Bigin alternatives for small teams ready for their next CRM
Bigin alternatives for small businesses that want more room, or a different shape of CRM: the options Indian teams weigh after Zoho's pipeline-first app, each described from the vendor's own site. For every product you can see how it handles lead capture, WhatsApp, SMS, pipelines and getting started.
Vendor details checked on 2 October 2026 from each vendor's own website; features change, so confirm with them. DigiPix Flow is our product: it is listed first and marked as ours, and the others are in no ranked order.
Why teams look beyond Bigin
Your team has grown past twenty
Bigin is designed for businesses of one to twenty people. As headcount rises, some teams compare it with CRMs aimed at larger or faster-growing sales teams.
You want a CRM that stands on its own
Some businesses would rather pick a CRM for itself than join a family of apps, and judge each product on what it does for their sales team alone.
Enquiries arrive from many places at once
When leads come from ads, IndiaMART, website forms and WhatsApp on the same day, how directly each product brings them in matters as much as the pipeline view.
The 6 options at a glance
- 1. DigiPix Flow (ours)Indian small and mid-sized sales teams whose sales start as enquiries from ads, marketplaces and website forms.
- 2. Zoho CRMTeams of any size that want a broad CRM inside the wider Zoho product family, with room to add automation, analytics and integrations as they grow.
- 3. PipedriveSales teams of any size that want a visual, deal-focused pipeline with a large Marketplace of add-on apps.
- 4. FreshsalesStartups, SMBs and growing businesses that want sales and marketing in one CRM, with phone, WhatsApp, email and chat channels plus territory-based lead routing.
- 5. Kylas Sales CRMGrowing businesses in India, across sectors such as manufacturing, fintech and education, that want pipelines, WhatsApp, calling and AI lead scoring in one CRM.
- 6. HubSpot CRMStartups, small businesses and growing sales teams that want an all-in-one customer platform with a large app marketplace and sales, marketing and service tools that connect.
How this list was made
- CRMs that Bigin users and buyers weighing it actually shortlist, based on search results and the questions they ask.
- Details about each product are taken from its own website and help pages on the date shown, and from nowhere else.
- We print no prices, because plans and offers change more often than this page can.
- DigiPix Flow is ours. It comes first and is marked as ours, and the rest are listed in no ranked order.
1. DigiPix Flow
Our productDigiPix Flow is a lead management CRM: every enquiry lands in one inbox, goes to the right rep and is followed up on WhatsApp, email and SMS until it becomes a deal.
Why it is on this list: A lead management CRM for teams whose sales begin as enquiries: Meta, Google Ads, IndiaMART and website-form leads land in one inbox, assignment rules with round robin share them out, and WhatsApp, email and SMS sit on the lead's record.
Best for: Indian small and mid-sized sales teams whose sales start as enquiries from ads, marketplaces and website forms.
| Built for | Indian sales teams whose sales start as enquiries, such as agencies, real estate, coaching institutes, D2C brands and manufacturers. More |
|---|---|
| Lead capture | Meta Lead Ads, Google Ads lead forms, IndiaMART, website forms, hosted forms, a lead API and CSV import all feed one lead inbox. More |
| Connect your WhatsApp Business number directly; conversations sit on the lead's record beside calls, email and SMS. More | |
| SMS in India | Two-way SMS to Indian numbers, with every message checked against your DLT templates before it sends. More |
| Calling | Calls and meetings are logged on the record with their outcome and the next follow-up; a built-in dialer is not available. More |
| Pipelines | One pipeline per workspace with your own stages, fields a deal must have before it moves, and approvals for discounts and wins. More |
| Automation | Rule-based workflows, assignment rules with round robin, lead scoring and follow-up sequences. More |
| Reporting | A dashboard and saved reports for leads by source, pipeline value by stage and team activity, built from the records your team keeps. More |
| Mobile app | Ask our team |
| Data hosting | Hosted in the Mumbai region. More |
| Sign-in and access | Multi-factor sign-in on every plan, which admins can enforce, plus roles, permissions and an audit log; single sign-on is not available yet. More |
| Integrations and API | A lead API with scoped keys, and outbound webhooks for lead and deal events. More |
| Getting started | Enquiry-led: you talk to a specialist who sets the workspace up around how your team sells, priced in rupees. More |
2. Zoho CRM
Zoho CRM is an AI-assisted CRM platform that brings lead management, sales automation, omnichannel engagement and analytics together for growing businesses.
Why it is on this list: The step up within Zoho for teams that want more room to customise, with multiple pipelines, assignment rules, sales cadences, forecasting and Zoho's data centres in India.
Best for: Teams of any size that want a broad CRM inside the wider Zoho product family, with room to add automation, analytics and integrations as they grow.
| Built for | Zoho describes its CRM as serving businesses of all sizes, from freelancers and small businesses to enterprises, across all industries and verticals. Source: zoho.com |
|---|---|
| Lead capture | Zoho CRM captures leads from web forms, landing pages on WordPress and Unbounce, social media including Facebook Lead Ads, and Google Ads. IndiaMART connectors are listed on its Marketplace. Source: zoho.com |
| Zoho CRM integrates WhatsApp Business so teams can message customers from the CRM, use message templates, receive notifications and trigger WhatsApp messages from workflow rules. Source: zoho.com | |
| SMS in India | SMS is added to Zoho CRM through extensions on the Zoho Marketplace, including third-party SMS gateway connectors such as mTalkz and ClickSend, with scheduled sending and SMS history. Source: marketplace.zoho.com |
| Calling | Zoho CRM offers click-to-dial, automatic call logging against the relevant records, and connections to multiple telephony providers. Source: zoho.com |
| Pipelines | Zoho CRM supports multiple sales pipelines for different products, services or geographies, with system-defined deal stages that can be customised to match your sales process. Source: zoho.com |
| Automation | Assignment rules distribute leads from web forms, imports and API sources to users, roles or groups in round-robin order, alongside workflow rules and sales cadences. Source: help.zoho.com |
| Reporting | Zoho CRM provides dynamic dashboards, report generation, forecasting and anomaly detection to support sales performance management. Source: zoho.com |
| Mobile app | The Zoho CRM mobile app runs on Android and iOS, with offline updates that sync later, business card scanning, dashboards and the Zia assistant. Source: zoho.com |
| Data hosting | Zoho operates data centres in India, with Mumbai as primary and Chennai as secondary, and users choose where their data is stored. Source: zoho.com |
| Sign-in and access | Zoho CRM offers multi-factor authentication, IP restrictions, time-stamped audit logs, and role-based security where roles set data visibility and profiles set permissions. Source: zoho.com |
| Integrations and API | Zoho CRM provides RESTful APIs for record operations, bulk APIs, query APIs and notification APIs that report data changes, so it connects with third-party applications. Source: zoho.com |
| Getting started | Customers sign up online, with migration assistance and a Jumpstart onboarding service listed on the product page. Source: zoho.com |
3. Pipedrive
Pipedrive is a sales pipeline CRM that helps businesses manage leads, track sales activities and close more deals.
Why it is on this list: A pipeline-first CRM with a kanban view of the whole funnel, ready-made automation templates and a Marketplace of more than 500 apps, for teams that think in deals.
Best for: Sales teams of any size that want a visual, deal-focused pipeline with a large Marketplace of add-on apps.
| Built for | Pipedrive describes a sales pipeline CRM for businesses of all sizes, from start-ups to large teams, that want to manage leads and close deals. Source: pipedrive.com |
|---|---|
| Lead capture | Pipedrive captures leads from forms, chat, email and integrations into a Leads Inbox, and supports bulk import of leads and deals from spreadsheets. Source: pipedrive.com |
| The WhatsApp integration lets teams view conversations, send template messages and link chats to deals in Pipedrive, and Pipedrive describes it as a beta feature. Source: support.pipedrive.com | |
| SMS in India | A Fast2SMS app on the Pipedrive Marketplace sends SMS and WhatsApp messages from deals, contacts and organisations using approved Fast2SMS templates. Source: pipedrive.com |
| Calling | Teams can call from the iOS and Android apps with call logging, or use Marketplace calling apps such as CloudTalk, Aircall, CallHippo and JustCall. Source: support.pipedrive.com |
| Pipelines | Pipedrive provides a kanban-style view of the whole sales funnel, and users can customise pipelines to match their own sales process. Source: pipedrive.com |
| Automation | Automations can create deals and activities, assign leads to the right rep, send follow-up emails and update stages, using ready-made templates. Source: pipedrive.com |
| Reporting | Real-time dashboards and visual reports track sales performance against goals and show revenue forecasts based on historical data. Source: pipedrive.com |
| Mobile app | Native Android and iOS apps give access to the pipeline, meeting preparation and follow-ups while the team is on the move. Source: pipedrive.com |
| Data hosting | Pipedrive says accounts are hosted in AWS data centres in Europe and the US, with encryption for data at rest and in transit. Source: pipedrive.com |
| Sign-in and access | Pipedrive supports two-factor authentication through an authenticator app or email, single sign-on with providers such as Okta and Azure AD, permission sets and visibility groups. Source: support.pipedrive.com |
| Integrations and API | Pipedrive connects with 500+ apps through its Marketplace, including Zoom, Zapier, Xero and Facebook. Source: pipedrive.com |
| Getting started | Pipedrive supports self-guided set-up through its knowledge base and learning courses, including admin set-up training, with personalised one-to-one onboarding guidance on offer. Source: support.pipedrive.com |
4. Freshsales
Freshsales, also marketed as Freshsales Suite and Freshworks CRM, is an all-in-one CRM that unites sales and marketing around the customer.
Why it is on this list: Freshworks' CRM for teams that want sales and marketing together, with territory-based lead routing, DLT-registered SMS through Gupshup and a Freshcaller-powered phone.
Best for: Startups, SMBs and growing businesses that want sales and marketing in one CRM, with phone, WhatsApp, email and chat channels plus territory-based lead routing.
| Built for | Freshworks positions Freshsales Suite for startups, SMBs, growing businesses and mid to large-sized enterprises that want integrated sales and marketing. Source: freshworks.com |
|---|---|
| Lead capture | Freshsales captures leads from web forms and website visitor tracking, and creates leads from Facebook and Instagram lead ad submissions once you connect your social account and map form fields. Source: crmsupport.freshworks.com |
| Freshworks is an official WhatsApp Business Solution Provider, so WhatsApp messages run through the WhatsApp Business Platform and teams read, reply and send opted-in marketing templates from the CRM. Source: crmsupport.freshworks.com | |
| SMS in India | Freshsales offers a Gupshup SMS integration for India that sends one-way text SMS using templates registered on the DLT platform, once DLT sender IDs and templates are in place. Source: crmsupport.freshworks.com |
| Calling | Freshsales offers click-to-call from the CRM with call logs and recordings through a Freshcaller-powered phone, and its marketplace lists telephony integrations such as Knowlarity and CallerDesk. Source: freshworks.com |
| Pipelines | Admins set up multiple deal pipelines with customisable stages, stage probabilities and rotting ages, and use weighted pipelines so managers can forecast expected sales. Source: support.freshsales.io |
| Automation | Freshsales assigns leads to salespeople across territories using lead-routing rules, with round-robin distribution within a territory, and offers workflows to automate routine tasks. Source: freshworks.com |
| Reporting | Freshsales provides built-in reports and custom dashboards, scheduled report delivery, and reports that compare progress across multiple pipelines. Source: freshworks.com |
| Mobile app | The Freshsales mobile app runs on iOS and Android, letting reps add records, make and log calls, update deal stages, take voice notes and check in to meetings. Source: support.freshsales.io |
| Data hosting | Freshworks hosts its SaaS applications on Amazon Web Services with data centre regions that include India, the United States, Europe and Australia. Source: freshworks.com |
| Sign-in and access | Freshsales supports SAML single sign-on with identity providers such as Okta, two-factor authentication, and roles with module-level permissions that admins can customise. Source: crmsupport.freshworks.com |
| Integrations and API | Freshsales documents a RESTful API for reading and changing CRM data, supports webhooks from workflows, and lists integrations such as Gmail, Outlook, Slack, DocuSign, QuickBooks and Zapier. Source: developers.freshworks.com |
| Getting started | Freshworks describes the CRM as easy to implement, with quick set-up and team adoption, and lists verified apps on the Freshworks Marketplace for connecting existing tools. Source: freshworks.com |
5. Kylas Sales CRM
Kylas describes itself as India's fastest-growing agentic sales CRM, designed for growing businesses.
Why it is on this list: An Indian sales CRM for growing businesses, with round-robin queues by product, location or campaign source, and follow-up prompts across telephony, email, WhatsApp and SMS.
Best for: Growing businesses in India, across sectors such as manufacturing, fintech and education, that want pipelines, WhatsApp, calling and AI lead scoring in one CRM.
| Built for | Kylas says it serves more than 5,000 growing businesses across manufacturing, digital marketing, IT, fintech, edtech, higher education, healthcare, insurance and travel. Source: kylas.io |
|---|---|
| Lead capture | Kylas captures leads from web forms and third-party apps such as Google, Facebook, IndiaMART, TradeIndia and Justdial. Source: kylas.io |
| Kylas says its WhatsApp messaging uses the official WhatsApp Business API, with templates, one-to-one replies, file sharing and message tracking inside the lead record. Source: kylas.io | |
| SMS in India | Kylas connects to SMS providers such as Authkey, and its documentation says DLT registration is mandatory in India, with DLT template and entity IDs entered during set-up. Source: kylas.io |
| Calling | Kylas offers calling with real-time logging and activity tracking, plus cloud telephony integrations including Exotel, Knowlarity, DialDesk and CallerDesk. Source: kylas.io |
| Pipelines | Kylas lets you create multiple pipelines to track sales processes from initial contact to closing deals, across its lead and deal modules. Source: kylas.io |
| Automation | Kylas assigns leads automatically to the team through round-robin queues, by product, location or campaign source, and prompts timely follow-ups across telephony, email, WhatsApp and SMS. Source: kylas.io |
| Reporting | Kylas offers dynamic dashboards for leads, deals, emails, tasks and goals, along with customisable reports and revenue projections. Source: kylas.io |
| Mobile app | Kylas says teams can sell on the move with real-time access to the CRM on Android and iOS. Source: kylas.io |
| Data hosting | Kylas says it supports data hosting in India and in the United States, so organisations can choose their data residency. Source: kylas.io |
| Sign-in and access | Kylas lists two-factor authentication, single sign-on, role-based access controls and audit trails among its security measures. Source: kylas.io |
| Integrations and API | Kylas offers open APIs and webhooks, a marketplace of 350+ apps, and connections to Zapier and Integrately for further automation. Source: kylas.io |
| Getting started | Kylas lets prospects book a demo and says set-up can be completed in about 30 minutes. Source: kylas.io |
6. HubSpot CRM
HubSpot CRM is a customer platform that organises contacts, deals and activity in one place, with Sales Hub adding prospecting, sequences, forecasting and AI assistance.
Why it is on this list: A customer platform where sales, marketing and service tools connect, with sequences, a WhatsApp conversations inbox and a marketplace of more than 2,000 apps.
Best for: Startups, small businesses and growing sales teams that want an all-in-one customer platform with a large app marketplace and sales, marketing and service tools that connect.
| Built for | HubSpot positions its CRM for startups, small businesses and growing companies, and describes Sales Hub as suited to sales teams of all sizes, from individual contributors to enterprises. Source: hubspot.com |
|---|---|
| Lead capture | HubSpot captures leads through form and landing page builders, and syncs lead ad forms from Facebook, LinkedIn, TikTok and Google Ads accounts, including Google Lead Form Extensions, into the CRM. Source: knowledge.hubspot.com |
| Teams link a WhatsApp Business Account via Meta's setup, so messages create threads in the HubSpot conversations inbox, and coexistence lets one number serve HubSpot and the WhatsApp Business app. Source: knowledge.hubspot.com | |
| SMS in India | HubSpot sends automated SMS to opted-in contacts through workflows once a business is registered, and its app marketplace lists many SMS connectors for sending and receiving texts. Source: knowledge.hubspot.com |
| Calling | HubSpot lets users call from the browser with a HubSpot number, a registered number or a third-party provider, with calls logged to the CRM and a power dialer. Source: hubspot.com |
| Pipelines | HubSpot provides customisable deal stages in a drag-and-drop pipeline editor, with multiple deal pipelines, stage approvals, validation steps and guided actions to keep deals on track. Source: hubspot.com |
| Automation | Workflows include a rotate-record-to-owner action that distributes leads by round robin, load balanced or random distribution, and sequences run multi-channel follow-up outreach. Source: knowledge.hubspot.com |
| Reporting | HubSpot offers performance dashboards at team and rep level, revenue forecasting and sales analytics, alongside reporting dashboards in the CRM. Source: hubspot.com |
| Mobile app | The HubSpot mobile app is available on iOS and Android and covers contacts, deals, tasks, calls, email and pipeline updates, with the Breeze Assistant built in. Source: hubspot.com |
| Data hosting | HubSpot hosts customer data on Amazon Web Services in the United States, Canada, Australia and the European Union (Germany), and assigns a data centre at sign-up. Source: hubspot.com |
| Sign-in and access | HubSpot supports two-factor authentication with configurable approved methods, SAML-based single sign-on that admins can require, and user permission settings managed by Super Admins. Source: knowledge.hubspot.com |
| Integrations and API | HubSpot lists more than 2,000 app integrations in its Marketplace and provides REST APIs with OAuth 2.0, plus a webhooks API for apps that subscribe to CRM events. Source: developers.hubspot.com |
| Getting started | Teams create an account online, choose the tools they need and connect existing apps from the HubSpot Marketplace, with a guided set-up for import and integrations. Source: hubspot.com |
When Bigin is still the better choice
Bigin remains the better choice if you are a team of one to twenty people that wants a pipeline CRM you can set up yourself from an industry template, with WhatsApp, email and phone conversations kept on each deal. It belongs to the Zoho family, so you can add Zoho apps as you need them and move up to Zoho CRM later. Its India region runs from Mumbai and Chennai, and Marketplace toppings add connectors such as IndiaMART.
Bigin compared head to head
Frequently asked questions
Is Zoho CRM the next step up from Bigin?
For teams that want to stay with Zoho, usually yes. Zoho positions Bigin with a clear path up to Zoho CRM, which adds more room to customise, multiple pipelines, sales cadences and forecasting. Ask Zoho how your Bigin records and workflows carry across before you switch.
When is Bigin the better choice?
When you are a small team of one to twenty people that wants a simple pipeline CRM set up from an industry template, with conversations on each deal and the option of growing into Zoho CRM later.
Which Bigin alternatives suit Indian teams that sell on enquiries?
Kylas and DigiPix Flow both bring in leads from IndiaMART and ad forms, assign them across the team by round robin and send SMS set up with DLT templates. Freshsales also supports DLT-registered SMS through Gupshup and hosts data in an India region.
How do I move from Bigin to another CRM?
Check with Zoho how to export your Bigin contacts, companies and deals, then import the file into the new CRM. DigiPix Flow takes leads and contacts from CSV, lines your columns up with its fields and leaves out records it already has.
How were these alternatives checked?
We took every product detail from the vendor's own public website and help pages, on the date shown at the top of the page. If we could not confirm something, the table reads "Check with vendor". Features change, so check what matters to you with the vendor before choosing.
Why are there no prices here?
Vendors revise plans, editions and offers often, and prices differ by region and billing term. A number on this page would date quickly, so each vendor's own pricing page is the better source.
Keep exploring
- Zoho CRM alternativesThe CRMs teams compare with Zoho's flagship CRM, Bigin's bigger sibling.
- Pipedrive alternativesOptions for teams weighing another pipeline-first CRM.
- Lead inboxHow DigiPix Flow brings enquiries from ads, IndiaMART and forms into one inbox.
- CRM migration checklistThe steps that keep leads and history intact when you change CRM.