The quick version
Freshsales (by Freshworks) is a well-designed CRM with a strong free plan, built-in phone, AI-powered lead scoring, and a clean interface. It's one of the better CRMs for small teams that want modern features without enterprise complexity. Vigdis is even simpler and more focused, but Freshsales is a legitimate competitor that does a lot right.
If you want built-in calling, AI lead scoring, and email sequences in a polished package, Freshsales is worth serious consideration. If you want the simplest possible CRM with fast keyboard-driven workflows, that's where Vigdis comes in.
Pricing
Freshsales pricing is competitive:
| Freshsales Free | Freshsales Growth | Freshsales Pro | Freshsales Enterprise | Vigdis | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Price (annual) | $0 | $9/user/mo | $39/user/mo | $59/user/mo | Free (early access) |
| Price (monthly) | $0 | $11/user/mo | $47/user/mo | $71/user/mo | Free (early access) |
Freshsales' Growth plan at $9/user/month is one of the cheapest paid CRM plans available. The free plan is also solid — it includes built-in phone, live chat, and basic contact and deal management.
The jump from Growth ($9) to Pro ($39) is steep, though. That's where you get AI-powered contact scoring, sales sequences, multiple pipelines, and workflow automation. Most teams that need real CRM functionality end up on Pro. Five users on Pro: $195/month.
Vigdis is free during early access, with simple per-seat pricing planned. We'll aim to be priced below Freshsales Pro while including more features in the base tier.
Features
Contacts and companies
Both handle contacts, companies (Freshsales calls them "accounts"), and custom fields. Freshsales has a clean contact timeline showing emails, calls, meetings, and notes in one view. Lifecycle stages and territory management come on higher tiers. Vigdis has contacts, companies, custom fields, saved views, and duplicate detection. Both do contact management well. Freshsales' activity timeline is polished. Vigdis' saved views and duplicate detection are strengths on our side.
Deals and pipeline
Freshsales has visual pipeline management with weighted deal values, deal close dates, and product catalogs. Multiple pipelines are available on Pro and above. Rotten deal indicators help you spot stale deals. Vigdis has kanban-style deal tracking with pipeline stats. Both handle basic pipeline management. Freshsales' rotten deal tracking and product catalogs add depth for sales teams. Vigdis is faster for the basics.
Built-in phone
This is a Freshsales differentiator. They include a built-in cloud phone on every plan — including the free one. Click-to-call from contact records, call recording (on paid plans), and call logs. It's genuinely useful for teams that do phone-based sales. Vigdis doesn't have built-in calling. If phone calls are a core part of your sales process, Freshsales has a real advantage here.
Freshsales includes two-way email sync, email templates, and email tracking on Growth. Sales sequences (automated email cadences) come on Pro. The email experience is solid and well-integrated. Vigdis has an inbox with notifications and @mentions. Our email features are more basic. For outbound email sequences, Freshsales is ahead.
AI features (Freddy AI)
Freshsales' AI assistant, Freddy, offers contact scoring, deal insights, and next-best-action recommendations on Pro and above. It's not going to replace your judgment, but the lead scoring is genuinely helpful for prioritizing outreach. Vigdis doesn't have AI features. When we add intelligence features, they'll be focused on practical utility — not buzzword compliance.
Automation
Freshsales has workflow automation on Pro and above — trigger-based rules for assignments, notifications, field updates, and task creation. The automation builder is straightforward and covers common use cases. Vigdis doesn't have workflow automation yet. Freshsales' automation is well-implemented and easy to set up.
Reporting
Freshsales includes standard reports and visual dashboards. Custom reports are available on Pro and above. The reports cover pipeline, revenue, activity, and team performance metrics. Vigdis has built-in stats and analytics. Both cover the basics. Freshsales' custom report builder gives more flexibility on higher tiers.
Integrations
Freshsales integrates with the broader Freshworks suite (Freshdesk, Freshmarketer, Freshservice) and offers integrations with Google Workspace, Microsoft 365, Slack, Zapier, and others. The marketplace isn't as large as HubSpot's, but covers common needs. Vigdis has an API and is building integrations. Freshsales has a clear advantage on integrations, especially within the Freshworks ecosystem.
Where Freshsales wins
- Built-in phone. Click-to-call from anywhere in the CRM, included on every plan. If your sales team makes calls, this is a real feature, not a gimmick.
- AI lead scoring. Freddy AI helps prioritize leads based on engagement and fit. Not magic, but useful for teams with enough leads to need prioritization.
- Free plan. Genuinely useful free tier with phone, chat, and basic CRM. Better than most competitors' free plans.
- Email sequences. Automated email cadences on Pro are well-built and save time for outbound sales teams.
- Freshworks ecosystem. If you use Freshdesk for support or Freshmarketer for marketing, everything connects cleanly.
Where Vigdis wins
- Speed and keyboard workflow. Vigdis is designed for people who want to move fast. Keyboard shortcuts for navigation, search, and record management. Less clicking, more doing.
- Simpler pricing. No big jump between tiers. The gap between Freshsales Growth ($9) and Pro ($39) means many teams pay more than they planned. Vigdis keeps it flat.
- Duplicate detection. Built-in duplicate detection to keep your data clean. Freshsales relies on merge functionality rather than proactive detection.
- No feature gating on essentials. Custom fields, saved views, and core CRM features on every plan. With Freshsales, multiple pipelines, workflow automation, and AI features are locked behind Pro.
- Focused simplicity. Freshsales is a very capable CRM, but it's getting more complex over time as Freshworks adds features. Vigdis is deliberately simple. We'd rather do 10 things well than 30 things adequately.
- Independence. We're a small, independent company building a CRM. Freshworks is a public company ($FRSH) with enterprise growth targets. That affects product decisions over time — which features get priority, which teams get attention, which use cases matter most.
The bottom line
Pick Freshsales if you need built-in calling, email sequences, and AI-powered lead scoring at a reasonable price. Freshsales is a polished CRM that punches above its price class, especially on Pro. The free plan is a solid starting point, and the Freshworks ecosystem adds value if you use their other products.
Pick Vigdis if you want the fastest, simplest CRM possible. You don't need a phone dialer or email sequences — you need a clean place to manage contacts, track deals, and stay organized. You value speed and simplicity over feature count.
Freshsales is a good CRM at a fair price. We're not going to trash-talk it. We're building something different — less featured but faster and simpler. The right choice depends on how you work.