The answer fits in one sentence: it depends on what you sell and what you have to track after the sale. If your business stops when the quote is signed, Salesforce, HubSpot, Pipedrive or Sellsy will do the job very well — they are four serious pieces of software, used by tens of thousands of companies. If your business carries on after delivery — a machine installed at the customer's site, a maintenance contract, an after-sales job to schedule — the question becomes a different one.
That is precisely the ground Stator-CRM was designed for: an industrial CRM that tracks the customer AND their equipment, without stacking a separately priced module on top. This article compares the five solutions honestly, with the prices, strengths and real limitations of each — without running down tools that are excellent on their own ground.
You will find a full comparison table, a detailed look at Salesforce, HubSpot, Pipedrive and Sellsy, and then what concretely sets Stator-CRM apart for an industrial SME.
Why compare Stator-CRM with the big names in CRM
Many managing directors of industrial SMEs choose a CRM on name recognition: Salesforce because "it's the market leader", HubSpot because "everyone talks about it", Pipedrive for its simplicity, Sellsy because "it's French". These are good reasons — but none of them answers a specific question: who at this customer looks after which machine, under which maintenance contract, and since when?
That is a business-specific need, not a generic CRM need. We explain the difference between the two approaches in our comparison of industrial vs general-purpose CRM. It goes a long way to explaining why this comparison exists: the four tools below are excellent in their category, but none of them was originally designed for a company that sells AND maintains industrial equipment.
A word of disclosure: we publish Stator-CRM, so we are not neutral. We stick to each vendor's public prices and documented features, and you can check them. On how to read the comparisons you will come across elsewhere — including those that present themselves as independent — see why online CRM comparisons deserve some suspicion.
Salesforce: the global benchmark, at what price for an industrial SME
Salesforce Sales Cloud remains the most complete CRM on the market. App ecosystem, functional depth, Agentforce AI: in terms of sheer power, nobody does better. Salesforce has launched a Starter Suite plan to attract small businesses, but the tool is still built for mid-caps and large accounts.
2026 prices range from $25 per user/month (Starter Suite) to $350 (Unlimited), via Pro Suite ($100) and Enterprise ($175). Two things to know before you sign: advanced quote management (CPQ) is a separately priced module, and the equivalent of installed-base or field after-sales tracking only exists through the Field Service Cloud add-on, billed at roughly $330 to $380 extra per user per month. Add implementation through an integrator at €5,000 minimum, and the real budget quickly exceeds the published price list.
It is an American company, but the "Hyperforce EU Operating Zone" option allows hosting in France or Germany, depending on the contract negotiated. Its limitations are acknowledged even by its users: high total cost, a steep learning curve, and a tool often judged oversized for teams of fewer than 20 sales reps.
HubSpot: excellent at marketing, but not designed for production
HubSpot Sales Hub is probably the most pleasant CRM on the market to use, with an alignment between marketing and sales that few tools can match. Its training and documentation are solid, and its free plan lets you get started without commitment.
But the step between tiers is steep. Starter begins at $15/seat/month on an annual commitment. Professional jumps to $100/month/seat — with a mandatory $1,500 onboarding fee in the first year. Enterprise climbs to $150/month/seat, with $3,500 of onboarding. Marketing contacts are then charged on top, by tier, separately. Native quotes only arrive from Pro upwards.
On the installed-base and field after-sales side: nothing native. You would have to build custom objects in Enterprise — bespoke development to recreate what Stator-CRM offers as standard. An American company, with a default data centre in Frankfurt for new European customers since 2021. Acknowledged limitations: a large price gap between Starter and Professional, costs that climb fast, and a tool limited for specific business processes such as industrial production.
Pipedrive: simple and affordable, but incomplete for industry
Pipedrive gets one thing right: simplicity. An intuitive interface, quick to pick up without dedicated training, an affordable entry price. For a small sales team that just wants a clear pipeline, it is an honest and often sufficient choice.
2026 prices, per user/month on an annual commitment: Essential $14, Advanced $29, Professional $59, Power $69, Enterprise $99. There is no free plan. Above all, there are two functional gaps for an industrial business: no native invoicing — you need a third-party integration — and no concept of an installed base or field after-sales.
Pipedrive is an Estonian company, with AWS data centres in the EU (Frankfurt, Dublin), although American subcontractors may still be part of the chain. Its acknowledged limitations: limited marketing and insufficient customisation for complex processes — exactly what tracking a base of installed machines calls for.
A CRM designed for industry, with no paid module to add for after-sales.
Try Stator-CRM for freeSellsy: the French general-purpose CRM, solid but not industrial
Sellsy has a real merit: it is a CRM designed in France, for French small businesses and SMEs, with native tax compliance and responsive support — a stated response time of under 24h. Based in La Rochelle, hosted 100% with Scaleway (three data centres in the Paris region), ISO 27001 certified: on data sovereignty, it is the best placed of the four competitors.
Sellsy combines CRM, quotes, invoicing and cash management in a single tool, with built-in e-signature — a real advantage if you want to avoid juggling several pieces of software. 2026 prices, per user/month on an annual commitment, minimum 2 users: Standard €39 excl. VAT, Evolution €59 excl. VAT, Elite €99 excl. VAT.
On specifically industrial ground, however, Sellsy remains generic. Its page dedicated to the sector mentions the long sales cycles of industry, but says nothing about managing an installed base, equipment installed at customer sites, field after-sales or maintenance contracts. Its acknowledged limitations: premium positioning — up to 3 to 4 times more expensive than some alternatives, according to reviews — a minimum of 2 licences, and it is not real accounting software.
Stator-CRM vs the four competitors: the comparison table
Here are the five solutions side by side, on the criteria that really matter to an industrial SME.
| Criterion | Stator-CRM | Salesforce | HubSpot | Pipedrive | Sellsy |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Price | €650 per user per year, i.e. €54/month, all-inclusive | $25 to $350/user/month depending on plan | $0 to $150/month/seat + onboarding | $14 to $99/user/month | €39 to €99/user/month (min. 2) |
| Quotes | Native PDF, included | CPQ = separately priced module | Native from Pro upwards | Not native (third-party integration) | Native, quote → invoice, e-signature |
| Native installed base / field after-sales | Yes, included in the subscription | No — Field Service Cloud add-on (+$330–380/month) | No — custom objects in Enterprise, bespoke | No, no native feature | Not mentioned, absent from their industry offering |
| Implementation costs | No mandatory onboarding fee | Integrator, from €5,000 | Mandatory onboarding: $1,500 to $3,500 | Not disclosed | Not disclosed |
| Hosting | France, independent vendor | United States, EU option (Hyperforce) | United States, EU data centre by default (Frankfurt) | Estonia/EU (AWS), possible US subcontractors | 100% France (Scaleway, Paris), ISO 27001 |
| Target market | Industrial SMEs, sales + after-sales | Mid-caps / large accounts | Growing SMEs, inbound marketing | Small businesses and SMEs looking for simplicity | General French small businesses and SMEs |
Of the four competitors studied, only one offers an equivalent to Stator-CRM's installed-base and field after-sales tracking: Salesforce, through Field Service Cloud — a separate module, billed on top. HubSpot, Pipedrive and Sellsy have, to date, no native feature of this kind.
What really sets Stator-CRM apart
Three facts emerge from this comparison.
First, the installed base and after-sales are native, not bolted on afterwards. When a technician goes out to a customer, Stator-CRM already knows which machine is installed, since when, and with what history — without a Field Service module at $330–380/month as with Salesforce, or bespoke development as with HubSpot. To go further on the field intervention side itself, our Stator vs Rotor comparison explains where the sales CRM stops and where the management of field service jobs begins.
Next, pricing: at €650 per user per year, the equivalent of €54/month, Stator-CRM sits above the entry plans of Pipedrive or HubSpot Starter, but well below the Professional and Enterprise plans of Salesforce or HubSpot — for a tool that includes from the outset what elsewhere requires an extra module or extra development.
Finally, no entry costs inflating the bill: no integrator at €5,000 minimum as with Salesforce, no onboarding at $1,500–3,500 as with HubSpot. Full feature details on the Stator-CRM product page, and a comparison of the four applications in the suite on the pricing page.
Which CRM to choose for your type of company
There is no best CRM in absolute terms, only the one best suited to your business.
Salesforce makes sense for a mid-cap with a large sales team and a dedicated IT budget. HubSpot suits a growing SME driven by inbound marketing. Pipedrive remains a good choice for a small team that wants a simple pipeline, with no need for invoicing or field tracking. Sellsy serves French small businesses and SMEs well when they want to centralise CRM, quotes, invoicing and cash management.
And Stator-CRM is aimed at a specific category: industrial SMEs that sell AND maintain equipment, and want sales, quotes and after-sales to speak the same language, in the same tool, with no hidden extra cost.
Can Stator-CRM replace Salesforce?
For an industrial SME with a modest-sized sales team, yes, comfortably. For a mid-cap company with very complex sales processes or large-scale integration needs, Salesforce remains functionally deeper — but at a far higher total cost once the integrator and modules are included.
Why does Stator-CRM not have a free plan like HubSpot?
HubSpot's free plan exists to get you using the tool before you move to the paid plans, where the real costs appear — native quotes and onboarding included. Stator-CRM has a single, all-inclusive price, with no hidden tier and no onboarding fee added after the fact.
Does Stator-CRM manage the installed base natively?
Yes. Tracking of equipment installed at the customer's site, after-sales history and maintenance contracts are included in the subscription, with no add-on module — unlike Salesforce, which requires the paid Field Service Cloud add-on for an equivalent function.
How does the real, all-in price compare?
At €650 per user per year — the equivalent of €54/month — Stator-CRM includes quotes, follow-ups, sales rounds and the installed base. With Salesforce, you have to add CPQ, Field Service Cloud and an integrator at €5,000 minimum. With HubSpot, you have to add onboarding at $1,500–3,500 from the Professional plan upwards. With these two vendors, the advertised price is never the final price.
The right CRM is not the one with the most features or the biggest name — it is the one that fits your trade. Salesforce, HubSpot, Pipedrive and Sellsy are all defensible choices, depending on the context. But if your industrial business carries on after the sale, with equipment to track and after-sales to organise, Stator-CRM was built precisely for that — with no module to add and no bill that swells once the contract is signed.