Why CRM Add-Ons Are Killing Your Sales Budget

You signed up for a CRM at $14/user/month. Six months later, you're paying $80/user. What happened? Add-ons. The pricing strategy that makes cheap CRMs expensive.

The Add-On Playbook

Here's how the add-on trap works:

1. Low anchor price: Advertise $14/user to get you in the door
2. Core features gated: Automations, lead scoring, web forms? Extra.
3. Gradual upsells: You discover you need features, one by one
4. Lock-in: By the time you realize the true cost, switching feels hard

It's not evil—it's just business. But it's worth understanding so you don't get surprised.

Real-World Add-On Costs

Let's look at what popular CRMs actually charge for features most teams need:

Pipedrive Add-Ons

HubSpot Add-Ons

Freshsales Add-Ons

The Features That Should Be Standard

These features are essential for any modern sales team. They shouldn't cost extra:

• Workflow automations: Save 5+ hours/week on repetitive tasks
• Lead scoring: Know which prospects to prioritize
• Web forms: Capture leads from your website
• Booking pages: Let prospects schedule meetings without email ping-pong
• Email templates: Send consistent, professional emails
• Basic reporting: Track your pipeline and team performance

If a CRM charges extra for these, they're monetizing basics.

How to Calculate True CRM Cost

Before signing up for any CRM, do this math:

Step 1: List the features you need

Be honest about what you'll actually use. Common needs for small teams:

• Pipeline management (visual deals board)
• Contact and company tracking
• Automations for follow-up reminders
• Lead capture (web forms)
• Meeting scheduling (booking pages)
• Basic email tracking

Step 2: Find the minimum tier that includes them

For each CRM, figure out which plan actually includes everything you need. It's usually not the cheapest tier.

Step 3: Add required add-ons

If any features require add-ons (even on higher tiers), add those costs.

Step 4: Multiply by users and time

Calculate the annual cost for your team size. This is your true cost.

Why Do CRMs Use Add-Ons?

It's not (always) greed. Here's the business logic:

• Lower barrier to entry: A $14 price tag is easier to approve than $80
• Revenue expansion: Upselling existing customers is cheaper than acquiring new ones
• Segmentation: Charge more to customers who get more value
• Flexibility: Let customers pay only for what they use (in theory)

The problem is when "flexibility" becomes "nickel-and-diming"—charging extra for features that everyone needs.

Signs of Add-On-Heavy Pricing

Red flags to watch for:

• "Starting at" pricing: The real price is always higher
• Features listed as "+add-on": They want you to not notice
• Complicated pricing pages: If you can't understand it, that's intentional
• "Contact sales" for pricing: They want to anchor you before revealing cost
• Many tiers with feature differences: Designed to push you up

CRMs With Transparent Pricing

Some CRMs have resisted the add-on model. They charge a flat rate and include everything (or nearly everything):

• myday: $19-39/user, all features included, no add-ons
• Close: $49-99/user, calling included (per-minute charges apply)
• Salesflare: $29-99/user, most features included

These tend to be more expensive at face value but cheaper when you add up everything.

The Bottom Line

Add-on pricing isn't inherently bad—it's just easy to abuse. Before committing to any CRM:

1. List exactly what features you need
2. Calculate the true total cost (not just the base price)
3. Compare that number across vendors
4. Factor in the cost of switching later

The cheapest-looking CRM is rarely the cheapest CRM. Do the math.