Why consider monday CRM alternatives?
Purpose-built CRMs vs project management with CRM features
monday CRM feels like monday.com's project management interface with CRM features bolted on. For teams already using monday.com, this familiarity is great. For everyone else, it raises a question: why not just use a purpose-built CRM?
Pricing is the first pain point. monday CRM starts around $12/user/month but quickly escalates as you add contacts and features. By the time you're paying for automation, integrations, and higher contact limits, you're looking at $20-30/user/month or more. Alternatives like HubSpot offer more CRM functionality for free, while Pipedrive costs less with deeper sales features.
The interface, while colorful and visual, isn't always ideal for CRM work. Sales teams need fast data entry, quick pipeline views, and efficient contact management. monday CRM's board-based layout looks great but can feel clunky when you're managing hundreds of deals. Traditional CRM interfaces exist for a reason: they're optimized for sales workflows.
Integrations are hit-or-miss. monday CRM connects to common tools (email, calendars, Slack), but the depth isn't there compared to mature CRMs. HubSpot's ecosystem is massive. Salesforce has thousands of integrations. monday CRM feels limited in comparison, especially for complex sales stacks.
Another complaint I've heard from sales teams: the reporting isn't as robust as dedicated CRMs. You can build dashboards and track metrics, but customizing reports requires workarounds. Tools like Close or Pipedrive have sales-specific reporting built-in from day one.
Look, monday CRM isn't bad. If your team already lives in monday.com and needs basic CRM functionality, it makes sense to stay in the ecosystem. But if you're starting fresh or need serious CRM depth, purpose-built alternatives often deliver more value for less money.
What makes a good monday CRM alternative?
When hunting for a monday CRM replacement, focus on what actually matters for your sales workflow.
Sales-Specific Features
monday CRM adapts project management features for sales. Purpose-built CRMs design everything around sales from the start: pipeline management, lead scoring, email sequences, call logging. Look for tools that speak your sales team's language instead of making them adapt to a project management mindset.
Pricing Transparency
monday CRM's pricing gets confusing fast with per-contact fees and feature tiers. Better alternatives have straightforward per-user pricing. HubSpot starts free. Pipedrive has clear tier pricing. Folk offers unlimited contacts at every tier. Know exactly what you're paying before committing.
Email Integration Depth
CRM lives and dies by email integration. Can you track emails automatically? Send sequences? See full conversation history? monday CRM does basics, but tools like Copper (built for Gmail) or Close (with built-in calling and SMS) take it further.
Reporting and Analytics
Sales managers need visibility into pipeline health, win rates, and team performance. monday CRM's reporting works but requires setup. Mature CRMs have sales-specific reports out of the box. If you're spending hours building custom dashboards, you're paying a hidden cost.
Learning Curve
monday CRM's board interface is intuitive if you already use monday.com. For new users, it's a learning curve. Some alternatives like Folk or Copper are simpler. Others like Salesforce are more complex but infinitely customizable.
Team Size Fit
Small teams (under 10 people) need simplicity and affordability. Folk, Pipedrive, or HubSpot fit well. Enterprise teams need scalability and customization: Salesforce or Zoho CRM handle complexity better.
Top monday CRM Alternatives
Let's break down the best options.
1. HubSpot CRM
HubSpot CRM is the obvious starting point because the free tier is genuinely useful. Unlimited users, unlimited contacts, deal tracking, email integration, and basic reporting. No credit card required. This alone makes it a better entry point than monday CRM's paid-only model.
Zoho CRM
Zoho CRM is the feature-packed alternative that competes on price and depth. If monday CRM felt limited, Zoho has everything: lead scoring, workflow automation, AI predictions, territory management, and more.
Pricing is competitive: starts around $14/user/month for Standard tier, $23/user/month for Professional with automation. Comparable to monday CRM but with way more CRM-specific features. The free tier supports up to 3 users, which is fine for tiny teams testing it out.
The feature set is overwhelming in a good way. Workflow automation rivals Salesforce at a fraction of the cost. AI assistant (Zia) predicts deal outcomes and suggests next actions. Blueprint feature maps sales processes visually. If you need depth, Zoho has it.
Integration with other Zoho apps is seamless. If you use Zoho Mail, Books, Campaigns, or other products, everything connects automatically. For teams already in the Zoho ecosystem, this is a no-brainer. For everyone else, it's less relevant.
Downsides? The interface feels dated compared to modern CRMs. It's functional but not beautiful. monday CRM at least looks nice; Zoho CRM prioritizes function over form. Also, the sheer number of features creates a learning curve. Onboarding takes longer than simpler alternatives.
Customization is powerful but complex. You can configure Zoho CRM to do almost anything, but it requires time investment. Small teams might find this overwhelming. Enterprises love it because they can build exactly what they need.
Mobile apps are solid but not amazing. They work fine for checking pipeline and logging calls, but complex tasks are better on desktop. monday CRM's mobile experience is actually smoother by comparison.
Zoho CRM makes sense for teams that need enterprise features without enterprise pricing. If you outgrew monday CRM's capabilities and don't want to pay Salesforce prices, Zoho is the middle ground.
Copper
Copper (formerly ProsperWorks) is the Gmail-native CRM that makes monday CRM's email integration look basic. If your sales team lives in Gmail, this is worth serious consideration.
The integration is seamless. Copper lives inside Gmail: no switching tabs, no separate interface. See contact details, deal status, and conversation history directly in your inbox. Log emails and create tasks without leaving Gmail. After using it for a few months, opening a separate CRM feels clunky.
Setup is fast. Connect your Google Workspace, and Copper automatically populates contacts from your email history. No manual data entry, no CSV imports. It just works. monday CRM requires way more setup by comparison.
The pipeline view is clean and visual. Drag deals between stages, customize fields, set up automation. It's simpler than monday CRM's board interface because it's purpose-built for sales, not adapted from project management.
Downsides? It's really built for Google Workspace users. If your team uses Outlook or other email systems, Copper's killer feature (Gmail integration) becomes irrelevant. There's an Outlook add-in, but it's not the same experience.
Pricing is mid-range: starts $12/user/month for Basic, $29/user/month for Professional with automation. Comparable to monday CRM but more focused. You're paying for depth in one area (Gmail integration) rather than breadth.
Reporting is decent but not exceptional. Standard sales reports work fine, but custom reporting requires higher tiers. If advanced analytics matter, HubSpot or Zoho offer more out of the box.
Copper is perfect for small to mid-size teams on Google Workspace who want CRM to disappear into their existing workflow. If you're not on Gmail, look elsewhere. If you are, this might be the smoothest CRM experience available.
Pipedrive
Pipedrive is the sales-focused CRM built by salespeople for salespeople. The interface is clean, the features are practical, and the pricing is transparent. No fluff, just what sales teams actually need.
The pipeline view is the best I've used. Visual, intuitive, and fast. Drag deals through stages, see probabilities, spot bottlenecks instantly. monday CRM's board view tries to do this but feels clunky by comparison. Pipedrive nailed it from day one.
Activity-based selling is Pipedrive's core philosophy. Focus on activities (calls, emails, meetings) that move deals forward. The system reminds you what to do next instead of just tracking what happened. This keeps reps focused and pipelines moving.
Email integration works well with Gmail and Outlook. Track emails, use templates, sync calendars. Not as deep as Copper's Gmail integration, but solid. monday CRM matches this, so it's neutral.
Pricing is straightforward: Essential at $14/user/month, Advanced at $29/user/month, Professional at $49/user/month. No hidden fees, no per-contact charges. You know exactly what you're paying. Compare this to monday CRM's confusing tier structure, and Pipedrive wins on transparency.
Reporting is strong. Sales-specific dashboards, customizable reports, revenue forecasting. The insights actually help managers make decisions instead of just presenting data. monday CRM's reporting requires more manual setup to achieve similar results.
Downsides? The customization is more limited than Zoho or Salesforce. Pipedrive is opinionated about how CRM should work, which is great if you agree but limiting if you want to build custom workflows. Also, the marketing features are basic: this is purely a sales CRM.
Pipedrive is ideal for small to mid-size sales teams that want a focused, reliable CRM without complexity. If you found monday CRM confusing or over-engineered, Pipedrive strips it back to essentials done well.
Close
Close is the CRM for high-velocity sales teams that need calling, email, and SMS built-in. If monday CRM felt like it was missing communication tools, Close is the opposite: everything is integrated.
The built-in calling is what sets Close apart. Click to call from the CRM, automatic call recording, voicemail drop, and power dialer for outbound teams. No need for separate phone systems or integrations. This is huge for inside sales teams making dozens of calls daily.
Email sequences work natively too. Set up multi-step sequences, personalize at scale, track opens and replies. It's not as advanced as dedicated email tools, but for most sales teams, it's enough. monday CRM requires third-party tools for similar functionality.
SMS is built-in, which is rare for CRMs. Text prospects directly from the platform, track conversations, automate follow-ups. If your sales process involves texting (and increasingly, it does), Close handles it natively.
The interface prioritizes speed. Keyboard shortcuts for everything, quick contact creation, fast pipeline updates. Close is built for reps who live in the CRM all day, not managers checking dashboards occasionally.
Downsides? Pricing is higher: starts $49/user/month for Startup, $99/user/month for Professional. That's 2-4x monday CRM's entry pricing. You're paying for built-in communication tools, but it adds up.
Also, Close is very opinionated. It's built for B2B inside sales with outbound focus. If your sales process is different (long enterprise deals, inbound-heavy, ecommerce), Close might feel mismatched.
Reporting is solid but not the deepest. Standard sales metrics work fine, but complex custom reports require workarounds. If analytics are critical, HubSpot or Salesforce offer more.
Close makes sense for inside sales teams that need communication tools integrated with CRM. If you're making lots of calls and sending sequences daily, the built-in tools justify the higher price. If not, cheaper alternatives work fine.
Folk
Folk is the modern, simple CRM that treats contacts like people, not data points. If monday CRM felt corporate and clunky, Folk is the opposite: lightweight and human.
Salesforce
Salesforce is the enterprise CRM that does everything. If monday CRM felt limited, Salesforce is the opposite extreme: infinitely customizable, deeply powerful, and overwhelmingly complex.
The platform is unmatched for large sales organizations. Custom objects, complex workflows, territory management, advanced forecasting. If you can imagine it, Salesforce can probably do it. monday CRM doesn't even try to compete at this level.
The AppExchange has thousands of integrations and add-ons. Need industry-specific features? There's an app for that. Need custom reporting? Multiple options available. The ecosystem is massive compared to monday CRM's limited marketplace.
Reporting and dashboards are incredibly powerful. Build any report imaginable, create real-time dashboards, forecast revenue with multiple scenarios. Sales managers live in Salesforce because the visibility is unmatched.
Downsides? Everything. Salesforce is expensive: starts $25/user/month for basic features, but most companies need Professional or Enterprise ($80-165/user/month). Implementation costs thousands or tens of thousands. You're not just buying software; you're committing to an ecosystem.
The complexity is brutal. Salesforce requires training, possibly a dedicated admin, and ongoing maintenance. monday CRM's board interface is intuitive by comparison. Salesforce is powerful because it's complex, but that complexity has real costs.
The interface feels dated. It works, but it's not pretty or particularly intuitive. Modern CRMs like monday, HubSpot, or Folk feel cleaner and more enjoyable to use. Salesforce prioritizes function over form, which is fine for enterprises but off-putting for small teams.
Mobile apps are functional but not great. They work for checking pipeline and logging activities, but heavy work requires desktop. This is typical for enterprise software but frustrating compared to mobile-first alternatives.
Salesforce makes sense for large enterprises with complex sales processes and budget for implementation. If you're a small team leaving monday CRM, Salesforce is overkill. Look at HubSpot, Pipedrive, or Zoho instead. Save Salesforce for when you're actually enterprise-scale.
Frequently Asked Questions
What's the best free alternative to monday CRM?
HubSpot CRM wins here. The free tier includes unlimited users and contacts, deal tracking, email integration, and basic reporting. No credit card required, no time limit. monday CRM doesn't have a free tier at all, so HubSpot is automatically better for budget-conscious teams. Zoho CRM has a free tier too (up to 3 users), but HubSpot's is more generous.
Which alternative is easiest to set up?
Copper, if you use Gmail. Connect your Google Workspace and it auto-populates contacts from email history. Setup takes minutes instead of hours. Folk is simple too: just add contacts and start organizing. HubSpot's setup is straightforward. Salesforce and Zoho require significant configuration time.
Do any alternatives have better email integration than monday CRM?
Yeah, several. Copper lives inside Gmail with seamless integration. Close has built-in email sequences plus calling and SMS. HubSpot's email tracking and templates are more mature than monday's. Pipedrive's email integration is solid too. monday CRM does basics, but purpose-built CRMs go deeper.
Which alternative is best for small teams?
Folk or HubSpot. Folk is simple and relationship-focused (perfect for consultants or agencies). HubSpot's free tier covers basic CRM needs for small sales teams. Pipedrive is great too if you want more structure without complexity. Avoid Salesforce and Zoho for small teams: they're overkill.
What if I need something more powerful than monday CRM?
Zoho CRM for budget-conscious teams needing enterprise features. Salesforce if budget isn't an issue and you need maximum customization. HubSpot's paid tiers offer good power without Salesforce-level complexity. monday CRM sits in the middle, so going up or down depends on your specific gaps.
Can I migrate data from monday CRM to alternatives?
Usually, yeah. Export your data from monday CRM as CSV, then import to your new CRM. Most tools support CSV imports for contacts, companies, and deals. The field mapping might require manual adjustment. Some data (custom views, automations) won't transfer and needs rebuilding. Plan a few hours for migration and cleanup.
Which alternative has the best mobile app?
Folk's mobile experience is cleanest and fastest. HubSpot's mobile app is solid and reliable. Copper works well on mobile since it integrates with Gmail. monday CRM's mobile app is decent. Salesforce and Zoho's mobile apps are functional but clunky: they're clearly desktop-first platforms.