Data study
CRM feature comparison: which plan includes each feature
This CRM feature comparison reads the published plan tables of 47 CRMs. It shows the lowest tier that includes each capability, including single sign-on, audit logs, reporting, automation, and AI. That makes the upgrade cost visible before you shortlist a plan.
What you almost always have to pay more for
Capabilities are ranked by how often they require an upgrade from the cheapest paid plan. The median column shows the monthly price for 8 seats at the first plan that includes each one.
| Capability | Vendors | Behind an upgrade | Median at 8 seats |
|---|---|---|---|
| SSO / SAML | 9 | 9 of 9 | $388 |
| Sandbox | 10 | 10 of 10 | $552 |
| Territories and quotas | 5 | 5 of 5 | $312 |
| Audit logs | 15 | 14 of 15 | $384 |
| Roles and permissions | 35 | 29 of 35 | $280 |
| AI agents | 14 | 11 of 14 | $416 |
| Forecasting | 20 | 15 of 20 | $242 |
| Security administration | 27 | 20 of 27 | $270 |
| Custom objects | 14 | 10 of 14 | $336 |
| Custom reporting | 15 | 10 of 15 | $312 |
| Revenue analytics | 12 | 8 of 12 | $232 |
| Sequences | 6 | 4 of 6 | $312 |
| Multi-currency | 9 | 6 of 9 | $425 |
| Standard dashboards | 30 | 18 of 30 | $217 |
"Behind an upgrade" counts vendors whose cheapest plan carrying the capability is dearer than their cheapest paid plan. Both columns include only vendors that list the capability.
Tier matrix: eight CRMs, capability by capability
The cheapest plan at each vendor that lists the capability. Hover a cell for the plan name and what it costs at 8 seats. The table scrolls sideways on narrow screens.
| Capability |  monday CRM |  Lumenbase |  Pipedrive |  Freshsales |  HubSpot | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sandbox | Not listed | Enterprise | Not listed | Enterprise | Enterprise | Not listed | Enterprise | Pro |
| Territories and quotas | Not listed | Not listed | Not listed | Not listed | Pro | Not listed | Not listed | Pro |
| Audit logs | Enterprise | Not listed | Entry plan | Not listed | Enterprise | Not listed | Not listed | Not listed |
| Roles and permissions | Enterprise | Enterprise | Entry plan | Not listed | Enterprise | Pro | Entry plan | Pro |
| AI agents | Pro | Enterprise | Not listed | Not listed | Not listed | Not listed | Not listed | Enterprise |
| Forecasting | Pro | Entry plan | Entry plan | Pro | Not listed | Not listed | Entry plan | Pro |
| Security administration | Enterprise | Enterprise | Entry plan | Enterprise | Not listed | Enterprise | Entry plan | Starter |
| Custom objects | Not listed | Not listed | Not listed | Not listed | Enterprise | Entry plan | Enterprise | Not listed |
| Custom reporting | Enterprise | Not listed | Entry plan | Not listed | Pro | Not listed | Enterprise | Not listed |
| Revenue analytics | Not listed | Not listed | Entry plan | Not listed | Not listed | Not listed | Pro | Enterprise |
| Sequences | Enterprise | Not listed | Entry plan | Not listed | Pro | Not listed | Pro | Not listed |
| Multi-currency | Not listed | Not listed | Not listed | Not listed | Not listed | Not listed | Pro | Not listed |
| Standard dashboards | Enterprise | Not listed | Entry plan | Not listed | Entry plan | Not listed | Pro | Entry plan |
| API and webhooks | Entry plan | Not listed | Entry plan | Not listed | Not listed | Not listed | Entry plan | Pro |
| Projects | Not listed | Not listed | Entry plan | Not listed | Not listed | Not listed | Not listed | Not listed |
| Workflow automation | Entry plan | Entry plan | Entry plan | Pro | Entry plan | Not listed | Entry plan | Pro |
| AI assistant | Entry plan | Not listed | Entry plan | Entry plan | Pro | Not listed | Enterprise | Entry plan |
Each cell names the cheapest plan that includes the capability. Hover for the plan and what it costs at 8 seats. "Entry plan" means it is in the vendor's cheapest paid plan, so no upgrade is needed to get it.
What has become standard
These capabilities appear most often in the cheapest paid plan. Their inclusion alone is unlikely to justify an upgrade.
- AI assistant. Included in the entry plan at 16 of the 27 vendors that offer it.
- Workflow automation. Included in the entry plan at 23 of the 42 vendors that offer it.
- Projects. Included in the entry plan at 4 of the 8 vendors that offer it.
- API and webhooks. Included in the entry plan at 13 of the 29 vendors that offer it.
- Standard dashboards. Included in the entry plan at 12 of the 30 vendors that offer it.
Basic AI assistants now appear in many entry plans. Security and governance features still sit higher in most plan ladders.
How to use this when buying
- Start with your hard requirements. If a client contract requires single sign-on or an audit trail, find the first plan that includes it. Use that price for every vendor in the shortlist.
- Set common features aside. Pipelines, email and calendar sync, and mobile apps are widely available. Focus the decision on features that vary by tier or change the team's workflow.
- Watch the second upgrade. Check the cost of the plan that adds reporting, permissions, and governance. A growing team may need that tier sooner than the entry plan suggests.
- Check the pricing model too. A low per-seat rate can cost more than a flat plan once the user count grows. The cost calculator models that against your own seat count.
Buying for a specific kind of firm? The shortlists are on best CRM for agencies, for consultants, and for outsourcing companies.
How we compared
Every table is quoted on one billing basis at a time, and every row on it uses that same basis. Annual is the per-seat rate when billed annually, which is what most vendors headline and what the tables open on. Monthly is the month-to-month rate with no commitment.
Each basis reads only its own published figure. We never compute one from the other, because an advertised annual discount regularly disagrees with the vendor's own two prices and produces a number nobody can buy. A vendor that publishes only one of the two shows a dash on the other. The dataset covers 47 CRMs, and each buyer guide uses the relevant subset. Pricing source records span 20 July 2026 to 12 October 2026.
The 8-seat column uses the cheapest professional-band plan that supports 8 users. Where a vendor sells such a plan but publishes no price for it on the basis shown, the row stays blank: it is never filled in from that vendor's cheaper entry plan, which would compare two different products and read as a price difference. The few vendors with no professional plan at all are marked as entry-plan rows and left out of the charts. Flat-fee and quote-only vendors are marked. Euro prices use a conversion rate of 1.087. Plan bands are our categories and do not guarantee equal features. The figures are list prices and exclude taxes, negotiated discounts, onboarding, usage charges and add-ons.
Capability tags come from an automated reading of each vendor's public plan comparison. Check any required feature with the vendor before signing. The cost calculator has a correction link that feeds back into the dataset.
Frequently asked questions
HubSpot, Salesforce, Pipedrive, Zoho, monday.com, Attio, Freshworks, and other names are trademarks of their respective owners. Lumenbase is not affiliated with, sponsored by, or endorsed by them. Pricing source records span 20 July 2026 to 12 October 2026; products, pricing, and features change and vary by plan, so verify on each vendor's pricing page before deciding.