Copper CRM is a good choice for sales teams that live and breathe G Suite, but what about those of us who prefer a bit of software freedom?
Copper CRM, formerly ProsperWorks CRM, is a unique CRM that is specifically designed to be used with Google products, like Gmail and Google Docs. Copper is used by over 30,000 companies, including some biggies like Shipt, Hello Fresh, and Atlassian. The reason it’s attractive to companies in the first place is because of its comprehensive integration with G Suite.
For sales teams that operate entirely in the Google software suite, this integration makes total sense. For teams that prefer a dynamic range of software, it’s a tangled web of frustration, tying them to a specific and limited set of applications and functionality.
That’s why some teams that have been using Copper are looking for a substitute that will give them more flexibility when it comes to how and where they work. And there are plenty of options out there.
When deciding what CRM will replace Copper, there’s a lot to consider. Using this comparison guide can help you guarantee you’re really choosing a CRM that offers what your team needs.
For the record: Nutshell has a powerful Gmail integration, as well as integrations with Office, Mailchimp, Quickbooks, Zapier, and many more.
A Great Copper Alternative
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Copper CRM overview
Copper has gone to great lengths to incorporate G Suite into its most basic operations to become a company’s one-stop shop for relationship-building. Copper CRM brings sellers, customer support specialists, account managers, and all “relationship makers” together under one Google-flavored hub.
Copper offers a healthy range of CRM features, including a drag-and-drop board view, email templates, task automation, and a meeting scheduler. Users especially love Copper’s intuitiveness, with countless customer reviews rating the software easy-to-use.
For G Suite organizations, the implementation process is usually straightforward and only takes a short time to adapt the system to a company’s specific needs.
The drawbacks of the Copper CRM
Despite Copper’s key features and benefits for G Suite users, there are some significant drawbacks. Here are a few of the disadvantages of using Copper:
- Copper software limitations: A major downside is that companies who aren’t completely dialed into G Suite are practically disqualified from ever needing Copper. And most sales organizations prefer to use their own tools for various activities. Using a system that locks your company into a specific software suite has severe disadvantages, especially when that system breaks.
- Copper CRM pricing: Copper’s pricing is another frustration. Several integrations and email marketing features are only available in the $134/month version. The cheapest version, at $29/month, dials the features back, restricting access to support, team permissions, and email marketing, and even withholds the much-needed sales process automation.
Most CRMs on the market integrate with Google, as well as tons of other software and tools, so a G Suite integration may not be groundbreaking enough to base an entire CRM around. Copper could end up simply being a pricier version of what you’re looking for. In fact, there are other CRMs that will provide more value for your money.
Top Copper CRM alternatives
If you’re considering Copper, you’ve probably heard of these others. Copper CRM offers limited features and is geared specifically toward G Suite users. Other CRMs on the market offer similar features, including the G Suite integration, each with their own pros and cons as well.
Here’s a breakdown of the top six Copper CRM alternatives:
1. Nutshell CRM
Nutshell is an all-in-one CRM and email marketing platform that helps B2B organizations work together to win more deals. Powerful enough to support any element of your business and simple enough to implement in less than a day, Nutshell is favored among small to medium-sized companies who know better than to overpay for software they’ll never use.
Nutshell’s robust G Suite integration helps teams that rely on G Suite easily integrate their emails and calendars to streamline their workday. Nutshell also offers integrations for Microsoft Office 365, Mailchimp, and many others your team may need.
Furthermore, Nutshell features often outshine the competitors’ in terms of both usability and comprehensiveness, according to customer reviews. Here are a few other top features of Nutshell:
And when you consider price, Nutshell is the clear winner. Nutshell offers multiple plans for teams that need different capabilities, and at a more affordable price than Copper.
Nutshell Foundation costs $16/month and provides a vast range of email automation features and integrations, plus world-class customer support. A Nutshell Pro account provides even more reporting, sales automation, and pipeline management tools. And with Nutshell Campaigns, you can access all the email marketing features Nutshell has to offer.
New in 2022: Nutshell Forms now allows users to create beautiful, custom forms to be hosted on any website or landing page. All information captured by Nutshell Forms is beamed directly into the CRM, completely hassle-free.
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2. Pipedrive
Pipedrive also lets users integrate with G Suite. Users can sync their Google Drive account and Google Calendar and import their contacts to have a clear overview of their information and activities. Notable features include email sync, email automation, and one-click calling.
Pipedrive’s lowest-tier plan costs $14.90 per month but lacks most of the features salespeople are looking for in a CRM. The Essential plan lacks essential features like two-way email sync, sales automation, and others.
To get the most out of integrating with G Suite, users have to upgrade to a Professional or Enterprise plan, which costs $49.90/user and $99/user, respectively. Both of these plans provide integration with Google Drive.
The more expensive versions have good reviews, portraying the product as a well-rounded and easy-to-use CRM with a simple user interface that allows sales teams to stick to selling without extra hassles. Yet even at the higher tiers, users still express frustration with the phone support and reporting features.
3. Zoho
Zoho CRM is another Copper CRM alternative that provides G Suite integration as well as Microsoft Office 365 integration. Zoho CRM is one of many applications in Zoho’s application ecosystem, which is similar to Salesforce’s AppExchange.
The reporting in Zoho’s CRM is solid, allowing users to report across products, locations, and applications. The CRM offers basic contact management functions, as well as automation, like converting website visitors into leads. Other top features include:
- Integration with other Zoho apps
- In-CRM emailing (limited number per user)
- Dashboards and reporting
- Integrates with Microsoft and Outlook
- Workflow management
However, Zoho’s apps are sold in bundles, making it challenging to for users who just want to use a CRM and a few other apps to find the plan they need.
4. Salesforce CRM
Salesforce is a versatile and flexible solution platform centered around its lead management and CRM functionality. Salesforce’s main application is its CRM, but its platform hosts over 3,500 applications, with varying levels of complexity and pricing.
With various combinations of Salesforce apps, it’s possible to do just about anything: customer journey sales workflows, application builders, and email template creators, to name a few. The most noteworthy Salesforce features are:
- Workflow customization tools
- Analytics
- Marketing leads management
- Sales team communication
Beware that Salesforce charges more for additional support services, because users typically need a lot. Those costs start at 30% of your net license fees on top of whatever CRM package you’ve purchased, but you may have to pay even more for services like account management and deployment planning.
Related: Salesforce Contracts, Explained: 7 Things to Know Before Signing
5. HubSpot
The HubSpot CRM has a built-in marketing automation tool and customer service hub. HubSpot allows users to create custom web pages, forms, and emails, and tie them together with its workflow automation capabilities. For instance, you can make a landing page using HubSpot’s page builder, and have all the information entered by users on that landing page populate the CRM, the same way Nutshell’s Unbounce integration works.
Users can integrate their Gmail account with HubSpot’s Free Tools solution, but the platform may not offer the marketing and sales features a team needs to scale their business. The free version is basically an editable Excel workbook and serves little purpose beyond holding your contacts’ information.
The pricier HubSpot CRM Suite plans are a better option for sales and marketing teams who can afford the big spend and don’t have the time, knowledge, or resources to integrate their CRM with other, cheaper tools. Users can also purchase a Sales Hub account, starting at $450/month for five users.
HubSpot’s notable features include:
- Website landing page builder
- Customer journey-based workflows
- Sales and marketing email template builder
- Sales and marketing management tools
6. Insightly
Insightly is a CRM for companies with a straightforward sales process. Their ergonomic user interface allows for the creation of custom pipelines and provides all the tools and functionality needed to manage them. Insightly’s filtering features are a user favorite, allowing large lists to be sorted into smaller, more manageable segments.
Insightly offers:
- Integrates with Gsuite, Microsoft, Mailchimp, and more
- Custom dashboards
- Custom pipeline builder
- Opportunity reports
Insightly’s onboarding and support plans are very expensive, but customers are often unable to get started without them. Users also report a lack of customization and support and lackluster or unusable sales reports.
How to find the best Copper CRM alternative
Purchasing a CRM is a big commitment, as you’re often making a decision that’s going to affect the entire year. If your sales team discovers issues after a month, you’ve got to start the process all over again, minus a month of missed sales and possibly a year of CRM budget.
Most mammoth CRMs like HubSpot and Salesforce let users discover their shortcomings after they’ve already paid for the software. Ramp-up time, implementation costs, additional services/apps needed, and quality of customer support are the hottest topics in software review sites because they’re the ones the users end up getting frustrated with.
In order to ensure you’re making the right choice, the best approach is to install a demo version and see if the CRM can really support all of your requirements without breaking the bank. Never pay for software without demoing it for at least a couple of weeks.
Frequently asked questions about Copper CRM alternatives
Comparing the Copper CRM alternatives you might choose for your business is an important task. These frequently asked questions might provide some extra guidance as you research:
What is Copper CRM used for?
Copper CRM is mostly used for organizing contacts, automating sales processes, facilitating email marketing, and tracking pipelines, all while integrating with Google Workspace.
What are the limitations of Copper CRM?
Copper’s biggest limitation is its inflexibility outside of Google Workspace. Copper was purpose-built for teams living and breathing G Suite, so any businesses that need integration with Microsoft Office or more flexibility will find the platform unusable. The features users get for the price can be another drawback.
Who are the competitors of Copper?
The top competitors of Copper CRM include Nutshell, Pipedrive, Zoho, and Salesforce.
Replace Copper with Nutshell
When you’re looking for the best CRM to use in place of Copper, Nutshell is your answer. Nutshell supports teams operating in G Suite, Microsoft Office 365, and a host of other apps. With affordable pricing, robust customer support, and simple implementation that won’t require a developer, Nutshell is the best CRM for small business teams looking to get more done.
Give your team the flexibility they need by trading Copper for Nutshell. To see for yourself what you can do with Nutshell, start a free trial or compare Nutshell with other Copper CRM alternatives.
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