Best Zendesk Sell Alternatives — Top CRM Replacements for Sales Teams

Zendesk to HubSpot migration: easy and stress-free switch

If you’re still relying on Zendesk Sell to manage your sales pipelines, it’s time to prepare for change. Zendesk has officially announced the sunset of its Sell CRM, leaving businesses searching for reliable and modern CRM alternatives. Whether you’re focused on automation, workflow efficiency, or team productivity, making the switch early ensures you won’t face disruptions in your sales process.

This guide explores why you need to move now, what’s at risk if you delay, and the top Zendesk Sell alternatives.

Why You Need to Look for a Zendesk Sell Alternative Now

For years, Zendesk Sell served as a simple, accessible sales CRM for growing teams. However, Zendesk’s strategic shift away from the sales product line has made its CRM obsolete. Users now face critical decisions about data migration, workflow continuity, and finding a CRM alternative to Zendesk Sell that aligns with their automation needs.

Zendesk Sell Sunset Timeline

In 2024, Zendesk officially confirmed it would discontinue Sell as part of its customer service platform refocus. The sunset timeline indicates that:

• New user sign-ups have already been discontinued.

• Support and feature updates will end in Q1 2025.

• Full deprecation is expected by mid-2025, meaning integrations and API support may no longer function reliably.

That timeline leaves existing users with less than a year to transition — a tight window if your sales workflows, automation features, and dashboards depend heavily on Zendesk’s ecosystem.

Key takeaway: Zendesk Sell is going away, and waiting until the final months can cause serious operational friction.

Risks of Delaying the Move

Remaining on Zendesk Sell beyond its support lifecycle creates significant challenges for sales teams, administrators, and customers. Here’s what’s at stake:

1. Loss of Data Access
   Once Zendesk sunsets Sell, you risk limited access to historical customer data, pipeline reports, and automation workflows. Backups will require manual exports, which can lead to data fragmentation and lost records.

2. Security Vulnerabilities
   Unsupported CRMs are prime targets for cyber threats. Without regular security updates or patches, your customer and sales data may be at risk.

3. Workflow Disruption
   As integrations with automation tools and customer support systems break, your teams will face workflow bottlenecks. Manual processes can quickly replace the streamlined automations you once had.

4. Reduced Productivity and Morale
   Outdated tools frustrate teams. Losing features like pipeline automation, custom dashboards, and workflow triggers can cause inefficiency and poor adoption of temporary solutions.

5. Increased Migration Costs Later
   The closer you get to Zendesk Sell’s sunset, the more expensive and rushed migrations become. Early movers enjoy better onboarding incentives from top CRMs and smoother data transfers.

Benefits of Early Migration

Migrating early to a Zendesk Sell alternative offers strategic advantages beyond continuity. Let’s explore the top benefits:

1. Streamlined Data Transfer

Early migration allows time for thorough data mapping, cleaning, and validation. This ensures customer data integrity and prevents workflow errors.

2. Enhanced Automation

Modern CRMs like HubSpot, Pipedrive, and Freshsales deliver stronger automation features — from email sequences to sales forecasting — allowing you to streamline your sales process beyond Zendesk’s limitations.

3. Better Customization

Unlike Zendesk Sell’s rigid structure, today’s alternatives allow full workflow customization, custom dashboards, and flexible automation rules tailored to your team’s process.

4. Improved Integration Ecosystem

Most leading CRMs integrate natively with productivity tools like Slack, Google Workspace, and accounting platforms, ensuring a unified sales ecosystem.

5. Long-Term Cost Efficiency

Many alternative CRMs offer more transparent pricing models, with tiered options to scale without surprise costs. Early adopters can often secure discounts or onboarding assistance.

Top Zendesk Sell Alternatives

We’ve analyzed and compared the leading CRMs based on automation, customization, pricing, and ease of migration. Here are the 10 best alternatives to Zendesk Sell for 2025.

1. Pipedrive

Best for: Small to mid-sized teams focused on pipeline management and automation.

Pipedrive is a top-rated sales CRM built around visual pipelines and automation workflows. It’s a natural alternative to Zendesk Sell for users seeking simplicity, automation, and actionable insights.

Key Features:

• Intuitive drag-and-drop deal pipeline

• Strong automation features for follow-ups and reminders

• Email tracking, templates, and smart scheduling

• Customization of fields and workflows

• 400+ integrations, including Gmail, Slack, and Zapier

Why It’s a Great Fit:
Pipedrive helps sales teams stay organized and streamline repetitive tasks — perfect for teams transitioning away from Zendesk without sacrificing usability.

2. HubSpot CRM

Best for: Growing businesses seeking scalability and a complete ecosystem.

HubSpot offers one of the most comprehensive Zendesk Sell CRM alternatives, providing a seamless combination of sales, marketing, and service tools in one unified customer service platform.

Key Features:

• Robust workflow automation

• Advanced lead scoring and email tracking

• Unified customer data across all hubs

• Intuitive dashboard with visual reporting

• Free plan available; pricing model scales with business size

Why It’s a Great Fit:
HubSpot’s extensive automation and integration ecosystem make it an excellent long-term investment for teams wanting to streamline both marketing and sales operations.

3. Salesforce Sales Cloud

Best for: Enterprises and teams needing deep customization and analytics.

Salesforce remains a top competitor in the CRM market. Its power lies in customization, extensive automation workflows, and scalability across global organizations.

Key Features:

• AI-driven sales forecasting and analytics

• Deep workflow automation and process builder

• Custom dashboards, reports, and triggers

• Integration with thousands of third-party tools

• Advanced customer data management and segmentation

Why It’s a Great Fit:
If you’re scaling fast or handling complex sales processes, Salesforce offers unmatched flexibility. However, it requires strong onboarding and admin setup.

4. Zoho CRM

Best for: Budget-conscious teams wanting customization and automation.

Zoho CRM is a long-standing Zendesk Sell alternative known for affordability and extensive customization options.

Key Features:

• AI assistant (Zia) for data insights

• Flexible workflow automation builder

• Custom dashboards and analytics reports

• Integrations with Zoho Suite and third-party tools

• Competitive pricing model

Why It’s a Great Fit:
Zoho’s balance of automation, customization, and pricing flexibility makes it ideal for small businesses seeking a powerful but affordable CRM.

5. Freshsales (by Freshworks)

Best for: Startups and SMBs looking for automation and support alignment.

Freshsales, part of the Freshworks ecosystem, bridges sales CRM and customer support capabilities.

Key Features:

• AI-powered lead scoring

• Visual sales pipeline

• Automation features for email and task workflows

• Built-in phone, chat, and email tracking

• Tight integration with Freshdesk for customer service

Why It’s a Great Fit:
Freshsales offers an affordable, modern CRM alternative to Zendesk Sell, especially for teams valuing automation and integrated customer support.

6. Nutshell

Best for: SMBs wanting simplicity without losing power.

Nutshell CRM focuses on ease of use and team adoption while offering automation and reporting features comparable to larger platforms.

Key Features:

• Visual sales pipelines and reporting

• Built-in email marketing automation

• Customizable sales workflows

• Affordable pricing tiers

• Integrations with QuickBooks, Google Workspace, and Slack

Why It’s a Great Fit:
Nutshell provides an approachable CRM alternative that minimizes learning curves while supporting powerful automation.

7. Monday.com CRM

Best for: Teams that value visual project management and automation.

Monday.com’s CRM system extends its project management DNA into a customizable sales CRM built for collaboration and visibility.

Key Features:

• Fully customizable workflow automation

• Centralized dashboard for sales, projects, and marketing

• Integration with hundreds of tools

• Excellent onboarding and templates

• Modern, user-friendly UI

Why It’s a Great Fit:
Monday.com CRM is ideal for companies needing flexibility and customization, blending CRM and productivity in one intuitive platform.

8. Capsule CRM

Best for: Freelancers and small teams wanting simplicity and customer management.

Capsule CRM offers a clean, straightforward interface with enough power to automate daily sales processes.

Key Features:

• Contact and pipeline management

• Basic workflow automation

• Integration with GSuite, Xero, and Mailchimp

• Customization options for sales milestones

• Affordable pricing

Why It’s a Great Fit:
Capsule is a lightweight Zendesk Sell alternative — perfect for small businesses wanting core CRM features without complexity.

9. Copper CRM

Best for: Google Workspace users looking for deep integration.

Copper (formerly ProsperWorks) is a CRM built specifically for Google Workspace, offering tight integration with Gmail, Calendar, and Drive.

Key Features:

• Seamless Gmail-based automation

• Pipeline tracking directly in Google Sheets and Docs

• Customizable workflows and triggers

• Clean UI that mirrors Google’s design

• Smart customer data insights

Why It’s a Great Fit:
If your team runs on Google tools, Copper’s ecosystem integration makes it an easy Zendesk Sell CRM alternative that boosts productivity.

10. LeadSquared

Best for: Sales and marketing alignment with advanced automation.

LeadSquared combines CRM power with marketing automation, offering full-funnel visibility into sales processes.

Key Features:

• Strong automation features for lead capture and nurturing

• Drag-and-drop workflow builder

• Customizable dashboards and reports

• Robust customer data management

• Vertical-specific templates (education, healthcare, finance)

Why It’s a Great Fit:
LeadSquared is ideal for businesses that need advanced automation and end-to-end visibility between marketing and sales teams.

Final Thoughts: Transitioning Smoothly Away from Zendesk Sell

As Zendesk Sell sunsets, businesses can’t afford to delay migration. Choosing the right CRM alternative early means preserving your customer data, enhancing automation, and ensuring seamless onboarding for your sales team.

Whether you prefer Pipedrive’s simplicity, HubSpot’s ecosystem, or Salesforce’s customization, the key is to pick a platform that fits your sales goals, integrates with your existing workflow, and streamlines your operations long-term.

Quick Comparison Snapshot

Ready to Move?

Don’t wait for Zendesk Sell to reach its end of life. Take proactive steps to secure your sales data, preserve your workflows, and enhance automation.
Evaluate your team’s needs, shortlist your top competitors, and make the move away from Zendesk with confidence.

The right CRM will not only replace Zendesk Sell — it will streamline, automate, and empower your entire sales process.

FAQs

When will Zendesk Sell officially be retired?

Zendesk has announced that Zendesk Sell will be fully retired by mid-2025. New sign-ups have already been discontinued, and product support is expected to end in the first quarter of 2025. After that point, users may lose access to data exports and key automation features. To prevent disruption, start planning your migration to a Zendesk Sell alternative as soon as possible.

Which CRM is the easiest replacement for Zendesk Sell?

For most teams, Pipedrive and HubSpot CRM are the easiest Zendesk Sell alternatives. Both offer intuitive dashboards, strong workflow automation, and quick onboarding. Pipedrive suits small sales teams that need simplicity, while HubSpot provides an all-in-one customer service platform with powerful automation and marketing integrations. Both options ensure a smooth transition away from Zendesk.

How can I migrate all my data without losing history?

Before Zendesk Sell’s sunset, export all customer data, pipelines, and activity logs in CSV or API format. Most CRMs—like HubSpot, Zoho, and Salesforce—provide data import tools that preserve contact history, notes, and tasks. Consider using migration partners or integration tools such as Zapier or Import2 for a seamless, automated transfer that minimizes the risk of data loss or workflow disruption.

Which Zendesk Sell alternative best fits small vs large teams?

For small teams, CRMs like Pipedrive, Nutshell, and Capsule deliver affordable pricing, easy setup, and essential sales automation tools.
For larger organizations, Salesforce, HubSpot, or LeadSquared provide advanced customization, detailed analytics, and scalable automation workflows. The best fit depends on your sales process, team size, and integration needs within your CRM ecosystem.

Do Zendesk Sell alternatives support email, phone, and marketing integrations?

Yes — most leading Zendesk Sell alternatives offer built-in or native integrations for email, phone, and marketing automation.
Platforms like HubSpot, Freshsales, and LeadSquared unify communication channels, allowing sales reps to manage calls, send emails, and track campaigns directly from one sales CRM dashboard. This ensures a connected workflow and real-time customer data visibility across teams.