So you’re trying to pick the right go-to-market (GTM) software for your B2B team. Maybe you keep hearing about Freshworks, or your inbox is full of pitches from HubSpot, Salesforce, Outreach, and every other vendor under the sun. But glossy marketing pages rarely tell you what you actually need to know.
This guide is for sales, marketing, and RevOps folks who want to cut through the noise. I’ll show you how to compare Freshworks to other leading GTM tools, what really matters (and what’s fluff), and how to avoid buyer’s remorse.
Step 1: Get Clear on What GTM Software Actually Does (and Doesn’t)
Let’s start with the basics. GTM tools for B2B teams typically try to solve one or more of these problems:
- Managing sales pipelines and contacts
- Automating marketing outreach
- Tracking deals and revenue
- Coordinating customer interactions across teams
- Reporting on what’s working
Despite what vendors say, no single tool “does it all” well. Most tools are either sales-focused (like Salesforce, HubSpot Sales, Outreach), marketing-focused (Marketo, Pardot), or try to be a platform (like Freshworks, Zoho, or HubSpot).
Things these tools usually don’t do well: - Fix your broken process (if you have one) - Integrate seamlessly out of the box (despite the claims) - Replace the need for actual humans doing thoughtful work
Pro tip: Write down your team’s real problems before shopping for tools. Otherwise, you’ll get distracted by shiny features you’ll never use.
Step 2: Make a Shortlist of the Right Alternatives
Don’t compare Freshworks to every SaaS tool with a CRM. Narrow it to those truly built for B2B GTM. Here are the usual suspects:
- Freshworks – Aimed at SMBs and mid-market teams wanting an all-in-one platform.
- HubSpot – Big on marketing, but increasingly trying to cover sales and service.
- Salesforce – The heavyweight, but can be overwhelming (and expensive).
- Zoho CRM – Affordable, lots of features, but can feel clunky.
- Pipedrive – Simple sales tool, less “all-in-one” than others.
- Outreach / Salesloft – Focused on sales engagement, not full CRM.
Ignore tools that don’t fit your size, tech stack, or core use case. Choosing “the leader” is pointless if your team will only use 10% of what it offers.
Step 3: Break Down the Features That Actually Matter
Vendors love big feature lists. Most teams use a handful of things. Here’s what to really compare:
1. Ease of Use
- Can your team pick it up quickly? If you’re spending weeks on training, it’s a bad sign.
- Are basic tasks (logging a call, updating a deal) actually simple?
- Mobile and email integration: Does it work where your team already lives?
Honest take: Freshworks and Pipedrive tend to be simpler than Salesforce or Zoho. HubSpot is user-friendly but can get cluttered as you add features.
2. Sales and Marketing Automation
- Can you automate follow-ups, drip emails, or lead scoring?
- Templates and sequences: Is it easy to set up daily workflows, or are you stuck fiddling with settings?
What works: Outreach and HubSpot shine here. Freshworks has good automation, but it’s less deep than Outreach for complex sales sequences.
3. Reporting and Analytics
- Are the reports actually useful, or just pretty graphs?
- Can you build custom reports without a consultant?
- Forecasting: Does it help you see what’s coming, not just what happened?
Skip: Fancy dashboards you never look at. Focus on the 3-5 reports your team actually needs.
4. Integrations
- Does it play nice with your existing tools? (Slack, Gmail/Outlook, Zoom, marketing tools, your ERP, etc.)
- Open API: If you have custom needs, can you build on top of it easily?
- Marketplace: Is there a healthy ecosystem of plug-ins?
Real talk: Salesforce integrates with everything, but often requires consultants. Freshworks and HubSpot cover most basics, but check if your must-haves are supported.
5. Pricing and Contracts
- Transparent pricing, or do you have to talk to sales?
- Hidden fees: Watch for add-ons (support, integrations, storage) that drive up costs.
- Minimum seats or long-term contracts: Are you locked in before you even know if it works?
Advice: Try to get a real quote for your team’s size and use case. Ignore headline prices—they’re often meaningless.
6. Support and Community
- Is support actually responsive, or do you wait days for a response?
- Community forums and resources: If you’re stuck, can you find answers without paying extra?
- Onboarding help: Will you need to hire a consultant just to get started?
What to ignore: Vendor promises of “white glove” support. Look for real user reviews and ask peers about their experience.
Step 4: Test the Tools Yourself (Don’t Rely on Demos)
Don’t just watch vendor demos. Sign up for trials and get your team to use the tool for real tasks:
- Import your actual data (even a sample).
- Run a real sales meeting using the software.
- Try setting up a basic automation or workflow.
- Pull a report you’d actually use.
Red flags: - Stuff doesn’t work as advertised. - Your team hates it or avoids using it. - You find yourself Googling basic how-to’s.
Pro tip: Vendors will always show the “happy path.” Break things. See how it handles mistakes or weird edge cases—you’ll hit those in real life.
Step 5: Get Real-World Feedback (Not Just Capterra Reviews)
After testing, talk to other teams actually using the tools. Ask about:
- Where the tool’s fallen short (everyone has complaints)
- What broke as they grew
- What made them switch from (or to) that tool
- Unexpected costs or limitations
Where to find honest feedback: - LinkedIn (message connections using the tool) - Slack/Discord communities for RevOps, sales, or marketing - Industry events (yes, people still go to these) - Reference calls, but ask for customers in your size/industry
Watch out: Case studies are cherry-picked. Ask, “What do you wish you’d known before buying?”
Step 6: Decide What You Can Live Without
No tool is perfect. You’ll need to make trade-offs. Here’s how to cut through the noise:
- Must-haves: The core things your team can’t work without (e.g., Gmail integration, pipeline automation).
- Nice-to-haves: Cool features, but not deal-breakers (e.g., AI forecasting, fancy dashboards).
- Deal-breakers: Red flags that’ll make daily work a slog.
Write these down before you get seduced by a slick sales pitch.
Step 7: Keep It Simple—Start Small and Iterate
Once you pick a tool, don’t try to roll out everything on day one. Most failed GTM software projects happen because teams try to “do it all” and get stuck.
- Start with the basics: pipeline, contacts, a few automations.
- Get feedback after a few weeks. Adjust.
- Add new features only when the team’s ready.
Remember: You’re buying a tool, not a magic wand. The best GTM software is the one your team actually uses—consistently.
Summary: Don't Overthink It
Comparing GTM software like Freshworks, HubSpot, and Salesforce isn’t about finding a “best” tool—it’s about finding what fits your team, your workflow, and your budget. Ignore the hype, focus on the basics, and don’t be afraid to walk away if something feels off.
You’ll probably never use half the features, and that’s OK. Keep things simple, keep talking to your team, and iterate as you go. That’s how you actually win with GTM software.