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Updated November 6, 2026

monday CRM alternatives in 2026: 8 tools compared

monday CRM: Flexible CRM built on the monday.com work platform. People look for alternatives when they need a lower price, a free plan or a better fit for a specific job.

These 8 tools cover similar ground. Each entry explains who it suits, how pricing works and what to watch out for.

Key takeaways

  • ActiveCampaign: businesses that want advanced automation and a built-in CRM.
  • Attio: startups and modern teams that want a flexible, fast CRM.
  • Close: high-volume inside sales and startup sales teams.
  • Copper: teams that run their business in Gmail and Google Workspace.
  • Freshsales: growing sales teams that want calling and email built into the CRM.
  • HubSpot CRM: small and mid-size businesses that want to start free and add marketing and sales tools later.
  • Less Annoying CRM: small businesses and solo professionals who want simplicity.
  • Microsoft Dynamics 365 Sales: larger organisations standardised on Microsoft tools.

Quick comparison

ToolBest forPricingFree plan
ActiveCampaign Businesses that want advanced automation and a built-in CRM Free trial No
Attio Startups and modern teams that want a flexible, fast CRM Freemium Yes
Close High-volume inside sales and startup sales teams Free trial No
Copper Teams that run their business in Gmail and Google Workspace Free trial No
Freshsales Growing sales teams that want calling and email built into the CRM Free trial No
HubSpot CRM Small and mid-size businesses that want to start free and add marketing and sales tools later Freemium Yes
Less Annoying CRM Small businesses and solo professionals who want simplicity Free trial No
Microsoft Dynamics 365 Sales Larger organisations standardised on Microsoft tools Free trial No

The best monday CRM alternatives

1.

ActiveCampaign

Best for: Businesses that want advanced automation and a built-in CRM

Email marketing with some of the strongest automation available.

Free trial

Paid plans with a free trial.

Who it suits: Businesses that want advanced automation and a built-in CRM.

What we like

  • Very powerful automations
  • Good deliverability
  • CRM included

Watch out for

  • Learning curve
  • Price rises with contacts
Full ActiveCampaign review

2.

Attio

Best for: Startups and modern teams that want a flexible, fast CRM

Modern, data-driven CRM you can shape around your business.

Freemium

Free plan available. Paid plans add more features and limits.

Who it suits: Startups and modern teams that want a flexible, fast CRM.

What we like

  • Beautiful, fast interface
  • Very flexible data model
  • Free plan for small teams

Watch out for

  • Younger product than incumbents
  • Fewer native integrations
Full Attio review

3.

Close

Best for: High-volume inside sales and startup sales teams

CRM with built-in calling, SMS and email for inside sales teams.

Free trial

Paid plans with a free trial.

Who it suits: High-volume inside sales and startup sales teams.

What we like

  • Excellent for outbound calling
  • Fast workflow
  • Strong onboarding

Watch out for

  • Less suited to complex enterprise needs
  • Pricier than basic CRMs
Full Close review

4.

Copper

Best for: Teams that run their business in Gmail and Google Workspace

CRM designed to work inside Google Workspace.

Free trial

Paid plans with a free trial.

Who it suits: Teams that run their business in Gmail and Google Workspace.

What we like

  • Deep Google Workspace integration
  • Minimal data entry
  • Easy to adopt

Watch out for

  • Less useful outside Google Workspace
  • Limited advanced customisation
Full Copper review

5.

Freshsales

Best for: Growing sales teams that want calling and email built into the CRM

CRM from Freshworks with built-in phone, email and AI lead scoring.

Free trial

Paid plans with a free trial.

Who it suits: Growing sales teams that want calling and email built into the CRM.

What we like

  • Communication tools built in
  • Clean interface
  • Works well with Freshdesk

Watch out for

  • Advanced reporting on higher plans
  • Smaller ecosystem than leaders
Full Freshsales review

6.

HubSpot CRM

Best for: Small and mid-size businesses that want to start free and add marketing and sales tools later

Free CRM that grows into a full marketing, sales and service platform.

Freemium

Free plan available. Paid plans add more features and limits.

Who it suits: Small and mid-size businesses that want to start free and add marketing and sales tools later.

What we like

  • Genuinely useful free plan
  • Very easy to use
  • Huge integration marketplace

Watch out for

  • Paid tiers get expensive quickly
  • Advanced features locked to higher plans
Full HubSpot CRM review

7.

Less Annoying CRM

Best for: Small businesses and solo professionals who want simplicity

Simple, low-cost CRM for small businesses.

Free trial

Paid plans with a free trial.

Who it suits: Small businesses and solo professionals who want simplicity.

What we like

  • Very simple to learn
  • One flat low price
  • Friendly support

Watch out for

  • Limited automation
  • Not built for large sales teams
Full Less Annoying CRM review

8.

Microsoft Dynamics 365 Sales

Best for: Larger organisations standardised on Microsoft tools

Enterprise CRM tightly integrated with Microsoft 365.

Free trial

Paid plans with a free trial.

Who it suits: Larger organisations standardised on Microsoft tools.

What we like

  • Deep Microsoft 365 integration
  • Enterprise-grade security
  • Highly extensible

Watch out for

  • Complex licensing
  • Usually needs a partner to implement
Full Microsoft Dynamics 365 Sales review

How we chose

  • Every tool on this list does the core job of CRM software, so it can replace monday CRM for most people.
  • We weighed pricing and free plans, ease of use, and the trade-offs you take on when switching.
  • Pricing comes from each vendor’s public pricing page and changes often, so confirm before you buy.

Buying guide: what to check before you switch

A CRM (customer relationship management) system keeps contacts, companies, deals and emails in one place so your team knows where every opportunity stands. Small teams want something simple and quick to set up; larger sales teams need pipelines, forecasting, automation and reporting.

  • How fast your team can learn it
  • Pipeline and deal views that match how you sell
  • Email and calendar sync
  • Price per user as you grow

Prices and features change often. Check each vendor’s website for current plans before you buy.