The Best Salesforce Alternative Is a CRM Built for How You Sell
Stop paying for complexity you don't need. A CRM built around your sales process costs less and actually gets used.
Most Salesforce alternative lists suggest HubSpot, Pipedrive, or Zoho. These are viable options for simple sales teams. But if your sales process has enough complexity that you were on Salesforce in the first place, most off-the-shelf alternatives will feel like a downgrade.
The real alternative for mid-market companies is a custom CRM: built around your specific sales process, integrated with your specific tools, and designed so your team actually wants to use it.
Why Off-the-Shelf CRMs Fall Short
You left (or are leaving) Salesforce because of cost and complexity. But you chose Salesforce originally because your sales process needed more than basic contact management. That tension — needing power without complexity — is exactly what custom CRM development solves.
HubSpot, Pipedrive, and Zoho are great for straightforward sales funnels. If your process involves custom objects, complex approval workflows, multi-division reporting, or deep integrations with industry-specific tools, these alternatives will hit their limits within months.
What a Custom CRM Gives You
A CRM built for your company — not every company.
Your Sales Process
Pipeline stages, deal fields, and workflows that match exactly how your team sells. No forcing your process into generic stages.
Speed
A CRM that loads in under 2 seconds. No waiting for Salesforce's heavy interface. Reps can update deals in seconds, not minutes.
Native Integrations
Direct connections to your email, calendar, ERP, and industry tools. No middleware, no MuleSoft, no AppExchange.
Reports That Matter
Dashboards built for the questions your leadership actually asks. No more "Salesforce report writing" as a job requirement.
Mobile That Works
A mobile experience designed for your field sales team. Not Salesforce's afterthought mobile app.
Predictable Pricing
One-time build cost + hosting. No per-user fees that grow with your team.
The Cost Comparison
Salesforce for 75 users on Enterprise: $148,500/year + admin + consultants = ~$250,000-350,000/year.
Custom CRM development: $40,000-100,000 one-time + $200-500/month hosting + $10,000-20,000/year maintenance. Year 1: $55,000-125,000. Year 2+: $12,000-26,000/year.
A custom CRM pays for itself in the first year. By year 3, cumulative savings are $400,000-800,000 compared to Salesforce.
What You Need vs. What Salesforce Sells You
Salesforce has thousands of features. Most companies use fewer than 20% of them. You're paying enterprise prices for features your team will never touch.
A custom CRM includes exactly the features you need — no more, no less. And adding new features when you need them doesn't require a tier upgrade or consultant engagement. It's just development work on your own codebase.
How the Transition Works
Leaving Salesforce is a significant decision. We make the transition smooth:
Process Mapping
We document your actual sales process (not Salesforce's version of it). What data matters, what workflows run, what reports leadership needs.
Build in Parallel
We build the custom CRM while your team keeps using Salesforce. No disruption during the build phase.
Data Migration
All contacts, deals, activities, and historical data transfer to the new system. Nothing lost.
Team Training
CRM built around your process means minimal training. Most teams are productive within a day.
Salesforce vs Custom Software
| Feature | Salesforce | Custom Software |
|---|---|---|
| Annual cost (75 users) | $250,000-350,000 | $55,000-125,000 (Year 1), $12K-26K (Year 2+) |
| Implementation time | 3-6 months | 8-16 weeks |
| Admin required | Yes (dedicated, $80-120K salary) | No (self-service for most tasks) |
| User adoption | 40-60% typical | 80-95% (built for their workflow) |
| Customization | Apex/Lightning (specialist required) | Standard code (any developer) |
| Mobile experience | Poor (heavy, slow) | Purpose-built (fast, focused) |
| Reporting | Complex (requires training) | Built for your specific questions |
| Contract lock-in | Annual contracts, auto-renewal | No contracts (you own the code) |
Frequently Asked Questions
Can a custom CRM really replace Salesforce?
What about Salesforce's ecosystem (AppExchange)?
Won't we miss Salesforce's AI features (Einstein)?
What about Salesforce certifications for compliance?
What Would a CRM Built for You Look Like?
Book a free consultation. We'll map your sales process and show you what a custom CRM could deliver — at a fraction of the Salesforce cost.