A Price Comparison Guide for Sales Software

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By Baljeet Kaur

Published
6 min read
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Compare pricing for the top sales software products in various categories.

Sales is the most mature customer relationship management (CRM) market, according to Gartner (full report available to clients). Its stability is underpinned by its core sales force automation technology and emerging segments such as sales enablement, sales engagement, configure price quote (CPQ), pricing optimization, sales acceleration, customer success management, and sales performance management.

As your business scales, your sales team will need reliable software solutions to track the growing number of prospects and customers. Sales software can help small businesses like yours capture more leads and convert them into customers.

When it comes to purchasing sales software, there are many factors to consider, but users consistently tell us that price is their top consideration. That’s because selecting the right pricing model is critical to scale sales operations and boost revenue. Therefore, your small business should choose software that not only caters to your specific sales needs but also fits your budget.

Keeping this in mind, we’ve put together this pricing comparison guide to compare the prices of top-rated sales tools from software categories such as sales force automation and CRM. If you're looking to invest in any of these sales solutions, this piece is for you!

Use this guide to learn how the top tools in each sales software category are priced and how different products in the same category stack up against each other.

Common sales software pricing models

When evaluating any sales software, the first thing most businesses notice is the pricing structure and model. Let’s discuss some common software pricing models.

1. Subscription model

In the subscription pricing model, you pay either an annual or a monthly subscription fee to use sales software for a specific amount of time. Depending upon the vendor, the subscription can be renewed monthly, quarterly, biannually, or annually.

This pricing model is commonly used for cloud-based deployments where the system is hosted remotely and can be accessed on compatible devices over the internet. Pricing could depend on various factors, including the number of leads or customers.

2. Perpetual license model

In this pricing model, you pay an upfront license fee to own the software and use it forever. This model is commonly used for on-premise software deployments where data is stored on your servers and your IT team is responsible for installing and managing the software.

Also, you lose access to any ongoing software updates or technical support after a specific time—usually a year after you purchase the perpetual license.

3. Freemium model

Freemium versions provide limited features for free use. This option is great if your sales team can work with limited features. In some cases, all software features can be used without shelling out a single penny. However, you may have to pay for software implementation, integration with other modules, and maintenance, among others.

Hidden costs

When investing in sales software, you should also be aware of hidden costs, which are equally important to understand but often overlooked. Let’s discuss some of these overlooked costs:

  • Add-on fee: Depending upon the extra modules and features you want to purchase along with the base product, you’ll have to pay an additional price for any added functionality you need.

  • Data migration fee: Ask the vendor about the cost of transferring your clients’ data between systems and exporting the data as files that can be imported into the new system.

  • Training fee: Don’t forget to account for training fee when planning sales software investment. Ask your vendor if you’ll have to pay for training resources such as know-how videos and webinars.

  • Maintenance and upgrades: Check which maintenance and support services the software vendor offers and whether they are included in your software subscription or licensing fee.

  • Hardware and IT: If you need any addition or enhancement to your existing sales infrastructure, you’ll have to pay extra. For instance, upgrading individual hardware, such as PCs and laptops, will require you to shell out extra bucks.

Price comparison for top-rated products in different sales software categories

Sales is an umbrella term, and comparing pricing for the different software categories that comprise the sales stack can be a time-consuming task.

To help you, we've created price comparison tables that highlight how different sales products in different software categories stack up against each other in terms of starting price, free trials, and free versions—allowing you to compare all these products in one place.

Let’s look into some sales software categories and their price comparison guides.

1. Sales force automation software

Sales force automation software helps automate sales tasks such as account and contact management, activity management, forecasting, opportunity management, and reporting. It's often used by sales teams to organize and manage contacts or opportunities in a single centralized database.

The software is also used for forecasting and generating reports for sales pipeline management. Its core features include contact management and sales activity management.

Here’s a price comparison snapshot of top-rated sales force automation products:

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Note: The products in the above table are arranged alphabetically and the pricing included is for the entry-level/lowest-priced offering (discounted pricing not considered) found on vendor websites as of Feb. 25, 2022. The cost of these sales force automation software products may vary based on the number of contacts, emails, users, or other factors.

2. CRM software

CRM software helps sales and marketing departments automate and manage the customer lifecycle. It consolidates customer information into a single centralized repository so CRM teams can better organize the data and manage client relationships.

The software automates common processes associated with sales, marketing, and customer support to improve coordination between these teams. It also provides tools for monitoring company performance and productivity. For instance, it sends alerts about tasks your team needs to accomplish within a specified timeline. The tool’s core features include contact management, lead management, and interaction tracking.

Here’s a price comparison snapshot of top-rated CRM products:

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Note: The products in the above table are arranged alphabetically and the pricing included is for the entry-level/lowest-priced offering (discounted pricing not considered) found on vendor websites as of Feb. 25, 2022. The cost of these CRM software products may vary based on the number of contacts, emails, users, or other factors.

Do the software categories and tools listed in this guide fit your sales software budget? If yes, then you might as well compare their features and read genuine user reviews of over 500 similar products listed on our sales force automation software and CRM software category pages.

Common questions to help you decide how sales software is priced

Pricing for sales software depends on the type of sales category and product you need. Various other factors also influence the cost structure. Let’s discuss some questions that can help you understand your business needs and the total amount you have to pay.

  1. How many customers/contacts are you purchasing the software for?

  2. What is the size of your business—solo, small, medium, or enterprise?

  3. What type of software features do you need—basic or advanced?

  4. Which pricing model are you comfortable with—subscription or perpetual?

  5. Is free software good enough for your business needs?

  6. Does the software involve any installation and training fees?

  7. Does the software offer any add-ons? If yes, which ones do you need?

  8. Is there any need to set up a demo?

Based on how you answer the above questions, the same sales software could cost you hundreds of dollars less or thousands more.



Methodology

The price comparison guide highlights the top ten products that received the highest reviews from end-users and have pricing available on their websites. The pricing included is for the base plan of the product found on vendor websites on Feb. 25, 2022. This data may have changed since the publication of this report and may not reflect current conditions. For further information on pricing for a particular product, please check the vendor websites.


Looking for Marketing Automation software? Check out Capterra's list of the best Marketing Automation software solutions.

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About the Author

Baljeet Kaur profile picture

Baljeet Kaur is a senior market research specialist at Capterra, providing insights about choosing the right software and technology for small and medium businesses. She is inspired by how technology is changing our daily lives, in the smallest and biggest of ways. She enjoys getting creative in the kitchen and trying out different restaurants/cuisines with friends and family.

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