Freshsales

Freshsales starts at $13/user/mo (Growth) on the Growth plan, billed annually, with no contact cap. It dropped its free tier in 2026, so Growth is now the only plan, but it remains one of the cheapest per-seat entry points in the CRM market.

No, not any more. Freshsales offered a free plan for up to three users until 2026, when it was discontinued; there is now only a 21-day trial before the paid Growth plan applies. If a genuinely free CRM matters more than the lowest paid seat, Zoho CRM still runs one.

Yes, Freshsales includes a built-in phone and dialler natively across every plan. This sets it apart from most competitors, which require a third-party telephony integration. You can make and log calls directly from within the CRM without subscribing to a separate tool.

Freddy AI is Freshworks's built-in artificial intelligence layer, available in Freshsales. It provides lead scoring to identify the most promising deals, suggests next actions, generates email drafts, and flags deals that are at risk of stalling. AI features are available from the Growth plan upward.

Freshsales connects with more than 200 tools including Gmail, Outlook, Slack, Zapier, and other Freshworks products such as Freshdesk (customer support) and Freshchat (live chat). The integration library is smaller than HubSpot or Salesforce but covers the most common business tools. Note that some deeper Freshworks cross-product features require a Pro plan or above.

Freshsales and Zoho CRM are both strong value options for small businesses. Freshsales has a built-in phone, a cleaner interface, and no contact cap on its (now only) paid plan, while Zoho CRM offers native AUD pricing, a genuine free plan for up to three users, and access to the broader Zoho ecosystem of 40 or more apps. Freshsales suits teams where telephony is central to the sales process and who are ready to pay from day one; Zoho CRM suits budget-conscious teams that want a free start or are already in the Zoho ecosystem.

Freshsales is used by Australian small businesses and provides solid value at the entry tier, with the cheapest per-seat price we track and no contact cap. It dropped its free plan in 2026, so there is no zero-cost start; Zoho CRM is the pick if that matters more than the lowest paid seat. Prices are in USD, so AUD costs shift with the exchange rate. The comparison table shows current AUD-converted figures.