Freshworks CRM vs Nutshell
Choose Freshworks CRM, sold as Freshsales, if you want a free option for up to three users or built-in sales calling; choose Nutshell if you want unlimited CRM contacts, landing pages, and live support included with a paid plan. Both manage leads and deals, but their entry plans package sales and marketing tools differently.
Last updated October 31, 2026.
At a glance
| Dimension | Freshworks CRM | Nutshell |
|---|---|---|
| Free access | Free plan for up to 3 users | 14-day trial; no free plan listed |
| Paid plans | Growth $9; Pro $39; Enterprise $59 per user/month, billed annually | Foundation $13; Growth $25; Pro $42; Business $59; Enterprise $79 per user/month, billed annually |
| Pipeline limits | Growth 1; Pro 10; Enterprise 25 | Pro 5; Business 10; Enterprise unlimited |
| Contact and lead limits | Not published | Unlimited contacts and storage; Foundation limited to 100 open leads |
| Marketing tools | Freshsales Suite offered for combined sales and marketing | Webchat, forms, landing pages, and email marketing capabilities with every CRM subscription |
| Calling | Phone in Growth; call and number charges use credits | Click-to-call and phone-system integrations |
| Quotes and invoices | Branded documents add-on: $19/user/month | Proposals & Invoices add-on: $79/company/month |
| AI usage | Contact scoring and deal insights on Pro; forecasting insights on Enterprise | 10–150 AI outcomes by plan, per monthly usage bucket |
| Integrations | Freshworks Marketplace and Zapier integration | Over 5,000 app connections; open API on all plans |
| Support | CRM support email published | Free live support on every plan; phone support on Enterprise |
| Platforms | Web, iOS, and Android | Web, iOS, and Android |
| Trial length | 21 days | 14 days |
Scroll the table sideways to compare each row.
Which should you choose?
Choose Freshworks CRM if
- Teams of up to three seeking a free CRM plan
- Sales teams wanting chat, email, and phone in the Growth plan
- Teams needing territory management and sales sequences on Pro
Choose Nutshell if
- Teams wanting unlimited CRM contacts and storage on every plan
- Teams wanting forms and landing pages with their CRM subscription
- Buyers prioritizing live support on every paid plan
- Teams needing unlimited pipelines on Enterprise
The verdict
The deciding factor is what you need in the base subscription. Freshsales suits teams prioritizing a free starting point, built-in chat, email, and phone, with sales sequences available on Pro. Nutshell suits teams willing to start with a paid plan for unlimited contacts and storage, forms, landing pages, and live support. Check the relevant tier before buying: pipeline counts, AI usage, and add-on costs differ.
Freshworks CRM vs Nutshell: common questions
- Does Freshworks CRM or Nutshell have a free plan?
- Freshsales offers a free plan for up to three users. Nutshell offers a 14-day trial but does not list an ongoing free plan.
- What do Freshsales and Nutshell cost to start?
- Freshsales Growth starts at $9 per user per month billed annually, alongside a free plan for up to three users. Nutshell Foundation starts at $13 per user per month billed annually.
- Which CRM allows more sales pipelines?
- Freshsales publishes limits of one pipeline on Growth, 10 on Pro, and 25 on Enterprise. Nutshell lists five on Pro, 10 on Business, and unlimited pipelines on Enterprise.
- Are email marketing and landing pages included?
- Nutshell includes email marketing capabilities, forms, and landing pages with every CRM subscription, though email sends beyond its free allowance can cost extra. Freshworks offers Freshsales Suite for combined sales and marketing; its Freshsales pricing describes the sales CRM.
- Can I make calls from either CRM?
- Freshsales lists phone among its Growth-plan tools, with credits used for applicable calling and number charges. Nutshell offers click-to-call and integrations with phone systems.
- Do either of these CRMs limit contacts?
- Nutshell publishes unlimited CRM contacts and storage on every plan, while its Foundation plan limits open leads to 100. A comparable Freshsales contact limit is not published on the vendor pages reviewed.
- Which offers live support?
- Nutshell advertises free live support on every plan and phone support on Enterprise. Freshworks publishes an email address for Freshsales support; the pricing pages reviewed do not specify comparable live-support availability.
- Are quotes and invoices included in the base plans?
- Nutshell prices Proposals & Invoices as a $79-per-company-per-month add-on. Freshsales lists a branded-documents add-on at $19 per user per month; its published plan summary does not describe that add-on as invoicing.