The cheapest-looking CRM is not always the cheapest CRM to own. SaaSRealCost evaluates providers using the same five criteria so you can see what happens beyond the advertised starting price.
Current methodology version: 2.0
Prices and provider information checked September 2026.
| Provider | Price | Growth | Extras | Transparency | Exit | Real Cost Score |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pipedrive | 9/10 | 8/10 | 8/10 | 9/10 | 9/10 | 8.6/10 |
| Zoho CRM | 9/10 | 9/10 | 8/10 | 9/10 | 8/10 | 8.6/10 |
| Freshsales | 9/10 | 8/10 | 8/10 | 9/10 | 8/10 | 8.4/10 |
| monday CRM | 8/10 | 8/10 | 7/10 | 8/10 | 9/10 | 8.0/10 |
| HubSpot Sales Hub | 8/10 | 6/10 | 6/10 | 8/10 | 9/10 | 7.4/10 |
Price 20% + Growth cost 20% + Hidden extras 20% + Cost transparency 20% + Ease of exit 20%
The five scores are averaged to create the final score out of 10.
Example: 9 + 8 + 8 + 9 + 9 = 43 ÷ 5 = 8.6/10.
See how SaaSRealCost applies the same methodology across providers and categories.
Read the full Real Cost Score™ methodology →How attractive is the actual entry cost for the product being compared?
What happens to the cost when users, features or business requirements grow?
Can add-ons, credits, onboarding, storage or other extras materially change the final bill?
How clearly does the provider explain plans, limits, billing and extras?
How difficult is it to cancel, export data and move to another provider?
See how different CRM pricing structures can affect the real cost as your team, usage and requirements grow.
Explore CRM Real Cost Scenarios →We do not give a provider a high score simply because its first advertised price is low.
The purpose of the Real Cost Score™ is to answer a different question: what is this product likely to cost and feel like as your needs develop?
Scores are reviewed when material pricing, plan or product changes occur.
Use the SaaS Buying Commitment Checklist to review pricing, growth costs, hidden extras, contract terms and exit conditions before committing to a SaaS provider.
Open the SaaS Buying Commitment Checklist →