Our view at Stack - Capsule CRM simplifies customer relationship management, streamlines sales processes, and saves time. Features include contact management, customisable sales pipelines, email integration, analytics, and workflow automation. It doesn't provide full email marketing functionality but it does allow you to connect to other tools.
Need help with Instantly CRM’s steep pricing and clunky features?
You’re not alone. If you’re tired of dealing with complex software that doesn’t quite hit the mark, it’s time to rethink your CRM options.
Why settle for a tool that drains your wallet and leaves you wanting more?
There are better alternatives out there, built to help you manage leads and close deals without the hassle.
Today, we’ll walk you through four alternatives that might be better for your business.
What is Instantly CRM?
Instantly CRM is a component of Instantly.ai’s larger feature set. Instantly is software designed for running personalized email campaigns and other outreach efforts, and it recently added a CRM feature.
Despite being a newer addition (only one-year-old), it’s already proving to be a powerful tool that integrates well with other Instantly features like:
- Lead finder: Easily discover and target potential customers with precision
- Automated cold email campaigns: Craft and manage effective outreach strategies with smart scheduling
- Unibox: Keep all your communications in one organized place.
- Analytics and reporting: Get advanced reports to fine-tune your campaigns
- Inbox rotation: Use multiple email accounts for cold emailing with no need for separate campaigns
- AI automation: Automate repetitive tasks to save time.
These features create a unified workflow, perfect for all your sales and marketing needs.
Let’s take a deeper look at the CRM itself.
Instantly CRM key features
Instantly CRM offers the whole package required to manage leads and deals from one platform.
- Lead management: Track leads all in one place
- Opportunity management: Manage potential sales opportunities effectively
- Salesflows: Automate your sales processes using specific scenarios
- Website visitors: Monitor and analyze traffic to your site
- Reports: Generate detailed reports to guide decision-making.Unified inbox with calls, emails, and SMS: Manage communication on multiple channels from a single inbox
- Tasks: Stay on top of your to-do list with task management.
- AI personalization: Use AI to tailor your outreach and communications.
One key aspect of Instantly AI is that it allows you to add as many teammates as you want. You can also add unlimited email accounts and conduct unlimited email warmups to maintain a proper sender reputation.
The CRM is quite simplistic. It doesn’t offer any meaningful customization options, so you’re pretty much stuck with what you get.
Instantly CRM pricing
Pricing for Instantly CRM is described as straightforward as the tool itself: $97/month, with unlimited seats and access to all features.
However, you should be aware that you will only get the CRM for the price.
You will not get to use other tools Instantly.ai offers, such as targeted cold emails or access to its vast database. And vice versa, even if you’re already paying for Instantly, the CRM an additional cost.
When you consider all possible plans and add-ons, it starts getting quite complicated (and costly!).
For instance, you’d have to pay an additional fee for calls and SMS tracking in the CRM. You also need to pay separately for the lead finder, email outreach, website visitors, and email verification.
All of this can add up to north of $1,000… per month.
Why you should look for alternatives to Instantly CRM
Instantly CRM integrates well with other tools from Instantly.ai and might seem ideal at first glance, especially if you’re already using their other tools.
Still, it has several drawbacks that might prompt you to consider alternatives.
- Prohibitive and complex pricing: We already mentioned that the CRM feature isn’t included in the basic plan and requires an additional fee, which many users find steep for its capabilities. Also, you must pay for all the add-ons to use the software to its full potential.. On top of that, the $97 price point is quite high for what you get.
- Bugs and glitches: Users have reported frequent issues with the platform, such as instability in the Unibox and CRM loading problems, which results in workflow problems G2
- Minimal API integration: The limited API options can sometimes hinder connectivity with other sales software. Users note it could be more developed G2
- Inconsistent reporting: Users have noted that the CRM’s reporting features lack detail, making it difficult to assess campaign effectiveness accurately G2
- Learning curve: Setting up your email domains for campaigns is not very straightforward and takes a while to master. G2
Overall, while Instantly CRM offers useful features, these limitations suggest it may not be the best fit for everyone, especially if you’re looking for a more comprehensive and stable CRM solution.
If you’re still unconvinced, perhaps learning about the alternatives will give you the final push towards a better solution.
Best alternatives to Instantly CRM
#1 – Capsule CRM – Your simple, powerful sales hub
Tired of Instantly CRM’s inconsistent reporting, bugs, and small number of features? Capsule CRM offers a sleek, intuitive solution that streamlines your sales process and helps build stronger customer relationships.
It’s your go-to tool for managing relations with clients efficiently. Designed for businesses that want an easy CRM that doesn’t skimp on power, Capsule can handle a lot at a relatively low price point.
Capsule CRM key features
Have a look at Capsule’s features:
- Effortless contact management: Keep all your customer information, interactions, and documents organized in one place
- Unparalleled customization: Tailor Capsule to your specific needs with customizable fields, tags, pipelines, and more
- Built-in compatibility: Easily integrate Capsule with popular tools like Xero, Zapier, Mailchimp, and dozens more
- Mobile accessibility: Stay connected on the go with Capsule’s mobile apps for iOS and Android
- Powerful sales pipeline management: Visualize your sales process, track deals, and improve forecasting accuracy
- Insightful reporting and analytics: Make data-driven decisions with customizable reports and analytics
- Calendar & task management: Plan with the built-in calendar and task management application.
Capsule CRM pricing
Capsule CRM offers flexible pricing options to suit businesses of all sizes:
- Free Plan: 2 users, 250 contacts – perfect free version for small teams and startups
- Starter Plan: $18 per user/month – includes advanced features like custom fields and unlimited contacts
- Growth Plan: $36 per user/month – adds advanced reporting, team permissions, and priority support
- Advanced Plan: $54 per user/month – ideal for businesses with more complex sales cycles, offering up to 120,000 contacts and 50 sales pipelines
- Ultimate Plan: $72 per user/month – tailored for enterprise-level organizations with unlimited custom fields and dedicated account management features.
Why switch to Capsule CRM?
- Simplicity: Capsule’s user-friendly interface makes it easy for your team to get up and running quickly
- Flexibility: Customize the platform to fit your specific business needs and workflows.
- Integration: Quickly and easily connect with your existing tools for a streamlined workflow.
- Affordability: Choose from different pricing options to find the perfect fit for your budget.
Capsule CRM user reviews
Users praise Capsule CRM for its ease of use, affordability, and ability to capture essential client details effortlessly. Many appreciate its simple yet powerful interface, which helps save time and streamline sales processes.
“We have used this software for over five years. We used to use Act and were reluctant to move to another provider. We moved because we could use the software on all forms of devices, anywhere in the world. The other great feature is that it is so simple to use, you hardly need any training at all.”
Peter R Director
“Very easy to set up. Easy and intuitive to use. It is flexible enough so that it can be moulded around a requirement or purpose, even if that function isn’t immediately obvious. The support staff are great at coming up with solutions and workarounds. The close links with Mailchimp and Zapier are great, and it’s really easy to merge different systems.”
Rebecca H Director, Real Estate
“Capsule CRM is extremely user friendly and my whole team loves the simplicity of the dashboard. My sales team’s performance has improved significantly, as it allows them to process leads and manage their pipeline effectively. I love the fact that it has Zapier integration.
The interface has been designed really well, especially when I compare it to other CRM’s I have used. Our team has full visibility of projects, tasks, and tracks.”
Zakir D. CEO
As you can see, Capsule CRM turns out to be the correct solution if you want simplicity, speed, powerful features, and affordable prices.
Still not convinced about Capsule CRM’s superiority to Instantly CRM?
Try it now and see for yourself.
#2 – eLeads CRM: Tailored for automotive dealerships
eLeads CRM is built specifically for the automotive industry. It gives car dealerships the tools needed to manage sales, track and generate leads, conduct cold email outreach, and boost customer retention.
What sets it apart is how impeccably it integrates with dealership operations and offers a full-service solution for handling both customer interactions and inventory management.
However, it can be a bit complex, especially for those who are new to CRM systems, which might make it challenging to navigate at first.
eLeads CRM key features
- Omnichannel communications
- Customizable workflows
- Vehicle inventory search engine
- VIN scanner and equity data mining
- Real-time inventory management
- Mobile app for managing sales and customer interactions on the go
eLeads CRM pricing
Pricing for eLeads CRM starts at approximately $695 per month.
eLeads CRM pros
- Integrates well with other dealership software.
- Comprehensive reporting features.
- A lot of customization possiblities.
eLeads CRM cons
- Dated user interface G2
- No free trial is available
- Expensive for small businesses
- Customer support is not as strong as you’d like it to be G2
Explore eLeads CRM and consider if it aligns with your dealership’s needs, but keep in mind the challenges you might face with its complexity and cost.
#3 – Copper: Designed for Google Workspace users
Copper CRM is a solid tool for marketers and sales teams, especially if you’re already using Google Workspace.
It’s known for its stable integration with Google tools, which allows you to manage customer relationships and track deals directly within Gmail, Google Calendar, and more.
Copper automates data entry, reduces manual tasks, and helps you focus on closing deals. Even so, it’s on the pricier side, and some users find it a bit complex.
Copper CRM key features
- Deep Google Workspace integration
- Automated data entry
- Customizable sales pipelines
- Workflow automation
- Task and calendar management
- Opportunity and lead tracking
Copper CRM pricing
- Basic Plan: $29 per user/month
- Professional Plan: $69 per user/month
- Business Plan: $134 per user/month
Copper CRM pros
- Consistent Google integration
- User-friendly for Google users
- Strong project management tools
- Easy task and calendar management
Copper CRM cons
- Higher-tier plans can be expensive
- Limited email marketing features G2
- Customer service can be inconsistent G2
- Can get complex for non-Google users
Explore Copper CRM if you’re an avid Google Workspace user, but be sure to consider both its strengths and limitations.
#4 – Nutshell CRM: All-in-one solution for sales and marketing
Nutshell CRM is designed to help small businesses and sales teams streamline their processes and close more deals.
It combines CRM, email marketing, and contact management in an easy-to-use platform that doesn’t compromise on features.
Nutshell’s unique selling point is its simplicity and all-in-one functionality, both of which make it an ideal alternative for teams that need efficiency without complexity.
Nutshell CRM key features
- Contact management and pipeline tracking
- Sales automation and automated email campaigns
- Customizable reporting and analytics
- Team collaboration tools
- Lead attribution and tracking
- Well-integrated with other tech stacks
Nutshell CRM pricing
- Basic Plan: Starts at $19 per user/month
- Pro Plan: $49 per user/month
- Power AI Plan: $59 per user/month
- Enterprise plan: $79 per user/month
Nutshell CRM pros
- User-friendly interface with easy automation
- Responsive customer support team
- Continuous updates and feature improvements
- Comprehensive lead management features
- Easy navigation across the platform
Nutshell CRM cons
- Insufficient customization options G2
- Complex billing with add-ons G2
- Integrations only work with Zapier, there aren’t any native integrations G2
- Number of features can be overwhelming G2
Nutshell CRM is a solid choice if you need a straightforward, all-in-one solution, but make sure its limitations fit your business needs.
Conclusion
Feeling overwhelmed by Instantly CRM’s complex pricing plans and limitations? Don’t sweat it! Capsule CRM offers a breath of fresh air.
It’s a simple, user-friendly CRM that speeds up your sales process and helps you build stronger relationships with your customers.
Two key takeaways: Capsule CRM is easy to use and won’t break the bank.
It’s the perfect fit for businesses that want a powerful CRM without a lot of fuss.
Ready to ditch the frustration and boost your sales?
Give Capsule CRM a try today!
If Capsule CRM is of interest and you'd like more information, please do make contact or take a look in more detail here.
Credit: Original article published here.