistent synchronization of emails, calendar events, and documents.

Why it's a good SugarCRM alternative: I chose Copper CRM for the list because of its deep integration with Google Workspace, a significant advantage for businesses already using Google tools. This integration makes managing customer relationships directly from Gmail and other Google apps easier, providing a more streamlined workflow than SugarCRM.

Standout Features & Integrations:

Features include contact organization, deal tracking, workflow management, task automation, and mobile access. These features help businesses manage their customer relationships more effectively and efficiently.

Integrations include Google Workspace, Slack, Zendesk, HubSpot, QuickBooks, Docusign, Mailchimp, RingCentral, Xero, and Trello.

Pros and cons

Pros:

  • Analytical reporting tools
  • Task automation features
  • User-friendly interface

Cons:

  • Limited customization options
  • Steep learning curve

Best for B2B marketing automation

  • 14-day free trial
  • Pricing upon request

Spotler CRM is a CRM tool designed for B2B marketing teams. It offers marketing automation, lead management, and email marketing. It provides tools for managing and automating marketing campaigns, making it ideal for businesses focused on B2B marketing.

Why it's a good SugarCRM alternative: I chose Spotler CRM for its strong focus on B2B marketing automation, which sets it apart from other CRM tools. Its suite of marketing tools and ease of use make it a good alternative to SugarCRM, especially for businesses looking to enhance their marketing efforts.

Standout Features & Integrations:

Features include marketing automation, lead management, email marketing, and analytics. It also supports sales functions with contact management, pipeline management, and workflow automation.

Integrations include G Suite, Office 365, Slack, QuickBooks, Xero, Dropbox, PayPal, Stripe, RingCentral, and Zapier.

Pros and cons

Pros:

  • Strong customer support
  • User-friendly interface
  • Marketing automation tools

Cons:

  • May require training for full utilization
  • Limited customization options

Best for small business sales teams

  • 14-day free trial
  • From $49/user/month (billed annually)

Close is a CRM tool designed to help small business sales teams manage their sales processes efficiently. It is best for small business sales teams because it offers a streamlined interface and features that cater specifically to the needs of smaller sales teams, helping them close deals faster.

Why it's a good SugarCRM alternative: I chose Close for this list as it focuses on speed and efficiency, which are essential for small business sales teams. Its ability to integrate various sales tools into one platform also makes it a solid alternative to SugarCRM.

Standout Features & Integrations:

Features include built-in calling, email synchronization, and task automation, which help sales teams manage their workflows more effectively. The platform also offers reporting and analytics to track performance.

Integrations include Slack, Zapier, Zoom, Google Workspace, Mailchimp, Zendesk, HubSpot, QuickBooks, Stripe, and Intercom.

Pros and cons

Pros:

  • Solid reporting and analytics
  • Built-in calling and email synchronization
  • User-friendly interface

Cons:

  • Primarily focused on sales, less on support
  • Limited customization options

Best for integrated marketing and sales

  • Free plan available
  • From $12.74/user/month (billed annually)

EngageBay CRM is an all-in-one CRM solution that integrates marketing, sales, and support functionalities. It is best for integrated marketing and sales because it combines these functions into a single platform, allowing businesses to simplify their processes and improve efficiency.

Why it's a good SugarCRM alternative: I chose EngageBay CRM for the list because it is a versatile alternative to SugarCRM. Its affordability and range of features make it a cost-effective solution for businesses of various sizes.

Standout Features & Integrations:

Features include marketing automation, email marketing, sales automation, telephony, multiple deal pipelines, and email template sequences. It also has a customer experience support system with ticketing, helpdesk automation, and customer feedback tools.

Integrations include Zapier, Xero, QuickBooks, Mailgun, SendGrid, Twilio, Stripe, Google Workspace, Office 365, LinkedIn, and Shopify.

Pros and cons

Pros:

  • Strong customer support
  • Highly scalable
  • Complete all-in-one solution

Cons:

  • Occasional performance issues with large data sets
  • Limited advanced customization options

Best for user-friendly sales automation

  • 14-day free trial
  • From $16/user/month

Nutshell CRM is a user-friendly sales automation tool that simplifies sales processes for B2B teams. Its intuitive interface and features aim to streamline sales tasks.

Why it's a good SugarCRM alternative: I chose Nutshell CRM for its ease of use and sales automation capabilities. It stands out as a good SugarCRM alternative because it offers a more intuitive user experience and integrates with popular tools, making it easier for teams to adopt and use effectively.

Standout Features & Integrations:

Features include powerful sales automation, customizable pipeline management, and advanced reporting/analytics. It also includes email and calendar synchronization to keep sales activities organized.

Integrations include 123 Form Builder, 3CX, ActiveCampaign, Asana, Aweber, Box, Callhippo, Constant Contact, Dropbox, Google Drive, Gravity Forms, HubSpot, Zendesk, Zapier, and Slack.

Pros and cons

Pros:

  • Strong integration capabilities
  • Sales automation features
  • Intuitive user interface

Cons:

  • Mobile app could use some improvement
  • Limited customization options

Best for customizable CRM solutions

  • 30-day free trial
  • From $15/user/month (billed annually)

Apptivo is a versatile CRM platform that simplifies business processes and enhances sales performance. It is best for customizable CRM solutions due to its extensive range of features and flexibility, allowing businesses to tailor the platform to their specific needs.

Why it's a good SugarCRM alternative: Apptivo is a good SugarCRM alternative because it offers functionality, including lead management, invoicing, and workflow automation, which can be tailored to fit various business requirements.

Standout Features & Integrations:

Features include lead and contact management, opportunity tracking, and customizable reporting. The platform also supports workflow automation and integrates with popular tools like G-Suite and QuickBooks.

Integrations include G Suite, Office 365, Slack, QuickBooks, Xero, Dropbox, PayPal, Stripe, RingCentral, and Zapier.

Pros and cons

Pros:

  • Strong integration capabilities
  • Complete suite of applications
  • Highly customizable

Cons:

  • Customer support can be slow
  • Can be complex to set up

Best for scalable CRM and marketing integration

  • 14-day free trial
  • From $29/user/month (billed annually)

Insightly is a scalable CRM platform that enhances customer relationships and drives business growth. It is best for scalable CRM and marketing integration because its tools unify sales, marketing, and project management.

Why it's a good SugarCRM alternative: I chose Insightly because of its integration capabilities and scalability, which makes it suitable for businesses of various sizes. Its unified platform for CRM and marketing helps streamline operations and improve customer engagement, which is important for growing companies.

Standout Features & Integrations:

Features include pipeline management, lead tracking, and marketing automation. These tools help businesses streamline their sales processes and improve customer engagement.

Integrations include QuickBooks Online, Xero, Sage, Workday, ADP Workforce Now, BambooHR, ZoomInfo, Gong, Docusign, and WordPress.

Pros and cons

Pros:

  • Scalable for different business sizes
  • Strong integration capabilities

Cons:

  • Learning curve for new users
  • Limited customization options
  • CRM and marketing tools

Other SugarCRM Alternatives

Below is a list of additional SugarCRM alternatives that we evaluated but did not make the top list. They’re still worth checking out!

  1. Vtiger CRM

    Best for unified sales and support

  2. Bigin by Zoho CRM

    Best for simple pipeline management

  3. Bitrix24

    Best for data migration

  4. HubSpot CRM

    Best for marketing automation integration

  5. Zoho CRM

    Best for customizable workflows

  6. Dynamics 365

    Best for enterprise-level solutions

  7. Odoo

    Best for integrated business applications

  8. Pipedrive

    Best for visual sales pipelines

  9. Salesforce Financial Services Cloud

    Best for third-party integrations

  10. Freshworks CRM

    Best for AI-powered leads

If you still haven't found what you're looking for, check out these related tools we've tested and evaluated.

SugarCRM Alternatives Selection Criteria

The criteria for choosing SugarCRM alternatives should address buyer needs and common pain points, ensuring the tool effectively serves its intended purpose. As an expert who has personally tried and researched this type of software, here are the requirements I use when evaluating these tools.

Core Functionality: 25% of total weighting score

  • Contact management follow-ups
  • Sales automation
  • Marketing automation
  • Customer support
  • Reporting and analytics
  • Task management

Additional Standout Features: 25% of total weighting score

  • AI-driven insights and predictive analytics
  • Advanced sales CRM customization options
  • Integration with third-party applications
  • Mobile accessibility with full functionality
  • Real-time collaboration tools

Usability: 10% of total weighting score

  • Intuitive user interface with a minimal learning curve
  • Customizable dashboards
  • Drag-and-drop functionality for ease of use
  • Clear and logical navigation
  • Responsive design for various devices

Onboarding: 10% of total weighting score

  • Availability of  training videos
  • Interactive product tours
  • Pre-built templates for quick setup
  • Access to chatbots for immediate assistance
  • Regular webinars for ongoing learning

Customer Support: 10% of total weighting score

  • 24/7 support availability
  • Multiple support channels (phone, email, chat)
  • Dedicated account managers
  • Extensive knowledge base
  • Fast response times

Value For Money: 10% of total weighting score

  • Competitive pricing models
  • Transparent pricing with no hidden fees
  • Flexible subscription plans
  • Discounts for long-term commitments
  • ROI potential based on the feature set

Customer Reviews: 10% of total weighting score

  • Overall satisfaction ratings
  • Feedback on ease of use
  • Comments on customer support quality
  • Insights on feature effectiveness
  • User testimonials on value for money

SugarCRM Key Features

Here are some key features of SugarCRM that your alternative software should be able to replicate or improve upon to be a good fit.

  1. Quote Management Systems: Streamlines the sales cycle by enabling quick and easy quote creation.
  2. CRM Reporting & Dashboards: Provides tools to monitor marketing, sales, and customer support metrics, turning data into actionable insights.
  3. Sales Forecasting: Enhances visibility and predictability in business performance for individual users and decision-makers.
  4. SugarBPM: A workflow automation tool that increases efficiency and productivity by automating customer-facing processes.
  5. Customization and Configuration: Allows businesses to tailor the CRM to their specific needs, recognizing that each business is unique.
  6. Mobile CRM App: Access CRM data on the go, with or without connectivity.
  7. CRM Campaign Management: Create and track multi-channel marketing campaigns.
  8. Multilingual and Multi-Currency Support: Supports over 30 languages and offers a framework for additional languages.
  9. CRM for Project Management: Manage projects across various departments efficiently.
  10. Teams, Roles, and Security: Ensures data access is role-specific to enhance security.

What’s Next?

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Phil Gray
By Phil Gray

Philip Gray is the COO of Black and White Zebra and Founding Editor of The RevOps Team. A business renaissance man with his hands in many departmental pies, he is an advocate of centralized data management, holistic planning, and process automation. It's this love for data and all things revenue operations landed him the role as resident big brain for The RevOps Team.

With 10+ years of experience in leadership and operations in industries that include biotechnology, healthcare, logistics, and SaaS, he applies a considerable broad scope of experience in business that lets him see the big picture. An unapologetic buzzword apologist, you can often find him double clicking, drilling down, and unpacking all the things.