With more than 10 years in business, SharpSpring has established itself as a leading growth marketing platform for small to mid-sized online businesses.
Founded in 2010, SharpSpring quickly gained traction with its robust suite of marketing automation tools designed to help businesses streamline their marketing efforts, engage with customers, and drive growth.
In 2021, SharpSpring was acquired by Constant Contact, one of the original pioneers in email marketing. While this acquisition promised innovation, many users have noted a slowdown in the introduction of new features and improvements.
So, if you’re seeking a more dynamic and evolving platform, allow us to show you explore some of the best SharpSpring alternatives available today.
Get Started with 14-Day FREE TrialSharpSpring’s Appeal
Before we get started, let’s dissect why SharpSpring became such a big player in the CRM world.
SharpSpring quickly became popular among small to mid-sized businesses due to its comprehensive suite of marketing automation tools and its flexibility.
Offering a robust set of features at a competitive price point, SharpSpring provided businesses with the tools they needed to streamline their marketing efforts, engage with customers, and drive growth. Its ease of use and integration capabilities made it a go-to choice for many looking to enhance their digital marketing strategies without breaking the bank.
Some of the key features that drew countless users included:
- CRM: SharpSpring allows users to manage and track customer relationships with in-depth contact management and sales pipeline visibility, making it easier to stay on top of every interaction and opportunity.
- Email Marketing: Create and send professional email campaigns effortlessly, with drag-and-drop design tools and customizable templates.
- Marketing Automation: Automate repetitive tasks and nurture leads through personalized workflows, ensuring that your marketing efforts are both efficient and effective.
- Social Media Management: Schedule and manage social media posts across multiple platforms, all from one place, so you can keep your audience engaged without juggling multiple tools.
- Analytics and Reporting: Gain valuable insights into your marketing performance with detailed reports and analytics, helping you make data-driven decisions to boost your campaigns.
SharpSpring’s Downsides
Despite its robust feature set, SharpSpring does have some drawbacks that users should be aware of:
- High Cost: SharpSpring can be quite pricey, with plans starting at $449 per month, which might be a stretch for smaller businesses on a tight budget.
- Slower Innovation: Since its acquisition, many users have noticed a slowdown in the rollout of new features, making it feel less cutting-edge than it once was.
- Integration Dependency: While SharpSpring offers a lot, many of its features require integration with third-party apps. This can complicate setup and drive up costs, as you end up juggling multiple tools to get the functionality you need.
Top SharpSpring Alternatives for Agencies and Consultants
If you’re searching for the best SharpSpring alternative, here are some top contenders to consider:
HighLevel: The Real Opportunity for Digital Agencies
Unlike SharpSpring, which serves a variety of businesses, HighLevel is tailored specifically for agencies.
HighLevel provides a comprehensive marketing automation platform with CRM, email campaigns, lead capture forms, automated workflows, and detailed reporting. Both platforms can be white-labeled, but HighLevel is a true all-in-one solution, eliminating the need for numerous third-party integrations.
With HighLevel, you won’t juggle multiple tools. It includes 2-way SMS communication, membership sites, call tracking, scheduling links, social media marketing, and review management, all in one place. No extra costs or complicated setups.
Starting at just $97 per month, HighLevel is much more affordable than SharpSpring’s $449 starting price. It’s an incredible value for agencies looking to scale efficiently.
And… great news! To truly gauge the depth and ease of use that HighLevel offers, you can take advantage of our FREE 14-day trial. This risk-free period allows you to explore all the features and see firsthand how it can transform your agency’s workflow. Sign up for the trial and discover why HighLevel is quickly becoming the preferred SharpSpring alternative for digital agencies.
Pricing: Starts at $97 per month.
Best for: Agencies and consultants.
Get Started with 14-Day FREE Trial2. Zoho CRM
Zoho CRM offers sales and marketing teams advanced customer segmentation, enabling tailored campaigns.
Leads can be sorted by responsiveness, allowing teams to focus on the most promising prospects.
Zoho’s vast array of integrations, from social media to Google Ads, provides comprehensive campaign performance insights.
Pricing: Starts at $14 per month.
Best for: Small businesses
3. Salesforce Sales Cloud
Salesforce Sales Cloud is renowned for its powerful and customizable product suite. It offers basic features like lead and contact management, alongside advanced tools for strategic business planning. Though highly flexible, the customization comes at a high cost, often exceeding $100,000 for full migration and setup.
Pricing: Starts at $25 per user per month.
Best for: Enterprise companies.
4. HubSpot Marketing Hub
HubSpot Marketing Hub is perfect for marketers seeking a scalable, user-friendly platform.
It offers email, content marketing, and automation tools, along with a basic landing page builder, social media management, lead scoring, and ad tracking.
HubSpot’s flexibility allows for coordinated efforts across departments, enhancing overall impact.
Pricing: Free CRM available; Marketing Cloud starts at $800.
Best for: VC-funded tech startups and medium-sized businesses.
5. Chili Piper
Chili Piper excels in helping high-growth revenue teams at tech companies secure more inbound leads and streamline sales call scheduling.
With one-click booking from web forms and automated reminders, Chili Piper ensures no lead is missed, enhancing the inbound process efficiency.
Pricing: Starts at $15 per user per month.
Best for: High-growth revenue teams at tech companies.
6. Ortto
Ortto, formerly known as Autopilot, organizes business intelligence details into personalized user journeys. It integrates data from various sources to create unified customer views and advanced segments, enabling multichannel marketing strategies.
Pricing: Starts at $99 per month.
Best for: Startups.
7. Mailchimp
Mailchimp, a well-known Constant Contact alternative, empowers service businesses with email, social media, ad targeting, and push notification capabilities. It provides intuitive email templates and personalized recommendations based on data from billions of emails sent daily.
Pricing: Free plan available; paid plans start at $18 per month.
Best for: Non-tech-savvy service businesses.
The Takeaway
While SharpSpring still remains a solid choice for small to mid-sized businesses seeking a customizable marketing automation platform.
However, if you’re looking for a more cost-effective and comprehensive solution, particularly as an agency, HighLevel offers a compelling alternative with its all-in-one features and competitive pricing.
For those ready to explore an all-in-one SharpSpring alternative, HighLevel provides a 14-day FREE trial, making it easy to get started and see the difference for yourself.
Don’t let the fear of change hold you back – explore HighLevel’s features through our 14-day FREE trial by clicking button below!
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