Insightly Alternative: a CRM without the project module.
Insightly's pitch is CRM + project management in one product, a hybrid that suits agencies and service businesses where every won deal turns into a project. For teams that already run a project tool, the bundle is more surface than they need.
Salva Sanchiz · Founder ·
Side-by-side comparison
InsightlyThem
- CRM + project managementSales pipeline and project delivery live inside the same product, with linked records between the two.
- Service-business sweet spotDesigned for agencies, consultancies and other service businesses where opportunities become projects.
- Two surfaces to learnSales pipeline and project delivery share one product, but the opportunity surface and the project surface are separate concepts to learn.
- Tier-gated featuresCustom dashboards, workflow automation and advanced permissions sit on higher tiers.
SyncekSyncek
- CRM onlyContacts, opportunities, pipelines, notes. Project work stays in whatever project tool you already use.
- Any small-business sweet spotBuilt for small teams across SaaS, agencies, ops, consultancies and beyond.
- One product to learnA spreadsheet-familiar table, a Kanban pipeline, and record detail pages. That's the surface.
- Core features on every tierCustom fields, saved views, Kanban and permissions are part of the product. Not premium add-ons.
How do Insightly and Syncek actually differ?
Nine lenses for picking the right shape of CRM.
| Dimension | Insightly | Syncek |
|---|---|---|
Product shape |
Bundled suite. Insightly CRM (with built-in project management), Insightly Marketing, Insightly Service, and AppConnect under one roof. Opportunities can be promoted to projects with milestones and tasks. | Syncek Focused CRM: contacts, opportunities, pipelines, and notes. Project work stays in Linear, Asana, ClickUp or Notion; marketing automation stays in your email tool. |
Target team |
Agencies and service businesses where every won deal turns into a delivery project. Plus, Professional, and Enterprise tiers shape the curve from 1 user to mid-market. | Syncek Small businesses who need a real CRM without a project module attached. |
Time to first useful day |
Hours to weeks. The CRM module alone is reasonably quick, but enabling Projects, Marketing, or AppConnect adds setup and admin time on top. | Syncek Minutes. Drop a CSV, map columns, start. No project module to configure, no admin role to define. |
Customization model |
Custom fields, custom objects, and Lambda functions for advanced logic. Powerful, but workflow automation and advanced dashboards live on Professional and Enterprise tiers. | Syncek 20+ typed fields, custom pipelines, and saved views on every paid tier. No premium add-on for what most small teams consider table stakes. |
Pricing model |
Per-user, per-month for CRM across Plus, Professional, and Enterprise, but Marketing and AppConnect are billed per-account (Marketing in flat tiers, AppConnect metered by tasks with a setup fee). A full bundle stacks across pricing models, not just users. | Syncek One published price per user per month, monthly or yearly. Three plans, one product, no per-module stacking. |
Projects module |
First-class. Opportunities convert into projects with milestones, pipelines, tasks and email integration, the core Insightly differentiator. | Syncek Out of scope. Pair Syncek with the project tool your team already uses; the CRM does not pretend to deliver work. |
Inline editing |
Record-detail pages with inline edits and list-view edits, but the spreadsheet metaphor is not the design center. Project Gantt and milestone views shape much of the UI. | Syncek Spreadsheet-familiar inline editing across every view. Click a cell, type, move on, same muscle memory teams already have. |
Data ownership |
CSV export from Settings → Import/Export and REST API access on paid tiers. AppConnect workflows, project task hierarchies, and Insightly Marketing journeys do not export. | Syncek Export anything to CSV or Excel anytime, including after cancellation. No retention games, no module-specific export gaps. |
Best at |
Running CRM and delivery in one place when every won deal really does turn into a project worth tracking inside the same tool. | Syncek Running the daily CRM job: pipeline, contacts, opportunities, without inheriting a project module you would rather not learn. |
Insightly and Syncek, side by side
- Insightly starts at
- $29 per user / monthPlusSource
- Syncek starts at
- $23 per user / month
- Where Insightly exports
- Settings > Import/Export
Prices checked on 2026-08-22 against each vendor's own page, each in the currency that vendor publishes, so the two are not a converted comparison. Vendors change them without notice.
How do you move from Insightly to Syncek?
Four steps, usually a single afternoon for under ~5,000 records. The hardest part is deciding which Insightly modules to retire.
Export from Insightly
From Settings → Import/Export, export Contacts, Organizations, Leads, and Opportunities as CSV. For larger or filtered datasets, use the Insightly REST API to pull the same objects. Note: AppConnect workflows, project task hierarchies, and Insightly Marketing journeys do not export, those are the boundary of the migration.
Map fields to Syncek
Syncek's import wizard previews each column and lets you pick the field type (phone, email, currency, stage, relation). Insightly custom fields map cleanly to typed fields in Syncek; multi-select custom fields become select fields, and tag fields become labels.
Rebuild the pipeline
Insightly Opportunity stages become Syncek pipeline stages, same names, same order. Probabilities are optional. Saved views replace Insightly list views and dashboard tiles; recreate the three or four you actually use, skip the rest.
Decide what to retire
The Projects module, Insightly Marketing journeys, Insightly Service tickets, and AppConnect workflows do not come along. Most small teams move project work to Linear or Asana and email to a focused tool; if you depend on the Insightly bundle end-to-end, keep Insightly for those modules and pair it with Syncek for the CRM side.
Syncek vs Insightly, common questions.
Can I migrate my Insightly data into Syncek?
Yes. Export Contacts, Organizations, Leads, and Opportunities as CSV from Settings → Import/Export, or pull them via the Insightly REST API, then import them into Syncek with the visual mapper. Custom fields map to typed fields. AppConnect workflows, project task hierarchies, and Insightly Marketing journeys do not migrate, those live inside Insightly's other modules.Will I lose Insightly's project management?
Yes. Syncek is a focused CRM. There is no Projects module, no milestones, no Gantt view. Most teams move project work to Linear, Asana, ClickUp, or Notion and let the CRM stay a CRM. If converting opportunities into structured projects is the core of how you work, keep Insightly Projects.Is Syncek cheaper than Insightly for a small team?
For a 5-person team that only needs CRM, Syncek is materially cheaper than the equivalent Insightly Plus or Professional tier, especially once you add Insightly Marketing or Service on top. The fair comparison is Insightly Plus vs Syncek Pro on the CRM-only path; check the live numbers on each product's pricing page, because Insightly updates tiers regularly.Does Syncek replace the Insightly Sidebar Gmail/Outlook plugin?
Not directly. Syncek does not ship a Gmail or Outlook sidebar that logs email threads against records. If saving email to the CRM from inside your inbox is a daily habit, that is a real workflow gap; teams that move tend to log key emails as notes or rely on calendar and meeting capture instead.Can I run Insightly and Syncek side by side during transition?
Yes, and many teams do. Keep Insightly read-only for historical projects, marketing, and service tickets, do new sales work in Syncek, and retire the Insightly CRM module when the team agrees the daily CRM job is fully covered. Export anytime. Syncek doesn't lock data in.
When Insightly still makes sense.
If you run an agency or service business where every won deal becomes a project, and you'd rather keep both in one tool. Insightly's bundle is the right shape. Syncek is the right call when you already have a project tool (Linear, Asana, ClickUp, Notion) and just need the CRM next to it.
Other alternatives to Insightly
Six CRMs small teams weigh up against Insightly, with the cheapest way in to each one. Every price read from that vendor's own page, in the currency they publish it in.
| CRM | Free plan | Entry price | Plan |
|---|---|---|---|
| Freshsales | No | €9 per user / monthSource | Growth billed annually |
| Pipedrive | No | €14 per user / monthSource | Lite billed annually |
| Zoho CRM | Yes | €14 per user / monthSource | Standard billed annually |
| HubSpot | Yes | €20 per user / monthSource | Starter Customer Platform monthly or annually |
| Syncek (this is us) | No | $23 per user / month | Starter billed annually |
| Attio | Yes | €31 per user / monthSource | Plus billed annually |
| SugarCRM | No | $59 per user / month15 seats minimumSource | Sell Standard billed annually |
The whole table was last read in full on 2026-08-22, each price in the currency that vendor publishes for Europe. Any row read on a different day carries its own date. Vendors change prices without notice, so treat this as a starting point and confirm before you buy.
Pipedrive
Pipedrive is pipeline-first for sales reps. Syncek treats tables and pipelines as equals.
Freshsales
Freshsales targets mid-market sales orgs with the Freshworks suite around it. Syncek is a focused CRM for small teams.
Zoho CRM
Zoho CRM lives inside the Zoho One business suite. Syncek is a standalone CRM that pairs with whatever you already use.
HubSpot
HubSpot is an all-in-one suite with everything bundled. Syncek is a focused CRM for small teams.
Attio
Attio is a beautiful AI-native CRM for VC-backed startups. Syncek is the calmer choice for SMBs.
SugarCRM
SugarCRM is built for mid-market and admin-led deployments. Syncek is a self-serve CRM for small businesses.
Sources
Where do these claims come from?
Every limit, price and capability stated on this page is taken from the vendor's own published documentation. Vendors change their plans, so check the source if the detail matters to your decision.